Jan 17, 2012
The battleship U.S.S. Iowa firing broadside, 1984
During a firepower demonstration after the U.S.S. Iowa was modernized and reactivated in 1984…
From Wikipedia…
USS Iowa (BB-61) was the lead ship of her class of battleship and the fourth in the United States Navy to be named in honor of the 29th state….
During World War II, she carried President Franklin D. Roosevelt across the Atlantic to Casablanca en route to a crucial 1943 meeting in Tehran with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet leader Josef Stalin….
During the Korean War, Iowa was involved in raids on the North Korean coast, after which she was decommissioned into the United States Navy reserve fleets…. She was reactivated in 1984 as part of the 600-ship Navy plan, and operated in both the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets to counter the recently expanded Soviet Navy. In April 1989, an explosion of undetermined origin wrecked her #2 gun turret, killing 47 sailors….
In 2011, Iowa was donated to the Los Angeles-based non-profit Pacific Battleship Center and will be permanently moved to the Port of Los Angeles to serve as a museum and memorial to battleships.
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And who are the stupid people wanting to fight us?
Um, well, anybody outside of its 40km gun range. So, just about all of Iraq, and all of Afghanistan. Of course, its gun range is irrelevant, since it’s been mothballed since before these wars.
But if your point is that the USS Iowa was an awesome ship, and that an enemy within its range should’ve wet his pants, then yes, very yes, that ship was awesome.
Aww it burped’ed.
Wow, must have had Chili for dinner!
hmm I’m sure Roosevelt came by plane to Casablanca. One of the only plane rides he ever took. Maybe the Memphis refueled them half way across the Atlantic?
This was my brother’s ship in 1989. He loved that ship so much.
After the Gulf War, the IOWA was mothballed, but she’s coming back! Pacific Battleship Center has taken custody of it, and they are working to restore the IOWA and transform her into museum, open to the public. She’s currently open to the public for tours during the restoration, and eventually, she’ll be in the LA area. Go check out Pacific Battleship Center’s website to see pics of her progress. :)
I would love to see this in person. I will have to go see it sometime when I got the money. I have always been intrigued by war machines and this one is a beauty!
For those who want to see an IOWA class battleship, but are closer to the east coast, the USS WISCONSIN is currently open as a part of the Nauticus Museum in Norfolk, Virginia.