USS IOWA FULL TOUR | Naval Battleship Legend

Today we're exploring the USS Iowa (BB-61), the lead ship of her class, and the fourth in the United States Navy to be named after the state of Iowa. Owing to the cancellation of the Montana-class battleships, Iowa is the last lead ship of any class of United States battleships and was the only ship of her class to serve in the Atlantic Ocean during World War II.
During World War II, she carried President Franklin D. Roosevelt across the Atlantic to Mers El Kébir, Algeria, en route to a conference of vital importance in 1943 in Tehran with Prime Minister Winston Churchill of the United Kingdom and Joseph Stalin, leader of the Soviet Union. When transferred to the Pacific Fleet in 1944, Iowa shelled beachheads at Kwajalein and Eniwetok in advance of Allied amphibious landings and screened aircraft carriers operating in the Marshall Islands. She also served as the Third Fleet flagship, flying Admiral William F. Halsey's flag at the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay.
During the Korean War, Iowa was involved in raids on the North Korean coast, after which she was decommissioned into the United States Navy reserve fleets, better known as the "mothball fleet." She was reactivated in 1984 as part of the 600-ship Navy plan and operated in both the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets to counter the recently expanded Soviet Navy. In April 1989, an explosion of undetermined origin wrecked her No. 2 gun turret, killing 47 sailors.
Iowa was decommissioned for the last time in October 1990 after 19 total years of active service, and was initially stricken from the Naval Vessel Register (NVR) in 1995, before being reinstated from 1999 to 2006 to comply with federal laws that required retention and maintenance of two Iowa-class battleships. In 2011 Iowa was donated to the Los Angeles-based non-profit Pacific Battleship Center and was permanently moved to Berth 87 at the Port of Los Angeles in 2012, where she was opened to the public as the USS Iowa Museum.
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[@CRAZYHORSE19682003]

Iowa was my ship in 1989, I was a gunners mate in 16 inch turret one. I just want to say how much I appreciate how well you have maintained my home. The booth and gun rooms look FANTASTIC. I have to ask though does she still leak hydraulic fluid like crazy on the electrical decks. Many an hour I spent cleaning that up on a near daily basis.

[@masterwaxer1502]

nah management totally got that leak problem fixed thanks for checkin Jim

[@balljointfd3s]

What was it like working on the last Battleship to fire guns in anger? I can't imagine.

[@user-br7um4ur6o]

I CLEANED BARRELS OF HYDRAULIC FLUID ON THE PROJECTILE DECKS, ON MY NUMEROUS EPISODES OF EXTRA DUTY! IF IT TRAINS IT 🚆 RAINS🌧 🌦 🌂 ⛈ ☔

[@cylinder7186]

Damn that was nice controlling a gun from the most powerful u.s battleship

[@missiondave2002]

I was a BM3 on her then. 4th Division

[@FencerFixerRepairLLCKansasCity]

This was the battleship my grandpa was on in the Korean war in the early 1950's. I really wanted to take him out there to see it one more time, but we live in Missouri and he died in 2020 at 87, but this is still pretty neat to see this.

[@bobbevitt9797]

Brought back so so many memories, my name is Bob Bevitt, EM1 on board this great ship 1988-1990. Losing 47 Shipmates hardest thing ever in my life. RIP my fellow sailors..God bless you all. We had a great crew, nothing we couldn’t do! I’d go back tomorrow and serve aboard her if I could.

[@pappahere]

My our Shipmates Rest In Peace, while you remain on the ready to return to the fight! We have the watch, we will train our reliefs much as you did before us! “WE WILL NEVER FORGET!!” Those who paved the way for our Navy and our Country, while protecting our families at home! Thank you for your service!

[@mattvelasquez470]

Funny how they got blown to bits by their own ship - Karma for killing innocent people for USA government take over ..

[@CRAZYHORSE19682003]

Where were you that day? I was in turret 1.

[@jakedanek9364]

You might have known my dad. I've always like hearing stories of the times he had sailing the world on this ship, even with the tragedy he still speaks very fondly of being aboard the Iowa.

[@seeharvester]

I can't help shedding tears as I read your comment. Sorry for your losses and I appreciate your service to our country. I have to ask a question. As a former member of the military, how do you feel about the state of the country today? R.I.P. those who lost their lives.

[@moonboy5851]

Insanely impressive engineering for the time. Mind blowing.

[@metaknight115]

Fun fact: Iowa is the only ship of her class to have a confirmed kill on an enemy ship, when she sank the training cruiser Katori from 14,000 yards with four 16 inch shell hits shortly after a raid on truk naval base. New Jersey only confirmed secondary battery hits on a trawler (AKA, a fishing boat intended for military use) and a destroyer, and might have sunk the former of the two IJN warships, during the same raid. As I call them, Boring Mo and Drunk On Wisky-consin, never sank, or even encountered an enemy ship during their fifty year service.

[@cleverusername9369]

Wisconsin sunk an island

[@onlythewise1]

my dad first one on it dec 1942 they weren't called plank owners only , he shoot 40 mm

[@SeeItSoCal]

We are so lucky to have this here!

[@detroitpolak9904]

Thank you! I’m going there next week (1/25/2024) huge WWII buff here. My grandpa and great-uncle were on the Saratoga CV-3. Unfortunately, they died when I was little so I never got to talk with them about it.

[@Jknight416]

It's amazing how this majestic giant of a US Battleship still stands to this day.

[@metaknight115]

She and her sisterships are the last of the post treaty era fast battleships. Bismark was sunk by Rodney and King George V, while Tirpitz was sunk by tall boy bombs without ever sinking an enemy vessel. Vanguard was scrapped, as with the Richleau class and Littorio class. Musashi was sunk without ever sinking an enemy ship, while Yamato only sank an escort carrier and a destroyer before being sent to the bottom of the ocean by 386 US warplanes. It's a shame the four Iowas are the last of their kind.

[@Quetzalcoatl_Feathered_Serpent]

@@metaknight115 Isn't there the North Carolina still around.?

[@cleverusername9369]

@@Quetzalcoatl_Feathered_Serpent yes, North Carolina still lives in Wilmington, NC. Massachusetts lives in Fall River, MA New Jersey lives in Camden, NJ Wisconsin lives in Norfolk, VA Alabama lives in Mobile, AL Texas is in drydock in Galveston, TX Iowa is in Long Beach, CA Missouri is in Pearl Harbor, HA

[@CRAZYHORSE19682003]

@@Quetzalcoatl_Feathered_Serpent What he is referring to is that the Iowa class battleships were not constrained by the second London Naval treaty where the North Carolina and South Dakota classes were limited by that treaty although with the escalator clause enabled.

[@nogoodnameleft]

@@metaknight115 The 4 Iowa-class battleships are lucky to all have survived to become memorial museum ships while the other battleship classes mostly suffered a far worse fate. It's an even greater shame that USS Washington was scrapped even though she was the only U.S. battleship to ever sink an enemy battleship with gunfire alone (at Guadalcanal). The Surigao Strait battle enemy battleships were sunk by destroyers' torpedoes while being damaged topside by U.S. battleships. The greatest shame is no U.S. or UK battleship commissoned prior to 1941 were saved as museum ships except for USS Texas. They couldn't even save a single Pearl Harbor battleship. The original Saratoga and Enterprise were scrapped or nuked so carelessly too. Those 5 aircraft carriers that are museum ships today were not at all the ones that served bravely in the tough times of 1941-42. No WWII-era heavy cruisers or light cruisers were saved too. Only one heavy cruiser (Salem) that was commissioned in 1949 and one light crusier (Little Rock) that was commissioned in June 1945 were saved. The battlecruisers in the Alaska-class were scrapped also. Such a shame how few warships were saved. Other than Texas (which was only saved thanks to her being at Omaha Beach on D-Day and Texan Admiral Nimitz being CNO after WWII) they didn't bother to save any other large or medium-sized ships that were in service when Pearl Harbor happened.

[@marybabiec]

My deepest condolences for the 47 sailors who died

[@DanMosqueda]

Awesome video! I love the Iowa and I’ve visited it many times. Jonathan is a great guy and leader. Thanks Petersen for sharing this video.

[@metaknight115]

Same. She's a wondeful ship, as with her sister ship New Jersey. Most powerful battleship ever built that still remain afloat today.

[@CRAZYHORSE19682003]

Slight correction, the RPV's did not feed back data to the ship. They were there to observe shell fall only. The fire control radar would feed all the firing data into the MK-9.

[@guitarplayer4863]

I started volunteering aboard the ship a few weeks ago. I'd love to see you guys out there one day.

[@SharonCourtneyVlog]

What an experience I love my visit and I will go back again.

[@markallen8226]

That was amazing, thank you. The engineering still so impressive. Where would we be now if the U.S. hadn't build these great vessels during the Second World War. No other navy in the world could have defeated the Japanese Imperial navy other than the U.S. Navy. As an Australian, when our shores were under imminent threat of invasion, the United States Navy, Army, Army Air core and Marines were there to fend off those attacks. We will always be grateful. I'd love to see her.

[@DavidScott-xv1sc]

Like your Grand Father, my, now gone friend Walter Kanazawich built Iowa in the Brooklyn Navy Ship yard then, served 4 years aboard her in WW2. I was blessed to enjoy his company as a friend. RIP Walt. You are missed sir.

[@scottmurphy650]

And absolutely amazing ship

[@michaelholdencommercialsur8617]

Awe inspiring - a privilege to look round and take 3 of my sons

[@bobbrown5529]

amazing ship . , NewJersey and the other ships of the same class should be put back into service . That truly would be an amazing sight

[@onlythewise1]

my dad saw the iowa bb61 get hit by shore fire in ww2

[@earlt_vw]

Thank you! Very honorable tour. As a navy vet that means a lot to me. I hope to visit soon.

[@alexandarvoncarsteinzarovi3723]

I'm glad these steel-clad leviathans were preserved,

[@suwirwong]

Is there video USS Iowa salvo? I can't seem to find them.

[@EJFXxx]

ship would loose in a quarter mile race !

[@CRAZYHORSE19682003]

Against what?

[@CRAZYHORSE19682003]

Slight correction #2 the MK-8 Rangekeeper was not replaced by a modern fire control computer for two reasons. First and foremost COST! In Reagans 600 ship Navy proposal the Iowa's were chosen to reactivate because for about the same cost as an Oliver Hazard Perry class Frigate you had a Battleship a huge amount of firepower. creating a new modern fire control system would have cost millions upon millions of dollars and taken YEARS of development. Second, while they could have designed a fire control system using modern computers that would have been 1/100th the size they couldn't make one that could do the job any better, that is how good the MK-8 was. All the way down there in plot the "vibrations" would hardly be noticeable.

[@timpredmore938]

How was crew in these ships trained for the Persin Gulf war when these ships had old technology. Did the Navy hire Veterans to train new sailors? Could u shoot a video on that?

[@freakindawgen]

Forgot to say Mario Van Peebles he was Captain of the Iowa and saved the world!

[@karloyu3484]

💙👍❤❤❤❤️❤️

[@jamesrichardson3766]

3inch????

[@Moose0perator]

This makes me mad when I went down there to vist the ship witch I was so excited I’m a huge ww2 buff and love battleships and went there with my family paid the prices to find out we can’t go inside of the ship due to Covid. Sucked to say but I had a way better experience so far with battleship USS Alabama

[@Quetzalcoatl_Feathered_Serpent]

They had good reason. The ships interior is very enclosed and its very easy for people to get infected in very confined corners. Once the Covid Virus is better dealt with. People can likely go inside again.

[@Tramseskumbanan]

Is FDR’s special bathtub still in the bathroom?

[@cleverusername9369]

Yes it is

[@balljointfd3s]

Fuck yeah...

[@francispearsall697]

YOU ARE A DISGRACE TO THE US NAVY AND ALL OV US THAT SERVED ON BATEL SHIPS

[@BALOYBEACHBUM]

Where did you serve? McDonalds?

[@jonathanpardoe8722]

According to recent sources , the USS Iowa still has much hull life and would be first in choice for any re activation over her three sisters . With dismay on how flimsy the latest UK aircraft carrier RO9 Prince of Wales appears to be whilst stuck out of the water in a dry dock in Scotland awaiting what appears to be catastrophic damage to her underwater gear and an uncertain future, would it not be prudent to reactivate USS IOWA and equip her with latest weaponry as just at this critical time when the carrier is vital to the worlds safety , she is out of action before even finishing her trials . I for one would feel a lot safer in my bed at night if the Iowa was prowing around the theater of war with her big guns pointed at the Russians in Ukraine . If I was a Russian soldier looking down the barrel of the IOWA , I know what I would be doing !

[@BALOYBEACHBUM]

Wrong! a Hero is someone that has saved a live or lives!!

[@johnwright3426]

Japanese are heroes

[@BALOYBEACHBUM]

I never seen rusty gage glasses like that on any USN ship, what a embarrisement!

[@BALOYBEACHBUM]

Why do you play that Rebel music? That's a loser song!!

[@ze_pequeno810]

What rebel song?