Down to the Battleship's Keel

[@neipamocal]

I enjoy how Ryan simultaneously sounds like he really enjoys making these videos, and like its his community service hours for a DUI and really doesn't want to be here.

[@BlindMansRevenge2002]

Lol

[@Staren01]

I just recently found this channel and have been binging the older videos. It does sound like Ryan loves the history, but would really appreciate a reasonably trained 18 year old to do some of the deep crawling.

[@wierdalien1]

@Chris Morawski he splunks for fun, that's much more his awkwardness of on screen presence on those early videos

[@hakojako]

That hit home. Lmao

[@asbestosfibers1325]

Same. Really like that he doesn't talk like a preschool teacher.

[@jimb7406]

I was lucky enough to spend 3 days on the USS Iowa when she was on patrol in the Red Sea in 1987. Swapped some personnel over from my ship (British) with Iowa crew - transferred between ships on the bosuns chair. I was given a tour of the ship and included the shaft wells. When we got to that last compartment where the thrust bearing is there was a single guy there on watch. His job was to monitor and record the thermometer temperatures in the thrust bearing. That was his task for the whole watch. He seemed quite surprised when we turned up. I got to fire a 5 gun broadside and also witness a broadside from the highest observation deck. The blast wave was immense - like your whole body being hit with a giant pillow. The smoke and smell was immense.

[@johnbeauvais3159]

This week on “What dark greasy crevice can we wedge Ryan into while making him explain ship details?”

[@bobmartin4942]

Not just Ryan but also the cameraman.

[@ranekeisenkralle8265]

@@bobmartin4942 Camerawoman ;-) She did speak up during the video, remember?

[@Laura-wc5xt]

thank you Ryan.....

[@OvelNick]

14:35.... The look of dispare. A slight "it puts the lotion on it's skin" feel. Lol

[@werewolfsaves2179]

@@OvelNick you were right ..lol. it puts the video in the basket.

[@philconner3946]

As a retired Machinists Mate who has crawled through shaft alleys and voids and had to actually change some of those shaft bearings, this was deja vu all over again! Granted my ships were smaller but shaft alleys are shaft alleys...tiny, cramped and a great place to get away for peace and quiet while in port (great acoustics for guitar playing!) !

[@sd906238]

Ex navy guys told me shaft alley is a great place to sleep. Nobody every goes there so they never catch or can find you to give you extra work. Another guy told me that they duct tapped a guy to the prop shaft on the USS Nimitz. Then the shaft started to turn, eventually the force broke the duct tape.

[@frankpienkosky5688]

@@sd906238 when working security always check the ladies room...usually a couch in there...judge's chambers are also a good choice...very cushy and private...

[@objuan6]

My shaft alley/ stern tube crawling was on CVA. Spaces scaled up by about 4 x. To access stern tube, which was where similarly sized shaft, one of four, actually exited hull of ship, descent through scuttle in after mess decks, of 2-3 vertical ladders, 10-12’ each, down to stern tube. One’s first view of turning shaft through final scuttle, was from a point still about 20’ above shaft. Underway, roving Shaft alley watch-stander was expected to check all four shaft alley/ stern tube spaces every hour. that schedule was seldom adhered to. A nearly impossible task. After shafts exited hull, each was supported by an additional strut bearing, bearing surface was African hardwood, constantly cooled, flushed by seawater.

[@brucerideout9979]

I simply cannot comprehend the horrors of being aboard a ship under fire, those sea battles, kamikaze, torpedoes, mines. Terrifying. A Salute to all those who served aboard them.

[@AdamMGTF]

@@sd906238 that probably the best story I've read in KZbin comments. It's also totally believable. I doubt today's generations of snowflakes would consider such a thing funny. Probably call the police or something. When I was working as a fitter. We all had the same seat where we had bait. About 4 years ago we had a new apprentice. Couldn't do anything unless KZbin showed him how. But not a bad lad. Thankfully he did have a wicked sense of humour. Which was handy when we set off an airbag under his seat at lunchtime. Whole room smelt for a week from the powder. Went everywhere lol

[@AsbestosMuffins]

"I need you to go down to the keel." "Why?" "To see if its still there."

[@slammerf16]

Check out the Golden Rivet while you're there :)

[@belind0388]

That Watchlock Station had a numbered key in it, but it wasn't for the hatch. The "watchman" would patrol around their "beat". At each station they would remove the key and insert it into a clock they had on their person. An imprint would be made on a paper disk inside. That was used to prove that the guard's rounds had been completed. The only reason I know this is because once upon a time I worked in a very, very old building that had a ton of them. Some even still had the key inside.

[@DevinEMILE]

I’d also assume if it wasn’t there. He/she would then report that to have it replaced.

[@donbutler4431]

Yes, I used to work for a lumber mill and sometimes pulled night watchman duty. The mill owned a clock made by Detex Corp. that held the paper disc. We had 12 keys scattered over the mill site, and a full round took about 15 minutes to walk, every hour.

[@g2macs]

Yeah, we called them TT clocks (tell-tale), if you didn't want to walk around in the rain you could fill it with water and turn the tape to mush whilst proclaiming to the bosses later that it happened due to your diligent patrolling through stormy weather.

[@ColKorn1965]

The ALCOA plant in Badin, NC(what's left of it) has this system in place.

[@TheStefanskoglund1]

The modern ones i have seen here in Sweden is now rfid tags which is scanned by the guard's appliance (phone now ?) previous basically an EAN code which was scanned using a modified bar scanner.

[@smilingnid4276]

I need to emphasize that I mean this with all the sincerity in my heart. I love the way Ryan talks about *New Jersey* like tomorrow she is going to build full steam and rock up to the battle of Denmark Strait like Gandalf at Helm's Deep.

[@bri-manhunter2654]

That would be a sight, “for Frodo.”🤣

[@tommatt2ski]

Only this time Bismarck will have his younger brother , Tirpitz along !

[@Tuck-Shop]

@@tommatt2ski But the New Jersey wouldn't be worried. She could be joined by a ship of ancient design but created by legend, riding in a cloud of mysterious steam she could be joined by the Grand Old Lady herself. The Warspite. Not modern by any standards, but as tough as old boots covered in concrete. The best of the old combined with the best of the new would duel the Bismark and her sister ship in a battle of the ages. The New Jeresy using her speed to protect herself and modern armour scheme should either the Bismark or Tirpitz score a hit, The Warspite forgoing such frivolity and forging ahead to settle old Jutland aged scores with German warships. It would be Epic!

[@julieenslow5915]

@@Tuck-Shop Ryan!! Tell us more about the Warspite please?

[@frankpienkosky5688]

@@tommatt2ski ""There seems to be something wrong with our ships today"...sending cruisers...even battle cruisers...up against a true battleship was never a good idea...

[@frankdineen2256]

Little did the men that built this unbelievably complex ship know that in the year 2021 Ryan and Alaina(?) would be giving us a perfectly clear view of their masterful work! Thank you, one and all . Canada says ,hi.

[@brianchapman3701]

O Canada, hi back at ya!

[@psycocavr]

When they built this ship I think the average size of a human was a bit smaller than it is now

[@steamtorch]

If that ship was built in the Philadelphia shipyard I knew one of them. Welder/Cutter. Specialty was cutting the holes in the decks. Plug from the cut was taken to the machine shops and made into the hatch. Can also relate his story of the greased midget welders if you all want to read it.

[@robotbjorn4952]

@@steamtorch Go on

[@45lc48]

@@steamtorch wheres this story at

[@michaeldea6599]

When the video STARTS with Ryan wearing the headlamp I know its gonna be somewhere cool.

[@AsbestosMuffins]

its really hard to get a sense of what 6" armor plate looks like until you're standing next to a 6" thick armored hatch

[@julieenslow5915]

Yes.

[@cameronmccreary4758]

I'm disabled, I couldn't get down there so, I appreciate what you've been doing to show us what's down in the bottom and around the unattainable places of the ship.

[@scottfw7169]

Indeed! I'll second that motion. :)

[@Demons1198]

Best educational/historical channel on KZbin. No previous interest in anything of the sort. The algorithm will be doing favors for you

[@78StinkinLincoln]

Done by real person who has become better and better which each episode and explores the coolest parts of the ship. My only worry for him and his crew is all the enclosed spaces they explore can be extremely dangerous if oxygen has been used up because of metal oxidation.

[@jasonirwin4631]

@@78StinkinLincoln Ryan has said in past videos that all of the hatches and spaces have been open for several years.

[@fchanMSI]

Much better than the “History Channel” which become the conspiracy theory & pawn shop channel now.

[@d.b.cooper7290]

@@fchanMSI Now we know the truth about all the ancient aliens that lived on earth ...SMH

[@juliusraben3526]

Its the same with Louis Rossman or Ian McCollum (Forgotten Weapons) Give them a wet towel and they will make it sound interesting, somehow.

[@aaronjohn6586]

Just amazing the attention to detail and complexity of the ship. The fact that this ship was built as quickly as it was is a testament to the determination of the workers.

[@notmenotme614]

What’s even more amazing is they could build this without any 3D modelling. Just some hand drawn blueprints.

[@studinthemaking]

@@notmenotme614 Like how they built the pyramids. No computers used either.

[@johndoe1909]

Dont forget the engineers and scientists...

[@aaronscott3298]

I would clamber through every space on that ship if I was allowed. I love seeing all the spaces that were never meant to be Sean again.

[@testaklese]

same

[@BBuford]

I would love the opportunity to go crawl through those spaces and clean, paint, whatever. That would be fun to spend a week helping maintain the lesser seen areas of such a beautifully complex ship.

[@913WildCat]

I was lucky enough to do it on Iowa. If you give them some money they’ll take you wherever you want to go! I even climbed up to spot #2!

[@frankpienkosky5688]

@@913WildCat a tour down broadway?....

[@lonnywilcox445]

Unassigned space next to the small arms magazine is clearly crayon storage.

[@seatedliberty]

Negative- those would have been kept in a locker in the MARDET mess hall. It may, however, have been where the Marines kept their CREs (Crayons, Ready to Eat).

[@Bruisedmelon]

Crayon flavored barracks hooch.

[@studinthemaking]

More like non western porn magazine storage

[@ut000bs]

Also Barnyard Follies.

[@adamlewellen5081]

Marines need provisions.. respect to the devil dogs.. a former navy man once told me the Marines were the man from Florida of the services..

[@jamesstephens6941]

For an old scuttle scrabbler like me your channel is a dream.

[@skipmountain9283]

This is straight up more interesting than just about anything online. Gonna get the popcorn ready to go:) 🇺🇸

[@charlie15627]

You should start doing an, “OMG, the ship is on fire!” like The Chieftain does with tanks. That way we can see just how hard it is for a sailor to escape from the shirtfront any given location. It would be Epic 😃

[@MoparNewport]

Plot twist - the chieftain AND Ryan work together to do 'OMG the ship is on Fire!' Bit, from various deep parts of the ship.

[@sergarlantyrell7847]

"Sinking" might be more appropriate.

[@dave_h_8742]

Not so easy for a six footer from a tiny tank 😀

[@teeanahera8949]

Didn’t the Chieftain day “oh bugger, the tank is on fire?”

[@BGraves]

I sincerely doubt the girl behind the camera submitted this idea to Ryan because it would mean chasing him around the boat 😂

[@PuFFerTV98368]

I see all the ladders with long drops everywhere and it’s well lit with no waves rocking the ship. I can’t even begin to understand what it would be like in a full on battle, taking damage and being told to go in there and fix it. Really glad this got in my suggested, it’s going to be fun to watch this channel grow. 🔥me☝️

[@julieenslow5915]

Scary thought!!

[@GrasshopperKelly]

Reasons some people couldn't believe, that USS Yorktown, still had sailors trapped below over night. They were still fighting to save the ship, and to save the men beside them. Climbing into flooding and burning compartments, and closing the door behind them. To keep those men safe, while they likely sacrificed themselves. You could say they did it to save the ship, you could say they did it to save their lives. Really, it was to save the man beside them.

[@julieenslow5915]

@@GrasshopperKelly There is no explanation for the person who goes IN to danger to save people, knowing his intention that will save others will likely cost his own life. But there is a Bible scripture that ranks it: “There is no greater love than this: that a person would lay down his life for the sake of others.”

[@frankpienkosky5688]

@@GrasshopperKelly when the Yorktown sailed from pearl it still had a number of skilled shipyard workers on board...not surprising that they tried so hard to save her....

[@duanem.1567]

When the ship was in service, each level had a net made of nylon straps (seat belt material) at each level, with an opening at the ladder just wide enough for a person to climb or descend through. If a sailor fell off a ladder, the net would catch him instead of him falling to the deck, or possibly falling more than one level if the hatches were open.

[@scottm.5788]

Ryan, you have one of the most interesting and unique jobs in the U.S. Your videos are very educational. Keep up the great work!

[@robertewalt7789]

And he’s very good at it.

[@markhudson2088]

Ryan doesn't need a gym when he has a whole ship to clamber through and keep him in shape :-)

[@allenshepard7992]

We need to come up with a "Mike Rowe" award for Ryan and the camera person.

[@markhudson2088]

@@allenshepard7992 Yeah! Something more impressive than ripped khakis, a dirty jacket, and a bruise on the head tho! LOL!

[@manga12]

i am sure it has a workout room on board, as for the class a armor oh that stuff be hard like 600 brinell, most tool steel is not even hardened like that prob like 65 to 70 rockwell c or better, at least that is what my experiance is on hardness and the artical I read about the battleship armor I beleve it said it was called krupp style class a and b, but there was another artical talking about how the torpedo defense was not all that great for protection on an iowa, but its anti shell defense was markedly better, but one thing can be said they dont make ships with armor like this anymore.

[@allenshepard7992]

@@manga12 If they built battleships today, how much tank armor technology would be included ? Surface is too large to cover in high explosives - reactive armor. Would they use layered ceramics ? Chobham (broad name) or Dorchester (specific version) Would armor be modular for easier replacement ?

[@manga12]

@@allenshepard7992 it would be hard to say but there are alloys that we did not have 50 years ago that are higher yield and tinisel strength though it would make it more expensive, but a layered style armor would probably be used, anti shaped charge sort of things, of course they would pump active defenses into keeping the munitions from hitting in the first place, but I would imagine if making a larger vessel like this today modularity would be the order of the day and a laminated hull material to minimize damage or limit it from reaching the men inside, and electronic defense remember what an emp can do to electronics. I am not a ship designer though, but i would happen to guess that higher tinsle strength metals and ceramics to break up the blast would be employed and better compartmetisation.

[@F-Man]

“There’s no frickin’ thing as an unassigned space on a ship!” I love it! 🤣🤣🤣

[@fbrieden]

…or floors, doors, and stairs.

[@frankpienkosky5688]

@@fbrieden somebody touring this ship these is likely to see more than the actual crew...you were not encouraged to move around too much too much....

[@GeFlixes]

Gives you a shimmer of appreciation that there must've been people on the ship who didn't see sunlight for weeks, always crawling around in a maze of steel.

[@julieenslow5915]

I would guess this was more true in wartime as you might not want to let light leak at night.

[@julieenslow5915]

@James Thompson OH. I had no idea, thank you for the explanation. And thank you for your service sir.

[@ColoradoStreaming]

@James Thompson Very interesting story. It kind of puts into perspective why the French put park benches on their old warships.

[@ssmt2]

@James Thompson Living like that they should have just went in to the submarine service. We would go 70 days without seeing the sun but at least we got paid a little extra to do it.

[@frankpienkosky5688]

@@julieenslow5915 our corner grocer was a cook on a carrier...said the scariest part was hearing all those hatches clanging shut when you went to action stations...

[@cosmoflanker]

Dammit! I want a battleship to play with! Short of that, I will have to live vicariously through you.

[@ruthfieldbeck8299]

Now this is what I call... Getting to the bottom of things. 😇

[@johnbockelie3899]

Launched on Dec.7, 1942. Dedicated on 5,23 1943.. U.S.S. New Jersey. BB 62.

[@c.a.mcdivitt9722]

That is terrible! Truly terrible! :)

[@MrBen527]

Very cool

[@brianb8060]

BOOO 🙃

[@julieenslow5915]

Well, there is a bottom to this keel, but to see that - if it is not covered up - you would have to be a diver. Or use an underwater camera.

[@bobm2331]

Ryan, the "watchmans key" was unique to an area being checked. It was inserted into a normally round box with a shoulder strap. When the key was put into the keyhole on the box and turned it made a mark on a paper cylinder that "verified" the area was inspected. The box did contain a clock for "time stamp" verification. Thought this might help.

[@thomashanke6750]

11 year submarine vet, machinist mate. Seeing you crawling through the structure reminded me of doing tank close outs on a sub I was on during an overhaul. You had to inspect every nook and cranny to ensure nothing was left inside and all the tank level reading equipment was uncovered and working. Some were so big you had a buddy in the tank ensuring you didn’t get lost! Or to help direct you out of the maze or access ports. Thanks for the deep tour. Makes me kind of miss operating the engine room, but not the family separation.

[@jimzeleny7213]

It is astounding how much effort and material it took to build any ship of this size. And what a terrible waste it is when one of them is sunk, all that engineering and machinery headed to the bottom of the ocean. Also what an environment to be serving in during battle.

[@A2Wx8]

These are my favorite kind of videos on this channel. Just exploring the various spaces of this huge ship. I'm so used to the era of ubiquitous electronics that the fact this ship was designed and engineered essentially by hand is incredible. No CAD or computer modeling, just hard meticulous work.

[@jeffreyknowles6265]

When you are climbing on a vertical ladder, you do not put your hands on the rungs. You put your hands on the stiles. If the rungs are greasy, and you are holding the rungs, you will slip and fall.

[@tomboyd7109]

OR get fingers stepped on by the guy above you. Per my WW2 vet dad.

[@charlesgantz5865]

@@tomboyd7109 Or if the rung breaks, especially with wooden ladders.

[@richardartura5252]

I've been on the Missouri in Hawaii and the Massachusetts in Battleship Cove but by far the best tour is of the New Jersey. Something so simple as colored tape demarcating the various tour destinations is just fantastic. Unlike the other Iowa's your see everything and know where your going on these massive ships. Nice job Ryan!

[@scottfw7169]

My favorite design feature of the Iowa Class? They just plain look good. Yeah, yeah, I know 'form follows function' and all that, but the designers somehow managed to do it with an extra sense of style on these. As my friend Josephine said when we went to watch Wisconsin come over the horizon on its way in to Norfolk, "That's a sexy ship!"

[@ernestnora6188]

I marvel at the strong stomached men that would endure countless hours down there whilst the ship was rocking away in the high seas or under battle stations not knowing if a torpedo or explosion might end their life.

[@brownh2orat211]

In the 1980's the New Jersey was stationed in Long Beach Naval Station, I was a Navy diver back then and dove on her 3-4 times a month, spent many an hour in those compartments checking tagouts and identifying valves that we were going to be patching or plugging from the outside. When you first dove down and under the torpedo belt it got very very dark, we would try and time our dives for when the tide was coming in because she drafted so much.

[@jaspermoser6607]

Did you work at terminal island? A great friend of mine was a diver/rigger for the navy and was all over Long Beach and the surrounding areas until about 81’. Not sure if you have heard of Ed Goodrich or not but he was a foreman out there.

[@Warjax-f3b]

Hey Ryan, just wanna drop in and say how happy it makes me to see that most of your videos get a couple thousand views within hours of being posted. Warms my heart to see the support for the channel, and to be honest, I really like your talks and videos of different parts of the ship, and your "what if" videos. Keep up the great work guys!

[@lizj5740]

Ginger (picture left) says she can do that ship crawl, but not me. Thank you from Australia.

[@bigimskiweisenheimer8325]

I always feel a sense of being home and secure when I see the insides of Navy ships. Even after thirty years everything seems recent and comforting.

[@gasengineguy]

So cool, I'm so gelous of you and libby. But I'm so glad you keep showing us this stuff. Thank you thank you Ryan, Libby, and crew.

[@andrewcox4386]

"Through that door"... Door? Ah you mean that tiny crawl hole down there 🤣🤣🤣

[@vburke1]

When I was in uniform, I could have gotten into spaces like that, I've gotten a tad out of shape since then LOL.

[@markhudson2088]

Oh! You can still get in... Murphy's Law says you'll never get out! :-)

[@wheels-n-tires1846]

Right??? Same here!!!

[@sjoormen1]

@@wheels-n-tires1846 round is shape

[@kevincrosby1760]

Has anybody else noticed that Jumper Blues will shrink considerably over 30 years? That HAS to be the explanation, right?

[@frankpienkosky5688]

the navy is no place for fat guys...father in law said that when his ship was sinking off Okinawa...and they tried to evacuate through a porthole a guy got stuck..until a chief pulled out a pen knife and stabbed him in the butt...that seemed to motivate him....

[@luacreskid]

As an engineering department junior officer on board USS Franklin D Roosevelt (CVA-42) we had to know the piping systems and vist the "spaces" before we could sit for our Engineering Officer of the Watch qualification. The hull of Rosie and New Jersery were similar...in fact, Midway (CVA-41) and Roosevelt were originally built off USS Montana plans..a BB that turned into a CV. Watching this video reminds me of the Sunday afternoon (in 1964) I had to take the Main Propulsion Assistant (MPA) down in the shaft alleys of each of the four 24" diameter shafts...brakes and all. Thanks for the trip down memory lane

[@bobbychoate7476]

I have learned more about battleships from you than anybody else on KZbin, I hope one day I can make it out to the New Jersey and take a tour

[@frankpienkosky5688]

me too...the only downside is you actually have to go to New Jersey.....

[@MrCliner96]

Ryan, I commend you for crawling through those tight spaces. I am SUPER claustrophobic!!!! I would be panicking like crazy. If I had to make those treks!!

[@grahamargent8057]

I'm so impressed these are incredibly well thought out ships

[@dirgethesergal319]

odd request for a video but i think there is a lot of history in graffiti, what things have you found in the more inaccessible places and any surviving examples that date back to WW2?

[@flyingfox707b]

I'd second it!

[@charlesgantz5865]

@@flyingfox707b A lot of that would be censored by KZbin.

[@flyingfox707b]

A good documentary on crew graffiti would be of great value to any historian studying the period and maritime culture.

[@cleverusername9369]

Kilroy was here

[@jonsingle1614]

You did a good job of triggering my claustrophobia just by watching you in all those enclosed spaces 😳😳😳

[@butchkemper8290]

The farther down into the ship Ryan went, the stronger my claustrophobia became. I almost had to turn away when Ryan crawled over the shaft and squeezed through that almost too small opening.

[@yb5515]

Yeah, and that's before you add equipment and stores in all those rooms and hundreds upon hundreds of men stuffed in there. I'd go insane before the ship even left port.

[@oleran4569]

Ryan tends to stand with his hand on the hatch mating surface, or grasping a pinch point. Not a good habit.

[@camickelson]

I looked at Ryan going in there and was sympathizing and remembering..Sir GOD Bless you! And all you who served on Surface ships!!

[@johngreally9599]

Stunning tour, I could never have imagined what went into the Battleship without that. Respect to the builders looks like this. You are doing a truly great work.

[@shawnhicks5501]

Can you imagine trying to escape from a flooding ship, little or no light, 6 decks down. Only brave sailors need apply.

[@glennschemitsch8341]

You did not expect to escape under battle conditions.

[@caelum9]

I probably couldn't even find the exit in a panic or darkness or both, and I see the path is generously doted with little orange arrows

[@18robsmith]

Ryan strikes me as the guy who on finding himself in a shut room with two exits, one a big door and the other a small, dark, opening would take the latter and find himself in his dirty gear in front of a great buffet spread and nobody else in sight. (Meanwhile those who took the door are serval blocks away and totally lost) Great to see the bits of a ship that are so hard to see, and have them put in context by a smiley faced human :-) Thanks Ryan :-)

[@Vile-Flesh]

My favorite design element of the Iowa Class is their many forms and locations of redundancy, especially being able to operate the main guns and steer the ship from so many places. These ships were made to fight to the very end with everything blown off of them or flooded. Fantastic video. Many thanks to the two of you for taking us to these unseen parts of the ship.

[@lelandgaunt9985]

The destroyers are built that way as well.

[@scottfw7169]

@@lelandgaunt9985 Yep, Dad was on Sumner and Gearing class DD FRAMs during the cold war. Several times he went through the list of where the 5/38s could be fired from, ending with, "If it comes down to the only way left is to hit the firing pin with a hammer you can do that too".

[@matasa7463]

Quite funny how the Iowa class ships were designed to be beaten up, but none of them got much more than scratches and dings. The other battleships, carriers, and the smaller vessels did the exploding and sinking instead…

3:07 Unimportant stuff, like CREW BERTHING! I understand that means not vital to the buoyancy and physical survival of the ship in battle, but it still makes me laugh.

[@jamesrobertson4035]

I LOVE TRUNKS! I always gave the best tours in my 20 years, 11 which were on 4 ships. I'd bring tourists to Sonar 1 where they could peek into a trunk and see hatches (doors) for sonar 2, 3, 4, and at the bottom, the floor hatch for the airlock which led to the Sonar Dome. On rare occasions, like when we were in drydock, the airlock AND Sonar Dome (HUGE SPACE!) hatches could also be open, offerings quite a tall elevator shaft-like view, and it was the most impressive one on the ship!

[@Lord_Ronin_The_Compassionate]

Fascinating as always Ryan. Long may you continue to provide these incredible views of areas of the ship that few people have ever seen - including a lot of the crew? With all the specialist cleaning that was carried to enable you to enter and make such videos. Thank you once again.

[@HeadinTheClouts]

you are correct. I was on a destroyer a tenth that size for three years and there were many parts of the ship I never saw

[@michaeljhogantoronto]

Love the series. Small note is that I recognize that watchkeeper's box you said was bolted on in the 80's It was identical to one my Grandfather used in the 60's when he was a watchkeeper on the weekend at a saw mill. I spent many Saturdays with him as a child at work in the empty mill and every 2 hours he would have to take the large watchkeeper's clock (about 10 inched in diameter) around to everyone of the watchkeeper's boxes around the mill to wind the clock. I remember it so clearly as he let me wind the clock. That little box probably had a clock winding key in it.

[@XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX981]

You really felt like you were getting a personal VIP tour in this vid. Excellent work Ryan & Libby

[@benjaminshropshire2900]

Whoever is running the camera needed to get more credit, they are going all of the same places, but doing it while keeping a steady picture and watching what Ryan is doing rather then where their feet are going.

[@senecanero3874]

@@benjaminshropshire2900 that would be libby

[@notmenotme614]

It blows my mind how big the ship must be when there’s spaces nobody knew existed or what the room was used for.

[@frankpienkosky5688]

that's the fun part of security..what's behind door #3?

[@busterqhorse4226]

That is a lot of steel work. Love the Iowa class! Thank you for your videos!

[@ChesapeakeHammockandOutdoors]

So jealous! As a Maryland resident I've been through the Constellation and Tanney many, many times, but have never had a chance to visit the New Jersey even though its also not that far away. Its definitely on my bucket list!!!

[@MedPig]

It’s a great tour, internally, lots of the ship is shown as it looked in WW2. Go up top, you have the missile launchers and helicopter from it’s later career. Pretty impressive ship. The “Love Boat”, she is not…

[@panioloprep8126]

I would love to do the crawl with you. I served aboard New Jersey for her last Vietnam Tour. Main Battery Plot and Spot 2. She was an AWESOME ride. Words cannot describe what it was like cruizin through the pacific at 25 knots. Had the entire Bob Hope show aboard for Christmas 1968. Neil Leifer - the photographer - documented the cruise. Snyder was our Captain. Ken Main FTG3

[@danielcorgi]

Really cool Ryan! I'm hoping everyone watching enjoys all the little details and technical commentary as I do. I could look at blueprints all day and not visualize what you are showing and explaining to us about this incredible ship in the videos.

[@stephenhammer7357]

There is nothing left by great memories, for me now but the experiences were lasting ,love the sea, the adventure,and serving my country.

[@mose717]

Whenever I was wedged into one of those small and hard to get to spaces It was always a sobering thought to realize that if a fire or flooding event happened I wouldn't be able to get out in time.

[@ruggedindsoup2135]

Very cool. So many memories brought up in this vid. My tightest spot I got into was under the floor of the chain locker while inspecting cables on a Ticonderoga cruiser (CG 53 Mobile Bay). The coolest spot was inside the sonar array in the sonar dome of the same cruiser.

[@bamafan-in-OZ]

I wouldn't be surprised if the phrase "let's wake up the marines" was used now and again by the gunners having their quarters so close

[@Jake-yx7ct]

What a super educational tour. Thank you so much. Those are some tight quarters and storage areas.

8:06. No Smoking stenciled on the wall of the 16 inch shell magazine. Good idea!!!

[@chauntikleer]

Thank you for clamoring through spaces that would make a lot of folks feel claustrophobic and showing us a section of the ship that few ever get to see.

[@WmCRobison]

I am waiting for the video of Ryan's undignified exit's.

[@bumblebeebob]

You mean like "oh bugger! The tank is on fire!"? Lol

[@timbober1]

I could crawl in but I would never get back out. Thanks for the tour!

[@keving2726]

"Do you think you could do a turret crawl like this?" No. No I could not.

[@CrisisGuildWOW]

Why not?

[@bruceyoung1343]

I like that. Thanks for watching. After you struggle getting out. Love it

[@pcpilot8383]

As Ryan commented I highly recommend following along with the blueprints. I use a second monitor with them that i can scroll the plate and zoom in and out with the PDF.

[@HeadinTheClouts]

And I thought i was a nerd

[@chuckvan1568]

I'd love to visit some of the darkest recesses of BB-62. Very much enjoy watching you explore the ship and explain it to us. Thanks!

[@brianbranson2306]

having unfortunately spent time as a security Gard, the key is for a clock that runs a punch paper, to make sure the gard does his rounds.

[@TWX1138]

I once met a woman at a midnight movie showing who was playing hooky from her job as a roving security guard for a luxury golf resort. When we left the theater around 3am we headed back to her job, where she quickly falsified her logs including some post-dating to the end of her shift at 4:30am before heading out. Her job didn't have her checking in with anyone on arrival (ie not relieving anyone) and likewise didn't require her to check-out on finishing, and she drove her own car. Since this was an era before inexpensive ubiquitous security cameras (let alone GPS receivers and tracking through something like one's phone) it was easy to get away with this so long as no one spot-checked her and no one did anything that she should've called-in.

[@JohnMason8183]

Ryan, your knowledge of this ship is very impressive as well as your narrator techniques! Thanks for this video.

[@HeadinTheClouts]

His knowledge of the ship must be encyclopedic, but ever every video I've seen there is always a "Oh, this is cool, look at this" moment where he is finding something new

[@JohnMason8183]

@@HeadinTheClouts Which is cool because we never really know everything about anything! It's those surprises that keep us going and learning.

[@Bellthorian]

Back in 89 I could do that tank crawl easy. Today I would need three friends and a tube of grease.

[@johnbeauvais3159]

Three friends and a tube of grease is definitely my favorite Kenny Chesney album

[@motodog1977]

How in the world did they build this stuff?!? Amazing! Thank you Ryan and Chris!

[@donaldneill4419]

I'm glad you're doing this, Ryan! Greats videos.

[@trickert3129]

The three inch water tight door was really cool to see in this video. Thanks for your work Ryan and Libby.

[@thoriated]

I was impressed by the beefiness of the dogs, but I suppose it's designed to handle explosive shockwaves through a flooded compartment.

[@tg4360]

The watchman's key stations were at one time a system where the watchman carried a clock with a paper tape running inside it. He would make his rounds and the individual keys would make a mark on the tape to show what time he visited each station.

[@imdeplorable2241]

The keys I saw, I believe Detecto, had a steel type number on the end like on a typewriter. Apparently, when you inserted the key into the clock, you would then turn the key and a numeral corresponding to that spot would be pressed onto the tape. The watchman had to clock in at each station at a specific time which showed on the printed tape. Pretty ingenious.

[@johnpublic5169]

Crawling and exploring New Jersey, or any other ship, like that would be a thrill. Having a guide and a map would be essential.

[@hyacinthbucket3803]

You have one of the best jobs a person can get.

[@kraggman]

I toured this ship with friends and family two years ago. She's still impressive. Great info in this video !!

[@bigloulou4780]

How would you like to have been the welder down in there! All stick man! Probably smoked Camels or Pall Mall too! Guts!

[@robertf3479]

Thank you for this look folks. I served in two ships, actually crawled all over inside them even though I was a 'topsider' (Operations Department - Intelligence.) I don't remember ever seeing part of the keel of either lady. I have a touch of claustrophobia, so some of those spaces were ... err ... hard to take. That last space Ryan entered ... *SHUDDER!* To me, your lady is still an amazing ship.

[@Tuberuser187]

The counterweight is pretty clever, I was wondering "they have to be powered hatches, they must be so heavy" when he was at the 6" hatch.

[@ThanksForTheLaugh]

What treasure KZbin is, videos like this showing history and spaces I could never see in person. Thanks!!

[@zeetack8625]

Vote: what do you wish or like as the flagship Likes are for battleships Dislikes are for aircraft carriers

[@johnmanning4577]

Totally awesome video. I've visited nearby BB IOWA several times and your videos give a deeper appreciation of what was done to create, operate and maintain such beautiful ships. Thank you....

[@SkeeterPondRC]

Heck yeah Id do a crawl through those spaces! Ryan, what was the rusted tank looking object on the opposite side of the shaft?

[@americanpatriot3638]

Yea i was wondering the same thing. Looks rusted clean through...

[@c.a.mcdivitt9722]

I am curious as well.

[@bobrusso1814]

Holy Cr@#. That ship is remarkably rust free, now I’m second thinking the possibility of recommissioning one or two of these beasts. I lived in Norfolk and often drove by the Wisconsin with its bow overhanging the road, a very, very impressive sight. Thanks.

[@loualiberti4781]

Best content on UTube !!

[@julieenslow5915]

Honey - I am disabled. I am totally living vicariously through you and your team!!! LOL

[@j.mygrant3752]

Good news is, not dead. AND if it gets too questionable , it's him, not me! I'll thank him for his service and lower a wreath for him, too. Seriously, this is a service to all of the vets and all of us for whom they fought.

[@rustyrazor1853]

Have you had any paranormal experiences in the bowels of the ship? Do you ever get scared moving through it by yourself?

[@c.a.mcdivitt9722]

You're talking about 61 thousand tons of weapon, forged by the Greatest Generation, and wielded honorably by generations of sailors before being converted into a museum to their memory. Anything scary, natural or super-natural, is going to find *somewhere else* to be.

[@rustyrazor1853]

@@c.a.mcdivitt9722 so there has to be ghosts!

[@MrBen527]

@@rustyrazor1853 Yeah, in your head!

[@shawncosmos5431]

The engineering on these ships is amazing.. I’ve been on several museum ships and the miles of electrical conduit always catches my eye.. Along with the miles of piping….

[@davidhudson391]

Many a young lady has been taken below decks to be shown the “golden rivet”.

[@warrenfrerichs3315]

My favorite design aspect of the Iowas is the hull shape. Sleek in the bow for punching through waves and making speed. The hull form is downright sexy. Built the model as a kid and absolutely loved it. Thanks for the videos Ryan!

[@timmotel5804]

Excellent. I have been aboard the Iowa on a tour in Port Everglades many years ago. Beautiful ships. I want to see more of your videos on this class of Battle Ships. Thanks

[@JWCreations]

Great video! Thanks for the information and details! I can only imagine the guys running around in sweat, heat, oil, and so many fumes, asbestos, etc over that time. Also I'm sure they probably didn't in WWII, but I can only imagine how many guys cracked their un-helmets heads moving around.