How old is this article? I was in Hawaii at Pearl back in 1999 and the Missouri (or something that looked like her) was already moored by the Arizona memorial.
Posted on 01/14/2002 10:00:06 PM PST by DieselBoy
USS Wisconsin one of 4 IOWA Class ships left Associated Press New Jersey’s congressional delegation has reopened a battle among states and within the military over the future of the four battleships, including the USS Wisconsin that provided an intimidating and destructive presence in military conflicts from World War II through the Gulf War. The Delegation, which wants the USS New Jersey to become a tourist attraction at a pier in Bayonne, proposes scrubbing a provision that keeps the USS Wisconsin and another Iowa Class battleship in reserve. That proposal has rekindled a debate among active and former Navy officials about whether the widely beloved battleships are ready for a noble retirement or still can perform essential duty supporting American military operations. A potential compromise advanced Thursday when Sen. John Warner, R-Va., head of the Senate’s seapower subcommittee, said he will recommend removing the New Jersey from the reserve, replacing it with the USS Iowa. On all sides of the debate is an abiding respect for the four Iowa Class battleships. The Iowa, New Jersey, Missouri, and Wisconsin – launched between 1942 and 1944 and now the last four battleships in the world. "For a show of force, you can’t beat the battleship", said William L. Stearman, director of the U.S. Naval Fire Support Association, who supports letting New Jersey take the USS New Jersey but wants to keep the Wisconsin and Iowa on the active register. "Only the battleship can belly up to a hostile area and show the flag and be a show of force." The USS Missouri’s fate has already been decided. It soon will be towed to Pearl Harbor to begin a new life as part of a bookend memorial to World War II. The Missouri, on whose decks the Japanese surrendered to the end of the war, will be permanently docked near the USS Arizona, whose sinking on Dec. 7, 1941, thrust the United States in to the war. The New Jersey, Wisconsin, and Iowa remain in montball status – moored respectively in Navy shipyards in Bremerton, Wa., Norfolk, Va., and Philadelphia, Pa. The Navy removed the battleships from the Naval Vessel Register in 1995. But, Congress ordered the Navy to reinstate two of them so they would be in reserve in case they are ever needed in conflict. The Navy chose to reinstate the New Jersey, and the Wisconsin. Warner, a former Navy Secretary, says he will recommend during the armed services budget process that the Iowa replace the New Jersey on the register.
I believe the # 2 gun turret was never repaired after it exploded in 1989.. cost was to much
How old is this article? I was in Hawaii at Pearl back in 1999 and the Missouri (or something that looked like her) was already moored by the Arizona memorial.
I think it goes beyond cost. The tooling necessary to rifle the barrel doesn't exist anymore,and neither does the ability to make armor-plate that thick. Or at least that is what some white hats have said on other battleship threads.
These ships are more than 50 years old, but the U.S. Navy has in storage several 16 inch rifles, the powder bags can be repacked and remanufactured, and there exists a reasonable supply of AP and HC shells in the Navy inventory. The main drawback these days is that there are relatively few sailors familiar with the antiquated rangefinding and gun-firing equipment. When the Iowas were brought back into service in the Reagan administration, the navy was lucky enough to have veteran sailors who had trained on the 6 inch and 8 inch cruiser machinery, but those ships are long gone. As a matter of fact, in the 1980's, the manuals for loading and firing the big guns on the Iowas had to be re-written from scratch, because they had been destroyed after the last Vietnam-era cruise of the New Jersey.
When I was a kid, growing up in the 1960's Southern California, near Palos Verdes, I remember hearing the New Jersey firing it 16 inch rifles from the seaside of San Clemente Island. That may not seem like much, except the gunnery range on the island was about 40 miles away! A neighbor of ours was an XO on a destroyer and had told his kids to keep an ear open as we stood on the Palos Verdes cliffs near Whites Point.
There are not going to be anymore fleet battles (for which these ships were built). But, there is no conventional artillery to match the rifles on the Iowas. Fire support from the battleships had a clear and documented physical and psychological effects on the Japanese, North Koreans, and North Vietnamese soldiers. It is said that the presence of the New Jersey along the 'Nam coast pushed the NVA supply lines more than 20 miles inland.
I remember too, a "few" years ago, we were trying to teach the Iranians a "lesson." We had several destroyers or frigates pop away at a couple of offshore platforms with their 5 inch peashooters. It took about a zillion rounds to put those platforms out of commission. I think a couple of well-placed broadsides from an Iowa would have toppled those platforms post-haste.
The Iowas are big, use a lot of manpower, and are decidedly antiquated. But if I'm a Marine on a beachhead in Somalia or Yemen, let me tell you, I'd trade all the Harriers and helicopters and 5 inch gunned destroyers for just one Iowa Class battleship and its nine 16 inch rifles, any day!
It is not the armor on the turret that is damaged on the Iowa, but the inner workings of the turret sucks as the loading breech is damaged. It is well worth the money to bring back Iowa and Wisconsin since they are currently being maintained by the Navy. New Jersey is in horrible material condition. Missouri was made into a museum in Pearl Harbor.
The only reason why the Iowas are not in active service can be attributed to our favorite president William Jefferson Clinton. During his administration all 4 ships were struck from the NVR (Naval Vessel Register which keeps an accurate account of all active duty ships) Only with the help of Republican Senator John Warner, the ships were put back on the NVR. As of now we have no long range fire support because of Clinton and his obsession with military cutbacks.
I always thought that it was a great pity that the USS Newport News and her sister ships were scrapped.
They were the last of the heavy cruisers [I can't remember the class]. Thirty knots or better for speed and automatic eight inch guns. They did spectacular work in fire spotting off of Vietnam.
They were also real beauties.
Regards,
Regards,
Nonetheless, she's in beautiful condition and for those of you who have never toured a Battleship or seen one close up, I highly recommend you try to do so. Impressive indeed!
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