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NAME YOUR FAVORITE U.S. BATTLEWAGON!


DevilDan1900
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I know there are many of us out there who have a soft spot for the old U.S. Capital Ships. So I would like to start a discussion. What is your favorite U.S. surface ship, and I'll leave it open as to era, but I'm specifically talking Battleship, Heavy Cruiser, Protected Cruiser, etc, and why. Here is my favorite, USS Iowa BB-4. There is something about the ships of this era that I really love. The tall funnels, the sloping tumblehome of the hulls, gives them something like the look of an ironclad on steroids. True, she wouldn't hold a candle to anything by today's standards, but in 1898, she was the most advanced and modern BB in the fleet. She was also the only one of her class to be built. She was expended as a target for other BBs in the 20s and became the very first one to be remotely radio controlled. I always liked the fact that she went down "with her boots on" so to speak, not consigned to some lesser fate like scrap medal.

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Maybe not exactly what you are looking for, but mine is the destroyer tender USS Whitney AD4. While not armed to the teeth, it was armed (albeit lightly).

 

The reason that it is my favorite is because it is the ship my Grandfather called home from 1943 until 1945. An interesting thing about this ship is that it was at Pearl Harbor on 12/7/1941.

 

John

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Without a doubt, the USS MISSISSIPPI (BB-23). She was one of the first ships to be painted battleship gray after the "Great White Fleet" was retired. With the advent of the "aeroplane," she became one of the first ships to be mounted with anti-aircraft guns. Before then, all fire was directed at other surface vessels or anti-torpedo. She was the first to transport aeroplanes and, although not launched from her deck, is considered the first aircraft carrier. She was the first battleship to sail up the Mississippi River. In addition, she held numerous speed records and gunnery awards. She served from 1908 to 1914. Here she is as she originally appeared in 1908 and with later after refitting about 1910.

 

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I have to go with the "Mckinley's Bulldog" the USS Oregon (BB-3). Under Captain Clark she sailed from San Francisco to Santiago bay 14000 miles in 66 days. Quite a remarkable feat of the day. She was the only ship that had a head of steam on her when the Spanish fleet made a run out of Santiago Bay.

The Oregon's run to Santiago demonstrated that the US needed the Panama Canal to defend it's two ocean coast line by rapid re-distribution of the fleet.

She served distinction and after her long service was retired to Portland Oregon as a museum.

Through gross negligence (my opinion mind you) and misguided patriotism she was taken to Kalama to be scraped for the war effort (WWII). After her superstructure was taken off she got a reprieve and served as a munitions barge in Guam where she remained after the war.

The old girl still had life in her. In November 1948 a typhoon struck Guam tearing away her moorings and sent her out to sea. 23 days later she was found 500 miles out to sea from Guam.

Her hull was finally sold 1956, towed to Japan and scraped.

Her mast, twin stacks are located here in Portland's Waterfront Park. Silver punch bowl and service at the Oregon Historical Society as well as bits and pieces here and there, including in my display case a piece of her teak wood work with bits of her white paint and gray paint remaining.

 

I must confess that I too am facinated with the appearence of the pre-dreadnaught style of ships, with it's ramming bow and guns everywhere.

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Great replies, I too have a soft spot for the old Oregon. Poor old girl, I definately agree with you on this one that she should still be around today. What a loss of history thumbdown.gif . She belonged to the class immediately preceeding the Iowa and you can see some similarities in the design. Here is a great shot I found of the Iowa in 1923 going under the guns of the fleet as a remote controlled target ship. Not very often you get to see actual shots of a U.S. BB bracketed by 14" shells.

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Here she is again "taking one for the team." Note the cage mast added later in her career on the rear of the superstructure. The Oregon had one added just like this as well.

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If I remember correctly, it was the next USS MISSISSIPPI (BB-41) that sank the IOWA! I have a few photos of the event. The bulk of my naval collection is BB-23 and early BB-41.

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I don't think it was BB-41. The Iowa was sent out to pasture in 1923. At that time I don't think the second Mississippi was built yet, wasn't she one of the WWII generation of fast BBs built in the 40s?

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BB-23 was sold to Greece in 1914. Construction of BB-41 was begun about the same time and she was commissioned in 1917. Here is a photo of the "Missy" sinking the IOWA in March 1923.

 

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I think I'll go for the New York, BB-34, if only for the reason that she's named after my home state...

 

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Fade to Black...

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Here's my favorite, the armored cruiser USS Seattle. Built by the New York Shipbuilding Company of Camden, New Jersey, she was launched in 1905. My grandfather served on her during World War I as a Fireman 3rd Class. During that conflict she did convoy escort duty. Here is a picture of her during the war wearing her dazzle paint scheme:

 

 

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Here is BB-42 (I think), USS Idaho. I like this photo as it shows the hard to see hull detail. Picked it up just today! I assume this is a very early photo.

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I think I'll go for the New York, BB-34, if only for the reason that she's named after my home state...

 

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Fade to Black...

My favorite is BB-35 U.S.S. Texas. She and New York were twin sisters. While today, New York lies at the bottom of the ocean, Texas still exists as a state memorial next to the San Jacinto Battleground at La Porte, Texas. She is the oldest surviving former U.S. Navy Battleship and the only worldwide surviving dreadnaught class battlewagon.

Being from Texas, of course I'm partial to her!

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Yeah, poor old New York, after surviving all those engagements during WWII, she gets nuked thumbdown.gif Lee, have you ever been to visit the Texas? There is a re-enactment timeline aboard her in February to commemorate the anniversary of the sinking of the USS Maine in 1898. Wish I lived a little closer.

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Yeah, poor old New York, after surviving all those engagements during WWII, she gets nuked thumbdown.gif Lee, have you ever been to visit the Texas? There is a re-enactment timeline aboard her in February to commemorate the anniversary of the sinking of the USS Maine in 1898. Wish I lived a little closer.

Dan, Last visit to Texas was in about 1955 when I was a kid.I do remember sitting in one of the anti-aircraft gun mounts and going into one of the forward turrents. It had a lot of "Wow factor", for a 8 year old boy! Haven't had the opprotunity to get back to her since. I live in Odessa, so that's about a 8 to 9 hour trip (one way), for me to go down there. I'd like to participate in the living history event in Feb. but have another big trip planned to do the Twiggs Surrender event in San Antonio, so 2 long trips that close together make it a little tough. Some of my living histoiry pards have done the Battleship Texas event & really like it.

Lee

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  • 1 month later...
  • 3 weeks later...

I had to think about this for awhile as I am not all that interested in big gun ships. For the most part all they did was bombard land in preparation for amphibious assaults.

 

I had to think in terms of historical events that the ship(s) participated in that would make the ship more interesting than others.

 

By slightly redefining my selections I had to think in terms of "capital" ships that were in essence the big guns of the U.S. Navy.

 

The first of these is the USF Constitution. Constitution was not the largest ship in the U.S. Navy in the early 1800s but has to be considered the most celebrated ship of her day as now. Constitution was commanded by some of the most able officers in the Navy and fought some actions that will never be forgotten in American history. She was christened with the name Old Ironsides because British cannon balls were bouncing off her American oak wood sides.

 

My second selection is the U.S.S. Hartford, Admiral Farragut's flag ship through most of actions of the West Gulf Blocking Squadron, the fighting on the Mississippi River and the taking of Mobile Bay. Some Civil War historians view the control of the Mississippi as the beginning of the end of the Confederacy. We get a really cool quote from Farragut, "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead."

 

My "favorite" as it were was between the U.S.S. Olympia and U.S.S. Brooklyn. The period of the end of the 19th Century and begining of the 20th Century was made vivid in my mind as an exciting time by my maternal grandfather. I lived with him for 2 1/2 years while I attended college. He often talked of Civil War veterans he knew, the War with Spain, fighting in the Philippines, Teddy Roosevelt, Admiral "Fighting Bob" Evans and the Great White Fleet. The events cited here strike me to indicate that Brooklyn was in on just about every defining event of the period 1898-1918.

 

The second Brooklyn (later designated CA-3) was one of the "new" Navy ships of all steel construction built in 1895. Brooklyn's first assignment was to carry the American delegation to the celebration of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee.

 

After routine steaming Brooklyn was selected as flagship of the Flying Squadron commanded by Commodore W.S. Schley. Schley was the ranking officer present when the Spanish ships steamed out of Santiago and was destroyed by fast and accurate gunnery by the American ships. Brooklyn participated in the Spanish-American War victory celebration and in the homecoming celebration for Admiral George Dewey at New York.

 

Brooklyn steamed through the Suez Canal heading for Manila, and upon arrival became the flagship of the Asiatic Squadron. In that capacity Brooklyn participated in the China Relief Expedition in 1900.

 

In 1902 Brooklyn steamed home and shortly thereafter participated in the ceremonies transferring Cuba to local government control.

 

After routine steaming with the Atlantic Fleet and European Squadron, in 1905 Brooklyn sailed for Cherbourg France where the remains of John Paul Jones were taken on board and delivered to the Navel Academy for internment.

 

In 1906 Brooklyn was placed in reserve and was on display at the Jamestown Exposition in 1907. Brooklyn returned to service in 1914 with the usual duties of a navel vessel. In 1915 Brooklyn served in the Neutrality Patrol and in late 1915 sailed to the Far East where she was the flagship of the Commander Asiatic Station. In 1920 Brooklyn served in the Pacific Fleet as the flagship of Commander, Destroyer Squadrons. In 1921 Brooklyn was de-commissioned and sold.

 

Brooklyn was the only ship in her class and had a very distinctive profile with stepped hull (referred to as "double decker") with a cruiser stern and high freeboard bow.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I absolutely have to agree with the above posting. My favorite ship by far is the USS Constitution! She earned her nickname "Old Ironsides" the hard way in battle at pistol shot range and she was always victorious. The British classified her

(with some accuracy) as a one deck ship of the line. She was classified as a frigate but was much larger than a standard frigate of the time, carried 42 pounders as opposed to 18 pounders and full up actually mounted 56 guns as opposed to the 44 she was rated for. Humphries wanted to design a world beater and he certainly succeeded.

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My favorite was my Father-In-law's ship during the Pearl Harbor attack .

 

The " Blue Goose " ..... USS Honolulu.

 

 

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This hat did not belong to him, but did belong to a friend of his who was also present on the ship 12/7/41.

 

Kurt

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