Battleships: Tennessee Class

[Blackbat242]

Here they are, all cozy in 1 drydock!!

Note the 2 OMAHA class light cruisers outboard of the drydock. I probably, without realizing it, saw these as I do remember going over a high bridge and viewing many moth balled ships in Philly circa 1955! DFO

Note USS South Dakota BB-57 at the left background (identifiable by her single funnel and only 4 twin 5"/38 mounts per side).

[Blackbat242]

Here is the same location, showing the Omahas more clearly. They are identified as Detroit & Trenton, with the ancient Olympia aft along the pier (and the stern of South Dakota at the far left)!

California Tennessee Detroit Trenton & Olympia.jpg

Then a view of North Carolina & Washington from an Alaska-class large cruiser in mothballs in Bayonne New Jersey.

Bayonne NJ mothballs2.jpg

And an aerial view of elsewhere in Bayonne - showing (R>L at front) a Juneau-class CLAA, Alaska & Guam, North Carolina & Washington, a Cleveland-class CL beside a couple of auxiliaries, an Essex class CV, and Enterprise CV-6 - with (L>R at back) 4 CVEs, 2 Cleveland-class CLs, and another Juneau-class CLAA.

Bayonne NJ mothballs.jpg

If not for the lack of destroyers, that would make a very handsome task force!

[designeraccd]

There are many, many pics of TENNESSEE and the other 2 modernized "Big 5" BBs, but I have never been able to find ANY pics of them during their rebuilds! Just...poof...and there they are with 16-5" etc..........

Has anyone seen pics of the 3 units during their modernizations/rebuilds???

Incidentally I remember seeing some of the mothballed BBs at Bayonne, NJ as a kid riding the Staten Island ferry. I was just getting interested in warships, but did not really know exactly what I was looking at! The following Christmas I got my first WORLD'S WARSHIPS and started figuring out what I thought I had seen!! The year before we had passed by the Philly yard and, from a bridge, I got my first glimpses of mothballed USN ships... DFO

[Blackbat242]

I believe the lack of photos comes from all such being classified during the war, and neglected and forgotten afterwards.

It would not surprise me at all for either all to have been destroyed when the ships were sold for scrap, or for them to be sitting in boxes in a corner of the shipyard records warehouse (if that still exists), or to have been stuck in a DOD warehouse somewhere.

What many don't realize is that some of the damaged battleships received interim repairs and slight modifications that allowed them a few months active service between Pearl Harbor and beginning their full modernizations.

Tennessee, for example, left Puget Sound Naval Shipyard after repair & refitting on 26 Feb 1942 bound for California, where she commenced a period of training and standby in case of a Japanese attack on the US mainland. .....

http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/battlesh/bb43.htm On 1 August, Tennessee again sailed from San Francisco with Task Force 1. After a week of exercises the battleships joined Hornet (CV-8)-on her way to the South Pacific to support the Guadalcanal operation-and escorted the carrier as far as Hawaii. Arriving at Pearl Harbor on the 14th, Tennessee returned to Puget Sound on the 27th for modernization.

California, Tennessee's sister ship, had been sunk. in shallow water during the attack on Pearl Harbor. Refloated, and her hull temporarily patched, she returned to Puget Sound in June for permanent repairs which included a thorough modernization. It was decided to include Tennessee in this program as well.

This decision resulted in her being pulled from the Guadalcanal support force.

By the time Tennessee emerged from the navy yard on 7 May 1943 she had been completely rebuilt, and fully modernized.

Here are a couple of photos of Tennessee in the spring/early summer of 1942 - the first is undated other than "after Feb 1942" and the second is in June 1942 entering San Pedro Harbor (Los Angeles/Long Beach area).

Tennessee June 1942 pre-modernization.jpg

Tennessee June 1942 San Pedro pre-modernization.jpg

[designeraccd]

Both Don and I have written and e-mailed to various US gov places.....with a complete lack of response.... We were asking about pics during their modernizations.

The only photo I have found is attached-WEE VEE-taken at a war bond rally just b4 start of her rebuild. Given the MA$$IVE work involved it sure would be interesting to see it!!! I have monographs on all 3 of the rebuilt units: like magic pics go from post PH to here's the rebuild......nothing in the yard......... DFO

[designeraccd]

Pictures and drawings of CALIFORNIA including Pearl Harbor damage. A radical modernization, bur alas NO pics of her during the rebuild ........DFO

[Brian James]

Lead Ship,Battleship USS Tennessee pictured at Puget Sound Navy Yard in October 1920...Across the Pier is the Canadian Pacific Liner Empress of Australia.

[designeraccd]

Before her "magic" rebuild/modernization.............. DFO

[Brian James]

Lead Ship,Dreadnought Battleship USS Tennessee pictured during her modernisation refit at New York Navy Yard,Brooklyn in 1923.

[designeraccd]

A 1920 view of CALIFORNIA by the Mare Island yard fitting out.......... DFO