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  • USS Alabama BB-60

    08. 20. 2007 04:14

Spagz
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.
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  • Re : USS Alabama BB-60

    08. 20. 2007 17:50

Spagz
I hear that. Even when I was in the Navy and being used to seeing the massive carriers
nothing was as awesome as it was when I seen the USS Missouri and walked its decks in
Pearl for the first time.


Ive seen the Texas, North Carolina and Alabama. They will always be bad ass...but an Iowa
class up close gives you a feeling like no other. Then standing on the Missouri's bow
looking over the Arizona will damn near drop you to your knees.


Oh and Menace there is also an effort to have the USS Kitty Hawk preserved and moored next
to the North Carolina in Wilmington after she is decommissioned in 2008. That would be an
awesome site to see. WW2 era battleship next to a prominent modern era super carrier thats
served the United States with dignity and honor for nearly 40 years.


Oh and thx Jeepin. I've never seen the Big Mamie other then wiki and nav source photos.
They appear to take good care of her as she looks mint. They finally built a coffer dam
around the Alabama about 4~5years ago to do some much needed hull repair. Since her hull
sits in the silty mud bottom of Mobile Bay, it gets corroded pretty bad from the tides
pushing the sand around the hull. They cut out and welded in some new steel hull plating
that should last another 20 to 30 years.

  • Re : USS Alabama BB-60

    08. 20. 2007 16:57

Menace1
nice pics. i have to say though, the most impressive sight i have ever seen was the USS
North Carolina coming into view after turning off the highway. first time i had ever seen
a battleship up close in my life. the size was unbelievable. it was the most awe-inspiring
thing i had ever seen.

  • Re : USS Alabama BB-60

    08. 20. 2007 12:30

Jeepin
nice man, here are some of her sister ship the Massachusettes
















and a Higgins boat for good measure

  • Re : USS Alabama BB-60

    08. 20. 2007 06:29

Spagz
No actually I didnt get any of the officers and crew quaters or several of the other
internal stations like the machine shops, barber shops and laundry departments. I'll get
some next time I go. Its just been too damn hot outside for that. The battleship is still
as was when it was built, which means no air conditioner and in this heat, the ship is
very freaking hot. Although there is a couple spots with AC like the small theater room on
board and the old officers mess. They also have 2 of the crew quaters AC'd for onboard
stay overs for the Boy Scouts, special ceremonies and in the event of temporary shelter
like during hurricane Katrina.


Although when you think about it, its the most safest place you can be in during a
catagory 4 or 5 hurricane. That ship is not going anywhere. A house can loose a roof or
collapse. A building might flood out and loose power. But that ship...it isnt sinking and
it isnt going to flood. During storms like those they dog all the exterior hatches and
portholes. Your dry, safe and have constant running water/power.

  • Re : USS Alabama BB-60

    08. 20. 2007 06:10

StanSuarez
Nice pics. Thanks for sharing.

  • Re : USS Alabama BB-60

    08. 20. 2007 05:46

Taospark
Whoa, another great photo thread of a USN ship. That's one of the perks of choosing USN -
many of the ships you play in are still afloat, heh.

But some really great shots here, especially the ones of her main guns are
wallpaper-worthy if you have a higher resolution shot somewhere. I can fix up some of the
shots for that purpose if you'd like.

Some people might like the AA gun pictures although the ones of the AP shells were very
nice. Did you get any shots of the crew's quarters by any chance?
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