Battleship Texas Hard Hat Tour - May 5th, 2007
The Battleship Texas BB-35 has been open for touring since April 21, 1948
Nice naval flags added for today's visit
Over to the starboard stern to board the ship
Today's 830am Hard Hat Tour Red Group is ready to go
Board the vessel in the shadow of the Monument
Head below ship at middle turret #3
The tour starts in the ammo handling room & powder magazine where powder tanks would be stacked floor to ceiling
Two 105 pound propellant charges are stored in each alumninum can in the powder magazine
Charges are passed through the flash proof powder scuttle to the Lower Handling Room
Powder is received in the Lower Handling Room and hand carried to the powder hoist
A strong farm boy loads charges into the powder hoist and are carried up to turrets
The Powder Hoist shaft lifts the powder charges up to the Powder Flat, just below the turret
Projectile Magazine stores 1275 lbs. high capacity rounds and 1500 lbs. armor piercing rounds
Projectiles are stored nose down and moved by metal rings temporarily stored in their bases
Projectile picked up with block & tackle and moved via mounted trolley into Lower Handling Room
The Lower Projectile Hoist lifts the heavy shells up to the Upper Handling Room
Notice an old school thermostat has seen better days
Next stop on the tour is the Forward Dynamo Room
The Dynamo Room generates electric power for the ship
Jerry and Lyle are enjoying the tour
Despite its age, you still can't touch the live board
Climb up a deck to the Power Distribution Room
Watch out for the main switchboard in rough seas
The Central Station is a heavily armored compartment that allows for steering the ship and damage control
Disconnect the mechanical links up to the Navigation Bridge & Conning Tower above to enable steering here in this area
Inclinometer indicates the degree of ship list to help form strategies for countering flooding
The Draft Gauge near the floor precisely measures distance from the waterline down to the ship's keel
Knot Log (speed indicator) helps monitor the ship
Switchboard allows communication within the entire ship
Communications are critical for determining the nature and extent of damage
Even in 1913, there were cable shafts, and this one brings forth cool air!
The Boiler Room shows extensive refurbishment on one side
This room had 20 feet of water in it for 20 or so years
The other boiler in the same room shows the damage salt water can do
The boiler's oil burning firebox - coal fired boilers were replaced in 1927
Temperatures exceeding 2,000° quickly turn water to steam inside the tubes and move the turbines
Cooler water flowed through the mud drums into tubes above, rivets indicate 1920's construction
Crew grew from 800 to 1800 between WWI & WWII and bunks are everywhere
Main Radio Room sent and received Morse Code, just like texting!
Messages were decoded in the secure Coding Room
Only the latest equipment was used like this Teletype Printer
Also plenty of spare tubes for a quick repair job
Shaft for lowering supplies deep into the ship
The Plotting Room is the brains for the 14 inch guns
Range & deflection indicator and turret ready lights help target & gun status
Main Battery Control Switchboard gave control of the turrets to the range keeper selected to aim them
Sound powered phone system enabled communication throughout other parts of the ship
More switchboards used to control functions to and from both turrets and spotting stations
Pass more bunks while climbing up and out to the main deck then head toward the bow to get inside Turret #1
Inside Turret #1's right gun house, four charges are hand loaded & rammed after the projectile
After firing, the breech is cleared of burning embers by top left nozzle using compressed air
Looking down the barrel of the 14 inch rifle which can be readied to fire in 45 seconds
Charges hoisted to the gun pit are hand lifted up to the loading tray, then duck your head for firing
View of the barrel in the gun house toward the front of the turret
Pausing to view the San Jacinto Monument after leaving Turret #1 and climbing the superstructure
The Combat Information Center provided the data for making decisions and selecting targets while fighting
View of crane below the Combat Information Center & two quad gun mounts
View of other crane with ship channel and passing vessel in background
On June 25, 1944, a 240mm german shell from Cherbourg hit the Pilot House, killed the helmsman, and wounded everyone else
An aircraft identification book, probably from the European theater as the Spitfire was a rare bird in the Pacific
Step outside the Pilot House to see a ceremony taking place onshore
The Navy is having a ceremony between the Texas & San Jacinto Monument
So the displayed battle flags weren't for the benefit of our tour?
Command of the regional naval recruitment office . . .
. . . was transferred to a new commander while spectators watch onboard
You couldn't pick a better location for the ceremony
View of battleship giftshop and Texian campsite beyond
View of the forward big guns of the Texas
David would rather be inside the turret during firing
View of superstructure heading back to the exit
Less big guns and more forward conning tower
Head to the portside 5 inch gun area designed prior to WWI
Three 5 inch guns on each side not contained within turrets
Good for shore battery but not anti-aircraft or exploding powder charges
Pass by the Galley on the way to Turret #3
Step back on deck to see the naval ceremony has concluded and most attendees are beginning to disperse
Head towards the stern and walk past the center #3 turret
The aft facing #3 Turret once had an aircraft catapult mounted
Ship's bell dated 1913 aft of Turret #3
Turrets #5 and #4 viewed from beyond the aft machine gun pits
View of the aft big guns from the Texas' stern
Exit the ship and look back toward Turrets #5 and #4
View of the Texas with full display of battle flags from back on dry land
When commissioned in 1914, the Battleship Texas, the first warship with 14 inch guns (ten), was the most powerful weapon on the face of the earth