jimcat@rpi.edu (Jim Kasprzak) (09/24/90)
From: jimcat@rpi.edu (Jim Kasprzak) I'm curious about the locations of battleships in the United States and elsewhere (if there are any elsewhere). Other than the four currently in service, I know of the USS Massachusetts in Fall River, MA, and I heard that the USS Texas is located somewhere near Houston. Are there any other similar museum-exhibit battleships around the country? And are there others elsewhere in the world? (I'd think that the Royal Navy, at least, would have preserved a few). -- Jim Kasprzak kasprzak@mts.rpi.edu (internet) RPI, Troy, NY userfe0u@rpitsmts.bitnet "A spirit with a vision is a dream with a mission." -Rush
jm21@prism.gatech.edu (Jim Marks) (09/27/90)
From: jm21@prism.gatech.edu (Jim Marks) In article <1990Sep24.001114.22188@cbnews.att.com> jimcat@rpi.edu (Jim Kasprzak) writes: > I'm curious about the locations of battleships in the United States >and elsewhere (if there are any elsewhere). ... Are >there any other similar museum-exhibit battleships around the country? The USS Alabama is on display at Mobile, AL. I believe that the USS North Carolina is in Wilmington, NC. I'm not sure about the admission charge for either one. -- Jim Marks | Georgia Tech Research Institute Compuserve: 72310,2410 | Concepts Analysis Laboratory Internet: jm21@prism.gatech.edu
mlfisher@ohstpy.mps.ohio-state.edu (09/29/90)
From: mlfisher@ohstpy.mps.ohio-state.edu The USS OLYMPIA, Admiral Dewey's flagship at the Battle of Manilla Bay is on the Delaware River in Philadelphia, just below the Franklin Bridge. While not a true battleship, it was classified as an armored cruiser, it is a fun tour. There is an admission charge, I was there 20 years ago, don't remember the fee. The USS NORTH CAROLINA is at Wilmington, NC. Mike
osmigo@emx.utexas.edu (rn) (09/29/90)
From: ut-emx!osmigo@emx.utexas.edu (rn) Yes, the battleship Texas was recently refurbished at considerable cost. It was said that it was "sitting in mud" a few years ago. Tours are available, and they take you all through the ship, including the engine room (nothing like the sight of a piston 2 feet across to get the old heart throbbing). This is also the ship with the famous "accountant's room," where a crew member worked in a tiny room about 8 feet square keeping books at a small table. A 12-inch enemy shell crashed through the wall and came to rest right there next to the poor fellow's feet, and didn't explode. Lord only knows what went through his mind at that moment...(-8 The hole and the shell are still there. Ron Morgan osmigo@emx.utexas.edu
phil@zorch.SF-Bay.ORG (Phil Gustafson) (09/29/90)
From: phil@zorch.SF-Bay.ORG (Phil Gustafson) In article <1990Sep27.031313.6610@cbnews.att.com> jm21@prism.gatech.edu (Jim Marks) writes: >In article <1990Sep24.001114.22188@cbnews.att.com> jimcat@rpi.edu (Jim Kasprzak) writes: > >> I'm curious about the locations of battleships in the United States >>and elsewhere (if there are any elsewhere). ... Are >>there any other similar museum-exhibit battleships around the country? > >The USS Alabama is on display at Mobile, AL. I believe that the >USS North Carolina is in Wilmington, NC. And, finally the pre-Dreadnoughht battleship Mikasa of the IJN is on display embedded in concrete at Yokosuka. The ship was built in England and has, among other Brit-style fittings, a walkway around the stern for the admiral. Since sailing ships-of-the-line are considered by some to be battleships, a complete list might include HMS Victory, in concrete at Portsmouth, the fragments of HMS Mary Rose, and the Swedish liner Vasa, being restored indoors at Stockholm. The last vessel is in astounding shape considering that she capsized on her maiden voyage in 1628. No other battleships are listed in Brouwer's _International_Register_ of_Historic_Ships_, which seems pretty exhaustive -- I'm sure he missed some museum and reserve ships, but battleships are hard to ignore. Friedman lists the BU dates for all the U.S. battleships not mentioned so far. So the world roster of battleships includes one pre-dreadnought, one dreadnought, and seven U. S. fast battleships. The three U.S. museum ships, like the two Essex-class carriers on exhibit, were donated to their states with the proviso that they be available as last-ditch reserves. Parts were cannibalized from them to help rebuild the Iowas. _Texas_ was recently drydocked and last I heard was undergoing major restoration. -- | phil@zorch.SF-Bay.ORG | Phil Gustafson | {ames|pyramid|vsi1}!zorch!phil | UNIX/Graphics Consultant | {sgi|vsi1}!gsi!phil | 1550 Martin Ave., San Jose CA 95126 | phil@gsi | 408/286-1749
steve@uunet.UU.NET (Steve Nuchia) (10/01/90)
From: nuchat!steve@uunet.UU.NET (Steve Nuchia) In article <1990Sep24.001114.22188@cbnews.att.com> jimcat@rpi.edu (Jim Kasprzak) writes: >and I heard that the USS Texas is located somewhere near Houston. Are Texas reopened to the public last month after over a year of desperately needed maintenence work. They dry docked her (at Todd, in Galveston) and replaced every spot on the hull that had less than 3/4 inch of steel, then painted her with modern bottom paint, good for 20-30 years. The last time the bottom was painted was in '48, with 2-year paint, and she was a mess. Nothin but rust, held on rusted frames, in some spots. Her berth, adjacent to the place Sam Houston's army camped the night before the last battle of the Texas war for independence, was widened and deepened, and she now rides on a unique permanent "monopile" mooring system designed to hold her fast in hurricanes. They've stripped off the concrete that had fouled her decks and a huge crew of patio deck carpenters put in a deck of 4x4 pine. Not teak, but it beats concrete. The Texas parks department curatorial staff has decided that she was dark blue during the pacific battles in '45, and that's the paint scheme they've restored her to. Nobody can figure out what made them decide that, but it is a nice looking paint job. The Navy, in addition to a $5 million grant to help with the drydock expenses, has coughed up replacement 40mm mounts, original light fixtures, and stuff like that. The curators are going so far as to locate the exact spot the wire clips rusted off the overheads to restore the lighting circuits exactly. Compartments never before open to the public are being opened. Visitors now board her at the fantail, she's floating instead of resting in mud, her topsides are wood again ... Considering that if we'd waited another year she probably could not have been moved at all, she looks pretty good for a 75 year old ship. Texas isn't the only battleship on public display, but she is the only WWI battlewagon and was the trend-starter, at least in the states. Not a bad destination if one is interested in visiting a battleship on one's vacation. Houston isn't exactly the garden spot of the subtropics, but it isn't too bad in the fall. -- Steve Nuchia South Coast Computing Services (713) 964-2462 "To learn which questions are unanswerable, and _not_to_answer_them; this skill is most needful in times of stress and darkness." Ursula LeGuin, _The_Left_Hand_of_Darkness_
clay@swbatl.sbc.com (Patrick Clay - 529-7760) (10/01/90)
From: clay@swbatl.sbc.com (Patrick Clay - 529-7760) In article <1990Sep24.001114.22188@cbnews.att.com> jimcat@rpi.edu (Jim Kasprzak) writes: > > >From: jimcat@rpi.edu (Jim Kasprzak) > I'm curious about the locations of battleships in the United States >and elsewhere (if there are any elsewhere). Other than the four >currently in service, I know of the USS Massachusetts in Fall River, MA, >and I heard that the USS Texas is located somewhere near Houston. Are >there any other similar museum-exhibit battleships around the country? >And are there others elsewhere in the world? (I'd think that the >Royal Navy, at least, would have preserved a few). >-- I'm not aware of any battleships that the Royal Navy has preserved, although they do have HMS Victory at Portsmouth, and HMS Belfast in London. Another U.S. battleship museum is the USS Alabama (sister to Massachusetts) which is in Mobile, Alabama. Also there is the WWII sub USS Drum, and some good aircraft and vehicle exhibits, including an M-60 tank and a B-52. Not far away in Pensacola, Florida (about 60 miles) is the Naval Aviation Museum, which has representatives of naval aircraft spanning nearly 80 years now. They're also trying to get the USS Lexington as a permanent exhibit when she's retired sometime in the next few years (she's currently the oldest and smallest carrier in comission, albeit as training ship.) If anyone is interested in further information, I can get it to you--Pensacola is my hometown and I went to school in Mobile for a while. --Patrick Clay -- clay@swbatl: Patrick Clay 550 Maryville Centre Drive Ste. 400 St. Louis, MO 63141 (314)-529-7760
scottmi@ncar.UCAR.EDU (PUT YOUR NAME HERE) (10/03/90)
From: boulder!boulder!scottmi@ncar.UCAR.EDU (PUT YOUR NAME HERE)
There is talk of raising and renovating USS Monitor; she capsized during a
storm off Cape Hatteras, N.C. Salvage operations will be complicated by the
poor condition of the iron hull (which rests upside-down) and the fact that
the ship's sinking was facilitated by the partial separation of the upper and
lower hull sections.
The ironclad HMS Warrior is (or was) serving as a pontoon at an oil loading
terminal. Apparently, there are plans to restore her to her original condition.
[mod.note: As I noted previously, she is now partly restored and open for
tours at Portsmouth. Restoration continues, I believe. What's been done
so far is truly impressive. - Bill ]
Other old ships:
Aurora, a cruiser built for the Imperial Russian fleet can still be seen
at Leningrad. She fired the first shots of the 1917 revolution, but also has
the distinction of having fought at Tsushima and survived.
--don't like snow, miss Deirdre, and wish I was still in Santa Cruz.aag@cs.aber.ac.uk (Angela Gilham) (10/04/90)
From: Angela Gilham <aag@cs.aber.ac.uk> >> jimcat@rpi.edu (Jim Kasprzak) writes >> And are there others elsewhere in the world? (I'd think that the >> Royal Navy, at least, would have preserved a few). >> -- > clay@swbatl: (Patrick Clay) replies > I'm not aware of any battleships that the Royal Navy has preserved, although > they do have HMS Victory at Portsmouth, and HMS Belfast in London. True, the RN does not possess the world's best record when it comes to preserving its battleships. There is basically nothing from WWII hanging around in this country, but if you like your ships a little older and slightly less well preserved, then there is much to see if you ever come to Portsmouth. i. The Mary Rose, unfortunate (and badly designed) flagship of Henry VIII's fleet. ii. HMS Victory. On permanent display in dry dock in Portsmouth Harbour. iii. Holland I. The Royal Navy first operational sub (I think), now on display next to HMS Dolphin (the RN submarine school) iv. Warrior. The Royal Navy's first ironclad (c 1860 or thereabouts), restored and now on permanent display in Portsmouth Harbour. Also, the RN periodically has Navy Days when the public are invited aboard whatever ships are in harbour, though this mainly happens in the summer. Its worth writing to Portsmouth City Council and Gosport Borough Council to see what's on offer because there's at least one museum devoted to the Navy in the area, plus the D Day memorial museum. Angela email: Snail: Voice: Janet:aag@aber.cs | Ms A.M. Gilham | inet: aag@cs.aber.ac.uk | Dept of Computer Science |+44 970 622449 uucp: ...!mcsun!ukc!aber-cs!aag | University College of Wales | (office) | Aberystwyth. Dyfed. | | SY23 3BZ. UK |
markk@uunet.UU.NET (Mark Kromer) (10/05/90)
From: tcs!sparcplug!markk@uunet.UU.NET (Mark Kromer) In article <1990Oct2.234743.22650@cbnews.att.com>, boulder!boulder!scottmi@ncar (PUT YOUR NAME HERE) writes: >From: boulder!boulder!scottmi@ncar.UCAR.EDU (PUT YOUR NAME HERE) > There is talk of raising and renovating USS Monitor; she capsized during a >storm off Cape Hatteras, N.C. Salvage operations will be complicated by the >poor condition of the iron hull (which rests upside-down) and the fact that >the ship's sinking was facilitated by the partial separation of the upper and >lower hull sections. I understand that the monitor was also reqeatedly depth-charged during WW2 after its sonar image was mistaken for that of a submarine. [..other stuff deleted..] > --don't like snow, miss Deirdre, and wish I was still in Santa Cruz. hmm... a fellow former slug perhaps? --- --- --- --- ,, @oo Mark Kromer markk@tcs.com \_` Teknekron Communications Systems, Inc. Berkley, CA USA Disclaimer: If these were my employer's words you'd have to pay to read them, but I'll let you have mine for what i got in 'em.