Battleship USS Wisconsin moored downtown Norfolk during Fleet Week Hampton Roads 2009. Wisconsin serves as a museum at the National Maritime Center - Nauticus. Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Santos Huante

Bayonne Naval Supply Depot, New Jersey

Bayonne Naval Supply Depot, New Jersey Photographed on 15 April 1953 with ships in reserve. The two large ships at right on the near side of the peninsula are Alaska (CB-1) and Guam (CB-2). The next two ships astern are North Carolina (BB-55) and Washington (BB-56). Further astern are (from outboard to inboard) Fargo (CL-106), Albemarle (AV-5) and Wakefield (AP-21). The carriers Enterprise (CV-6) and Franklin (CV-13) are at the far left. Also present are the escort carriers Card (CVE-11), Croatan (CVE-25), Mission Bay (CVE-59), and Guadalcanal (CVE-60) along with the cruisers Providence (CL-82), Little Rock (CL-92), Spokane (CLAA-120) and Fresno (CLAA-121). One of the two CLAAs is tied up outboard of the Alaskas. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

That’s quite a reserve fleet. In fact, toss in a few destroyers and you’ve got yourself a surface navy all right there. Just waiting for the cutting torch.

Hood vs Bismark from Modern Marvels:

The 65-year-old ship is in good shape, but it still needs to go to Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard for repairs because rust is protruding from peeling paint in areas and the teak wood deck is warped and bent in others.

The ship’s exterior is due to be sanded down and repainted in a $15 million overhaul paid for by memorial reserve funds and a Department of Defense grant.

“Rust never sleeps as they say,” said Michael Carr, the memorial’s president. “It’s a big job. It has to be done.”

Meanwhile, self-guided iPod tours of Missouri are now available.

Museum installs big guns

On Monday, two cannons, once part of the mighty USS Pennsylvania battleship, finally pointed skyward near the entrance to the Pennsylvania Military Museum.

The historic 14-inch barrels had been on pallets since arriving by truck May 20 from the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Dahlgren, Va. For 64 years, the guns rested in a scrapyard until the museum, once the Navy agreed to loan them, raised more than $40,000 to bring them to Boalsburg.

The guns been removed in 1945 when new ones were installed on the ship.

Japanese battleship Ise from 1945 ONI drawing:

Drawing of Japanese battleship Ise as seen in US Office of Naval Intelligence publication ONI-222-J dated Jun 1945

After the loss of six carriers at the Battle of Midway in June, 1942, Ise had her two rear 14″ turrets removed and a flight hanger installed as seen in this drawing. Aircraft could be launched but not directly recovered, though the plans called for float planes as part of her force which could be brought back aboard after water landings.

No combat flight ops were ever conducted by the Ise and she was sunk in 1945.

The North Carolina Zoo, state aquariums and the Battleship North Carolina all beat last year’s numbers for the month.

“It’s very affordable and we’re not far away,” said Heather Loftin, with the Battleship North Carolina.

Most attractions that saw the bump are only a day trip for most in the state, and they’re affordable.

“As far as affordable it’s a no-brainer. It takes as much gas for me to go to the airport as it does for me to get down here,” said Norm Vuchetich, a Goldsboro resident.

Tourism experts said that’s a winning combination in this economy.

Danton wreck found in deep water

The French pre-dreadnought Danton, sunk by a German U-Boat in 1917 in the Mediterranean, was found in 2007 and positively IDed this spring. She sits upright over 3,300 feet down and appears mostly intact. Video, maps, and images at the BBC page.

USS Utah had long, distinguished history in naval fleet

The completed battleship was commissioned at the Philadelphia Navy Yard across the Delaware River from Camden on Aug. 31, 1911. It drew approximately 28 feet of water, weighed 21,825 tons and carried a crew of more than 1,000.

In 1914 it landed a battalion at Vera Cruz, Mexico, in an American show of force. During the fighting that followed, according to the site, seven of the crew earned Medals of Honor. A few years later, the ship helped protect American convoys crossing the North Atlantic during World War I.

The naval disarmament treaty of 1922 required the USS Utah’s conversion to a target ship. From then on, it served as the target for bombing and submarine attacks, including dive bombing, torpedo bombing and high-level bombing. Although dummy munitions were used, they were capable of penetrating steel decks, and thick timbers were erected to protect crewmen.

USS Utah also did duty as a machine-gun school. On its last sea voyage, it sailed for Hawaii in August 1941. It was a target ship for bombing exercises until that morning of Dec. 7, when it was among the first ships to be hit by Japanese torpedo bombers in the attack.

I’m not sure that I realized the hulk of the Utah was still in the harbor. Here’s a shot of it I found:

Wreck of USS Utah (BB 31) at Pearl Harbor

I’ve mentioned the Red Bull Battleship skateboard event aboard the USS North Carolina in previous editions of Battlewagon Wednesday. Here’s a video of the event I found:

Group set to salvage parts of battleship Yamato

Despite jaw-dropping costs and immense technical difficulties, business leaders here plan to salvage parts from the sunken World War II imperial battleship Yamato…Panel members said they hope to at least raise the 2,780-ton main guns and the front portion of the hull, which they say bear distinctive Yamato characteristics.

Are they kidding?

Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus: Okay, this is only battleship-related because a BB makes an appearance at about 0:39 of the trailer:

We watched this last night. The megashark eats the battleship. Seriously. It was the USS Missouri. Mighty Mo is devoured, but Debbie Gibson somehow manages to survive. I was hoping to have a screenshot of a battleship with a big bite out of it, but apparently the special effects budget didn’t allow for that.

Economy struggles prevent repairs to the Battleship North Carolina

The Battleship North Carolina is rusty and will stay that way for a little longer.

According to Executive Director of the War Memorial, Dave Scheu, the bottom of Battleship is rusting because it has been 52 years since the bottom of the ship has been worked on.

And here’s a few photos of USS Battleship North Carolina and Wilmington NC

HMS Dreadnought Wallpapers

Murdoc likes this one:

HMS Dreadnought

Finally, I’m not really sure what this is about: Liz Brown’s happy battleship painting

Lots of scans from old ONI recognition manuals. Very much worth a look. Here’s part of the USS West Virginia (BB 48):

The WEST VIRGINIA, originally built as a unit of the COLORADO Class, is now patterened after the TENNESSEE, differing principally in the main battery. Serious damage to the CALIFORNIA and slight damage to the TENNESSEE at Pearl Harbor resulted in condsiderable wartime alterations to both units and the modernization of their armament. An additional hull has been built around the original, providing greater beam, underwater protection and stability. This class now bears close resemblance to the SOUTH DAKOTA Class. A somewhat more prominent stack and four instead of three turrets are the main differences between this group and the SOUTH DAKOTAs.

I hadn’t realized that an entirely new outer hull had been added to the West Virginia.

Decaying warships in limbo
The ships in Suisun Bay include USS Iowa (BB 61). Here’s a bird’s eye view from Bing:

USS Iowa in Suisun Bay near San Francisco, CA

Book details service history of battleship

Info on Battleship Oklahoma BB-37 by Jeff Phister, Thomas Hone, and Paul Goodyear

The comprehensive history of the USS Oklahoma from its christening in 1914 to its final loss in 1947. The authors tell how the Oklahoma served in World War I, participated in the Great Cruise of 1925, and evacuated refugees from Spain in 1936. But the most memorable event of the ship’s history occurred on December 7, 1941.

Beer on a Battlewagon: 13th Annual Garden State Beer Festival featuring Self Guided Visit of the Battleship New Jersey on Saturday, June 20th:

The Garden State Craft Brewer’s Guild will hold their 13th Annual Beer Sanpling Event on the Battleship New Jersey. This is a rain or shine event held on the Fantail under tents. Food & Specialty Vendors will be present along with entertainment from 1:00-5:00. Festival ticket also offers a logoed sampling glass and a self-guided tour of the most decorated Battleship in U.S. History.

If you go, send Murdoc pictures.

A previous edition of Battlewagon Wednesday linked to a skateboarding event held aboard USS North Carolina (BB 55). It seems that not everyone thought that the event was appropriate: Battleship skaters an outrage

Here’s an example:

The history of the USS North Carolina shows that many a brave soul lost his life in the defense of our Country on the decks of that ship. Would you have skateboarding amongst the Honor Guard of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier? Common sense dictates that there is a time and place for everything.

To be honest, I guess I didn’t think there was anything wrong with it at all. What do you guys think?

Diving on Maine's wreck - U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Remembering Mainers on board the USS Maine

What the history books don’t give us is much information about the crew. Where were they from? USS Maine’s company of 350 men were from 23 states and 15 countries. Twenty-two sailors were African Americans.

Who were the casualties from Maine? The Bath Daily Times informs us there were two “Boys from Bath” on the doomed ship, John Sweeney and Frank Talbot. Sweeney worked in the boiler shop at the Bath Iron works for ten years and left in 1897 to join the ship. For some reason he was not listed on the ship’s roster and thus was not initially reported as dead. A third casualty, Clarence Lowell, was born in Bath, but moved to Augusta.

A very well-researched article by Harry Gratwick.

Sunken Battleship Found After 264 Years

Odyssey said the 31 brass cannons and other evidence on the wreck allowed definitive identification of the HMS Victory, 175-foot sailing ship that was separated from its fleet during a storm and sank in the English Channel on Oct. 4, 1744, with at least 900 men aboard. The ship was the largest and, with 110 brass cannons, the most heavily armed vessel of its day. It was the inspiration for the HMS Victory famously commanded by Adm. Horatio Nelson decades later.

Odyssey was searching for other valuable shipwrecks in the English Channel when it came across the Victory. Stemm wouldn’t say exactly where the ship was found for fear of attracting plunderers, though he said it wasn’t close to where it was expected to be.

Battleship X: U.S.S. South Dakota

Photographer: Richard E. Miller Taken: July 2003

From the Historical Marker Database. Years ago, a young Murdoc visited the USS South Dakota Memorial in Sioux Falls.

The site editor is looking for a readable photo of the memorial marker’s front side. See the page if you can help.

You Sank My Battleship

Print and T-Shirt. I can’t decide if I think that’s funny or not.

USS California (BB 44) under construction at Mare Island Naval Shipyard. The only dreadnought-era battleship built on the West Coast.

Let’s go inside the turret of the battleship USS Massachusetts

16" Projectiles

Color photos from inside the rear turret of BB 59.

Here are some great B&W photos of a recent skateboarding event aboard the USS North Carolina (BB 55) by Justin McLeod.

Red Bull Skateboarding and SPoTlight Productions first ever Skate Contest on the USSNC Battleship

Interview: BB-67 Montana Author

Last spring I talked with W. Frederick Zimmerman about his Nimble Book on the never-built class of superbattleships.

1. What made you decide to put together a book on the BB-67 USS Montana?

I had been experimenting with new formats for micropublishing (see Publish A “Nimble” Book With Us) and I wanted to publish a book with a strong pictorial element. I have been a battleship fan since I was a kid, and I knew that the Naval Historical Center has a lot of great public domain images online. I chose MONTANA because as a long-time participant in the Usenet newsgroup sci.military.naval (my first post was in 1995) I knew that naval history fans on the Internet love battleships, superships, and hypothetical ships, and MONTANA was the biggest, baddest hypothetical U.S. supership ever designed. ;-)

Read the rest here.

USS Michigan (BB-27) Photographed by O.W. Waterman, Hampton, Virginia, circa 1916-17. She is wearing horizontal 'two-tone' paint scheme, possibly a camouflage experiment. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

USS Michigan (BB 27)
• Class: South Carolina
• Laid down: 17 December 1906
• Launched: 26 May 1908
• Commissioned: 4 January 1910
• Decommissioned: 11 February 1922
• Displacement: 16,000 tons
• Length: 452.8 feet (138.0 m)
• Beam: 80.3 feet
• Draft: 24.5 feet
• Speed: 18.5 knots
• Armament:

8× 12″ guns in 4 turrets

22× 3″ guns

4× 1pdr gun

2x .30cal machine guns

2× 21″ torpedo tubes

• Complement: 51 officers, 818 men

More battlewagons below!

Work starts on new Pearl Harbor visitor’s center

The USS Arizona Memorial visitor’s center is sinking:

The current visitor’s center — across the harbor from the submerged battleship — is sinking because it was built on reclaimed land, causing water to seep into its basement. Engineers estimate the building will last only a few more years.

The current center has been handling about twice as many people per day as it was designed to accommodate.

USS Missouri (BB 63) in 1991 Gulf War

Last but not least: Star Wars Electronic Battleship:

You sank my Star Destroyer!

Forward Murdoc your favorite battleship links for future Battlewagon Wednesdays.

USS Nebraska (BB 14) coaling near Veracruz. 1916.

Displacement: 16,094 tons
Length: 441′3″
Beam: 76′2″
Draft: 25′10″
Speed: 19 knots
Complement: 1,108
Armament:

• 4x 12″ guns
• 8x 8″ guns
• 12x 6″ guns
• 11x 3″ guns
• 4x 21″ torpedo tubes

Class: Virginia

The Nebraska was launched in 1904 and decommissioned in 1920. Found via Naval & Nautical Blog.

More battlewagons below!

USS Texas (BB-35) Making 15.151 knots during the 9th run of her standardization trials, 23 October 1913. Note incomplete status of her hull paint forward and unfinished mainmast. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

I’ve got a request from a reader looking for hull lines of the as-built USS Texas (BB 35) for some detailed CAD drawings he’s working on. He’s also looking for information on the doors in the superstructure as they are covered by boats in the drawings he has.

If you’ve got detailed info about this sort of thing or know someone who does, let me know and I’ll put you in touch with the modeler.

USS Arizona: Warship, Tomb, Monument
by Mackinnon Simpson

The story of the USS Arizona encompasses far more than the milli-second BOOM! that split her hull and snuffed out the lives of 1177 men aboard her. The huge battleship led a fascinating life before her demise, and--as a poignant symbol of the attack that thrust the United States into World War II--has impacted millions of lives since. She lays where she sank, in the silt of Pearl Harbor, spanned now by a graceful white memorial that pays tribute to her dead. MacKinnon Simpson’s newest book, USS Arizona -- Warship, Tomb, Monument, pays tribute to the ship, her crews, and her symbolism through the years. Packed with many rarely-before seen images, the book includes such unlikely characters as Elvis Presley, whose benefit concert helped trigger the fund-raising for the Memorial, and Henry Williams, a three-year-old boy who placed the first bolt in her keel in 1915 and read a newspaper by the light of her raging fires as a lieutenant at Pearl Harbor in 1941. USS Arizona -- Warship, Tomb, Monument tells a story that needed to be told, of why the Arizona is still so important to people from around the world who trek to visit her each year.

I haven’t had a chance to check out this book, but the review here makes it sound like a good one.

16″/50 Gun and Turret Training Film

More battlewagons next Wednesday!