VA -- Norfolk -- Battleship Wisconsin:
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- Specific picture descriptions: Photos above with "i" icons next to the bracketed sequence numbers (e.g. "[1] ") are described as follows:
- WISC_051001_001.JPG: The Bullnose:
The Bullnose is a chock through which a hawser passes. Doesn't make sense? Ships have many special terms that sailors must learn. The bullnose is an open metal fitting (or chock) through which heavy ropes (lines or hawsers) are passed. These hawsers are used for docking and towing the ship. The bullnose gets its name because it looks like the flared nostril of a bull. Now that makes sense!
- WISC_051001_005.JPG: Battleship Wisconsin: BB-9 and BB-64
in the Homeport of Naval History
Battleships bearing the name Wisconsin have graced the waters off Norfolk and Hampton Roads since the beginning of the twentieth century. Ornately designed to show-off the “Stars and Stripes” of the United States, the first battleship Wisconsin (BB-9) was commissioned in 1901. John Philip Sousa and the United States Marine Corps Band once performed patriotic marches from the wooden decks of the first Wisconsin. In 1906, President Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt traveled to Norfolk with many other Americans to bid farewell to the first Wisconsin sailing on a two year voyage around the world with the famed “Great White Fleet.” Serving primarily as a Midshipman training ship during World War I, the first Wisconsin was scrapped in 1922.
During World War II, the second battleship Wisconsin (BB-64) was commissioned under the command of U.S. Navy Captain Earl E. Stone. Born in the “Badger State” of Wisconsin, Stone earlier served as a Naval Academy Midshipman aboard the first battleship Wisconsin (BB-9). Surviving the Imperial Japanese strikes at Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, Stone had a key role in organizing the war-winning communications intelligence efforts of the U.S. Navy. For a job well done, he received the highly coveted appointment to command the second battleship Wisconsin (BB-64) in the spring 1944.
Sailing into the embattled waters of the Pacific, the crew of the second battleship Wisconsin earned five battle stars during World War II. Home-ported at Pier 7 on Norfolk Naval Base, the second Wisconsin earned another battle star in the Korean War and, similar to the first Wisconsin (BB-9), server primarily as a Midshipman training ship during the Cold War. During the Persian Gulf War, the crew of Wisconsin (BB-64) coordinated the first Tomahawk missile strikes against Iraq.
- WISC_051001_012.JPG: Battleship Wisconsin: A Floating Fortress
Battleship Wisconsin and the sister-ships of the Iowa Class arguably hold a symbolic status as monuments in naval surface warship design. Unlike torpedo boats, tin-can destroyers, flat-top aircraft carriers, and pig-boat submarines, the teak decks and towering masts of Wisconsin have perceivable design connections to a bygone era of romance, glory and naval lore. In the great Nelsonian line-of-battle tradition, the Wisconsin silhouette features visible elements of armored big-gun firepower and elegant line.
Formally placed into U.S. Navy commission on 16 April 1944, the bluejackets and officers of Wisconsin shared a common and unique bond as battleship sailors-serving aboard a vessel that was distinctively important to the fleet. Following centuries of naval tradition and surface warship development, Wisconsin is formidably armed with a main battery of three 16"/50 gun turrets and a secondary battery of five duo-purpose 5"/38 gun mounts. Accommodating various types of aircraft, the decks of the Wisconsin once bristled with numerous antiaircraft gun mounts in World War II, the Korean War, and throughout the Cold War. During the Persian Gulf War, the Wisconsin crew coordinated the first Tomahawk missile strikes against Iraq using contemporary communications and intelligence gathering equipment.
- WISC_051001_032.JPG: Battleship Wisconsin: Wis + Ky = “Wisky”
A distinctively bulbous bow, coupled with the lengthy slender hull below the waterline, enhanced the capacity of a 212,000 horsepower propulsion plant to push the 45,000 ton battleship Wisconsin through the water for speeds exceeding 33 knots. Swift sailing and difficult to stop, Wisconsin was involved in a serious collision with an escorting destroyer USS Eaton (DDE-510) on a foggy Sunday afternoon off Hampton Roads on 6 May 1956. Following the mishap, the heavily damaged Eaton and Wisconsin returned to Norfolk for repairs.
The mangled Wisconsin bow was replaced after workers at Newport News Shipyard and Dry Dock Company removed the bow from the unfinished Iowa Class battleship Kentucky (BB-66) within a stunning forty-eight hours. Over the next sixteen days, Norfolk Naval Shipyard workers fitted a 120 ton section of the Kentucky bow to the Wisconsin hull. Above the anchor wells, the bull-nose is original to Wisconsin while a sixty-eight foot section from bulbous bow back aft is from Kentucky.
Crew members of battleship Wisconsin lovingly referred to their ship as the “Wisky” since the ship was commissioned in the spring 1944. The nickname was used by sailors in World War II, the Korean War, throughout the Cold War, and during the Persian Gulf War. After Wisconsin was fitted with the Kentucky bow, however, one sea-tale suggests that the nickname refers to the “WIS” in Wisconsin and “KY” in Kentucky—resulting in “WisKy.”
- WISC_051001_041.JPG: Quad 40 Mount:
A primary antiaircraft weapon used by Allied forces during the violent air and sea battles of World War II was the Mark 2 quadruple mounted 40 millimeter gun mount, or "Quad 40". Each individual Quad 40 gun was capable of firing shells weighing two pounds for a sustained rate of 160 rounds per minute -- reaching ranges exceeding five nautical miles and almost four nautical miles in altitude. Weighing 24,900 pounds per mount, battleship Wisconsin once bristled with antiaircraft guns, including twenty Quad 40 emplacements for a total of eighty individual 40 millimeter gun barrels.
U.S. Navy battleships like Wisconsin were primarily used as heavily armored refueling and antiaircraft platforms supporting the fast-carrier task groups of the Pacific Fleet during World War II. After 1942, antiaircraft gun mounts like the Quad 40 were added in response to the ferocious Imperial Japanese air and suicidal Kamikaze attacks of the Pacific campaign. Wisconsin was originally designed to accommodate a standard ship's complement of fewer than 1,550. With the additional antiaircraft emplacements, another 1,925 sailors were required to service the guns. As a result, Wisconsin was quite cramped during the war with over 3,000 bluejackets living in every nook and cranny aboard ship.
- WISC_051001_045.JPG: The Citadel:
Like castles of the Middle Ages, the Wisconsin was designed to protect her inhabitants. A box of heavy steel armor, called the Citadel, protects all the vital equipment necessary for the battleship's survival, including magazines, machinery, plotting rooms, etc. This citadel extends from just forward of Turret No. 1, to just aft of Turret No. III. Other items that have to be protected, such as turrets, the conning tower, and steering gear, are armored appendages connected to the box.
- WISC_051001_054.JPG: Wisconsin Silver:
American cities and states sometimes provide silver services for Navy ships, a reflection of national and local pride. In 1899, the state of Wisconsin voted to fund a silver service for the first Wisconsin (BB-9). A 35-piece set was used for formal receptions on board the battleship from 1901 until the ship's decommissioning in 1920.
In 1943, the Wisconsin state legislature voted to refurbish the 1899 set for the new battleship Wisconsin (BB-64), and to provide some additional pieces. In 1945, members of the state committee traveled to San Francisco to present the silver to the battleship.
When the ship was in reserve, the silver was exhibited in museums or used by other Navy ships. It returned to the Wisconsin in 1988.
The Wisconsin's silver service is now on exhibit in the Nauticus building.
- WISC_051001_059.JPG: Pearl Harbor: War Comes to America:
December 7, 1941:
The Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, was a defining moment in history. The carefully planned attack brought an unprepared America into World War II.
In 1941, Japan sent a carrier strike force across the Pacific. Its planes hit just before 8am on December 7, 1941. Five of eight battleships at Pearl Harbor were sunk -- the rest were damaged. Over 2,400 Americans were dead.
Although the country was unprepared, the attack brought a previously divided American public into the war. The memory of Pearl Harbor fueled a determination to fight on.
End of the Battleship?
In 1941, the battleship was still a valuable component of the U.S. Fleet. In fact, navies throughout the world relied on these heavily armored ships with large caliber guns.
Naval planners had recognized the importance of other types of ships, especially submarines and aircraft carriers. The destruction of the battleships at Pearl Harbor by carrier-borne aircraft made a cloudy picture crystal clear: the aircraft carrier was the new capital ship of the 20th century Navy.
- WISC_051001_073.JPG: Celebrity Signatures:
On December 26, 1990, Wisconsin hosted a performance by Bob Hope's Desert Shield USO troupe. Performers included Ann Jillian, Marie Osmond, the Pointer Sisters (Ruth, Anita, and June), and Krystyne Haje. The artists signed the turret on the day of their visit.
- WISC_051001_079.JPG: Welcome aboard battleship Wisconsin (BB-64)!
You are standing on the decks of the USS Wisconsin (BB-64), one of the famous Iowa-class ships. The Wisconsin and her sister ships combine protection, speed, range and firepower into an unequaled package -- the greatest battleships ever built.
This ship is part of the Navy's Inactive Fleet -- ships kept for ready reactivation in case of national emergency. The interiors of these ships are kept at a constant state of humidity to prevent rust. Because of this requirement, the tour of the ship will not include any interior spaces. Please follow the tour route. Also, please do not eat or drink on board.
- WISC_051001_081.JPG: Turret No. 1:
The turret is an armored enclosure that houses the ship's guns. This complicated structure has several levels. The gunhouse is the armored part of the turret where ammunition is loaded into the guns. It sits on the barbette, another armored enclosure. Other elements include a power handling room, the gun pit (which contains the elevating screws for the weapons) and the circular foundation.
Wisconsin crewmen in the turret had to load the projectiles and propellant into the 16-inch guns, aim them, fire them, and manage the recoil from the 150-ton monsters. The turret is such a complicated piece of machinery that its operation manual consists of 500 pages of small print.
16-inch guns:
The 16 inch/50 caliber rifles on the Iowa-class battleships are the largest guns ever mounted on American warships. The battleship below your feet was designed as a platform to carry these guns into combat. They can fire a 2,700-pound projectile (equivalent to a Volkswagen "Beetle" automobile) up to 23 nautical miles away. Each gun is mounted on an individual slide and can be removed without dismantling the turret. The crew of the Wisconsin could fire two rounds per minute per gun at enemy ships or shore installations.
- WISC_051001_118.JPG: A cross-section cut-away view of 16-inch gun turret at the centerline
- WISC_051001_126.JPG: The Iowa-class Battleships:
Navy ships of the same design are grouped together as a "class" of ships. The first ship of the class gives her name to the entire group. Four fast battleships like the Wisconsin were commissioned in the Navy. The battleship Iowa was constructed first, in 1943, and gave her name to the class. Other members besides the Wisconsin are the New Jersey and the Missouri. Each had a distinguished record of naval service.
During World War II, the Navy began construction of two other Iowa-class battleships, the Illinois and the Kentucky, but work stopped on these ships when the war ended.
- WISC_051001_135.JPG: Saluting Batteries:
These stands held the Wisconsin's saluting batteries, small guns that the crew used to render military honors. Gun salutes are a very old naval tradition. Gun salutes are always rendered in odd numbers, perhaps reflecting beliefs about lucky numbers like seven.
Today, the national salute of 21 guns is fired in honor of the national flag, the chief of state of a foreign nation, a member of a reigning royal family, the President, ex-President, and President-elect of the United States. It is also fired on Washington's Birthday, Presidents Day, and the Fourth of July. On Memorial Day, a salute of 21 guns is fired at noon while the flag is flown at half-mast.
- WISC_051001_152.JPG: Ships' Bridge (03 level):
The bridge is the primary control position for the ship when she is under way, and the place where all commands affecting the ship's movements originate. This section of the bridge, on the ship's 03 level, is the flag and signal bridge. It was equipped with devices to communicate visually, such as signal flags. It was also used by flag officers (admirals) when aboard the ship. All four Iowa-class ships served as flagships at some point in their careers. The flag and signal bridge is part of the ship's conning tower, a heavily armored structure used by the ship's commander during battle.
One level above is the navigation bridge (04 level), which contains equipment used to control the movement of the ship, such as engine controls, speed indicators, and compasses. Near this section are the pilot house, accommodations for the captain and the admiral, and a first-aid station.
- WISC_051001_183.JPG: After Fire Control:
This tower houses part of the ship's fire control system. This system helps the ship's weapons hit their targets consistently and accurately. It uses several types of specialize radar, optical systems, computers and, as always, the training and talents of the hard working crew.
On top of the tower is a Mark 38 gun director for the main 16-inch battery, one of two on the ship. (The other is on the forward fire control tower by Turret No. II.) These directors use range finders, telescopes, and a periscope to establish a line of sign and a relative bearing to the target. The director on the forward fire control tower is known as Spot 1; the one on the after control tower above you is Spot 2.
- WISC_051001_193.JPG: Turret No. III:
These 16-inch guns fired a 2,700 pound projectile with a fuse to detonate the shell on impact. They also fired a 1,900 pound shell. Most of these shells were stored inside the turret on fixed and rotating rings (or platforms). Machines moved the shells to hoists, where they were next loaded into the guns.
The 16-inch guns are "bag guns," meaning that the explosive charge needed to fire the weapon is loaded separately from the shells. These guns used smokeless powder sewn into silk bags, which burned completely away without smoldering when the charge was ignited.
- WISC_051001_202.JPG: Harpoon Missile Launcher:
The Wisconsin carried 16 RGM-84 Harpoon cruise missiles, which were stored and fired in canisters from these launchers. Harpoon missiles were designed for use against other surface ships. A booster section propels the missile away from the ship (approximately five miles) and then falls away. The 1,500-pound missile is then guided to the target by computer. Harpoon missiles have a range between 64 and 85 nautical miles.
- WISC_051001_214.JPG: Bike rack
- WISC_051001_225.JPG: Replenishment:
This large crane is a refueling boom. It was used to hold fuel lines when they were run from the Wisconsin to smaller ships. The Iowa-class battleships stored large amounts of fuel and were capable of refueling smaller ships, a process called "underway replenishment." This refueling mission was important in combat areas because the battleship could go where less protected supply ships could not. Wisconsin also refueled all types of Navy helicopters.
Wisconsin conducted underway replenishment throughout her career -- although this large boom was not placed on the ship until the 1988 modernization.
What is Measure 13?
Answer: The paint scheme that the Wisconsin currently wears. All Navy ships wear paint schemes, called measures, designed to make it hard for an enemy to recognize them. Measure 13 is the Navy's normal peacetime system of haze gray. This paint scheme is the least visible under the widest range of light conditions.
- WISC_051001_258.JPG: Fantail:
Besides larger piloted aircraft, the Wisconsin launched a small remote piloted vehicle (RPV) from this part of the ship. The Pioneer RPV is a gasoline-driven aircraft that carries a television camera and a laser designator for gunfire targeting.
The fantail was also the site for many special events, such as band concerts, boxing matches, crew picnics, and sunbathing.
- WISC_051001_259.JPG: Aircraft Operations:
The Iowa-class battleships originally carried seaplanes, which were launched by catapults located on the fantail. The seaplanes, used for gunfire spotting, were recovered by a crane. By 1949, helicopters replaced the seaplanes. Wisconsin was modified to include a helicopter control station. The ship's helicopters performed a variety of functions, including rescue missions, gunfire spotting, and anti-submarine operations.
- WISC_051001_272.JPG: Another picture of Turret Number 3
- WISC_051001_285.JPG: Teak Deck:
The decks are covered with more than four acres of teakwood -- a very hard wood that resists wear. It protects the 1.5 inch steel deck underneath from rust. The wood also reflects heat, which keeps the ship cooler inside. When the Wisconsin was built, she had no air conditioning (it was later installed).
The round plugs in the teak are called "Dutchmen" and are used to seal holes where the deck has been bolted down.
- WISC_051001_291.JPG: Crew Living Space:
During World War II, more than 2,700 men served on this ship -- almost 1,000 more than the ship was designed to carry. The result was overcrowding and a complete lack of privacy. The maze of passageways confused many new sailors. One Wisconsin bluejacket looked for a friend in another vision for three days. Finally, he wrote him a postcard reading, "Meet me on the deck beside Turret No. 3 at noon." The the time of the Gulf War, the ship operated with a crew of 1,600.
- WISC_051001_298.JPG: Small Boats:
This is the area where the Wisconsin's small boats were stored. Throughout her history, the battleship carried different kinds of boats. The boats were used to rescue sailors that fell overboard, to retrieve drone aircraft that were launched from the ship, and to carry crew members ashore.
- WISC_051001_311.JPG: Wardroom:
The Wisconsin's officers dined and relaxed in this room. The ship was designed for 117 officers (and 1,800 crew members). During World War II, the wardroom was overcrowded with 170 officers on board the ship, but in 1988, only 65 officers formed the wardroom mess.
LCDR Elmo Zumwalt, a future Admiral and Chief of Naval Operations, served as an officer on the Wisconsin during the Korean War.
- WISC_051001_332.JPG: Ships' Stack:
This large stack [the black-topped structure in the middle of the picture] takes in air and releases flue gases for the ship's boilers. It and the other stack are the only visible indicators of the ship's massive main propulsion plant. The Wisconsin has eight boilers that create steam, which is delivered to four sets of turbines. These turns in turn drive the shafts, which in turn power the ship's propellers. About one-third of the ship is devoted to engineering areas, including generators, evaporators, air compressors, steering engines, and other equipment.
- Wikipedia Description: USS Wisconsin (BB-64)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
USS Wisconsin (BB-64) is an Iowa-class battleship and the second ship of the United States Navy to be named in honor of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. She was built at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and launched on 7 December 1943 (the second anniversary of the Pearl Harbor raid), sponsored by Margaret Goodland, wife of Governor Walter Goodland of Wisconsin.
During her career, Wisconsin served in the Pacific theater of World War II, where she shelled Japanese fortifications and screened United States aircraft carriers as they conducted air raids against enemy positions. During the Korean War, Wisconsin shelled North Korean targets in support of United Nations and South Korean ground operations, after which she was decommissioned. She was reactivated on 1 August 1986; after a modernization program, she participated in Operation Desert Storm in January and February 1991.
Wisconsin was last decommissioned in September 1991 after a total of 14 years of active service in the fleet, and having earned a total of six battle stars for service in World War II and Korea, as well as a Navy Unit Commendation for service during the January/February 1991 Gulf War. Wisconsin was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register (NVR) 17 March 2006, and was donated for permanent use as a museum ship. She currently functions as a museum ship operated by Nauticus in Norfolk, Virginia. On 15 April 2010, the City of Norfolk officially took over ownership of the ship.
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