Battleship USS Iowa is pushed stern first by tugboats on Suisun Bay Thursday, Oct. 27, 2011, in Benicia, Calif.
Posted on 10/27/2011 5:50:35 PM PDT by iowamark
BENICIA - After resting in the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet for about a decade, the famous USS Iowa is about to take another voyage.
The prominent World War II battleship will take the first leg of its journey to Los Angeles starting today, according to Pacific Battleship Center, the southern California organization assuming control of the ship.
The Pacific Battleship Center won the U.S. Navy's bid for the ship over a Vallejo group which had been attempting for years to get the ship towed to the Mare Island waterfront.
The Southern California group intends to transform the vessel into an interactive museum permanently based at Berth 87 in Los Angeles.
Starting about noon today the USS Iowa will be towed from the "mothball fleet" north of Benicia to the Port of Benicia docks where automobiles are received and shipped, Pacific Battleship Center spokesman David Oates said.
The ship will remain there overnight and on Friday be towed to the Richmond waterfront where it will undergo significant refurbishment prior to being towed south, Oates said.
The ship is expected to remain in Richmond until at least the end of the year and possibly through the first part of 2012, he said.
"It's going to go through extensive work," he said.
The Iowa has been in the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet for about 10 years, he said.
"Today is about bringing the USS Iowa back to life and giving her a chance to honor the sailors who served aboard her," Oates said.
The goal is to get the ship open as an interactive museum by July 4 of 2012.
For more details on the project and how to contribute, go to www.pacificbattleship.com.
The Iowa is the only battleship of its class that has not been saved and turned into a permanent museum and was the last battleship available for donation.
Battleship USS Iowa is pushed stern first by tugboats on Suisun Bay Thursday, Oct. 27, 2011, in Benicia, Calif.
Great news, a lot of us had written off Iowa.
los angeles is a dump now.
so, so what?
Would look awesome down at the Dubuque or Davenport landing.
yes.
los angeles is descending into hell.
Anyone think we will ever see another platform similiar to a battleship, but with nuke propulsion and the Navy’s railgun system?
Much too big for the river locks.
Not on the water...
Hell...I say put in a pair of nuke reactors, replace one of her turrets with a high pwer laser, load her up with every type of missile and cruise missle we have and run her up and down the coast of Red China 24/7.
Oh, and replace all that old 16 inch ammo with new.
Use the ones we have that way. Their durability in combat would be unparalled among contemporary navies.
They are built like...well...like battleships.
Trivia question(s): How often does one of these relic battlewagons require repainting below the waterline, and where can such drydocking be accomplished?
The last four BBs are magnificent but really belong in museums...
Would they hold up to a refit? I would suspect it would cost nearly as much as a new platform specifically designed for those things I suggested.
I just think with the ability of the rail guns to hurl shells now hundreds of miles and the sustained rate of fire of multiple batteries, this would be an excellent platfor for bombardment of fixed installations while staying safe much farther over the horizon.
But I hope they keep her in a state of readiness, according to Law, the Navy is too keep Two Iowa Class Battleships (Iowa and Wisconsin) in Military Reserve should they ever be needed again, or fire support has advanced too the navy's need, which hasn't happened yet.
Anyway, here is picture of Me when she first arrived in the Mothball fleet back in June of 2001 (I was just a kid) the nice harbor master, who said he served on Missouri during Korea, was kind enough to take me and my dad on his boat to get up close to her. My Internet is being slow as hell, so Here is just one Picture. I will try to get more up later.
It's good she'll get proper care in her old age.
There's no substitute for a 21 inch keel, over 12 inches on the sides and 5 inches on the deck...of Class A armored steel.
She could do 35 knots and cruise 12,000 miles on her own without refueling...delivering Satan's own hell once she arrived.
A ship like this would be difficult to take out today, much less over 60 years ago.
I have Seen the Iowa up close and personal, she is truly a sight to behold.
I still contend they had alife in the U.S. Navy, but penny pincher did them in (don't they always)
Never the less they are still among the Best Capital Ships ever to have graced the seas.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
