Questions: Food, Guns, and Damage Control

[@gastonbell108]

Also worth mentioning that ice cream was something many of these sailors had little access to in civilian life - in the 1940s home freezers were still outrageously expensive so most people would get their ice cream from a local store and eat it on the spot. Even if you had an icebox, it would melt within a day. If you lived out in the sticks, getting to eat ice cream was one of those things (like seeing a movie) that you got to do rarely and only when you had other business that required you to go to town. Being able to get ice cream on demand in the middle of the steaming South Pacific in the 1940s would have really impressed me, that's for sure!

[@keithlarsen7557]

If you lived in the sticks, you could make it out ice that you got during winter.

[@williamcreighton8357]

I was the access/overhaul man for repair 5 aft during my time on board the big stick. We trained on magazine flooding all the time. If they needed to be dewatered at sea for reuse, the repair party for the gun that was flooded (Repair 3 or Repair 4) would use submersible pumps to do it until the hatch could be safely opened. The rounds in the magazine would be thrown over the side and any repairs would be completed if they could. There was no leaving a magazine full of sea water and shells until we could pull into port.

[@bf9142ftw]

I was the OP of this particular question--thanks for the additional information!! Would having all that sea water pumped in cause any issues with the steel infrastructure/as well as electrical wiring? I'd imagine water and an open outlet wouldn't be a good combo Thanks too for your service!! I was born a few years after the Iowas were last decommissioned, so I missed my chance to serve aboard haha!

[@williamcreighton8357]

The space would be isolated mechanically and electronically isolated prior to the release of the water into the space

[@Infidel7153]

Like i said before good to get it first hand from a real crew member .This guy is making up facts just watch the rest of the video's decide for yourself.If this is the curatorial staff then the New Jersey is in trouble.

[@richardpehtown2412]

Great video. Speaking of guns, while serving as an Airdale on the USS Constellation from 1971 through 1974 I was able to visit many interesting spaces aboard the ship. One impressive area was an armory shown to me by a gunner's mate who I had met during the obligatory 90 days of mess cooking assigned when first arriving aboard as an E-3 or lower. The armory held 500 perfectly racked .45 ACP Thompson sub machine guns. According to the gunner this cache was but the tip of an iceberg. There were additional armories holding M1 Garands, M1 carbines, M14 automatic rifles, 50 cal Browning M2 machine guns, 12 Gauge shotguns, M1911 semi auto pistols, .38 cal revolvers, flare guns, the odd athletic starting pistol, all manner of ammo, assorted grenades, and God knows what else. He said that much of this firepower was onboard due to the ship's storage capacity, and held there for distribution to other ships of the carrier task force if need be.

[@volksyes9477]

Thank you so much for Answering the Gun question, hope to visit BB62 someday. You guys Stay Healthy and keep safe.

[@johnslaughter5475]

During WWII, Edward "Butch" O'Hare was shot down, before the time he was killed. He was picked up by a DD. As the DD began signaling Enterprise, "How much ice cream is Butch O'Hare worth?" the Enterprise crew knew what was coming before the DD finished. I don't remember how much. The information is contained in the book "The Big 'E'" by CDR Edward Stafford. I lost my copy long ago. I just found it is on Amazon and have reordered. I'll add the necessary info when I get the book.

[@bend8353]

Did you get the book? still waiting for the info

[@johnslaughter5475]

@@bend8353 Yes, I did. Memory played me false. It was LCDR William "Killer" Kane. It happened on 20 June 1944 when returning from the famous action when ADM Mitcher ordered, "Turn on the lights." Kane had flown for 10 hours that day. When he first attempted to land, he was waved off. Being exhausted and not entirely healed from a previous crash landing, he simply flew into the water off Enterprise's port bow. He reported that while everyone else was running out of gas, he simply ran out of altitude. Unfortunately, neither the can that picked him up, nor the amount of ice cream is given. I have quit following BB-62 and had forgotten about this. Fair Winds & Following Seas.

[@danquigg8311]

That was the CONTROLS for flooding the magazines - how was the water actually sprayed or deployed into the magazine spaces? Are there sprinkler heads, like civilian sprinkler systems? Was water pumped 'backwards' into the drain system? Was there some sort of warning to allow the crew to evacuate the compartment?

[@Lagniappe.]

Wow, crazy how big that storage room was, thank you for sharing.

[@nsconductor2007]

We had a ice cream machine on my destroyer USS Porter in 2000. It was a welcomed item. We spent a lot of time underway as a flagship for Deston 2. Sometimes a month, sometimes a week out and in on the weekend. Or the 3 month deployment to the North Atlantic and 2 med deployments one of which was a combat deployment. Something so small such as ice cream was a great morale booster.

[@brendanfillingim5199]

Very Interesting ! Thank you

[@joescriff4812]

Interesting segment on flooding of the magazines to prevent their detonation in an emergency. Related question: Was there a procedure for scuttling the entire ship by flooding on the Iowa class and, if used, how long would it take for the ship to sink? Famously, Bismark's survivors claim they used such a procedure in that ship's final battle.

[@joescriff4812]

As a follow-up, when USS Hornet (CV8) had to be abandoned the ship very stubbornly refused to sink even with US destroyers pouring 5 inch rounds into her waterline and some torpedoes, I believe. Ultimately, the US ships had to withdraw as superior Japanese surface forces closed in and the Japanese actually tried to capture the stricken Hornet. Fortunately Hornet's ammunition was exploding violently by then which thwarted the Japanese and they finally ended up using more torpedoes to sink her. So, did US ships have a procedure for scuttling by intentional flooding?

[@JasperFromMS]

QUESTION: When was the ammunition that the NJ used on her last deployment manufactured? Did a lack of ammo and/or manufacturing capability effect the decision to retire the ships?

[@williamcreighton8357]

Which size the 5 inch or 16 inch

[@gastonbell108]

Can't directly answer your question re: the decomissioning but I know finding suitable lots of powder for the 16" was a major issue during recommissioning. As was exposed during the Iowa turret explosion investigation, the Navy was forced to use old (sometimes Korean War vintage) powder that had been reblended and certified, because the alternative was to spend $200 million to get a new batch made from scratch (which would have required long-decommissioned facilities to spent months being retooled and certified, then work for a few months, then close forever again). A lot of that powder was found to be of dubious and degenerated quality, despite not being visually evident.

[@1mooshake]

Those ship models are very well done.

[@BigT81]

Generic fast food says machine is down for cleaning he says, while standing in front of a Taylor. I wonder if they had a strangle hold on the Navy like the do on McDs franchisees?

[@occamsrazor1285]

2:00 $50 says you're talking about McDonald's. You wouldn't think it, but that's a special case. McD's corporate has a contract with one of the manufactures so that only their machines, and only the McD's specific model is allowed in the franchises. Those machines are actually designed to 1) shutdown if not clean EXACTLY PROPERLY (even a few extra millilitres of the cleaning solution will cause the cleaning to fail) and 2) not be repairable/brought back into operation until a tech from said company arrives to input the menu sequence to re-activate the machine (it's a little more complicated than that, but not much). It's actually a recently exposed plot by McD's corporate and the machine manufacturer to siphon money out of the franchises (I'm not kidding. There is leaked documented evidence that proves this), and as a result, the machine will run it's entire cleaning process the night before only to report a failure in the morning even though it knew when you started the cleaning the night before that it was going to fail. When the workers say it's being cleaned or broken, what they're really telling us is they're waiting on the repair guy to come reactivate it.

[@TheFreaker86]

I imagine it was a rather unpleasant battle station in one of the 40mm gun tubs on the bow., not just because of the sea coming over the front. I guess it's "Kiss your ears goodbye" when the big sticks went off behind you, even with ear protection. Do you have any first hand accounts on that? I have been watching your outstanding videos over the last weeks. The quick and sound replies to most of my questions is something I really appreciate! Great job! You earned my subscription! :-)

[@Eserchie]

Not an expert, but as I understand it the big sticks don't go off when you are manning the lighter AA mounts - during 16" engagement crew are cleared off exposed deck space to keep them safe from overpressure, presumably to somewhere they can quickly reach the 40s and 20s if an incoming air wave shows on scopes. If an air threat is detected, the big guns cease fire to prevent vibration spoiling the AA fire control solutions, and the 5"s open up, and the crew comes boiling out onto the decks to man the light weapons - there should be enough time between a ww2 aircraft entering the 5" envelope and entering the 40mm envelope for men to man these weapons.

[@TheHortond]

How much would it cost to take NJ for a joy ride if you could take her out for a spin along the coast? And if you can I will buy the beer if I can come.

[@A2Wx8]

I have a question, can you go over the ship's cooling and ventilation systems? I have an archive copy of the plans for the original cooling systems for the magazines and stores and was surprised by how technically advanced it was. I'm curious how it was installed and how much it was changed over the years or if the original 1940s system worked so well it stayed in place.

[@richardmerrill4036]

What refrigerant was used in the refrigeration systems?

[@bf9142ftw]

Hey Ryan! Thank you/your Facebook moderator (who I've been messaging), for taking a look at the Damage Control question! Be sure that I'll have more questions headed your way, as time goes on!

[@agustikj]

How is the concussion from firing the 16"? Do all sailors need to below deck or is it "safe" to man the AA stations while the 16" fires?

[@BattleshipNewJersey]

Guys would sunbathe on turret 3 while turret 2 was firing. So you can be in deck, just not right next to the guns that are firing. The AA guns on the focsle wouldn't be manned while firing turret 1 and 2.

[@charlesdeyoe1301]

Ryan, what is your favorite space or exhibit on the ship?

[@pizzafrenzyman]

If the ship is at general quarters, would the forward anti-air guns be manned if the main batteries were firing?

[@BWIENS789]

No

She must have been refurbished just before she was struck ,love the size of those reefer coils

[@davidschick6951]

3:09 We got to move these refrigerators...

[@BlueCollarBachelor]

The old autodog worked well, not like the McDonald’s machines.

[@Bill-xx2yh]

I’m thinking about the food freezers/refrigeration and food for a month at a time...so??? How many men in the ENTIRE crew...

[@BattleshipNewJersey]

At most about 2800

[@Bill-xx2yh]

@@BattleshipNewJersey Thank you so much, amazing series.

[@ralphgraham8564]

Hi Ryan, love the videos but one question... Do you or the two cute ladies you work with, your videographer and memorabilia curator:have military service and if so; branch rate/ rank, years of service, special quals etc. ThanksFC1 (ESWS) R Graham

[@2axislathemonkey]

Can you explain how "Caliber" of navel guns is determined?? or reference a video that you have already done on the subject, Thanks in advance.

[@BattleshipNewJersey]

Caliber for artillery is barrel length divided by barrel width.

[@KPen3750]

As a 19 year old Drexel University student who routinely ate Ben and Jerry’s, I feel a bit attacked by the 18 year olds needing to eat their feelings comment! Overall fantastic video!

[@Lilljehook]

Please buy a mic.

[@BattleshipNewJersey]

We've been fighting with a dozen mics but the steel ship and the wind just beats us sometimes. We highly recommend the captions!