We Got the IOWA

RustyBattleship said:
We need some help tracking down some "parts" missing off of the Battleship Iowa. So far we know that her aft Mk-28 fire control computer was removed by personnel from the Washington Navy Yard Museum. In accordance with Navy orders under the "donation" agreement, we must keep that ship intact for possible reactivation. Therefore that computer must be sent back to the ship ASAP.

We also have an indication that the Washington Navy Yard also took one of the helmsman's wheels. Probably the one from inside the armored tower on the 04 level bridge. That also needs to be returned.

Also, I seem to remember a posting on this forum that a crewmember of the Iowa took the other helm (probably the 08 level conning station) as the ship was being deactivated.

That helm also must be returned.

To maintain privacy, you can contact me on the notifications board. I can give you an address to ship the items back. It won't be the post office box in San Pedro (that helm or the computer won't fit).

No questions asked but Pacific Battleship Center can issue you a letter of thanks for your devotion to saving the world's last Battleship and finding her original parts for us.
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Dick, a quick question that may provide you with a time frame of when the 04 went missing. When you were aboard Iowa in the Reserve Fleet was the conning tower doors closed or open? If they were closed it would mean the helm went missing before she was prepped for the reserve. There is only one way to open the doors and thats from the inside. If they were open then chances are they were spirited away either when she was towed or while in the reserve.
 
Dreadnought said:
Dick, a quick question that may provide you with a time frame of when the 04 went missing. When you were aboard Iowa in the Reserve Fleet was the conning tower doors closed or open? If they were closed it would mean the helm went missing before she was prepped for the reserve. There is only one way to open the doors and thats from the inside. If they were open then chances are they were spirited away either when she was towed or while in the reserve.
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They were sealed from the inside but had them opened up for our inspections in August and October of 2006. We have photographs of the conning stations missing their wheels. We are pretty sure that the Washington Navy Yard Museum took one of the wheels when they took our Mk 28 fire control computer off as well.
 
blidgepump said:
Mr. L, I have no knowledge of the parts which you are addressing, but I am pretty sure they won;t be showing up on E-bay!
Is it still custom for the last commanding officer to receive the "ship's wheel"?
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I don't think so. The HORNET's wheel ended up at Lemoore NAS on the wall of the Officer's Club for one of the F-18 Hornet squadrons. Took several years and Senator Feinstein to persuade them to give it to us. Our scoreboard ended up at Pensacola and is still the only carrier scoreboard displayed with all the others back in storage. Rusty may eventually find the things he is looking for but then may have to twist arms to get it returned especially if in Navy hands like Lemoore NAS and our wheel.
 
There is also another way. Petition them for stewardship of said items during this time period being as though they do actually have the rest of the ship and no doubt a center piece is missing and in their possesion. One could raise the question of who it actually belongs to and argure said party has a right to view if possiible...i.e the US taxpayer who would be viewing that item and paying for its upkeep via tour costs.

Not saying its a slam dunk but it may raise a few eyebrows of those that may take it upon themselves to find out that answer.

IMO, it belongs to the Iowa and the people that choose to view her history.
 
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RustyBattleship said:
We need some help tracking down some "parts" missing off of the Battleship Iowa. So far we know that her aft Mk-28 fire control computer was removed by personnel from the Washington Navy Yard Museum. In accordance with Navy orders under the "donation" agreement, we must keep that ship intact for possible reactivation. Therefore that computer must be sent back to the ship ASAP.

We also have an indication that the Washington Navy Yard also took one of the helmsman's wheels. Probably the one from inside the armored tower on the 04 level bridge. That also needs to be returned.

Also, I seem to remember a posting on this forum that a crewmember of the Iowa took the other helm (probably the 08 level conning station) as the ship was being deactivated.

That helm also must be returned.
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Dreadnought said:
There is also another way. Petition them for stewardship of said items during this time period being as though they do actually have the rest of the ship and no doubt a center piece is missing and in their possesion. One could raise the question of who it actually belongs to and argure said party has a right to view if possiible...i.e the US taxpayer who would be viewing that item and paying for its upkeep via tour costs.
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If the Navy has it, I'll bet they will say that they will maintain it. The PBC just need to keep what they have IAW the agreement. In case of reactivation (yea right) they will install said gear during the refit.

The argument against Dreads," It will be see by taxpayers and upkeep funded through the tour cost", is Upkeep is already funded through taxpayers, and our museum is free for them to view it. We also get more visitors......
 
Gun Grape said:
If the Navy has it, I'll bet they will say that they will maintain it. The PBC just need to keep what they have IAW the agreement. In case of reactivation (yea right) they will install said gear during the refit.

The argument against Dreads," It will be see by taxpayers and upkeep funded through the tour cost", is Upkeep is already funded through taxpayers, and our museum is free for them to view it. We also get more visitors......
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Well, One could argue that having a constant 70-80 degree temperature would bring many all year round so that comparrison is a moot point.

Further, I'm going to wager that the two missing Helms are right under their noses.

Since the Helm is a "trick" wheel it had to have been indexed at either of the two points since the other two steering positions do not allow any Mk 1 eyeball view for steerage. They would have been locked dead straight ahead so they had to function before her tow.

I'm thinking that they are probably being stored somewhere upon the ship in a lower compartment or perhaps where the Iowas trophies and perhaps her Silver set are being held.

They were probably just removed to prevent scavangers and souvenier hunters for taking them while she sat in the reserve.

Here's a hint, contact the very last Captain or XO aboard Iowa just prior to her retirement and you may get a lead if they are not already aboard.
 
You do NOT need the helmsman's wheel to lock the rudders. The rudders are locked in their aft steering gear room. The cross beam is secured very strongly.

Just as the propeller shafts are locked by bolting a steel plate to one of the section flanges and welding that plate to an adjoining structure such as a bulkhead.

Oh, there is one more item missing. A Lube Oil pump from one of the engine rooms (the ONLY piece of machinery missing). It's motor is there, the motor foundation is there but the pump is missing. There was a rumor that the machinery spaces had been stripped to supply spare parts to the AOE's that used the Kentucky's engines. In our 2006 inspection I turned our electronics engineer into a mechanical engineer, handed him a copy of the POG (Propulsion Operating Guide) and it took him almost the whole week to inspect both Emergency Diesel Generator rooms, all four boiler rooms and all four engine rooms. Only that one pump was missing.

Two months later at another inspection, I had the former main propulsion NAVSEA Program Manager for the 1980's BB reactivation come out and he reconfirmed our findings that only that one pump was missing.

But that does not alter the fact that the computer and helms were removed from the ship against regulations to keep her intact for possible reactivation. At least, those are the rules we are required to go by.
 
sorry about all the questions , but i figure you guys know the answers lol:wors:
but what shape are the Hydraulic line in the main battery turrets i have heard & read that the lines on the iowa leaked really bad & needed to be replaced especiallly in turret #3 & how is the electrical?? did it get all overhaul how it was needed to be ??:confused: i just want to know what true & what isnt , thanks guys
 
I'm sure Rusty will let you know but when I was with him during an inspection she looked very very good inside. I'm sure electrical is working fine since our HORNET was retired in 1970 and when we got her we started to run some systems. Pumps, ventilation, lights, radar, bomb elevators, aircraft elevators, escalator and anchor windlass all worked. Some things needed rebuilding, some needed thousands of gallons of hydraulic fluids but the electrical never failed us.
 
RustyBattleship said:
You do NOT need the helmsman's wheel to lock the rudders. The rudders are locked in their aft steering gear room. The cross beam is secured very strongly.

Just as the propeller shafts are locked by bolting a steel plate to one of the section flanges and welding that plate to an adjoining structure such as a bulkhead.

Oh, there is one more item missing. A Lube Oil pump from one of the engine rooms (the ONLY piece of machinery missing). It's motor is there, the motor foundation is there but the pump is missing. There was a rumor that the machinery spaces had been stripped to supply spare parts to the AOE's that used the Kentucky's engines. In our 2006 inspection I turned our electronics engineer into a mechanical engineer, handed him a copy of the POG (Propulsion Operating Guide) and it took him almost the whole week to inspect both Emergency Diesel Generator rooms, all four boiler rooms and all four engine rooms. Only that one pump was missing.

Two months later at another inspection, I had the former main propulsion NAVSEA Program Manager for the 1980's BB reactivation come out and he reconfirmed our findings that only that one pump was missing.

But that does not alter the fact that the computer and helms were removed from the ship against regulations to keep her intact for possible reactivation. At least, those are the rules we are required to go by.
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Hi Dick, I didnt mean to imply that that was the only way. I completely agree with the strong back between the rams for towing. The reason I mentioned it was because the 04 and the 08 helms are an easy access from the main deck (as well you said the 04 conn was sealed but the 08 as you well know is not that far of a climb away and and easy scout for souvenier hunters.) It would have been much easier to set the helm at dead 0 from the conn and then seal it instead of using the smaller wheels in the rudder room itself. One would assume they would have had to have hydraulic power from the ships systems or portable to move the rams manually.

I still think either they are aboard or they are together in storage along with other things. Iowa was towed from Philly along with the Wisconsin. The question is where did Iowa stop on the way to the reserve fleet on the West coast. You need to find the guys that run the "closet" spaces.

Was she inspected when she arrived before mooring with the reserve fleet? If so who was aboard and who was in charge? There has to be some sort of record for such things as inspection of the dehumidifires etc as in the New Jerseys case.

Perhaps your pump found its way to one of the other two that retired after Iowa and New Jersey as a spare or was sent out and rebuilt but not installed and sitting either in a warehouse or aboard one of the other two.

I know this sounds stupid but Im thinking someplace below that securable and I would definately find out where the silver set is and her trophies, as I mentioned prior it may give you a lead as to the people and the timeframe theses and maybe the helms were removed.
 
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Is this pump very large? Could a new one be built? Perhaps machined from a custom made casting? Just an idea, I don't know if its practical, but if it is relatively small - it seems possible.
 
Dreadnought said:
Hi Dick, I didnt mean to imply that that was the only way. I completely agree with the strong back between the rams for towing. The reason I mentioned it was because the 04 and the 08 helms are an easy access from the main deck (as well you said the 04 conn was sealed but the 08 as you well know is not that far of a climb away and and easy scout for souvenier hunters.) It would have been much easier to set the helm at dead 0 from the conn and then seal it instead of using the smaller wheels in the rudder room itself. One would assume they would have had to have hydraulic power from the ships systems or portable to move the rams manually.

We have searched that ship from stem to stern and from the basement to the attic. We know for a fact that the Washington Navy Yard Museum took the computer because their tag was on the next piece of equipment. I have also been contacted by someone that they know one of the helms was also taken by the museum.

But there was a posting, I believe on THIS board, that as the ship was being decommissioned one of the crewmen admitted taking the other helm as a personal souvenir. As the ship was going into Class B reserve it was still the property of the US Navy. Therefore some wannabe from NIS could charge him with theft of Navy property. But we won't. We will just thank him for saving the helm from scavengers when he returns it.

I still think either they are aboard or they are together in storage along with other things. Iowa was towed from Philly along with the Wisconsin. The question is where did Iowa stop on the way to the reserve fleet on the West coast. You need to find the guys that run the "closet" spaces.

Was she inspected when she arrived before mooring with the reserve fleet? If so who was aboard and who was in charge? There has to be some sort of record for such things as inspection of the dehumidifires etc as in the New Jerseys case.

Perhaps your pump found its way to one of the other two that retired after Iowa and New Jersey as a spare or was sent out and rebuilt but not installed and sitting either in a warehouse or aboard one of the other two.

I know this sounds stupid but Im thinking someplace below that securable and I would definately find out where the silver set is and her trophies, as I mentioned prior it may give you a lead as to the people and the timeframe theses and maybe the helms were removed.
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We searched the ship from stem to stern and from basement to attic. We know for a fact that the Washington Navy Yard Museum took our computer (they left their tags on the foundation) and another source told me they also took one of the helms plus and authenticated flage (that was on display at the Officer's Club on the Naval Base) that flew on the Iowa during a specific date.

But I read a posting (I think on this board) that when the ship was being decommissioned he took the other helm as a souvenir. Since the ship was going into Class B reserve, she was still part of the US Navy. Some over exubriant agent from NIS technically could charge him with theft of Navy property. We won't, of course. Instead we will officially thank him for saving that helm from scavengers once it is mounted back on board.
 
Since NIS, now NCIS is HQ'd at the Washington Navy Yard, perhaps they could aid in tracking down the missing items?
 
surfgun said:
Since NIS, now NCIS is HQ'd at the Washington Navy Yard, perhaps they could aid in tracking down the missing items?
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Yeah, I forgot the "C" though I watch both shows. It's just that I still have my souvenir patch from NIS when I did some research for them on a fraud case. We got the SOB too.
 
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