USS Kentucky (BB-66) in World War II

USS Kentucky (BB-66) in World War II USS Kentucky (BB-66) was an unfinished battleship that was started during World War II (1939-1945). Originally intended to be the second ship of the Montana-class of battleship, Kentucky was re-ordered in 1940 as the sixth and final ship of the US Navys Iowa-class of battleships. As construction moved forward, the US Navy found that it had a greater need for aircraft carriers than battleships. This led to designs to convert Kentucky into a carrier. These plans proved impractical and work resumed on the battleship but at a slow pace. Still incomplete at the end of the war, the US Navy then considered a variety of projects for converting Kentucky into a guided-missile battleship. These also proved fruitless and in 1958 the ship was sold for scrap.      A New Design In early 1938, work began on a new battleship type at the request of US Navy General Board chief Admiral Thomas C. Hart. First seen  as a larger version of the earlier  South Dakota-class, the new battleships were to carry twelve 16 guns or nine 18 guns. As the design evolved, the armament changed to nine 16 guns. In addition, the class anti-aircraft complement underwent several alterations  with the majority of its 1.1 weapons being replaced with 20 mm and 40 mm guns. Funding for the new ships came in May with the passage of the Naval Act of 1938. Dubbed the  Iowa-class, building  of the lead ship,  USS  Iowa  (BB-61), was assigned to the New York Navy Yard. Laid down in 1940,  Iowa  was to be the first of four battleships in the class. Fast Battleships Though hull numbers BB-65 and BB-66 were originally intended to be the first two ships of the new, larger  Montana-class, the approval of the Two Ocean Navy Act in July 1940 saw them re-designated as two additional  Iowa-class  battleships named USS  Illinois  and USS  Kentucky  respectively. As fast battleships, their 33-knot speed would permit them to serve as escorts for the new  Essex-class  carriers that were joining the fleet. Unlike the preceding  Iowa-class ships (Iowa,  New Jersey,  Missouri, and  Wisconsin),  Illinois  and  Kentucky  were to utilize all-welded construction which reduced weight while enhancing hull strength. Some conversation was also had as to whether to retain the heavy armor arrangement initially planned for the  Montana-class. Though this would have improved the battleships protection, it would also have greatly lengthened construction time.   As a result, standard  Iowa-class armor was ordered.   Ã‚   USS Kentucky(BB-66) - Overview Nation:  United StatesType:  BattleshipShipyard:  Norfolk Naval ShipyardLaid Down:  March 7, 1942Fate:  Scrapped, October 31, 1958 Specifications (Planned) Displacement:  45,000 tonsLength:  887.2 ft.Beam:  108 ft., 2 in.Draft:  28.9  ft.Speed:  33  knotsComplement:  2,788 (Planned) Guns 9 Ãâ€" 16 in./50 cal Mark 7 guns20 Ãâ€" 5 in./38 cal Mark 12 guns80 Ãâ€" 40 mm/56 cal anti-aircraft guns49 Ãâ€" 20 mm/70 cal anti-aircraft cannons Construction The second ship to carry the name USS Kentucky, the first being the Kearsarge-class USS Kentucky (BB-6) commissioned in 1900, BB-65 was laid down at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard on March 7, 1942.   Following the Battles of the Coral Sea and Midway, the US Navy recognized that the need for additional aircraft carriers and other vessels superseded that for more battleships. As a result, construction of Kentucky was halted and on June 10, 1942, the bottom section of the battleship was launched to make room for Landing Ship, Tank (LST) construction. The next two years saw designers explore options for converting Illinois and Kentucky into carriers. The finalized conversion plan would have resulted in two carriers similar in appearance to the Essex-class. In addition to their air wings, they would have carried twelve 5 guns in four twin and four single mounts. Reviewing these plans, it was soon found that the converted battleships aircraft capacity would be less than the Essex-class and that the construction process would take longer than building a new carrier from scratch. As a result, it was decided to complete both vessels as battleships but very low priority was given to their construction.   Moved back to the slipway on December 6, 1944, construction of  Kentucky slowly resumed through 1945. With the end of the war, discussion ensued regarding completing the vessel as an anti-aircraft battleship. This led to work halting in August 1946.   Two years later, construction again moved forward though using the original plans. On January 20, 1950,  work ceased and Kentucky was moved from its dry dock to make space for repair work on Missouri.    Plans, But No Action Moved to the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, Kentucky, which had been completed to its main deck, served as a supply hulk for the reserve fleet from 1950 to 1958. During this period, several plans were advanced with the idea of converting the vessel into a guided missile battleship. These moved forward and in 1954 Kentucky was renumbered from BB-66 to BBG-1. Despite this, the program was cancelled two years later. Another missile option called for the mounting of two Polaris ballistic missile launchers in the ship.   As in the past, nothing came from these plans. In 1956, after Wisconsin suffered a collision with the destroyers USS Eaton, Kentuckys bow was removed and used to repair the other battleship. Though Kentucky Congressman William H. Natcher attempted to block the sale of Kentucky, the US Navy elected to strike it from the Naval Vessel Register on June 9, 1958. That October, the hulk was sold to the Boston Metals Company of Baltimore and scrapped. Prior to disposal, its turbines were removed and used aboard the fast combat support ships USS Sacramento and USS Camden.

Nonverbal Communication Nuances Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Nonverbal Communication Nuances - Assignment Example In addition to that, virtual communication employs the use of facial expressions that serve as a nonverbal communication to enhance the meaning of the virtual verbal communication.  Ã‚   No, I do not believe so because increased use of the technology-mediated modes of communication would enable us to predict, read, and understand the nonverbal cues and norms that we are not very good at reading presently because we have not been always used to the technology-mediated modes of communication. However, our young generation, particularly the ones that are born in the computer age and that have been communicating virtually from the very early years of their lives are very comfortable with this mode of communication and have a better ability to judge and understand the nonverbal cues and norms even in the virtual communication. So even if the technology-mediated modes of communication become more common, their ability to read the nonverbal cues would only grow.

Financial Analysis (Tesco and Wall-Mart) Coursework

Financial Analysis (Tesco and Wall-Mart) - Coursework Example Tesco plc is a general merchandise retailer and a multinational grocery, which is has its headquarters in Cheshunt, UK. Perhaps it is the world’s third largest retailer in terms of revenues. The other retailers that are ahead of it are Carrefour and Wal-Mart, and it is also the second largest in terms of profit, whereby it comes after Wal-Mart. The retailer has branches in fourteen states across North America, Asia, and Europe. In the United Kingdom, it is the leader in the grocery market whereby it controls a market share of about thirty percent. It was established by Cohen Jack back in the year 1919 as a small market stalls group (MacLaurin, 2002, p.76). Interestingly, the company generates approximately eighteen billion pounds in sales, offer employment for around one hundred and eighty thousand people and earn about seven hundred million pounds in revenue from outside of the United Kingdom. Currently, the have about two thousand and twenty six stores running outside the Un ited Kingdom. However, within the United Kingdom, the company runs two thousand, two hundred stores and offers employment for about two hundred and eighty five thousand individuals. ... The company employs around two million, one hundred thousand people from all over the world. The company has operations or presence in over ten states, which include China, Brazil, Argentina, Honduras, Nicaragua, Canada, Costa Rica, United Kingdom, Japan, India, El Salvador, Mexico, Chile and Guatemala (MacLaurin, 2002, p.26). They earn around one hundred billion dollars from stores that are located outside the United States, approximately twenty five percent of the total revenue. They run over eight thousand, four hundred stores across the globe. The company operates on a model of price leadership. Clients are aware that the company can offer them the lowest process for what they need. Unlike Wal-Mart, we find that Tesco Corporation decided to adopt a kind of approach that is multiple format not only in its native market but also in the global operations. Whereas the company managed to be successful in all the twelve international markets that it ventured in, Wal-Mart did not manage to be successful; that is it was not able to make a its presence felt in a number of markets (Simms, 2009, p.45). Nevertheless, after strongly managing to establish itself or making a mark in the emerging markets, in the year 2007, Tesco Corporation entered into the United States market after carrying out thorough and comprehensive groundwork. Tesco Company came out with a one of its kind novel convenient store approach, which is ‘Fresh & Easy’ based on its comprehensive market research and after a very short time, the approach proved to be a great success and considerably gained an extensive acceptability and was embraced by most of the consumers in the United

E-Business- Transforming Customer Contact into Revenue Essay

E-Business- Transforming Customer Contact into Revenue - Essay Example This will just not suffice in today's selling world. One-time sales will generate revenue and help attain monthly targets, but what then E-Business is revolutionizing commerce. With transfer of data at one's fingertips, it's imperative for business houses to maintain customer database for the present and future development of business. Over the decade, business houses shifted their focus from automating back-office operations to customer relations. This move could be seen as a move in the right direction. This helps improve retention of customer database considerably and most importantly, these 'point solutions' add tactical value by encouraging customers to use this feature through the internet to make purchases1. Selling-Chain Management helps both the salesman and prospective customers identify their needs; it covers all aspects of a process-cycle, right from a customer's initial inquiry to delivery. Such powerful software thus helps minimize expenses in a relative term and improve profits. This paper takes a look e-Business solutions can help realtors transform customer contacts into revenue. 'Point Solutions' refers to details available at any point of time to a salesperson in negotiating with a customer. Product and price lists, inventory to advice on product availability and deliveries, will clear the way for better objection handling and doubts to close a business deal. An important feature of e-business is that every aspect of the sales process is considered critical to obtain a successful order. Internet Relationship Management (IRM), a personalized sales platform does just that. It assists in servicing potential customers as an interactive module, and deriving revenue. How does this happen IRM acts as the front-office of a company. IRM is interactive software that has provisions for free e-mail, discussion boards, and up-to-date product content2. As a realtor, IRM could address questions normally put up by customers regarding sales and mortgage of property, project development cost and time, structural features and so on. A customer who can avail all required info rmation through such software will undoubtedly be impressed and order. Legal opinions, blue-prints, property purchase and lease agreements, mortgage details and price listing will help make a customer more than confident of making a firm decision. Also the fact that the internet helps reduce process time will benefit the realtor in concluding sales early and efficiently. 4.0 Conclusion An important aspect of a sale is identifying customer needs. A customer's requirement is a prerequisite in a successful sale. IRM is essentially a sales platform that allows customers to log in to a company's website and retrieve valuable information that may be not available with sales staff. IRM allows customers the benefit of addressing their queries directly to the respective heads of departments, thus eliciting valid and genuine information. This task reduces uncertainties and customers find it easier to take decisions. However, an important aspect of e-Business is that, all information available on the website must be kept up-to-date and the system must be user-friendly. 5.0 References 1. Dr. Ravi Kalakota & Marcia Robinson, Identifying the Problem: Disconnected Front-Office Systems, Page 2-3, e-Business 2.0, Roadmap for Success,

Lord Binghams Dicta on the Principle of Legality Case Study

Lord Binghams Dicta on the Principle of Legality - Case Study Example It applied to persons who ‘cannot be deported because there is no ‘safe’ country to which they can be sent’. The detainees were able to challenge their detention under s25 and s30 ATCSA. S25 allowed an appeal to the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) against the Home Secretary’s decision and Section 30 ATCSA allowed the SIAC to hear appeals against the validity of the UK’s derogation from Article 5 ECHR .Lord Bingham’s Dicta on the Principle of Legality.The House of Lords had to decide whether the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) could rely on evidence obtained under torture by a foreign power - without UK complicity - during an appeal hearing. Evidence had been obtained from third parties by agents of the United States using methods known as ‘interrogation by extraordinary rendition’ . The SIAC and the Court of Appeal (CA) held that the evidence was admissible . The CA majority decision was based on Rule 44(3) of the SIAC procedural code which allows the SIAC to review evidence which would not be admissible in a court of law . Laws LJ expressly excluded evidence obtained with the complicity of the Home Secretary or any English authority regardless of the contingency The appellants argued that:ï‚ ¾ The common law position is firmly against torture which is enshrined in s76 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984

Crisis in Darfur- Current affairs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Crisis in Darfur- Current affairs - Essay Example In keeping with the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), the number of peacekeepers is on the rise at Darfur. The two sides of the conflict are: the Sudanese Military and the Janjaweed on one side and some rebel groups like the Sudan Liberation Movement and the Justice and Equality Movement on the other. The ethnic non-Arab land tilling groups appoints the later two parties. We have ample proof and information to say that the Sudanese government is helping the Janjaweed and the militia, especially in terms of funds. The desertification of the land by the cutting of trees, drought and problem of excess population have in fact made the problem intense and is one of the factors responsible for the conflict. The nomads, in order to feed their cattle are taking them towards the southern region occupied by the farming groups of Black Americans. The government of Sudan has been involved in the war but has been curbing the figures of death as well as evidence. However according to the US Holocaust Museum, the figures exceed 1 lakh. Around 2.5 millions have been displaced due to the war. These are not mere figures but human lives! We have therefore termed this as the genocide although the United Nations does not agree with the term. In the year 2007, the Sudanese government was accused by UN for participatign in the genocide and the gross violations in Darfur. The President of Sudan has been charged by three accusations of genocide, five accusations of crimes against humanity and two cases of murder by the International Criminal Court. Because eof ethnicity the president is accused to have planned the destruction of three tribal groups in Darfur. This is one of the reasons why Sudan looks upon the UN forces and the peacekeepers as foreign invaders. The blame is on America for following this interventionist policy with respect to the foreign nations. (Walker and

CASE STUDY ANALYSIS OF STATE BANK OF INDIA Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

ANALYSIS OF STATE BANK OF INDIA - Case Study Example As the name suggests, State bank of India or SBI is a public sector bank which has branches in most parts of India. Even though SBI still controls a substantial portion of Indian banking industry, competition from private banks and foreign banks is causing big problems to SBI. Some of the major problems facing by SBI at present, are related to marketing, HR, customer service and technology. Private sector banks, such as HDFC and ICICI compete strongly with SBI now. ICICI Bank has already overtook SBI in terms of market capitalization. Rural marketing is another big problem for SBI. Even though SBI has many branches in India, most of these branches are located in urban areas. Rural population still consists of many unbanked people and SBI failed to exploit this community. Lack of employee motivation and communication problems are the major HR problems in SBI. Poor compensation and heavy workloads are some of the reasons for demotivation of SBI employees. Communication is usually taking place in SBI only through one way; from top to the bottom. As a result of that, even talented employees were unable to use their capabilities properly. Customer service is another area in which SBI is facing problems now. Many of the SBI customers have the complaint that they were neither respected nor treated properly by the SBI employees. The high income customers of the SBI believe that they are not getting enough recognition from SBI even though they contribute more than 80% of SBI’s turnover. Lack of product innovation and the technologies feasible to exploit the banking possibilities in rural areas are some of the technology related problems in SBI. SBI still uses old technologies and the company does not bother very much about developing a technology suitable for the rural communities in India. SBI’s marketing problems can be solved with the help of tools such as 7Ps marketing mix and General Electric Matrix