The Wasp-class amphibious assault ship U.S.S. Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) sailed into Victoria Harbor this week. Welcome Marines. An impressive array of rotor wing and V-TOL (vertical takeoff/landing) aircraft on board. The U.S.S. Bonhomme Richard was commissioned in 1998 and is based in Sasebo, Japan – not far from home.
Some interesting things to note:
– The U.S. flag flying at half mast because of the tragic Navy shipyard shooting that happened this past week in the United States.
– The colored “E”‘s painted on the port side of the bulwark – they are Command Excellence Awards.
Black “E” = Maritime Warfare Excellence Award
Red “E” = Engineering/Survivability Excellence Award
Green “E” = Command & Control Excellence Award
Green “H” = Health and Wellness (Medical) Excellence Award
Blue “E” = Logistics Management Excellence Award
Yellow “E” = Commander, Naval Surface Forces (CNSF) Ship Safety Award
Purple “E” = Efficiency Excellence Award
The hash marks underneath the award means they’ve won the same award multiple times over consecutive years.
– The folding wings of the V-22 Osprey’s sitting on the forward deck and one sitting on the ship’s aircraft elevator.
– The Marine Corp Harriers (4 of them) – the only vertical takeoff-landing fixed-wing aircraft – sitting on the stern deck.
Photos taken by myself from my flat in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong. Canon 5DMKIII. 19 Sept. 2013.
Filed under: Hong Kong | Tagged: 5D Mark III, aircraft carrier, amphibious assault, bonhomme richard, canon, canon 5D mark III, harrier, Hong Kong, kowloon, lhd-6, marine corp, marines, navy, osprey, sea king, tsim sha tsui, u.s.s. bonhomme richard, V-22, V-TOL, victoria harbor, wasp-class | Leave a comment »
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