During World War Two the US Navy built 4 of the 45,000 tonne Iowa Class Battleships to dominate the oceans and Axis navies. Having visited three of the sister ships in 2013: USS New Jersey (BB-62 in Camden, New Jersey), USS Missouri (BB-63 in Pearl Harbour, Hawaii ) and USS Wisconsin (BB-64 in Norfolk, Virginia) I needed to complete the set and visit the class…
Tag: US Navy
The Battleship USS Missouri (BB-63) “Mighty Mo”
The USS Missouri (BB-63) is an Iowa Class Battleship launched January 29th, 1944 and commissioned on June 11th, 1944. She served in the US Navy until 1955 when she became part of the ready reserve “Mothball Fleet” but was recommissioned in 1986 and went back into service until 1992. At 270.4 metres (887.3 feet) in length with a displacement of 45,000 tonnes she is a big…
Pearl Harbour 1941: Past to Present
“Yesterday, December 7, 1941—a date that will live in infamy—the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.” – US President Franklin D. Roosevelt Pearl Harbour, Oahu, Hawaii 1941 On December 7th, 1941 the Imperial Japanese Navy conducted a surprise attack upon the US Navy…
U-505 “Das Boot”
In the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago is one of the most impressive museum displays I have ever seen. U-505 the only captured World War Two era German U-boat (Unterseeboot or submarine) in the USA is presented within a purpose-built wing of the museum in all its enormous glory. I was here 12…
“The Big J” – USS New Jersey
In my endless quest to see everything I have ever been interested in since I was a kid, I recently walked across the Ben Franklin Bridge over the Delaware River from Philadelphia, PA to Camden, NJ to see the mighty Iowa Class Battleship the USS New Jersey (BB-62) known as “The Big J“. She served from 1942 to 1991…
The USS Midway (CV-41) in San Diego
The USS Midway (CV-41) is a former US Navy aircraft carrier that served from 1945 to 1991. Today she sits at the San Diego waterfront as a museum (opened in 2004) in tribute to the US Navy servicemen and women who served on aircraft carriers either as sailors, pilots, air crew or marines. The USS…
Seafair Fleet Week 2012
Each summer Seattle holds the Seafair festival that culminates in a big air show and hyperboat races. Leading up to that final weekend they always hold Fleet Week and the Parade of Ships (starts August 1st). This year ships from the US Navy, US Coast Guard and Canadian Navy participated in Fleet Week (many of which you…
Mothballed Super Carriers
September 2nd, 2011 Another fine sunny day in Seattle, so I decided to catch a ferry over to Bremerton. A nice town, which has the Puget Sound Navy Museum (a small but excellent museum on the historic and current operations of the US Navy in this region) and is also home to the US Navy Base –…
The Red, White and Blue
JULY 4th, 2011 Independence Day A day to celebrate US independence from the British in 1776. July 4th was the day the Declaration of Independence was approved, but legally the separation of the US colonies actually happened on July 2nd! The day is a public holiday and traditionally is celebrated with BBQ’s and fireworks. All these…
Deano In America 