A thrill of looking at naval vessels is their uniformity.  To the layperson, which I am, this poorly shot foto shows the stern of a warship of some sort.

Uniformity means anonymity;  it does not mean pusillanimity.  Warships exude power.

But still, imagine my surprise–if wikipedia is correct about this–when I learned that this vessel–USS Simpson (FFG-56) is one of only TWO total US naval vessels presently commissioned that  can claim to have sunk an enemy vessel with its shipboard weaponry . . . aircraft are not “shipboard weaponry.”    Can you guess the other?  A clue is that it cost less than $4000 to build.  And foolish me ..  . I didn’t even get a proper foto!  In the foreground is an unidentified USACE vessel.  Learning the secret of  FFG-56 was similar to seeing–and then immediately knowing the back story of–Turner Joy last summer.

Yet another shot of C-Tractor 5 hooking up to

move USS Klakring off the dock.

Here a launch hurries over to attend to booms after Klakring departs.

Also in port was CG-69 USS Vicksburg, again . . . uniform but powerful would be an understatement.  .

I wish I’d taken more fotos, but copious fotos or no . . . I shall remember and appreciate my visit to Mayport.

Oh . . . that other currently commissioned US Navy vessel that has sunk enemy vessel usiing shipboard weaponry . . . is USS Constitution.  The vessel it sunk was HMS Guerriere, which although was battling for the British was French-built, taken by the British as a war prize in July 1806.