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USS Iowa begins its journey from Benicia's 'Mothball Fleet' to Los Angeles
Vallejo Times-Herald ^
| 10/27/2011
| Sarah Rohrs
Posted on 10/27/2011 5:50:35 PM PDT by iowamark
click here to read article
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1
posted on
10/27/2011 5:50:40 PM PDT
by
iowamark
2
posted on
10/27/2011 5:55:46 PM PDT
by
iowamark
(Rick Perry says I'm heartless.)
To: iowamark
Great news, a lot of us had written off Iowa.
3
posted on
10/27/2011 5:56:17 PM PDT
by
omega4179
(We can't wait! for the end of an error.)
To: iowamark
los angeles is a dump now.
so, so what?
4
posted on
10/27/2011 5:57:30 PM PDT
by
ken21
To: ken21
Would look awesome down at the Dubuque or Davenport landing.
To: nkycincinnatikid
yes.
los angeles is descending into hell.
6
posted on
10/27/2011 6:03:18 PM PDT
by
ken21
To: All
Anyone think we will ever see another platform similiar to a battleship, but with nuke propulsion and the Navy’s railgun system?
7
posted on
10/27/2011 6:03:33 PM PDT
by
Molon Labbie
("It's free, swipe your EBT!")
Comment #8 Removed by Moderator
To: nkycincinnatikid
Much too big for the river locks.
9
posted on
10/27/2011 6:13:26 PM PDT
by
iowamark
(Rick Perry says I'm heartless.)
To: Molon Labbie
To: iowamark
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.
11
posted on
10/27/2011 6:17:52 PM PDT
by
BenLurkin
(This is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion or satire; or both)
To: Molon Labbie
Use the ones we have that way. Their durability in combat would be unparalled among contemporary navies.
They are built like...well...like battleships.
12
posted on
10/27/2011 6:20:58 PM PDT
by
BenLurkin
(This is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion or satire; or both)
To: iowamark
Trivia question(s): How often does one of these relic battlewagons require repainting below the waterline, and where can such drydocking be accomplished?
13
posted on
10/27/2011 6:22:22 PM PDT
by
Elsiejay
(I)
To: BenLurkin
Wife and I went aboard the Missouri a year ago at Pearl. She had just come out of a repaint and dry dock.
The last four BBs are magnificent but really belong in museums...
To: BenLurkin
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.
15
posted on
10/27/2011 6:29:10 PM PDT
by
Molon Labbie
("It's free, swipe your EBT!")
To: Elsiejay
Trivia question(s): How often does one of these relic battlewagons require repainting below the waterline, and where can such drydocking be accomplished?
Question #1: it varies. The Missouri (BB-63) just had a drydocking with full hull repainting and she's been a museum ship for only about 15 years. Then there's Texas, which hasn't had a drydocking and bottom painting since the late 1980s. Massachusetts had a drydocking about 10 years ago and it'd been something like 40 years. North Carolina hasn't had a dry docking in over 50 years. Then take a look at the poor old Olympia.
The big issue is salt vs. fresh water environment and whether the ship is really sitting in water. North Carolina for instance is not only in fresh water, she's ALSO completely silted-in. I was on her this past Summer and there's maybe only 4 or 5 feet of water depth around the hull. Tops.
Question #2: lots of places, for an Iowa all it requires is a drydock that's available and is about 1000' long and 120' wide. Missouri was drydocked at Pearl Harbor, Massachusetts near Boston. Texas went into a floating drydock for her late-80's restoration. Intrepid (ok, an aircraft carrier, not a battleship) was recently drydocked for restoration/preservation work on Staten Island.
To: Elsiejay
More ... here are some pictures of various battleships in drydock. Some of them are large, so I'm just going to link rather than embed.
Iowa
in drydock at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, VA
Texas in the
floating drydock, Houston TX.
Texas, again,
showing why it's best not to leave an old, steel-hulled ship sitting in salt water for decades without a drydocking.
Another of
Texas, same as above.
Old pic of Wisconsin in a
floating drydock
To: iowamark
Not that anyone follows the Law anymore.
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.
18
posted on
10/27/2011 7:26:55 PM PDT
by
KC_Lion
(I will NEVER vote for Romney! The GOP will go the way of the Whigs if they nominate him.)
To: iowamark
She's truly a grand girl.
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.
19
posted on
10/27/2011 7:32:19 PM PDT
by
Mariner
(War Criminal #18)
To: Eric in the Ozarks; Molon Labbie; BenLurkin
The Iowas in My opinion are still unmatched in their construction. Aircraft carriers are too big with too little Protection (see U.S./U.K. Aircraft Carrier Armor during WW2) Same thing with the Cruisers and Destroyers today. Alot of firepower, not enough armor.
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.
20
posted on
10/27/2011 7:33:33 PM PDT
by
KC_Lion
(I will NEVER vote for Romney! The GOP will go the way of the Whigs if they nominate him.)
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