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Pair USS NEWPORT NEWS CA148 Ashtray Brass & Aluminum Shipyard Made


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Hi All,

I found this wonderful pair at different times and different places. The brass one was purchased from a friend and if I remember correctly, the aluminum one was found at an estate sale. I used to collect anything Newport News. City related, Heavy Cruiser CA148, Submarine SSBN750 and of course Newport News Shipyard & Dry Dock Company memorabilia.

The brass ashtray measures 11 1/4 inches across and the aluminum ashtray measures 11 1/2inches across. I believe these were made at the shipyard for the commissioning on January 29th 1949. I have seen the aluminum ones come up for sale every now and then but the brass ones seem a little less common.

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Very cool. I would love to see some of your SSN-750 items if you get a chance. I was sent to Bahrain as a planner after she had the collision with the merchant ship back in 2007. There were gashes cut into the hull at the forward ballast tanks from the merchant's propeller. At the time it was the largest underwater repair of a submarine ever attempted. We got her patched up enough to make it back to the States for permanent repairs. Also, her CO at the time was my old XO from my first boat.

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I would love to see some of your SSN-750 items if you get a chance

Unfortunately, much of those items are long gone. Actually, I never found anything great from the USS Newport News SSBN750. Patches, 'welcome aboard packages' and trivial things like that. However, since I collect Zippos, I do have a Plank Owner lighter for this ship. I found this one at a thrift store in Newport News, VA.

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  • 3 years later...

This ashtray was a gift to the officers of the USS Newport News as well as dignitaries at the christening of the ship. My grandfather Joseph Dixon Smith, P.E. AIA, created that ashtray as well as many of the other ashtrays for ships made during that time period.  Unfortunately, that is the only one I do not have.  It was lost in a move.  If you could part with one of them,  I would be eternally grateful.  I appreciate the ability to share some information about the ashtray and give credit to the designer.  Hopefully one of them my finally come home again.

 

By the way, it is a cigar ashtray.

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  • 1 year later...
Historycollector61
On 3/7/2017 at 8:25 PM, mds308 said:

Hi All,

I found this wonderful pair at different times and different places. The brass one was purchased from a friend and if I remember correctly, the aluminum one was found at an estate sale. I used to collect anything Newport News. City related, Heavy Cruiser CA148, Submarine SSBN750 and of course Newport News Shipyard & Dry Dock Company memorabilia.

The brass ashtray measures 11 1/4 inches across and the aluminum ashtray measures 11 1/2inches across. I believe these were made at the shipyard for the commissioning on January 29th 1949. I have seen the aluminum ones come up for sale every now and then but the brass ones seem a little less common.

post-165739-0-29508400-1488939859.jpg

post-165739-0-92470000-1488939870.jpg

post-165739-0-66342600-1488939878.jpg

Very neat I just met a veteran is the uss Newport news

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  • 1 year later...

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