Battleship Iowa

[Johnb]

On Sunday I went out from Marina Bay Yacht Harbor in Richmond and was privileged to get to see the Iowa up close. She has been moved from the reserve fleet in Suisuin bay to be prepared for relocation to San Diego.

Also in the Richmond Harbor is the victory ship Red Oak, which is fresh back form a bottom job and looking good.

For those who don't know Marina bay Yacht Harbor and vicinity was redeveloped from the Kaiser shipyards that were active during world war 2.

 

[Old Skool Neil]

John,

Can you please keep us (me) posted as to the progress of the restoration work and most importantly any info on her date of departure from Richmond? I've heard somewhere between January and summer. She's headed for Los Angeles Harbor and I'm planning on being in the welcoming fleet.

I've also heard she'll be under tow for three days. I'm enlisting "coastwatchers" in the Santa Barbara to Oxnard area to alert me, should provide a 15 hour advance notice assuming a 6 knot tow and an inside passage at the Channel Islands.

 

[Pat T]

USS Iowa

I remember touring "The Big Stick" while it was still in service in the late 80's. I was serving as a naval reservist and the ship was home ported in Norfolk VA. Very cool. Go see it if you have the chance.

 

[navigator97]

She had been stored in a Ready Reserve status in Newport, RI for a number of years. Then she was towed to the west coast. I assume that she will eventually become a museum ship.

I have photos of her underway in the Atlantic in Jan-1955 as we (the destroyer I was on - USS Gainard DD-706) was refueling from USS Iowa. I have a photo of her bow almost completely out of the water (you can see the "Bulb" on the bow), and the next photo the entire bow is in water up to the lifelines. All this while we were refueling at 15 Kts.

 

[Stu Jackson]

http://www.latitude38.com/lectronic/lectronicday.lasso?date=2011-10-28#.TroZgLKwVic

Stay tuned on 'lectronic Latitude

 

[AtlanticAl]

She was launched in 42, that is some career, average warship, has a life of 20 years, (well with the country that built her, another twenty with the indian navy, or navies of some third world country like the General Belgrano, which survived Pearl harbour when the US had it, but it didnt survive a british hunter killer submarine. Think the only US ship that had a longer commission in the us navy, is the Pueblo, and if you want to visit it, you have to make the trip to north Korea, It was launched 2 years after Iowa, but its still a commissioned ship. Fortunately, the North Koreans, have taken great care of it, money is no object in looking after it. So it wont go the way of most us ships, in being converted into razor blades.

 

[Ed Schenck]

Funny, as much as I appreciate old Navy vessels(served on the Forrestal) I came away with something else. A reminder that my outboard mount on the stern rail is in much worse shape than yours. Thanks, will put that on my spring to-do.

 

[Mikem]

In 1989 I was flying helicopters off USS Eisenhower and steaming in the vicinity of USS Iowa when we heard that a barrel of one of the forward turrets exploded. Almost fifty men died in that incident...later attributed to bad powder. Sad, sad day.

The only US battleship still in commission is USS Arizona.

 

[Cherie320]

We too made the trip over to see the Iowa. Worth the time and effort. And we had the good fortune to see the Great Pumpkin pursuit race ahd get a great sail home at the end of the day. Our understanding was that the Iowa was headed for San Pedro, so you might do some checking with the group that is getting her. There is supposed to be work done in Richmond, some tours scheduled before she leaves, some work done down south and final berthing as the museum. May have the story wrong as it was all hearsay. Pat

 

[PaulK]

. Think the only US ship that had a longer commission in the us navy, is the Pueblo, and if you want to visit it, you have to make the trip to north Korea, It was launched 2 years after Iowa, but its still a commissioned ship. Fortunately, the North Koreans, have taken great care of it, money is no object in looking after it. So it wont go the way of most us ships, in being converted into razor blades.

Believe USS Constitution, launched 1797, is still in commission. Not likely to ever be converted into razor blades.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Al and Paul, You guys are so wet behind the ears. Don't you read?!? Razor blades? Read what's happening to those ships. They are being saved for museums. Not razor blades.

Nice visit, we, too, sailed up today. No wind, but a great day.

 

[AtlanticAl]

Believe USS Constitution, launched 1797, is still in commission. Not likely to ever be converted into razor blades.

I never knew the constitution was still a commissioned ship, i thought she was just a floating museum. I just checke though, and she is still a commissioned ship, one of the toughest warships ever built of that period. The USS Pueblo, is still commissioned in the us navy, but being held in north Korea, (since 65 i think) The book by her captain, is a very interesting read, he came in for heavy criticism at the time, for being the only US captain to surrender his ship, (i think the case to this day) but how anyone could criticise him for surrendering his ship, i dont know, he two .5 inch brownings, they were his big guns, a few hand guns, and a few rifles, and four Korean ships round him and a Korean mig overhead, he could have of course, chosen to make a name for himself (postumously) they might even have put a statue up for him, but of course, it wasnt just him, he had to think of his wife and family, the men with him, and their wifes and famiilies, and he did the right thing. He turned over his ship, and anyone that would do different, is just a psyco.

 

[AtlanticAl]

Just checked up, the Pueblo, is the third oldest commissioned ship, in the us navy, and the second ship to ever be captured, the first was the uss wake, which was captured in china by the japenese, that was the first us ship captured, it was a rive boat, patroling china, but the usa captured it back, at the end of the war with japan.

 

[dparilla]

The USS CONSTITUTION is still a commissioned ship of the line, and the oldest in the Navy. In peacetime, she is the only ship authorized to fly the first Navy Jack, "Don't Tread On Me." But, during time of war, all Sailors and units carry that standard with pride.

Dan

 

[Cayennita]

The USS Constitution has only one original piece of wood left on her. It's up by the stem post. The lower level that is closed to the public is where the sailors live. It has linoleum tiles. Sailors were very short back then. I am 5'10"and had to do a lot of ducking. Big deal every 4th of July when the ship is taken out and turned 180 degrees and back to her slip. Must maintain even wear on her.

 

[shemandr]

The Iowa is a really strange shape with that narrow bow and wide midships Any comments from our navel experts on that?

 

[Ross S]

"Original" wood on the USS Constitution

The USS Constitution has only one original piece of wood left on her. It's up by the stem post. The lower level that is closed to the public is where the sailors live. It has linoleum tiles. Sailors were very short back then. I am 5'10"and had to do a lot of ducking. Big deal every 4th of July when the ship is taken out and turned 180 degrees and back to her slip. Must maintain even wear on her.

I toured the Constitution a couple of years ago and someone in our tour group asked about how much of the wood was original. I didn't remember the exact answer, but I seemed to recall that it was more than just one piece of wood. So I checked out the website for the USS Constitution and it states the following:

"The Naval History and Heritage Command Detachment Boston, the unit charged with overseeing Constitution’s maintenance and repair, estimates that 10 to 15 percent of the ship’s fabric is composed of timber installed between 1795 and 1797. This “original” wood includes the ship’s keel, lower futtocks, and the deadwood at the stem and stern."

It's interesting that they put the word original in quotes. So there is probably some interpretation as to what, exactly, constitutes original!

 

[Stu Jackson]

The Iowa is a really strange shape with that narrow bow and wide midships Any comments from our navel experts on that?

It's cause it has an "outie" belly button. Or oranges...

Most likely: 1) narrow bow for punching through waves; the wikipedia article I read talked about how these four battleships were designed to accompany fast aircraft carrier groups; 2) wide in the middle to support the firing of huge broadsides with the three and four gun turrets

 

[Mikem]

The four Iowa class battleships were all 108' wide at extreme breadth in order to transit the 110' wide Panama Canal locks. Sparks would fly during the move through the locks. At a length of 887' she had a speed of 33kts that enabled her and her sisterships to keep up with the fast carriers.

 

[AtlanticAl]

Well if you want to look at a real old ship, HMS Victory should be your starting point, she was the ship Nelson felll on, and can still be toured today, in the docks, in london. As far as i know, most of that ship is original, even the plate on the deck, where it says, "here is where Nelso fell" Of course, victory was a proper ship of the line, not like what our colonial cousins built.