Sadly they are not mothballed anymore the last 2 Battle Ships of the IOWA class were removed from the Navy's list of ships in 2006.

Quote::

On 17 March 2006 the Secretary of the Navy exercised his authority to strike Iowa and Wisconsin from the Naval Vessel Register, which has cleared the way for both ships to be donated for use as museums.

Because of the Navy's plans to simply develop the DD(X) Zumwalt Distroyers with 155mm Guns with 600 round magazines and the ability to fire 10 rounds a minute with a range of 59 nautical miles.

Dimitri

A17shooter...50 ft is a estimated conservative distance when a full salvo is sent to the enemy...They are an impressive ship even when along side a carrier...

The USS Missouri was a floating museum in Bremerton Wash. for over 20 years and she was brought back. So as long as they float they can be made battle ready anytime.

Nice photo Dallan...Nice...

D,
The 155 you referenced is one of a string of artillery guns and projectiles designed by a Canadian/US Citizen. If you have not read his story, this is a pretty good piece on Jerry Bull. He was an artillery genius and rated as the top artillery designer of the 20th century. A Bull gun could sit outside the range (double the range) of an old artillery piece and pound it into oblivion.

It only took the US Navy about 30 years to figure out his cannon was better than theirs, for the second or third or fourth time... Duh! Go figure.

www.phy6.org/stargaze/SGbull.htm
Ed

Wow! Those pixes even got this old wing nut's pulse a racing...Now I think I'll go take a nap!


While you are there, look in the index column, and click on the fighter taking out a truckload of " indigenous personnel". Wowsah!

Here's a You Tube video on how the Advanced Gun System would be used.

Whack'em & Stack'em - Go Navy!

My grandfather was on the USS Iowa during WWII and he was in charge of the rear 16" guns - he even had deck watch the day they pulled into Tokyo Harbor and berthed near the USS Missouri for Japan's surrender. During Korea he was assigned to the Missouri - the man speaks fluent Battleship! If you were in the Korean War and the off shore batteries were letting you enjoy some bird in a can or a Lucky Strike, Grandpa was giving the go on that.

Somebody mentioned a quote from I believe a Naval officer about scorching the paint. I laugh because it reminds me of my tour of duty in the first Gulf War. We were in Iraq and moving along quite nicely when we came upon a broken down US tank and it's crew. Upon initial observation, you could see scorch or powder marks along the side, as I started looking around on the horizon, I started seeing some dead Iraqi tanks (Soviet T-62 and T-72's) - I asked the tanker what had happened, he stated that they had broken down - something with the drive train, but the turret and firing systems were still operational, the Iraqi's thought they had a lame duck and set up shop and started firing on the tank crew - but their rounds were not penetrating, the US crew mobilized the firing system and started systematically picking these fools off 1 by 1. The tank crew destroyed 5 tanks and the commander said 2 others took off never to be seen by the crew again.

We did treat one of the guys for a concussion I am assuming from the percussion of the rounds bouncing off, but the rest remained unharmed. Since the ground forces were moving so quickly, their group was not able to stop to assist in repairing them and made the hard decision to leave the guys until they could repair and fetch them, we offered to haul them, but they refused the assistance - those guys were something else - I still laugh at their bravado - GI's to the bone God love 'em!

I think I will play that battery firing on continuous loop, I always did sleep like a baby with the sound of outgoing artillery in the backround!

A17Shooter wrote:

Here's a You Tube video on how the Advanced Gun System would be used. Whack'em & Stack'em - Go Navy!

All very interesting guys.

Gerald Bull he was a smart fellow, but had little life experience I guess you can say and should have known getting into bed with Saddam was a bad idea.

Dimitri