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.

USS Alabama Part 2

Time to go inside.

Officers' wardroom.

Nice, eh? The 2,200 enlisted men and Marines didn't quite have it this posh.

Enlisted crew got their food here.

And slept in compartments like this all throughout the ship.

Typical corridor aboard. How can a ship this big be so darn small inside?

Navy ship vets should recognize this. They let emergency power cables pass through bulkheads it the main power is out. They're everywhere.

Armored door to fighting bridge. That's some heavy steel there. Designed to protect the helmsman and other crew essential to conning the ship in combat.

Inside:

Normally, the ship was conned from this bridge.

A trunk with ladders going somewhere interesting. But alas...

Ladders that we could and did use. Sadly, lotsa fat tourists seemed unclear on the concept of going UP ladders on one side of the ship and DOWN ladders on the other.

And the radio space...for Dr. Jim.

It was glassed in and that messed up some of my shots. Sorry.

The machine shop. A ship like this had to make any new parts or other gear that it needed at sea.

Armored deck.

Marine area rifle racks. Alas, no rifles.

This ship was home to several notables.

And Bob Feller, baseball great.

Like Ted Williams, when his nation called, he put his baseball career on hold and enlisted.

No access to boilers or machinery spaces below. That was a bit of a let down. I'm sure that those spaces are epic.

But you do get considerable access to the superstructure, especially if ladders are your thing.

More later...I sense French Quarter damsels pondering my whereabouts.

Adventure time! USS Alabama.

So I skipped work today and headed off to Mobile, Alabama to visit Battleship Park and the USS Alabama, (BB-60).

This beautiful South Dakota class World War Two vet is open to the public and in great shape. Here's the view aft from the bow, looking at two of her three turrets, each of which houses three 16"/45 cal. Mark 6 guns.

Here's one of the projectiles that they fire. 2,700 pounds and accurate out to 21 miles. Nice!

Now THAT is a rifle. Times 3.

Inside the turret...because I go these places for you all.

And look at this breech.

Note the ladder running down behind the breech. On another battleship I won't name, I once managed to get into this shell-hoisting shaft with a little help from a Leatherman tool and descended to the bottle of the barbette, several decks below, my way lit only by a mini-mag flashlight held in my mouth. Best self-guided tour ever! But I was well-behaved on this trip.

Here's a look into the aft turret, which is not as well restored.

Outside the aft turret.

Lots of smaller guns, too. Here's one of the many twin 20mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft guns of the main deck.

Another row of Oerlikons (port side). Once the Kamikaze threat became clear, they were putting these guns everywhere on every ship.

Here's a couple of the twin 40mm Bofors Anti-aircraft gun mounts.

Got lots more pics to post...but I'm tired now and it's past the dogs' bedtime too. More to follow.