USS Alabama, Part 3

A couple of the 5"/38cal. twin mounts. They could be used for anti-aircraft defense or shore bombardment. This gun was the same as the main gun on a Destroyer of that era. Destroyers usually had five. Alabama has twenty.

During one particular battle on February 21, 1944, 5" gun mount 9 accidentally fired into 5" gun mount five, killing five and wounding eleven.

Inside of one of the 5" mounts. Tight in there for sure.

Spare 40mm AA gun barrels stored below decks against one of the main gun barbettes.

They cut an access portal into one of the barbettes so people could see what it was like inside. Back in the day, the only way into or out of this space was down through the turret. It was done like that to keep fires and explosions contained.

As stated before...been here on another battleship once. Looked like this, but wasn't nearly as clean. But then that one never had been open to the public and likely never will be. (Not my fault they didn't lock it up very well.)

16" shells. A lot of them.

I wonder how much Varget I'd need to sneak aboard to fire just one?


One compartment is a memorial to Senator Jeremiah Denton, Retired Admiral, naval aviator, ex-POW and all-around great American.

His name has been mentioned on this blog before. And I have his book. It was an honor to be in his space aboard Alabama.