Photo #: NH 53502
USS Henderson (Transport # 1)
Admiral W. S. Benson, USN, putting in the first bolt of USS Henderson's
keel in the Philadelphia Navy Yard on 19 June 1915.
Courtesy of the Naval Historical Foundation.
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
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Photo #: NH 105427
USS Henderson (Transport # 1)
Under construction at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, Pennsylvania,
circa spring 1916.
Printed on postcard stock.
Donation of Dr. Mark Kulikowski, 2007.
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
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Photo #: NH 53509
USS Henderson (Transport # 1)
Henderson was the first large ship to be gyro-stabilized.
The stabilizing unit was installed while the ship was being built
at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. This view of the whole ship, taken
on 13 April 1917, shows the size of the stabilizer compared to
the ship.
"The gyros being installed through the side of the ship,
weigh four-fifths of one per cent of the displacement of the
ship, approximately 80 tons. The gyros are capable of holding
the ship down to three degrees of roll in the roughest weather.
On numerous trans-Atlantic crossings experiments have been conducted,
rolling the ship with the stabilizers for experimental director
gun fire as well as stabilizing the ship for economy in effort
in operation and comfort of personnel on board. USS Henderson
was well fitted for these experiments, being equipped with eight
five-inch guns and a complete fire control director." (quoted
from the original 1917-vintage photo caption)
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
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Photo #: NH 53507
USS Henderson (Transport # 1)
Gyroscopic stabilizers being installed through the side of the
ship while in dry dock at the Philadelphia Navy Yard on 13 April
1917.
"To accomplish this, the two gyro units were placed on a
barge and docked with the ship. Two plates were then removed
from the side of the ship, and the gyros were skidded down on
to their foundations inside. Each of the gyro units weighed about
30 tons." (quoted from the original 1917-vintage photo caption)
Courtesy of Sperry-Rand Corporation.
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
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Photo #: NH 53508
USS Henderson (Transport # 1)
A close-up view of the two gyro stabilizing units being skidded
into the ship in dry dock at the Philadelphia Navy Yard in April
1917.
"Each of these units contains a wheel weighing 26 tons mounted
on a horizontal shaft lying in normal position athwartships.
The units are secured to the ship in the gudgeon bearings, the
trunions of which are visible on the top of each unit. This allows
each unit to turn or precess about a vertical axis to give the
spinning gyro rotors the second motion necessary to produce the
gyroscopic action to help stabilize the ship." (quoted from
the original 1917-vintage photo caption)
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
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Photo #: NH 53510
USS Henderson (Transport # 1)
Close-up view of the gyroscopic stabilizers used in USS Henderson,
taken in the Philadelphia Navy Yard circa April 1917.
"A rotor nine feet in diameter with shaft stubs being assembled
in the casing. The 60 horsepower motor necessary to drive the
shaft is shown mounted on the right-hand shaft stub. After assembly
the rotor was carefully balanced. The last weight to be subtracted
to obtain perfect balance was only one half of an ounce."
(quoted from the original 1917-vintage photo caption)
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
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Photo #: NH 53511
USS Henderson (Transport # 1)
A close-up of the gyroscopic stabilizer installed in Henderson
in April 1917 at the Philadelphia Navy Yard.
The casting of the gyro rotor weighed about 60,000 pounds.
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
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