Battleship Texas
The battleship Texas was launched in 1912, served in both world wars and was decommissioned in 1948, following which the ownership of the vessel was transferred from the United States to the state of Texas. The ship has been berthed as a floating museum on the Houston ship channel at the San Jacinto Battleground since then. However, following years of expensive repairs to keep her afloat and suitable for visitors, the state has leased the ship for 99 years to the Battleship Texas Foundation and provided $35 million for the ship to be towed to a shipyard for repairs, including replacement of the entire hull below the water line. After completion of the repairs she will be moved to a location that will provide more tourist traffic and income than the current location does, probably Galveston or Corpus Christi.
I have spent many happy hours over the years walking her decks, climbing up and down her ladders and stairs, and photographing this amazing, complex, monstrous artifact topside and below. She has a long and honorable history in the service of our country. I think she’s beautiful.
The U.S.S. Texas is 573 feet long and displaces 27,000 tons.
The Texas was one of the “dreadnaughts” constructed during the naval arms race in the early twentieth century among England, France, Germany, Japan and the United States. Dreadnaughts were battleships that were larger than their predecessors and armed almost exclusively with large caliber guns. The Texas is the only dreadnaught remaining in existence.
In her early years, she had a crew of 1200. By the time of World War II, the number of her crew had risen to over 1800.
Her main batteries consist of ten fourteen inch guns.
These main guns can fire a 1400 pound projectile for thirteen miles.
The Texas also had at various times up to sixteen five inch guns and, in later years, a large number of antiaircraft weapons.
After the United States entered World War I, a gun crew from the Texas serving temporarily on a merchant ship fired at a German submarine, foiling its attack on the ship. These were the first shots fired by Americans during World War I.
The Texas itself saw little action during World War I, performing convoy and blockade duties in the North Atlantic with other American and British warships.
However, she saw significant action throughout World War II, beginning with Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of North Africa, where she fired upon Vichy French shore installations.
On D Day the Texas bombarded German defensive positions on Omaha Beach and Pointe du Hoc.
During that first day the Texas sent landing craft to Pointe du Hoc with ammunition and supplies and brought back to the ship wounded American Rangers and German prisoners.
Late in the day when the invading Americans on Omaha Beach were having difficulty advancing because of German gun emplacements, the Texas joined American destroyers in sailing perilously close to shore in order to attack those emplacements at close range. The Texas’ fourteen inch guns were aimed as horizontally as possible.
After D Day American ships continued to fire at German targets on the coast of France. The Texas sustained the only fatality in its entire history during the battle of Cherbourg, when it took a shell from a German shore battery that killed the helmsman on duty, Christen Christensen, and wounded seven others.
Following repairs to the damage from that battle, the Texas was sent to the Pacific where she provided shore bombardment at Iwo Jima and Okinawa.
At Okinawa the Japanese made their most extensive kamikaze attacks of the war. The suicide pilots sank 36 warships, damaged 368 other vessels, killed 4900 American sailors and officers, and wounded 4800 more. The Texas, furiously firing its antiaircraft guns, somehow escaped this carnage.
Her last duty was the happy one of bringing home from the Pacific American soldiers who were spared the necessity of invading Japan.
We go below. A watertight door.
Silver service presented to the ship in Galveston in 1914.
Officers’ table.
Serving line for enlisted men. No waitstaff for them, but plenty of nutritious food from the excellent navy cooks.
Swabs for the swabbies.
It’s dark down below.
Steam pipes in the engine room.
Engine room engineer’s instruments.
Still menacing after all these years.
A final look at the venerable lady, in need of maintenance and repair, but still beautiful. Thank you sincerely, and best of luck in your new home.