A visit to the U.S.S. North Carolina 'Showboat"

[rufrdr]

I was visiting my brother in Wilmington N.C. in July and took the opportunity to tour the U.S.S. North Carolina. The ship is a battleship of the Washington class and was commissioned just before WW2. It served throughout WW2 but was put in the reserve fleet in the late '40s and decommissioned early '60s and turned into a memorial ship. You can tour it from the bridge to the engine room but be warned: steep stairs, no elevators, and in the summertime, hotter than the dickens down below.



The ship viewed from across the river on the Wilmington waterfront



Very hard to get the whole ship in one picture!



Talk about big guns! Apparently the 16" guns for this class of battleship took a different projectile than the guns on the Iowa class. It must have been a logistic nightmare to keep the various caliber of battleships supplied during WW2 as the fleet got further and further from the mainland. The U.S. had 12", 14" and two types of 16" guns in service.



The gun gallery beneath on of the 16" turrets





The powder hoist below the turret









Powder bag storage



Breech of a 16" rifle



Inside the 16" turret. The kids aren't mine!

[rufrdr]

Some more...



Kingfisher spotting plane



Quad 40mm gun mount



1.1" AAA gun that was not a success and was replaced by the 20mm gun although some 1.1" guns served until 1944.



5" secondary guns; with the proximity fused projectile this was most likely the best WW2 Naval AAA gun in existence.



Bridge



View from the bridge



Every swabbie's favorite sign!

From what I could see, being on a battleship had to be the best duty in the surface navy during the war.

[froggy]

Wonderful pics !!
You guys preserve your naval heritage very well. The only one I visited was the the USS Intrepid. Wonderful. It sure gives the HMS Belfast and the couple Subs-museums we have in France a run for its money .
Thanks

[Jenks]

rufrdr..

Great pictures. What amazing condition she is kept in. thanks for sharing.

PS inspired by your photos I looked her up:

http://www.battleshipnc.com/AbouttheShip/History

Jenks

[20series]

Hi mate

as per normal great pics, :goodjob:

Alan

[rufrdr]

Thanks Gents! As you may remember I toured the U.S.S. Iowa at San Pedro awhile ago but since it has just been opened as a museum ship not nearly as much was open for touring as the North Carolina. Other battleships available for touring are the U.S.S. Texas near Houston, U.S.S. Massachusetts at Fall River, and U.S.S. Missouri at Pearl Harbor. Also available to see is the U.S.S. Olympia at Philadelphia. This was Admiral Dewey's flagship during the battle of Manila bay. I toured it in the 70s when you could go all the way to the bilges if you so wished. It is in poor shape now and there was talk of taking it to deep water and scuttling it. Hopefully that won't happen.

I think I earlier posted pictures of the U.S.S. Turner Joy, one of two destroyers involved in the Gulf of Tonkin incident that got the U.S. into the Vietnam war in a big way. It was very interesting to compare the captain's quarters of the Iowa and the Turner Joy; even more so the XO's quarters! As I traveled the freeway through Philadelphia I used to see the WW2 cruiser U.S.S. Des Moines tied up at the Philadelphia navy yard, rusting in peace but it was finally scrapped after 9/11. A sister ship, the Salem survives as a museum ship. Nearby the Philadelphia navy yard sits the hulk of the S.S. United States, the fastest ocean liner in history. It is a sad sight to see but still majestic in her rust and faded paint. It will probably sink at the dock one of these days.

[Jenks]

rufrdr..

I remember the SS United States my Dads oldest sister was a GI bride. Her husband (A Texan) stayed in the army and they were stationed in Germany. In (about)
1961/2 they travelled home on the ship. We visited the ship when she berthed at Ocean terminal Southampton. My Aunt and Uncle settled in Scotland Texas. My cousin Gloria worked for NASA and through her, my Dad sent a photograph (to NASA) of a large British plane carrying a smaller plane piggy back style like the shuttle. In return he received a nice large photograph of Challenger being launched, it was signed by the astronaut Hank Hartsfield who died recently (I believe they correspond for a little while). They also sent him a fine Stetson made by the Husky Hat co of Wichita falls Texas. Which I now have, and the photo which now hangs on my bathroom wall.

Jenks

[ovenpaa]

I also always enjoy your photographs, keep them coming