USS Iowa (BB-61) - April 13th, 2014
Visit my first Iowa Class battleship in Long Beach, CA, the USS Iowa (BB-61), with Kathy & Bill along
Kathy corrals the kamikaze Mitsubishi to the parking lot
David is fired up to see his first Iowa Class!
Tickets and boarding up at turret #2
First find the slyly camouflaged bathrooms to the left
Pay our $18 boarding fee and climb the ramp
Long pointy bow allows this fast battleship to go 33Kts
Bow of Iowa is off limits to tourists
Three siblings pose with three barrels of #1 turret
David gives a long deserved hug to the battleship Iowa
Front turret barrels are loading, #2 turret is ready to fire
1900 lbs shell displayed by the #1 turret
Bill shows off by lifting a 110 lbs propellant bag
Six 110 lbs propellant bags fire each shell
Dasani beverage machine added after decommissioning
Stop for a movie on the history of the battleship
Start the tour by climbing up a deck and going inside
Inside the officers wardroom for photos of Iowa's past
Model of battleship Arizona in the wardroom
Big screen TV was a post WWII addition to the ship
Officers studied different strategies during off hours
Executive Officer's stateroom had its own bathroom
Spacious senior officer's stateroom with room to stretch!
Comfy bed for those officers under 5' 8" !
Enlisted bathroom further down
View down a loading hatch covered with glass
Turret #2 is closed off as well
Circle around turret #2 to find the memorial plaque
47 sailors died in an explosion on April 19, 1989
Tour continues, back up and past a 5" gun turret
Inside the commanding officer's office
CO's desk with the latest in communication equipment
CO's bed, opposite the Iowa's unique feature
Only the Iowa has a bathtub, built for FDR
Imagine running down this long hatched corridor
Back out on deck with view of both turrets forward
View out the San Pedro channel toward Santa Catalina Island
All the five inch gun turrets are locked up as well
See Bill on a lower deck, take his photo!
Bill sees me on an upper deck and takes a video of me
View past a 5 inch turret toward the San Pedro channel
Higher view toward the bow beyond the #2 turret
Seat near the bridge conning tower
Communications rooms behind the bridge
#2 turret from below the bridge
Hallway behind the bridging conning tower
Looking beyond the #2 turret from the bridge
Inside the conning tower and view of ship's wheel
View from side of conning tower over both front turrets
Higher view looking down on the forward turrets
Bill thinks he finds an ice cream freezer, nope
I hear there is ice cream in the freezers? Yes? No
Phalanx Close Inboard Weapon System fires 3000 rpm
6 barrel, 20mm Gatling gun for cruise missle defense
AN/SLQ(V)3 on either corner plaform above detects ASMs
Chaff mortars fired to confuse incoming attacking missles
Fire control for 5 inch secondary guns
Anti-ship AGM-84 Harpoon cruise missles
4 quad launchers, added during 1983 modernization
Harpoons have a range of 75 miles & still used in Navy
2 of 4 amidship Tomahawk cruise missle launchers
Armored Box Launchers hydraulically raised to fire
3 Configs: Anti-Ship, land-attack or land-attack nuclear
Tomahawks have a range of 250-1500 nautical miles
16 inch main gun rangefinder & shell spotter
Iowa nervous about the close proximity of the cruise ship
Head down a deck past the Tomahawk exhaust hatches
Look over a 5" gun toward the entry while heading down
Another nice angle of #3 turret aiming toward cruise ship
Highway 47's Vincent Thomas Bridge spans past the cruise terminal and container ship unloading dock
Container ships unload at Terminal Island
Iowa's exit ramp before the cruise terminal processing
View of rear superstructure while heading down to deck
Starboard Harpoon quad launchers
All 5" guns were locked up for today's visit
Somebody really wanted to check out the inside
Finish up in the enlisted quarters' comfy bunk beds
Learn to not sit up on awakening pretty quickly
Kathy poses with the #3 turret as we finish up on deck
#3 turret is also locked up, no 16" gun viewing today
Still hazardous inside after less than 2 years on display
Deck wood will be perpetually in a state of repair
Look forward at the rear superstructure from the #3 turret
Back inside to view the enlisted galley
Hope it is serving food by the next time I visit
Kitchen fed over 2600 enlisted men daily
Enlisted cafeteria tables beyond the kitchen
Crewmen could catch up on their soaps during lunch
Harpoon cruise missle on display in the cafe
Model of the USS Missouri during WWII configuration
Floatplane catapults and loaded up with AA guns
Find the gift shop inside the enlisted cafeteria
Outside for a 16" gun firing . . . kind of loud
Swivel the gun back to keep the cruise boat in check
Twin rear circular machine gun nest walls still in place
NCL's 92K ton , 965" Norwegian Star dwarfs the Iowa
Check out #3 turret from stern of ship
Bill poses namesake banner and #3 turret
#3's 16" guns and Iowa superstructure fill the photo
Basketball goal added during the 1983 modernization?
Bill takes a final video before we depart the ship
Still haven't been inside a 16" gun turret of an Iowa Class
Visited the bottom 4 with 3 more Iowa Class ships to go
Final view onboard the Iowa, heading down the exit ramp
Two 5" turrets & 2 Phalanx guns bookend the lifeboat
Walk past entry ramp for superstructure photo
Head to bow of ship for identification number
Can only view the bow of BB-61, stern in cruise ship area
Goodbye Iowa, I will say hi to your sisters soon
Crossing guard between antenna & windshield of truck
Pacific Electric 500 safely passes the too forward pickup
Take Hi-47's Vincent Thomas Bridge back to Cucamonga
Final view of the Iowa hiding behind NCL's Norwegian Star