SUMMER ADVENTURES 2013

               BATTLESHIP USS IOWA, LONG BEACH 
                               MEMORIAL DAY, 2013

Jim and I enjoyed the USS Iowa's "Grand Opening" this special day.  Has only been in port for 7 months so limited access to areas during the first tour but we'll go back in a couple of years and see more, especially the turrets.  There were hundreds of people lined up to get aboard but overall the experience was worthwhile.  Enjoy the tour!

Overall photo from aft.

The two 16" guns bow guns, turret #1 is the lower one

Conning Tower

                                                        

Greg in front of turret #1

History Info

Armament Info  (Prior to modernization)

This was fascinating to learn each turret is a "system" that occupies 5 decks of the ship! (Zoom in on diagram.)  This tour will be open in the future.

This is how they load the shell and powder kegs for each barrel.

For those who remember, in April of 1989 turret #2 had a explosion while the crew was packing powder, killing 43 crew members.  Out of respect, this turret will remain closed to the public.

President Roosevelt had his own special quarters when he was on board and the USS Iowa was the only ship in the US fleet that had a bathtub (to accommodate him, remember he was crippled from polio.)  When not on board, the sailors would hold a monthly raffle and whoever won got to use the tub for a day. 

President Roosevelt's quarters and tub.

Many battles were planned in this room (adjacent to Roosevelt's room) including the Omaha Beach Landing.  On a historical note, had Roosevelt lived to see Japan surrender, that ceremony would have taken place on this ship and in this room because he was from Iowa.  As it turned out, Truman was President thus the ceremony took place on the USS Missouri (his home state.)

The original battle plan (so they told us.)

The 16" guns of this battleship had enormous firepower!  Later they were redesigned to shoot nuke-filled warheads.  Note shock waves!!!!  For fascinating videos on 16" guns going off, Google "16" guns USS Iowa" and You Tube has a number of them, although they are of the USS Missouri's guns.

Never knew, but this ship had a steel fortified conning tower, like a "tube" that went for a couple of decks.  Interesting info and you'll have to zoom in on to read.

                                                                  What a massive steel door!!!!

                      Looking inside, note periscope upper left in image.

 In 1984, many battleships were upgraded in weaponry to meet the times.

These are a few of the new systems.

In particular were the Tomahawk Missiles which are capable of sending nuke warheads hundreds of miles (i.e. Long Beach to St. Louis,) and are on many of our ships today.

Since it was Memorial Day, the LAFD did a flotilla by the ship, this one bringing up the rear and was the biggest.

The last stop of the day was to view the Queen Mary which is now a hotel ship.  She blew her horns as we stood here, shocked the heck out of me, ha!  Hope you enjoyed the postings!