USS Wisconsin ....

[TopHatter]

1. Lee Harvey Oswald did not have that hard a shot for a competent marksman and the Marines had a pretty fair training program.
2. Lee Harvey Oswald was not trained in avoiding detection, he made several boo boos besides killing a Dallas police officer.
3. Lee Harvey Oswald was the lone gunman.

Thank god there are some people with sense in this world. Thumbs up!

[blidgepump]

Breakwater .....

Quiet evening and it's time to resume the tour of the "Whisky".
Some up close and detailed photos will follow, but I wanted to provide an overview before going"Macro".
As we approach Turret # 1, the restored teak deck is in excellent condition.
Also some close up detail of the "breakwater is illustrated for the modelers following this thread.

[blidgepump]

Fire control ....

Paying respect to our departed O-6 who wrote on this thread many times of the importance for training and damage control..... I paused to capture this image of the fire hoses mounted on the back of the breakwater and paid my respects.

[bbvet]

BP,

Good photos all around. However, they also point up the lack of on-going maintenance (routine wirebrushing & painting) that most (if not all) museum ship custodians do not keep up with. Yes, I know funds are a main sticking point, but this is something I've seen over and over again. These organizations are quick to ask for money for all kinds of "touchy/feely" projects to keep the tourists coming on board, but fail to do the daily maintenance that will eventually sink the ship. I've seen this on NORTH CAROLINA especially, also ALABAMA, and NEW JERSEY.

But this is simply a statement of reality - your photo tour is really good - keep up the fine picture exhibit!!!

[blidgepump]

Every ship ....

BP,

However, they also point up the lack of on-going maintenance (routine wirebrushing & painting) that most (if not all) museum ship custodians do not keep up with.

BB-64 has One (1) Full time painter. As we advance the tour you'll observe many areas of the Whisky in desperate need of metal work. But for now, she has a great teak deck and a fresh coat of paint on her lower hull.

[blidgepump]

Turret 1.....

Everything is massive on an Iowa Class BB.
This is the second Iowa I've had the opportunity to visit.
Each occasion provides something new to observe and learn.
Turret 1 is just such an example.

The first take away was the sacrificial armor on the sides of the turret.
Note the slab of steel and the air gap in the attach illustration. ( Note arrow)
Classic display of lessening the impact of a lateral strike by enemy fire.

[Albany Rifles]

The first take away was the sacrificial armor on the sides of the turret. Note the slab of steel and the air gap in the attach illustration. ( Note arrow) Classic display of lessening the impact of a lateral strike by enemy fire.

Spaced armor is something which is used extensively on land based armor systems. My Bradley's had steel plates which were mounted about 3/4 inch out from the hull and turret with a hollow space between. It was intended to break up the up to 23mm cannon fire as well as disrupt the jet from a shaped charge. On the M1 the spaces between the armor are filled with layers of composite materials which performs the same function.

This makes sense here. I imagine that is similar to the kevlar armor sheets installed on current USN vessels to reduce spalling.

[Cruiser]

"The gun house rotates 270 degrees side to side".
I just assumed it could rotate 180 degrees. 270 means it can fire on targets astern of the ship. Imagine being on the bridge when that happens...

[tbm3fan]

#1 on Iowa at Suisun

[blidgepump]

Tradition... "strike marks" ....

Every sailor is proud of their skillset and a tally board is a prime example.

[FlankDestroyer]

BP,

Good photos all around. However, they also point up the lack of on-going maintenance (routine wirebrushing & painting) that most (if not all) museum ship custodians do not keep up with. Yes, I know funds are a main sticking point, but this is something I've seen over and over again. These organizations are quick to ask for money for all kinds of "touchy/feely" projects to keep the tourists coming on board, but fail to do the daily maintenance that will eventually sink the ship. I've seen this on NORTH CAROLINA especially, also ALABAMA, and NEW JERSEY.

But this is simply a statement of reality - your photo tour is really good - keep up the fine picture exhibit!!!

I am sure the subject of maintenance comes up frequently with the Historic Naval Ship Association http://www.hnsa.org/ , since most if not all of these ships are in the same "boat". There is also more than a few of the HNSA Associate members who have the skills to help...… providing a large check is forthcoming. I suspect most ships have just a pretty small cadre of paid maintainers for as you say funding is tight. Loyal restoration volunteers without buy in from the top can only do so much.

I have no idea how many of our historic ships run in the black without funding drives/benefactors/tax support but clearly it is a very tough sledding for most ship museums. And the ongoing maintenance and backlog for these older ship is not insignificant.

The balance between protecting the heritage and running a business is daunting. I wonder if there ever will be another large Naval Ship Museum?

[blidgepump]

Maintenance ....

"The balance between protecting the heritage and running a business is daunting.
I wonder if there ever will be another large Naval Ship Museum?"

Your question is relevant but the future is difficult for any museum.
In the case of a floating ship, in most cases exposed to the elements, the environment is a hazard.
As long as their is interest support will be forthcoming.
When interest falters..... well look no father than the Olympia or the Texas.

[blidgepump]

More Turret # 1 ...

A better view of the air gap between the armor.

[thebard]

A better view of the air gap between the armor.

Gentlemen, I don't believe that is armor. I believe that is a ventilation plenum. It may double as secondary armor, but I believe it is constructed of relatively light (less than 1/2" thick) steel. Feel free to correct me if I am wrong.

[Dan_Bickell]

Gentlemen, I don't believe that is armor. I believe that is a ventilation plenum. It may double as secondary armor, but I believe it is constructed of relatively light (less than 1/2" thick) steel. Feel free to correct me if I am wrong.

Yes, this was discussed some years back, with Mr. Landgraff. These are indeed ventilation ducts that were added on to turret 1 only, at various times, and in various configurations, depending on the ship. Wisconsin's were added after the large rangefinders were removed from turret 1, which is why they extend up so high. On Missouri, they were added before the rangefinders were removed, so they only go up to the bottom of where the rangefinders once were.

As I understood it, removal of the rangefinders from turret 1 was a modification due to problems in rough seas with water making its way in. Since the turret 2 rangefinders were high enough to avoid the problem, they decided that the turret 1 rangefinders were redundant enough to be removed. The location of the vents on this turret design (underside of the rear) was also a problem for water crashing over the deck, hence these ventilation duct additions on turret 1 to raise the height of the openings (which appear to be sealed off now).

Older photo of Wisconsin, showing these vents not sealed up:



The half-height configuration of these vents on Missouri: