Climbing Through a Battleship’s Gun Turret

In this edition of Ryan's Manly Feats of Strength he's crawling through Turret II with a camera strapped to his head.
Please consider supporting the museum with a donation:
www.BattleshipNewJersey.org/GIVE

[@Daimo83]

You can really see why almost nobody escapes when warships go down.

[@herrcobblermachen]

HMS Hood

[@DickCheneyXX]

@@herrcobblermachen Hood had cordite bundles laying around all over the ship.

[@OslikusPrime]

That is not completely true. There can be clearly seen, how effective (or ineffective) emergency procedures (and equipment) in different navies was. Yes, there was very often huge causalities, nearly complete loss, but specifically US navy had much better score. You can see clear difference, when their capital ships went down. Actually most of it's crew usually made it out. Even worst event (for single ship) in the US navy history, USS Indianapolis was not different. Most of it's crew made it safely out, horrible causalities happened later due to exposure and other elements, thanks to criminal negligence of high command and no search and rescue mission for days.

[@ThePaulv12]

@@herrcobblermachen How many other British battlecruisers exploded before Hood with almost the loss of all hands? All anyone remembers is Hood.

[@Phil-D83]

Metal tomb when something goes wrong

[@matthewamiri314]

It’s honestly amazing that we made these in the 40’s. It just blows my mind...

[@josephrosenbaum3343]

haha, that piperack was my grandpa's rack that he had put in by one of the engineers so he didnt have to go all the way to the turret from the racks all the time. You just uploaded his interview for my sister and i came across this video

[@BattleshipNewJersey]

Mystery solved!

[@A3Kr0n]

@@BattleshipNewJersey As soon as you asked the question I came to the comments for the answer.

[@michaelbrooks2923]

I would love to have seen this at one-quarter speed (the 1 hour version)! So much flashes by so quickly while your eyes/brain try to grasp what you're seeing. Thanks.

[@petergorrie1013]

still amazes me that one turret on these BBs was the same weight or heavier than some destroyers and subs of WW2.

[@giancarlomoscetti215]

Now imagine this in wartime conditions, firing as quickly as possible...maybe even under duress of damage to the ship...but the ship must still fight on! The young men who fought and sadly often died under extreme conditions...very, very sobering...and God bless each and every one of them. Several things about these warships never cease to amaze me, and is one reason why I try to visit every single one I can. First of all...talk about the technology. I won't say "for the time"...doesn't matter, this is cutting edge stuff. Secondly...the guys that designed these ships and in particular these extremely complex turrets...just amazing. THEN you have to BUILD the things. Can you imagine the shipyard activity building one of these? The planning and the administration...blows my mind.

[@leechjim8023]

Cutting edge indeed!!!

[@leechjim8023]

Your a stud dude!!!

[@daveb2443]

I'd like to see a new video of the Turret crawl. You went thru things so quickly and the camera never really stayed on anything long enough to know what we're looking at. Please remake this video. Thank You

[@jamfd3s788]

and he needs an LED flashlight bad

[@cyprusgrump]

I snapped my neck!

[@stupenwarden6419]

Yes please redo, hard to see the real process

[@ShawnKitchen]

Slow down the playback. You can watch this at a much slower speed.

[@mikus4242]

Having recently done a turret crawl on the Texas, BB35, I have got to say how spacious your turrets are compared to the Texas.

[@matt-hew69]

How is texas doing? Are they getting it fixed up?

[@mikus4242]

@@matt-hew69 She should be heading to dry dock in December 2020 or January 2021. Nothing official yet. Negations and ship prep are still underway.

[@coolminecraft1457]

@@mikus4242 what for? Repair/maintenance or permanently?

[@mikus4242]

@@coolminecraft1457 Repair: Replacement of the riveted hull to about 3 feet above the waterline. She will then return to a new berthing location.

[@HazmatUnit]

@@mikus4242 thank God they're saving her

[@josephpicogna6348]

Thank you for taking care of our great ship. As someone who served as an officer on board all for Iowa class battleships, I climbed those steps and to B turret , several times, exiting through the Y hatch onto the mezzanine deck. I must say I was getting dizzy, with the camera moving so quickly and the darkness. The first time I made this climb was part of an inspection team before Iowa and New Jersey came back to the fleet. The spaces had occasional lighting, far superior than what we saw here, for Iowa in Philadelphia and New Jersey in Long Beach. It wouldn’t take much to make this good program even better

[@wannabsexy]

great work Ryan i'm slowly getting through your back catalog.. you are a great presenter and a wealth of information keep up the great work from Australia.

[@briangisler1981]

That was awesome. Thank you very much. My neighbor Matt Price from Pa died on the USS Iowa. Now I know what he saw and what was around him thanks to you. Thank you!

[@FGC-mx7qt]

SLOW DOWN when panning or viewers will be reaching for Dramamine.

[@raitchison]

Great video, the New Jersey runs a great turret tour I cannot recommend it highly enough.

[@wetwriterrr]

This is America and we love our guns! THANK YOU FOR THE TOUR.

[@albertendler2038]

I loved the video, it was a little disorienting because I couldn't imagine where I was. Maybe if a diagram or diorama was presented beforehand or intercut into the video it could help. Thank you so much for the opportunity

[@rodrigoferreira739]

Try this video kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZoDQgISpZd-cibc

[@robedwards9486]

I volunteer on the North Carolina BB55. Every time I come on board, I see something new. I can't even count how many times in 45 years I have been aboard. I work there and still get turned around occasionally. Especially during bad weather because we try to keep the doors closed to prevent water intrusion even when open for tours. There are just so many doors and different spaces it's incredible. As A volunteer I am only allowed to go so far down without an escort in case I get hurt or sick so someone knows where I am and how to find me. It would be very easy to fall, hit your head and no one would find you till the smell and maggots helped them to know to start looking. Even then it would probably take a while.

[@mikemike9449]

I'm surprised the state of NEW JERSEY allowed a ship with high capacity magazines in its state

[@ElysiumNZ]

The cramp confines really illustrates why so many crewmen died when a ship was heavily damaged or was in process of sinking.

[@termitreter6545]

Tbf, I imagine most of those cramped engine spaces would be empty during combat, exactly for that reason. The US-navy of WW2 generally seems pretty effective with damage control and emergency measures. Youre not wrong though; being in the convolted guts of such a huge ship when it sinks must be terrifying.

[@ionstorm66]

Not really. For US capital ships sunk in WW2, the losses are only about 10-15%. The Arizona being the major outlier, as well as the Vincennes and Quincy.

[@failure_4_sale]

you have the coolest job in the world man.... super jealous, I could explore that ship every day, all day, for the rest of my life and NEVER get bored, probably not see everything too... lol.

[@jameshanlon5689]

The helmet cam needs to be canted a little downward because when the speaker was talking about one of the skudals it was not visible.

[@chrisfisichella7665]

That is an incredible mechanical system the Navy left for you.

[@MrRandomcommentguy]

The complexity is fractal, the closer you look the more infinite detail you can see. I wonder how many separate parts are in there. Must be numbered in the millions.

[@timsullivan5328]

Beautifully restored spaces Not an easy task Thank you sir!

[@timmayer8723]

The battle ship TEXAS is in terrible condition by comparison. This ship looks like a well cared for museum piece.

[@ObamaTookMyCat]

the brass looks absolutely beautiful!

[@krwbricks9963]

I’m building the turret out of LEGO bottom up and this video is my main resource. Thankyou!

[@howitzer8946]

Good job. Very interesting for this old Army vet. Thank you

[@henrycarlson7514]

Thank You

[@jimgarland2653]

Thanks for sharing

[@motorTranz]

Excellent tour👍 Thank you.

[@leechjim8023]

I would LOVE to be there!!!

[@jaybee9269]

Thanks for keeping the old girl alive; tragic & a bit shocking that the Brits couldn’t preserve a 20th century battleship (Warspite, Renown, Vanguard or one of the KGV’s come to mind).

[@michael_aagaard]

Well the UK was broke after WW2 (So much so that they were willing to sell jet engines to the USSR)

[@jaybee9269]

Michael Aagaard >> I know, that was a sorry episode in British history. I get that they were broke but the quite beautiful and, I believe, the last battleship completed anywhere, HMS Vanguard, wasn’t sold (for scrap...!) until 1960. One wouldn’t think it would cost much to mothball her until her becoming a museum ship was feasible. And they could have had a fundraiser, like the North Carolina kids did for that ship. I’m just sad it didn’t happen.

[@edwardschmitt5710]

@@jaybee9269 Yeah....maintaining like a 32 foot sailboat costs thousands a year. On WOULD think it coasts a fortune. Metal sitting in seawater with salt breezes. LOL 10s of millions over the years. Tours and donations are not enough. I like these videos, hopefully more $$$$. Even the New Jersey is a mess in most unused parts, thousands of gallons of paint are needed.

[@jaybee9269]

@@edwardschmitt5710 >> Oh, I take your point. Even museum ships use sacrificial anodes and electrical systems (the proper name escape me at the moment) to fight rust and corrosion, though. Still makes me sad.

[@BattleshipNewJersey]

I think the phrase looking for is Cathodic Protection

[@geoffhunter1385]

Great Video really enjoyed, Many Thanks. Keep up the good work.

[@azcop2]

Camera work got me dizzy. Had to stop watching.

[@herrcobblermachen]

Thank you so much!

[@daniel_poore]

Great videos you guys make. Been binge watching them for days. Like others have said, Id really like you to remake this video and bring along a real flashlight and maybe swing the camera around a little slower. I get you planned to cover alot and its often hard to gauge how things will turn out on video, but with the poor lighting and relatively quick pace I feel like we missed alot.

[@barry6541]

I'd love to see a video on the rangefinders, always wondered how they worked

[@kmatson07]

THANK YOU, RYAN!!!!!! THIS IS AWESOME!!

[@DirtyLilHobo]

It's quiet in there but just imagine the noise from all the machinery when the ship is maneuvering and fully manned.

[@parker1ray]

I walked around Wisconsin in 1987 when she was active. They normally gave tours, but there were a bunch of rich snobs getting a private tour and they would not allow average people below deck on that day. They did charge full rate though!

[@hectorperez-zq3uc]

Been there twice after watching your videos I feel I can appreciate the ship and its workings better

[@steves2694]

Seeing the comparison of a man's height to a shell is astounding. Can't imagine firing one of those 22 miles or however far they went.

[@pizzafrenzyman]

I wish I could give this video more than 1 like. It is brilliant representation of design and engineering perfection.

[@maineiacial]

Recently discovered this channel and am very impressed! Ryan you have one of rhe best jobs on the planet. (Not saying its easy) I am really loving these walkthroughs. You need to invest in a light however for your camera lol. Seriously though id love to see this beautiful ship! If i lived in Philly id volunteer just to get to spend time on her! Ive been to Battleship Cove in MA and have been on the Massachusettes and a few other naval vessels but nothing like this! When i was a kid i could see thw Fore River Shipyard from my house and everyone knew that Goliath was one of the biggest of its kind (you would pass the sign going to Paragon Park and the beach). Besides the Massachusettes many ships were built there including the New Jersey! Even the WWII caricature 'Kilroy was here' has been attributed to this amazing yard!

[@brandonhamilton833]

I really enjoy this type of video. With virtual reality becoming a thing maybe you and your team could check out ways to share the ship using 3D capture?

[@Tuck-Shop]

Hopefully like the Yamoto VR app

[@dickJohnsonpeter]

Not if he films it like this. You'd get dizzy as hell from him swinging the camera everywhere like a crazy man.

[@nelsonbattis2763]

Ryan the things you do for preservevation!!! Lucky guy!!

[@mikejungferman4744]

They couldn't get you a better flashlight!

[@ericsmallman1904]

Amazing to think that the guns could ever fire with all the things that had to be gone through!!!

[@Juan_Doooh]

Glad I was an aircraft armorer, I’d probably get lost in that maze.

[@adrianpasillas3832]

Been there...done that...for one year as an electrician....fun...

[@theartofthereel455]

Camera moves are too jerky and it's direction is imprecise.

[@derbuckeyetribe9789]

Excellent video. Thank you for taking the time and sharing this. Has your KZbin Channel bolstered interest and sponsors for USS New Jersey? I'm hoping it has. One of the things on my bucket list is to tour an Iowa Class. New Jersey is the closest, about an 8ish hour drive. Not a big deal for this old trucker. A long drive is still sport for me. Besides I'd like to take a second tour of USS Olympia and do some other sights in the Philadelphia area. Next question are you aware of the online game World of Warships, and do you play the game? New Jersey isn't in the game yet, but Iowa and Missouri are. Hoping New Jersey will get added to the game someday.

[@BattleshipNewJersey]

We are aware of WoW, they came last year and were supposed to come this year to the ship as part of nationwide tour for players to visit ships.

[@PetesNikon]

sorry but I cannot see this. The camera is swinging around too wildly, and you are not pointing it at the things he is talking about

[@ianmangham4570]

The word on the scuttlebutt is Ryan is still crawling 😄

[@steeltrap3800]

As a friendly suggestion should you do other 'crawl' type videos, I suspect a chest mounted camera would be better. Problem with head mounted is you THINK you're capturing something by looking at it, bot often the intended image is cut off at the bottom of the screen or not captured at all. That and a much better quality light if you're having to carry a light source, as go-pros and the like aren't great in low light conditions. Cheers

[@fire304]

I hope you catch this comment/question on an older video. -Regarding the staffing of the turrets: were the turrets always manned? I can see the advantage on having crew in there to "turn on the lights when battle stations was called. - how long did the crew have to get into the turret before condition Z was set? I could see a sailor having difficulty getting to the turret from far away, did they get locked out if they took too long? -what did the crew use for a latrine while in Z? -how did they feed the crew during prolonged condition Z (this is mentioned as an issue in a book I read on USS Washington). Thanks, and congrats!

[@BattleshipNewJersey]

Generally the turrets are always at least partially manned. Here are a few videos to answer your questions: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pWnKYXduoZefqLs kzbin.info/www/bejne/eXmvdomNntV1ars

[@jfarinacci0329]

Really good video. Thank you.

[@FIREBRAND38]

If you were to remake this today I have no doubt you'd be following your progress on a schematic of the ship.

[@FuzzJBall]

Ryan mentioned that there were 40mm AA guns on top of turret 2. Would those have been manned if there was an aerial threat present during a main battery fire mission?

[@jonstegura1099]

Can you imagine raising the battleships after Pearl Harbor? No lights, the smells, deadly gases, the deceased sailors, and mud water Claustrophobia anyone? New respect for our brave sailors!

[@Taocat1]

Get rid of the head cam. I couldn't even finish it because it was so disorienting.

[@Bigbacon]

such a cool job since you get to go where ever in there you want.

[@NickSandru]

I just booked a turret tour for me and my sons.

[@thomassmartin9728]

Yo, Ryan , stop spinning your head around your making everybody dizzy !!!!!!!!!!

[@jamesbaca6723]

would love to visit and give extended tour of Turret 2 Powderr Flats . GMG2 POIC Powder Flats 1988-89

[@TheAngelobarker]

It is interesting how we use colors for different piping while Italy used number of stripes and the English seemed to use colors. I wonder if in a low light condition which is easier.

[@SamariumNickel]

I like seeing these off tour locations, but wish you'd make another video with brighter lights. Cant really see anything in the dark spaces

[@jeannankeefe845]

Amazing technology for the time.

[@nissan300ztt]

How much does it cost for as tour? I live north of Philadelphia and would LOVE to come for a tour. Love these old Warships.

[@BattleshipNewJersey]

General self guided tours are around $25, but there are discounts for kids/seniors/ military etc. We're doing a small group guided tour this friday for $30. Ryan does personal tours of pretty much anything you want to see for $500. Go to www.battleshipnewjersey.org for details on regular tours or email [e-mail] for personal tours.

[@jameshankssr466]

My brother inlaw was on the new jersey when it went to Beirut

[@lancer525]

I'm already claustrophobic in the first three minutes.

[@CRAZYHORSE19682003]

The camera makes the turret and annular space seem much smaller than they really are.

[@ksmurphable]

Whatever that sound was around 840 freaked me out thought it was an alert something was happening. Like when I was a kid and got to go see the Massachusetts up in Fall River. They have a few ships including a submarine and some ex submariner was there with me and found the dive alarm and pushed it. My like 8 year old self sitting there “driving” the sun thought we were about to try and submerge with the doors open and no room to go down and freaked out.

[@cmelton6796]

Some old ship would be the perfect setting for a horror game. Ghostly sailors still loading ammo, climbing the ladders, complaining about rations...

[@sargepent9815]

Scary to think that in battle and the worse case happens that those spaces would be your tomb. Of course you wouldn't think about that as a 19 year old sailor. Never seen NJ but I have been on USS Iowa and there's not many ways to get out of the turret. Remember I was told by the tour guide that all the men who worked below deck were essentially dead if the ship lost power and sunk. The gentleman was a former crew member and worked in engineering if I recall

[@logicreason2736]

How were the powder bags and rounds loaded on the ship? What safety precautions were used when handling powder bags? My concern would be static electricity. How were the gears and motors serviced? Lubes oils, grease. Very tight spaces to get to lube locations. Were height and weight restrictions for the gun crews? Again, very tight spaces.

[@BattleshipNewJersey]

Check this out kzbin.info/www/bejne/pnzEonqmd7Kfqac

[@JakeThomasCreative]

Is it posible to use a steadier cam, or hold on views longer? I really appreciate you sharing these spaces not many people get to see, but I can't focus on anything long enough to get an idea of what parts Ryan's referring to, or how the spaces relate to each other. Thanks for the generally great content though, I really enjoy it.

[@twinturbo8304]

It would be fun to shell Philadelphia with those 16 inch guns!

[@ilenastarbreeze4978]

Esh this is kinda the first time ive seen a person sized view like that of walking on deck and holy crap the sense of scale

[@arniestuboud]

Also please turn ALL the lights on before beginning the shooting of the video. THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THESE SUPER INFORMATIVE VIDEOS!!!!

[@joeyk2604]

Good lord imagine dying in the dark in one of these. Holy hell.

[@kevinrammelsberg6409]

The foxhole Charlie bar and grill has a Battleship 16” shell and powder bag in the exhibition area part of the bar/grill. It’s located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa

[@ireuel357]

Wanna like this but jeez, hold still a minute.

[@penultimateh766]

Where the heck was the breech? I didn't see it anywhere.

[@davidrutherford6311]

I always thought the range finder wings on the turret were air vents to force air into the turrets to help with venting smoke or something. Thanks, learned something new today.

[@ricksadler797]

Great video thank you 😊. Where was the gun pit turned into the Captains swimming pool ??

[@seanspoonts3837]

Your question about the pipe rack might be explained this way. There must have been situations when the big guns would have been kept in a ready state to fire, perhaps the shell loaded and the powder bags ready. In that situation there would be a watch officer present 24 hours a day. This may have been a rack for his use. Ashore, the Officer of the Watch would have a small room with a rack to sleep in close to the quarterdeck.

[@shanejohns7901]

@3:06 As I have noted in other videos where you've mentioned those pipe racks...I think you might consider counting how many there are total on the ship. If it's a considerable number, then I would suspect it may be a temporary way for them to house something like an extra security detail, transfer dignitaries, etc. I would expect that the security and/or dignitaries would take up the more customary racks. And some lower-ranked seamen would be told to go sleep in these spare areas until the guests leave.

[@BattleshipNewJersey]

The pipe racks were almost entirely removed in the 80s for a modernization refit

[@SOU6900]

So in a situation where they would have to flood the powder magazine do they flood the compartment completely to the ceiling, or do they just flood it to a certain point and how long does it actually take to flood the compartment?

[@CRAZYHORSE19682003]

It will flood to the ceiling, I do not know how long it takes but it is not very long.

[@rdbjrseattle]

Have you been to a 16 inch Army Coast Artillery fortification. I think the nearest to you would be at Cape Henlopen at entrance to Deleware Bay.

[@BattleshipNewJersey]

We did a few videos from Fort Miles at Cape Hanolopen. Heres the one on the 16s kzbin.info/www/bejne/rWPXXqugd61pmKc

[@rich7934]

At roughly 6:30, second shell deck, the floor looks to be 3 rings, one connected to the Barbett wall, one connected to the turret wall and the center ring. Any reason why the 3rd ring? Also what is the purpose of what looks to be capstan pins in the floor of the center ring, could you manually winch the turret rotation using all of these? Suggestion if you do another hands free walk through, please point the camera lower, couldn't see a lot of the equipment on the floor.

[@BattleshipNewJersey]

I recommend this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jnq4fneloJisaNE

[@MrJeep75]

Fun video

[@windborne8795]

If you ever get serious money donated, I suggest using Awlgrip paint. It will last year's. 🇺🇸

[@RipperYou]

Has the crew ever used the powder chutes to crawl through - they do look large enough to fit a man in?

[@BattleshipNewJersey]

Not 100% sure what you mean by powder shoots. If you mean the rolling door that the powder moves through to get from the magazine into the turret, it would be extremely difficult to fit a person in there, so unlikely. If you mean the powder elevator that moves it from the turret base to the gun pit, you theoretically could which means someone probably tried but that seems terrifying and like a terrible idea. If you mean the gravity hoists that move the powder from upper magazines to lower magazines, yes they probably did do that, check this out: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pZaqmHlpdtGEe7s

[@RipperYou]

@@BattleshipNewJersey I meant the rolling doors

[@RipperYou]

@@BattleshipNewJersey I meant the rolling doors. I can easily imagine some adventurous sailors doing it. Also I love your videos - very informative with a human angle

[@robertmiller-yf7el]

Made me dizzy please slow down

[@slimj091]

God... the upper levels are so tight it's triggering my claustrophobia just watching it.

[@charlesborlase2238]

I read during battles of ships flooding the magazines to prevent a powder explosion from destroying the ship. I heard mention once about flooding a space if necessary. Is it a fast process to flood a magazine? It seems in battle the need to flood a magazine could be a “right now” proposition.

[@scott37040]

Forget flashlights. You need a "Lightbar" for crawling through those turrets. It would sure improve your video!

[@cjsima]

Are the shells secured in any way or does their weight hold them in place? Could they fall over in heavy seas?

[@BattleshipNewJersey]

There are tie down points for the shells, they are basically a chain that goes across the belly of the shell while its standing upright.

[@kimopuppy]

1) How fast could the gun turrent rotate 2) What was the reload times

[@johno9507]

Interesting video but next time please pan the camera slower as it's hard to watch.

[@fredkeele6578]

I may be incorrect in my calculations regarding number of 16" rounds, but did the New Jersey carry roughly 1300 tons of rounds fully loaded? Wow. He said 130 rounds per gun. Unless he was talking about turret of 3 guns. Either way, a LOT of firepower.

[@clifforddicarlo9178]

Was lead-based paint used on bb62 during ww2?