Battleship Texas.............

LousianaHorn

LousianaHorn

Kabong
whats the latest on repairs and is the final resting place set yet.................that was a trip back in 67 when I got to go aboard at San Jacinto.
 
My first visit to USS Texas BB 35 was summer of 1966. Parents took a photo of me and my brother beside one of the Bofors 40 MM anti-aircraft guns. In the 1980's me and some neighbors collected aluminum cans to help raise monies to go toward a restoration they did back then.

Officials need to get repairs done again before it's too late and a final resting place that will maybe get it out of the seawater for good.
 
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Thanks Chop. My son and I went to the monument when I was first transferred to Houston and the ship was there. Cold as heck that day and no one but us was there. We had the run of the entire ship and had a great time going all over it. This would have been about 22 years ago. Won’t ever be another opportunity like that.
 
I read an article years ago about the Texas at Omaha Beach. Things were going bad for the American troops ashore and a decision was made to reinforce them with the Marine contingent aboard the Texas. The Marines were ready to board landing craft when the order was countermanded. It seems that the Army figured out that the newspaper headlines would read "Marines save the Army at Omaha Beach."

Fortunately, the good guys at Utah, Omaha, Juno, Gold and Sword prevailed.

If I can find the link, I'll provide it.
 
utahorn said:
I read an article years ago about the Texas at Omaha Beach. Things were going bad for the American troops ashore and a decision was made to reinforce them with the Marine contingent aboard the Texas. The Marines were ready to board landing craft when the order was countermanded. It seems that the Army figured out that the newspaper headlines would read "Marines save the Army at Omaha Beach."

Fortunately, the good guys at Utah, Omaha, Juno, Gold and Sword prevailed.

If I can find the link, I'll provide it.
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Ha!

Best keep service rivalries limited to the Army-Navy football game. I don’t give a flip if the doggone Coast Guard gets the credit, just win the battle and the war!
 
Chop said:
Best keep service rivalries limited to the Army-Navy football game. I don’t give a flip if the doggone Coast Guard gets the credit, just win the battle and the war!
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I'll agree with the win policy, and "we are on the same side" but many times war does involve politics. In this case, it could have involved funding - during and post-war as well as pride and prestige. The last two have been the downfall of many people and civilizations.
 
Careerist Generals and Admirals, and even worse, post-career-looking Generals and Admirals can make selfish decisions that cost $$$ and lives.

That being said, the Battleship Texas was a great machine that served its purpose well.
 
utahorn said:
I read an article years ago about the Texas at Omaha Beach. Things were going bad for the American troops ashore and a decision was made to reinforce them with the Marine contingent aboard the Texas. The Marines were ready to board landing craft when the order was countermanded. It seems that the Army figured out that the newspaper headlines would read "Marines save the Army at Omaha Beach."

Fortunately, the good guys at Utah, Omaha, Juno, Gold and Sword prevailed.

If I can find the link, I'll provide it.
Click to expand...

USS Texas was a 1911 New York class battleship and even after an upgrade was considered slow and obsolete for regular convey duty in 1944.

But she was still respected and had massive firepower that could be utilized. She blistered German positions off the Normandy beach prior to the invasion.

However, despite pounding by Texas and 1-2 other battleships the morning of June 6, it was not enough.

I read years ago that 1 or 2 Destroyers were able to get closer to the beaches to lay down some close fire support to help those brave struggling men on Omaha Beach, that made a big difference.
 
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Texas was one of the few ships struck by French shore batteries during Operation Torch, the invasion of North Africa. If I recall correctly, it did kill 2 - 3 crew members. Texas was also one of the few ships to see action in the Mediterranean, the Atlantic and the Pacific. Not bad for a WWI class battleship.

She did the State of Texas and the United States proud.
 
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It looks like they are doing pretty good on funding for the repairs, but nobody seems to know where it's gonna end up. Everyone wants to move it from the current location, but IIRC it's a marketing issue and not a location issue - the Lexington is popular and yet the Texas is within a 30-45 min drive of many times more people.
 
I thought the decision had been made to use the firm in Daphne, Alabama. Can't remember the name, but the owner has a bachelors & masters in engineering from Auburn and has a contract to repair all the Navy ships in the country. He has his own drydock in Mobile. Haven't talked to Ken in a couple of years, but it was my understanding he would do it. Seems the process has been floundering for several years.
 
Right, I think the repair yard stuff has been settle, but they are still working on a permanent home for the Texas afterward, when it's a museum ship again.
 


12 min video update. Here's the TL/DR version:

* There's a drydock in the Bahamas being upgraded specifically for the BB Texas that will be towed to the state of Texas in June 2022
* Most of the AA and secondary guns are off the ship and are being de-rusted and fixed up in a workshop in Houston right now, plus some superior protection against future degradation
* The ship will be open to the public in its current location March 12th/13th and March 26th/27th.
 
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