The 4th and last South Dakota class battleship built. Currently located in Mobile, AL.
Her sister ship the USS Massachusetts BB-59 (Big Mamie) is also still afloat in Fall
River, Mass with a large added exhibit for those of you in that area that would like to
see one up close.
A look at her coming in over I-10
A port side broad view from front entrance.
A good view of her port side five, MK-28 secondary battery.
Standing on the bow looking aft.
Again on the bow with a better view of the #1 and #2 turrets.
Standing on the bridge looking forward over the #1 and #2 turrets and a quad 40mm bofors
on top of #2 turret.
Looking down the barrels of one of many quad 40mm Bofors on the ship.
Her massive aft Mark-6 16"/45 barrels.
A set of 20mm Oerlikons on her aft port side.
Starboard side steam catapult for launching her spotter planes and aft crane to recover them.
Aft looking forward.
One of her starboard side Mark-28 mounts holding two Mark-12 5"/38s
Inside her #2 Mark-6 turrent. Here you can see the turrets port side Optical Range-finder
station.
A breech from one of her 16"/45 barrels. Notice the red stripe on the wall. This is the
recoil range of the gun when fired.
At the bottom of the turret is the powder handling stations. The magazine is on the other
side of the bulkhead and bags are sent to the breech 6 at a time via the powder cart.
Powder bag on scuttle from the magazine to the powder handling room.
16" HC shells stowed on the rotating turret ring inside the shell station.
16" 2,700lbs "Super Heavy" AP rounds stowed on the rotating ring of the turret in a shell
station.
16" AP on shell hoist to be sent to the breech chamber.
The ships CIC (combat information center) still with her original electrical equipment.
One of her 6 boilers.
Boiler face.
The USS Drum. A WW2 Gato class submarine and is actually pulled on land for exhibit due to
hurricane
damage she took several years ago. She is 8th in overall tonnage sank by US Sub in WW2.
The engines of a SR-71 "Blackbird" on exhibit there.
The "Calamity Jane" a B-52 on exhibit.
They have also many other assorted aircraft including a F6F Hellcat on display as well as
various armored personnel carriers and tanks.