Fastest Ship In The US Navy #shorts

The USS Pegasus PHM-1, the fastest ship in the US Navy, was the lead ship of her class. The United States Navy created the Pegasus class hydrofoils, which were small and quick ships, to keep its fleet effective despite the anticipated budget cut after the Vietnam War.

#shorts

[RobMac]

Served and flew on the USS Pegasus PHM-1 In July 1982! Awesome experience and really a shame they are gone!

[michaelburkett]

I worked on the USS Pegasus in the mid 80s. We thought the whole Navy was going to be as fast as her. Now after almost 40 years after being a sailor I remember a number of great ships that are no more. Thank you Steel Ladies for your service.

[jamesmoore]

Way back when - The PHM hydrofoil design program was a lot of fun to work on.

[MichaelVeverka-vz]

I work on The Pegasus in San Diego . We installed a false ceiling in the gallery and the bridge. That was a Asome shit. And the engine was a jet the same as a DC 10. I was told

[rodneypattonsr]

Awesome part of our Navy's history. Thank you for sharing.

[steve]

At the time they were very useful at controlling shipping choke points, able to quickly get on station and ambush soviet warships trying to break out past the choke point.

[jerryjeromehawkins]

Enemy submarine in the area? Time for hydro-foil mode... torpedo proof!!

[duaneclough]

Was in Bremerton when they were developed. Got to take tour. Very beautiful. Seen them in Seattle 25 years later sold and maybe scrapped.

[haventthoughtofanameyet]

76mm auto cannon may not sound like much, but when you do the conversion, those are 3" around shell being shot on full auto. They may not have the same charge(grainage) behind them as a 5" shell from a destroyer or frigate, but you wont wanna be behind anything less than 2" of sloped plate steel with that AC looking at you

[jimwells]

While stationed on the Enterprise (CVN-65) in Bremerton, Wa during refit, I remember one of these sitting alongside us in the shipyard, 80'-82'ish.

[damondkimble]

I think we need to take another look at this for the coast guard and with the upgrade to all the tech we have now think of it sounds like anit-cartel boats for your favorite uncle 😉

[wilecoyote]

Back in the in the 1970s I was dispatched from CGAS San Francisco to rescue a sinking fishing boat off shore near Santa Cruz, CA. We dropped rescue pumps to the boat. The kit contained dewatering pumps, life rafts etc. The fishing boat took the dewatering pumps onboard to pump the inrushing water overboard. The pumps were not keeping up and it looked for certain that the Captain Midnight was going down. A Navy Hydrofoil identified as the Highpoint checked in on Channel 16 saying he was located miles to the south near Big Sur and was on his way to lend assistance. I did not know what a hydrofoil was at the time and didn't think the Highpoint would arrive in time to be of much help. A few minutes later I could see a grey speck and white water off in the distance racing towards us. The Highpoint rushed in, came along side Captain Midnight and saved the day. If I am correct even though hydrofoils were fast they faced the problem of being able to go much farther on their foils than as normal displacement hulls. It was my understanding that if a hydrofoil broke something that kept them from using their foils they could be stranded at sea and not be able to return to base. The CG twin engine HU-16E aircraft faced a similar problem. A twin engine HU-16E could fly on 2 engines farther than 1 engine. The HU-16E was only dispatched off shore to distances that would allow a single engine return to base. It is only in the recent past that the reliability and power of modern jet engines allowed dispatch of twin jets over long distances offshore.

[dereksevers]

Would have been really cool to own one of them

[belejebkaan]

USS Aries PHM-5 is the only survivor of the six hydrofoils. It is preserved as a memorial on the Gasconade River in Gasconade, Missouri. The other five were eventually scrapped.

[jyralnadreth]

the 76mm Oto Melara Compact was a great weapon and still is today. Had the Pegasus been built today they would have the 76mm Super Rapid or STRALES version of the gun which is effective against aircraft and missiles. With boats that small you can very easily store them away in controlled atmosphere storage for a rainy day. The Cannon can also fire APFSDS Anti Tank rounds as Oto Melara developed them for the Otomatic SPAAG

[larrylighting]

Retired well that figers the brass who retired them has got no imagination of what more of what it can do instead of thinking of what it can't do you got to think out side the box: something that's expinabill cheap to build and maintain to protect larger navyships bust drug runners and pirates, shock attack posable

[gerardobooth]

It still would have been an asset to the other escort ships that accompany the carrier group.

[GeorgeJones-quhg]

Great litorial ships. They could be effective in ghe hands of the USCG.

[johnquinn]

I got to tour the Pegasus when it came to visit the Naval Academy in Annapolis where I grew up

[robvilla]

I saw one of these operating in the Gulf of Mexico sometime around 1983 or 84 near Florida. I was aboard a seismic vessel at the time. It was up on its foils and our bridge crew said it was moving around 50mph! I believe Boeing built them. Anyone have information on them in that area?