I don't know about the later operating practices, but in my time on Iowa(1946-52) it took 79 men to operate each turret. It was hot, noisy and oil and grease was everywhere. Good video. I have not seen the inside of a battleship turret since May 1952.
@zugy5 жыл бұрын
That's a lot of men trying to get out of a tight space if things go bad. I'm guessing there were a lot of drills, but I imagine survival rates were low when something did go wrong.
@Dweller4155 жыл бұрын
Thank you for your service.
@spvillano5 жыл бұрын
@@zugy if things went bad, it was quick enough that most, if not all of the crew was lost.
@tjstrong36075 жыл бұрын
Thanks Andrew
@Cleaveland725 жыл бұрын
@Stimpy&Ren you show an amazing lack of knowledge about battleships. BBs suffered losses but if you would care to tell the class which US battleships sunk after Pearl, I'll wait. . . . BBs pounded the shores, softening up enemy placements, sometimes almost entirely deforesting an island prior to landing by ground troops. Skip forward to the first Desert Storm and there were large groups of Iraqis surrendering to the UAV spotter plane from the Missouri. They quickly learned when they saw that little plane, death and devastation soon followed from Mighty Mo's 16in guns. BBs were never "easy pickings".
@Bbendfender6 жыл бұрын
Amazing I say. Never imagined how detailed it would be inside the turrets. Just imagine the engineering to build this ship.
@justevil1005 жыл бұрын
You should go to the USS Alabama in Mobile, Al. You can enter the turret on that battleship.
@spvillano5 жыл бұрын
Imagine the maintenance that went into keeping that ship operational.
@mobius70894 жыл бұрын
@@justevil100 can confirm, the Alabama is amazing. even got to move the guns of the 5 inch turrets
@danielrobinson28614 жыл бұрын
Imagine building it without computers, all hand drawings!
@heidihocanadianfreedomfigh53943 жыл бұрын
Thanks for saving the free world to the and men that died to save the free world
@mrsparkle0017 жыл бұрын
The amount of engineering and the act of building it all is mind boggling. Everything you see - even the cabling and electrical circuitry on the walls - was all engineered and built over 70 years ago (or at least most of it). Then men have to operate it all and know what every little thing does and how to fix it. I'm in awe.
@jth8777 жыл бұрын
Considering it was built without computers it is amazing! Sad part is I think it would take nearly a decade for our modern industrial complex to even start building one of these ships.
@KB98137 жыл бұрын
Looking at the Yamato class their loading system I find is much more impressive than what the Iowa class is.
@fanofCOH5 жыл бұрын
these ships really are marvels of engineering.
@machia07055 жыл бұрын
jth877 I find it amazing what they built, but one has to understand that most men where mechanically inclined then, engineers and draftsman were highly talented and professional and substandard work was a fireable offense. Today with this new generation , even with computers , these push-button wiz kids and the guys who have to call in a plumber to change a washer, probably couldn’t design and build a ship like this. Reliance on computers doesn’t make people smart. It’s just the opposite. This ship instead is a monument to the last generation of men who could literally build anything, design anything with a drafting board , slide rule, piece of paper and a pencil. Their “computers“ where their brains and their hands.
@mikeparker50085 жыл бұрын
More like, designed over 90 years ago. Men now can't operate it, ma'am...they are too weak to train, so we've found other ways to keep them busy. Most of the men today can't handle even taking a TOUR of such a fine piece of history.
@Gribbo99995 жыл бұрын
The turret is not a place for the faint-hearted. Imagine in the heat of battle, the noise, the thick atmosphere, the rolling seaway and the constant fear of a hit on the turret or internal explosion. And knowing your likely escape route is maybe five decks below down through cramped and possibly pitch black ladder wells. Brave lads indeed. The engineering and electrics and the electro-mechanical ranging computers are truly beautiful objects. The ship looks loved - great to see. Thank you for a really interesting video tour.
@largol33t15 жыл бұрын
I can't imagine the horror the crew of the HMS Royal Oak experienced when it was attacked in its own base at Scapa Flow just before the outbreak of WWII. Basically, it was Britain's Pearl Harbor but this was a single attack by ONE U-boat, the U47, captained by a rookie named Gunther Prien. He was awarded the Knight's Cross for this. It still doesn't make sense how he was able to break past the underwater gates without being caught. My best guess is they had no boats patrolling the perimeter of the Orkney Islands. The British were just as devastated by the loss of the Royal Oak as we were by the loss of the USS Arizona.
@oh8wingman5 жыл бұрын
Agreed. I was inside the number 3 turret of the Alabama a few years ago. Not a place for a claustrophobic. Tight quarters, dark, lots of places to smash a knee or elbow, and the noise must have been horrific. All that coupled with moving machinery that would make quick work of any body part that it came in contact with. A person would have to have nerves of iron to survive and function in there.
@jklmn1014 жыл бұрын
Scooter Tramp, I visited that turret as well. It was remarkable that it seemed as big as it was at the same time it was as full, cramped and difficult to move in as you could imagine. It reminded me of being inside a tank, though with everything supersized. All of it gave me a sense that anyone responsible for manning those positions had to be damn sure about what they were doing, and extremely precise in doing it.
@gweedomurray99234 жыл бұрын
@@oh8wingman They had a nerve tougher than Iron, perhaps heat treated alloy steel to endure all that.
@jonnyogden72744 жыл бұрын
Gribbo9999 my poppop was a gunners mate back in these days. Always was a brave guy. He’s passed now, but seeing things like this I know would make him proud! Cheers!
@alexanderpatrick48667 жыл бұрын
I lost a high school friend on the Iowa. Time flies but some of us do not forget. RIP Milton DeVaul.
@kikoredog5 жыл бұрын
ur telling me ur 95+ years old?
@vaughanvanderstarren8325 жыл бұрын
Kikoredog: Milton (1967-1989), 21, was the son of Milton F. DeVaul, Sr. and Shirley Lukins DeVaul. He had a brother, Stephen, and two sisters, Dawn and Brenda. He graduated from Solvay High School. He was killed in the explosion of gun turret #2 on the USS Iowa, during training maneuvers in the Atlantic Ocean off Puerto Rico.
@vaughanvanderstarren8325 жыл бұрын
If a god exists, it didn’t bless Milton. It let him die.
@6706lefteye5 жыл бұрын
I'm sorry for your friend. My father was the Dental Officer on Iowa when it happened. Just a few months prior to the accident, I was given a tour of the ship which included going in Turret 2. The Marine detachment officer who gave me the tour and a t-shirt got 1st, 2nd, and 3rd degree burns trying to pull bodies out of the outside hatch. Dad has only recently opened up to me with the stories from what happened. I received a Purple Heart and fought in Iraq, so we understand each other now. I was 11 when the turret blew.
@kenuber47665 жыл бұрын
@@kikoredog There are a few good men left to tell the story!
@LanielPhoto5 жыл бұрын
As a Canadian Serviceman attached to the US Navy in the 80's, I heard that the old WW2 analogue computers aiming the guns were so good that they did not replace them with newer digital computers even 50 years later.
@Platyfurmany5 жыл бұрын
Those old analog computers factor in such variables as ship speed, barometric pressure, humidity, temperature, and even the curvature of the Earth when computing the trajectory of the shells to get them to fall on target. And when radar was added to the mix, the fire control was state-of-the-art back in the 1940s; far superior to what the Japanese warships had!
@erwin6695 жыл бұрын
@@Platyfurmany When I was in Field Artillery School at Ft Sill we learned to compute quadrant and elevation with all those things factored in manually using slide rules, pocket calculators, and firing tables. And that was barely ten years ago! The amount of math needed to deliver rounds down range accurately is just astounding.
@pikiwiki5 жыл бұрын
Wow.
@haydentravis33482 жыл бұрын
@@erwin669 A computer the size of your finger nail does it all in a fraction of a second, today. Truly, humans are amazing. We taught rocks to think.
@erwin6692 жыл бұрын
@@haydentravis3348 except for those tiny computers aren’t hardened for EMP. The AFATADS is about the size of a brief case
@frankmenchaca99934 жыл бұрын
Had the privilege to serve as turret captain aboard USS New Jersey BB-62 in the mid-80's. This turret crawl brought back a lot of memories. Thanks.
@Dysturbed-005 жыл бұрын
Can you imagine the sight of the engineering firm at work designing this ship during wartime? Everything was hand drawn and had to be well thought out and each individuals task had to match everyone else's related drawings of other equipment.
@danielthethird09493 жыл бұрын
Only on the first one I think the men and women that built them had a challenge all that wire that’s in that ship and bolts welding .
@jchors29474 жыл бұрын
As a former mortarman i'm extremely impressed with the complexity of the engineering and orchestra of human synchronicity required to make this gun fire.
@dickiebrewer12322 жыл бұрын
I've been an engineer for 30 years using all sorts of CAD and 3DCAD. All of that was designed on paper . . . LET THAT SINK INTO YOUR BRAIN! I still can't wrap my head around it. I'd say the drawing files for this ship could fill a warehouse. Absolutely a marvel of American ingenuity and intelligence.
@BattleshipUSSIowaLosAngeles2 жыл бұрын
Agree 100%! Completely amazing.
@glen8449 Жыл бұрын
I found this so interesting. My dad was a 17 year old kid at Pearl Harbor. His ship was the U.S.S. Pennsylvania. He was on turret 2. Thanks again for the great explantion on how these guns operated. And to those of you that served, thank you for your service.
@JackHoying3 жыл бұрын
Back in 1984, my friend and I was walking along the pier at Norfolk Naval Base to tour an amphibious ship. As we walked past the Iowa, a sailor was standing guard at the end of the gangplank. The Iowa wasn't listed as one of the ships giving tours that day, but we asked anyways. The sailor said they weren't officially open for tours, but they never turn down anyone that ask! We got a private tour and were shown the shell deck (complete with shells) and the elevators. We were also taken into the #1 turret from the upper hatch. Got to sit in there, just the three of us, while he explained all the machinery. It was a great tour, especially since it was still an active duty ship at that time.
@lewiswereb89943 жыл бұрын
The Navy calls sailors who work with guns "Gunners Mates". When I was in, we also called them "Cannon Cockers". Of course, guys like me who worked with radars were called "Scope Dopes". Electronics guys were "Twidgets" , Pipe fitters were called "Turd Technicians" ,and Signalmen were called "Skivvy Wavers", just to tell you of a few nicknames we had for people and things.
@LandersWorkshop3 жыл бұрын
@@lewiswereb8994 Cannon Cockers seem to have the coolest name I guess.
@marcusettling90163 жыл бұрын
Thank you for the video. I'm from Germany and I visited the Iowa in 1985, when she anchored in the harbour of Kiel after a maneuver in the baltic sea. I was 17yrs old then and took a guided tour together with my grandfather, who served on the german battleship Gneisenau in WWII. First he was very reluctant to visit a battleship again after his wartime experience, but he was deeply impressed by the size of the Iowa, which is quite larger than Gneisenau was. He gave me a lot of insight which wasn`t included in the tour. He passed away a few years later and this is one of my dearest memories of him. I hope I get to visit LA and the Iowa one day.
@Gapsx1eGewehr2 жыл бұрын
I don't hear much about Scharn or Gneisenau anymore! Respect to your grandfather for serving aboard a great fighting ship!
@BattleshipUSSIowaLosAngeles11 ай бұрын
Hope you do get here and WHEN you do, be sure to let us know you're coming. We'll take great care of you!
@tommohler18532 жыл бұрын
My dad was the firing operator of the forward top middle gun of the USS Iowa in 1944-1945. I had the pleasure of following him on a tour of the ship. He was like Elvis with the other tourists and the tour guides. He was explaining what life was like during the war. Even the museum curator came topside to talk with him.
@tommohler18532 жыл бұрын
I forgot to mention my dad was Seaman Jack Thomas Ethington. He passed away in 2017. I made a special trip with him so that he could see his beloved ship again. He talked about it often.
@BattleshipUSSIowaLosAngeles2 жыл бұрын
@@tommohler1853 Was about to ask if he was still with us. Sorry he's not, but glad you got to visit the ship with him. We'd love to have a photo of him for our archives if you'd like to share.
@mikegirard43885 жыл бұрын
The pinnacle of 700 years of cannon and gunnery development. The fundamental operation is the same except that later guns had a breech instead of muzzle loading. Imagine muzzle loading a 16” modern naval gun. You’d need a telephone pole to use as a ram rod.
@luuk3415 жыл бұрын
And now I know why almost all crew on battleships would be lost when one sank. There is no way to get out fast
@xzqzq5 жыл бұрын
Lucky if you died quickly. Reportedly after Pearl Harbor surviving crewmen lived on for a week or more, trapped in sunken ships. Have to wonder, when a capital ship would ' turn turtle ' and sink, how many trapped crew would survive, briefly, in trapped air spaces ?
@afletchermansson44185 жыл бұрын
Three shipmates were trapped onboard USS West Virginia when she turned over at Pearl Harbor. Trapped in a storeroom, they marked off the days on a calendar they found there: sixteen days after the attack, the last day was marked. Sixteen days. They were 18, 20 and 21 years old.
@onlythewise15 жыл бұрын
during a big storm going to japan a cruiser ran out of fuel and sank all men lost 1944
@fuzzjunky4 жыл бұрын
dark labyrinths of death
@MJLeger-tz4so4 жыл бұрын
@@xzqzq It can be quick or it can be longer, it just depends on how many are using the available oxygen in a small place, what noxious fumes could be present, how their own bodies coped, and if they gave up or not -- we only hope it was quick if they were not rescued. Our hearts go out to all those who were lost on ships in Pearl on 12-7-41, may they all rest in peace. I visited the Arizona Memorial a couple of time, it is VERY sobering to know that there are lost souls beneath you. WE honor, respect and thank ALL warriors from every war. Like Gen. Sherman said, "War is Hell" and we certainly agree. So many families lost loved ones during all our wars, it is very sad, but they WILL BE REMEMBERED, for all time!
@arthurlewis91935 жыл бұрын
Thank you for posting. It's incredible to think 45,000 tons of ship and over two thousand men were there just to provide a platforn for those nine guns - and yet they still had to work in those cramped conditions. They deserve our respect.
@metaknight1152 жыл бұрын
You think that’s impressive, take a look at the Japanese battleship Yamato, the largest battleship ever built. 72,800 tons, supporting almost 3,000 crew, to support it’s nine 18.11 inch guns
@NewShockerGuy3 жыл бұрын
My dumb ass literally though the turret was just all on the upper deck and everyone was in that... had NO clue all this information and different levels. Insane! Love videos like this!
@LandersWorkshop3 жыл бұрын
To be fair, up until the 1930s it wasn't unknown for even Destroyers to have exactly that setup for their guns and possibly some cruisers as well.
@mreckes99673 жыл бұрын
This would have to be one of the most interesting and informative videos I have ever seen regarding the internal workings of Battle Ships. No place for the claustrophobic that's for sure. Well done.
@navalinfidel30034 жыл бұрын
The United States should have kept two in service for nostalgia and as part of a good will to tour the world, one on the east coast and one on the west coast. These ships really are magnificent pieces of engineering and should be preserved.
@xgndiesel11793 жыл бұрын
But the problem was and the reason they were decommissioned was they were very costly to maintain and crew at least 1,500 sailors were needed to man them
@BattleshipUSSIowaLosAngeles3 жыл бұрын
We're doing everything we can to preserve this one!
@timbradley12493 жыл бұрын
Dad served on The New Jersey in Vietnam , 1tour in a 5 in turret 2nd gunners mate. When I turned 51 we drove up from San Diego and toured the Iowa while he was visiting. Very worth while trip. Just wished we could’ve got inside turrets. His turret had been replaced with a Tomahawk launcher. Still, a great ship
5 жыл бұрын
Can you imagine the noise, the heat, the smoke, and the sheer exhilaration/terror of actually being down there doing a job to keep those guns firing during a real battle?
@thomassodoski47085 жыл бұрын
My father inlaw ran to pom pom guns on the USS Shea in WW11 ... Love you Ray Thompson an i miss so much this video reminds me of a the story's you told me as a young man your valor will always be in our hearts .. Tommy sodoski your son in law and thank you to all our vets and active military
@jimsvideos72015 жыл бұрын
That gun-laying computer is a masterpiece inside.
@eniszita73533 жыл бұрын
it is a god damned monument to human ingenuity for what can be done with mechanical computers.
@Hambone5713 жыл бұрын
Behind the scenes where the work is done. This is fantastic. It make you appreciate the unknown hundreds of unsung hero’s who served well. Thank you all. May God have Blessed you all.
@robertnorthrup19147 жыл бұрын
I remember being in Nha Trang Vietnam with the New Jersey off shore firing inland at night. You could see the muzzle flash light up the sky and a few moments later hear this whistling shell overhead going inland. Awsome sights and sounds.
@jamespobog34207 жыл бұрын
welcome home and thanks for your service...
@danielmominee27845 жыл бұрын
Robert N pop pop
@thelastcommander87655 жыл бұрын
Sooo your saying your in a war and your pissing yourself over the sounds of a battleship???
@NaYawkr5 жыл бұрын
BUT . . . a B-52 strike was three aircraft, each bomber carried 108 500 pound bombs, and the target area was not a dot on a map as with most airstrikes, but a blocked out area two thousand meters wide by 5 000 meters long, from which the US Troops on the ground (me) had to give final approval to insure all friendly troops were nowhere near that target area. I would be called hours before, and asked to clear target number _ _ _ after which the planes would need no other approval before their time on target. The planes would drop half their bomb load, then turn around and about 15 minutes later drop the remaining ordinance. I once stood atop the operations command bunker during the strike at a distance of about 2 miles from target, the night was clear, the bombers could not be seen or heard from the ground, and once the bombs began to explode the concussion from each would cause the skin on my face to ripple from the effect for each explosion. It was then apparent why these strikes demoralized the NVA and VC who witnessed them. When one considered how minimal their defense was in these areas, and how massive the attack it felt like killing flies with a pile driver. The NVA had SAM sites near cities and ports, but this was in areas along the Cambodian border that had no such defense weapons.
@rizon725 жыл бұрын
I've heard that approximately 80% of all targets in Vietnam were within range of the 16" main guns. I sometimes wonder if pilots and planes might have been spared if the battleships had been used a bit more in the war. (Micheal, I think only the New Jersey was activated during the Vietnam war.)
@Mirraluka5 жыл бұрын
This tour guy really is clued up knowledge that is quite rare today well done to that man.:-)
@BattleshipUSSIowaLosAngeles3 жыл бұрын
He's our COO and chief engineer, and he's done lots and lots of homework on top of a long career in the maritime industry.
@johno95077 жыл бұрын
I remember seeing the New Jersey fire a full broadside off Sydney heads Australia, Thats something you never forget!
@jamesdewer5 жыл бұрын
And no one will see again. You lucky dogg
@yancy8084 жыл бұрын
They need to keep a couple of these ships around. Complete game changer.
@stevemossjr.52764 жыл бұрын
M
@stevemossjr.52764 жыл бұрын
Dom........mmmmmmmmmmmmmkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkki for
@firedavin4 жыл бұрын
I really have no words but damn. I give it for the man that had a work in that ship. The engineers that designed that ship back in the day. Just impressive all the way around.
@stevejordan72754 жыл бұрын
My uncle was GM for Turret 2 aboard the California in December 1941. He survived, but had been declared KIA; his next of kin (and fiancee) were notified. A few months later, he sent a letter asking why no one was writing to him. He had a copy of his own obituary from the event. I've I would have gladly paid for a tour like this; now I get it for free, and I can go back and watch it again. Battleship Iowa Museum, *thank you so much for shooting and producing this!*
@JimBob-oz5ls6 жыл бұрын
On April 18th I was on the USS Coral Sea and took a few great shots of that magnificent ship firing her 16 inch guns. The next day the accident happened. We offered help but they had no casualties. Only fatalities. The mood was somber on the Ole three screw maru. I'm going to visit that ship and donate the pictures if it's the last thing I ever do.
@shillrtr5 жыл бұрын
I was onboard the USS Monongahela AO-178. I was with the first group of 20 women onboard. Some of the Mono guys were sent to the Iowa to make room for us women. We had just finished refueling the Iowa on that tragic day. I have a picture of a couple of Mono shipmates sitting topside with the Iowa in the background after the Iowa broke away from us. The picture was taken a few minutes before the explosion. Any loss of life while serving is sad, but having a history like we've had with the Iowa makes it even more touching to us. RIP shipmates, you all are not forgotten.
@rcs30304 жыл бұрын
The USS Coral Sea CVA-43 had 5" guns when I served in 1970-71. Even the 5" guns shook the entire ship. I just couldn't even imagine being there with 16" guns ablaze. Very nice video.
@intervidusa4 жыл бұрын
Excellent tour Sir, Thank you.
@GFSLombardo5 жыл бұрын
The entire leviathan designed by hundreds of people standing or sitting at desks with slide rules, compasses and pencils on graph paper-No APPLE or MICROSOFT , back then...
@5000mahmud5 жыл бұрын
That's why it's worthless for modern warfare, unless you need some big guns to shell under equipped enemies (desert storm).
@Y.M...5 жыл бұрын
@@5000mahmud Advances in aircraft, guided missiles, submarine warfare, among many other fields have rendered this doctrine obsolete. Other futuristic concepts like the rail gun are on the very verge of becoming reality, and will force ships like this even farther down the power scale.
@aleksandersuur94755 жыл бұрын
As far as I can tell, none of the Iowa class ever served much purpose other than for coastal bombardments, they were obsolete to begin with. The only exception I can find is during attack on Truk, when admiral Spruance decided to actually halt airplane attacks on stricken Japanese destroyers so he could have the pleasure of getting the last licks in with Iowa and New Jersey before they disappeared under the waves. New Jersey almost got torpedoed for the trouble. That's pretty much the only case I know of where Iowa class battleships sunk any other ships, though Wisconsin did come close to sinking a ship, by ramming a friendly. Japanese and German contemporary battleships didn't really perform any better, giant coffins with big targets on their back the whole lot of them. Too few to make a difference, too precious to risk and juicy targets for bombs and torpedoes.
@Cleaveland725 жыл бұрын
@@aleksandersuur9475 wow, how about the Battle of Casablanca? Or the Second Battle of Guadalcanal or the last official fight between battleships, the Battle of Suriago Strait?
@aleksandersuur94755 жыл бұрын
@@Cleaveland72 which of the Iowa class battleships did Casablanca or Guadalcanal involve, weren't all battleships in these engagements from older classes? Iowa and New Jersey were present at Leyte Gulf, but they didn't end up doing much did they? All the battleship action came from older classes if I remember correctly.
@jameshoopes64676 ай бұрын
Every time I see a video like this, I’m always shocked by how tight the spaces are on such a huge ship.
@DrMurdercock2 жыл бұрын
This was amazing. Best tour/explanation of a huge gun turret I've seen. And I've seen a bunch
@tomayrscotland68904 ай бұрын
That was a great tour of the turret and all equipent pertaining to it. I did like the broadside firing at the end very impresive. Thanks for taking to time to do it.
@careysharp83405 жыл бұрын
I had no idea how those guns worked. Thanks for the excellent video and big thanks to all who served.
@YouTuber-mc2el11 ай бұрын
The expertise to design, build and put into successful action back in the mid to late 30's is simply mind blowing to me. I remember touring the USS North Carolina and we couldn't tour the turrets but did tour the operating room. All I could remember was how antiquated an impression it made on me. Thank you to all of the greatest generation. I fear that patriotic sentiment is long gone and not to be seen again. Very depressing thought of where things are today in the world.
@backdraft574 жыл бұрын
Incredible. Imagine all the detailed engineering and design to get all that to work. Remarkable
@brownwarrior68672 жыл бұрын
My wife’s Grandfather was a No1 Gunner on HMS Rodney when the Bismarck was sunk. I grew up on the Island in Scotland where the Midget Subs trained to sink the Tirpitz. The only thing I managed to sink however was quite a few beers serving in the Royal Engineers.
@BattleshipUSSIowaLosAngeles2 жыл бұрын
WOW! That's incredible. Is he still with us? Have you written down any of his memories of that day? That's important stuff.
@brownwarrior68672 жыл бұрын
@@BattleshipUSSIowaLosAngeles No unfortunately he has long since passed away she does however have his entire Naval Career and original documentation plus Medals. His name was Alec John Campbell from the Isle Of Lewis. He was a herring boat fisherman by trade before the War and also Served Full time as a Merchant Seaman . I gather a great many were recruited from the Islands of Scotland due to their Seamanship. You may or not be aware that it was a Torpedo from the Rodney (a rarity at this time for a Battleship to be fitted with Torpedoes) that struck the rudder of the Bismarck rendering her a sitting duck? I also worked with a guy who’s wife’s Grandfather served on HMS Hood in the same Battle.
@filminginportland16548 жыл бұрын
Absolutely amazing. Amazing how humans developed, built and were able to use such complex technology, and built so many of them.
@xzqzq5 жыл бұрын
War brings out the very best in terms of innovation , production, and invention.
@wompbozer39394 жыл бұрын
ville hirvonen Maybe you should go first then
@wompbozer39394 жыл бұрын
ville hirvonen Actually nazis were more oriented towards killing the human race
@wompbozer39394 жыл бұрын
ville hirvonen Also, you were the one who said that the human race deserves to be extinct. It’s worth noting. Cheers!
@kurtiskaskowski53864 жыл бұрын
@@xzqzq ummm what? There were LOTS of shit designs and huge failures.. and still are today.
@brownh2orat2114 жыл бұрын
When I joined the Navy in 1979 they were just beginning to bring back the Battleships, I was an Opticalman back then and I got the opportunity to help in rebuilding the USS New Jerseys big optical targeting rangefinders that are in the turrets, it was a very tight, cramped space and at the time never really fully realized how much history I was dealing with.
@seanc.53107 жыл бұрын
Awesome tour! Very informative and knowledgeable tour guide. I would love to come see the USS Iowa. I live in Boston and have been to the USS Salem museum and we also have the USS Massachusetts Battleship open to tours here. It is extremely valuable to be able to walk around these ships and provide younger generations with an understanding of how powerful these were and the role they played in global war/politics.
@ChrisArcen5 ай бұрын
Great video, I served as a GMG in Turret 2 on the USS New Jersey BB62 in the 80s in all the enlisted men's possessions over the years, including Gun Captain.
@oldhendy7855 жыл бұрын
Thanks for this outstanding video tour. I served on and old WWII Tin Can in the sixties as an RM so never got involved in the firing of the 5" guns and really enjoyed your tour. I've taken my grandson to the USS Alabama in Mobile a couple of times and he wears me out going up and down the ladders. I can't fly up and down them any longer like I could 54 years ago going to battle stations. lol
@PacoOtis4 жыл бұрын
Excellent! Had not a clue the guns were so complicated nor so massive! We definitely owe you guys a beer!
@chadmock58838 жыл бұрын
the brass balls on these brave sailors. if the ship were ever fatally wounded, it would have been very unlikely any would get out in time.
@filminginportland16548 жыл бұрын
When you're 18-22, you have no fear. You wouldn't find as many 30-40 y/o men willing to do that...
@jamespobog34208 жыл бұрын
Very perceptive...
@generaljimmies34298 жыл бұрын
Michael One of my favorite BBs in World of Warships, it's so fast and the main batteries are so accurate. It's AA defense is so good most players playing CVs often avoid Iowas lest their squadrons get slaughtered 😈
@jamespobog34208 жыл бұрын
General, we here on the ship helped with the detail rendering of the WoW Iowa class. The ship you are playing is a pretty accurate portrayal. Fire control was vastly superior to the Japanese, and the AA defense was virtually impenetrable. I see the aft plot room fairly often, and all those old, incredibly accurate clockwork analog computers are still there. They are incredible machines.
@jamespobog34208 жыл бұрын
Lots of gauges on the ship, where'd be the best place to look? With my experience in a fireroom, it was not uncommon to change them out...
@salsbery325 жыл бұрын
The word obsolete is sometimes an insult to these exceptionally complex and amazing machines. Never get tired of the previous generations tier 1 technology
@HugsBach4 жыл бұрын
God Bless the sailors and Marines who sailed these ships.
@brandonp27564 жыл бұрын
Marines did not sail them, sailors did.
@JJLewin16 ай бұрын
Amazing how it all comes together. You cannot help but feel for the men working in battle conditions
@ignatiusjk4 жыл бұрын
I cannot even begin to imagine what the noise inside those rooms was like during a firing,
@JBurris2 жыл бұрын
That locking design on the powder cans is just incredible.
@ristube33194 жыл бұрын
Perfect narration! THANK YOU! This was packed with information on a subject I didn’t know anything about; yet I understood the complexity and functionality, of everything without feeling lost or checked out throughout it’s entirety. Well done sir, well done!
@keithfowler20133 жыл бұрын
I visited Iowa in Portsmouth,England, many years ago and She was the most outstanding piece of engineering I have ever seen. So glad She's still around for people to marvel at.
@opticschief7 жыл бұрын
I work with Jim Rose when the Missouri & New Jersey were in Long Beach. He was the shipyard civilian Optical Shop supervisor and I was an enlisted Navy Opticalman. We overhauled the turret rangefinders and periscopes. Would love to get back and see how they are some day.
@mjlev3146 жыл бұрын
Worked shop 36, Fire Control. Those were fond days.
@Dan-gg8fk4 жыл бұрын
My uncle, Francis Tafe, was a rangefinder on one of the turrets of the Iowa all during WWII. Like many vet's he never spoke about his experiences. God bless them all.
@craigcooknf5 жыл бұрын
This video shows that you had to have jewels as tough as the brass on that cradle to work under these conditions. Just two ways in and out. War or "peace" time, these were....and are.... all very tough and brave men and women. I'm planning to visit the Iowa during the Remembrance Day weekend. It is one of many fine tributes to those who served and continue to do so.
@roryvonbrutt73023 жыл бұрын
Fascinating, well done, thank you ! ! ! Very hard to even imagine the noises and sense of urgency during the firing, and receiving of fire, in a stand up battle ! !
@bartacomuskidd7755 жыл бұрын
when he is coming down the ladder, you get an idea what it must have felt like.. under fire.. from that low. Balls... big freaking balls.
@jeffharder87064 жыл бұрын
I never thought it was so involved just to fire one shell. Absolutely amazing
@chrismoody13425 жыл бұрын
There is must see tour of the USS Alabama in Mobile Bay. My wife, kids and I spent the entire day exploring most all of the ship. We saw the engine rooms, gun turrets, galley, berthing, hospital, gaussing room, firing control, bridge, crows nests; It was just too much to take in everything. The scale of these things is just unbelievable.
@Todd_Riley4 жыл бұрын
Awesome video. I don't even understand why someone would give this video a thumbs down. I remember the Iowa parked in the the mothball when I was learning to fly. We would use it as a center point to fly circles around with a cross wind.
@markzarraonandia69757 жыл бұрын
Great video. Brought back tons of memories. Went everywhere but my GQ station. Local Control. My GO station was Local Control, Turret 2. Yes I was a member of Turret 2. I left the ship a few months before the explosion. The guy I trained to replace me died in the explosion. I knew 37 of the 47 who died.
@jamespobog34207 жыл бұрын
That is quite a burden....bless you...
@jonathanwhite56407 жыл бұрын
God rest their souls Amen.
@Kevin-sg5xc6 жыл бұрын
Sorry for your loss :( Thank you for serving.
@mjlev3146 жыл бұрын
Thanks for your service. Tough boat to crew.
@jameshayward56 жыл бұрын
Mark Zarraonandia I don’t think we met but we were shipmates 😎 I was on board for 1988 and 89
@LA...0224 жыл бұрын
I wish the navy brought back this class of battleships modern tech and big ass guns
@soundknight4 жыл бұрын
Thank you for sharing this, it's absolutely amazing. I can see why they say it would be soooo expensive to recomission these vessels. The high quality, specialised parts hidden deep inside the ship and locked in place with so much weight above it 2000 tonnes!
@rickshumpert47354 жыл бұрын
Great Video, my Uncle was a "Turret Master/Gunner" on the USS New Jersey during WW2, he almost lost his Hearing and told my Father (his younger Brother) Horror Stories about the Noise, Heat And Death in those Turrets. My Father said my Uncle told him about a Sailor grabbing an Ejected Casing and literally "Frying himself to it", teenagers, becoming Men "overnight!"
@donaldparlettjr32958 жыл бұрын
This not a place for the claustrophobic. Great video, thank you
@bigwu1006 жыл бұрын
boy ain't that the truth, I was thinking good lord I'd hate to be in there. especially under fire. Jesus, I just can't imagine how terrible that is. I toured the USS Texas and couldn't get over how cramped and claustrophobic it was. No thank you . My father in law who was in Korea advised me to join the army which I did we were outside in the fresh air. 1st cav. 8th eng. battalion. blowing the hell outa stuff, good times ; ).But I salute all sailors that served aboard ships at sea because i wouldnt want to do it,so someone else had to. thanks guys.
@vilstef69884 жыл бұрын
Nor is the ball turret on a B-17! I went from a video of that to this film. The engineering on the big guns is awe inspiring!
@michaelfrasard653 жыл бұрын
during ww2 my uncle robert king served in one of the gun turrents on the uss mississippi and was proud of his ship he said they would send someone into the gun barrel to clean that scares the hell out of me
@trenchfootgaming75155 жыл бұрын
I would have absolutely clocked my head so many times following that guy around in there.
@Danny-zi6xw Жыл бұрын
Iowa Class battleships are just cool! Being used from the 40s to the 80s and even 90s with the Missouri being used in the 1991 Gulf War.
@bigredc2226 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the tour, I could spend hours looking through everything.
@variable78333 жыл бұрын
Thank you very much for this. I visited U.S.S. Alabama and wanted badly to see inside a turret. This is amazing technology and a testiment to the U.S. Navy and all the men who served.
@GruntyGame7 жыл бұрын
these turrets are quite the engineering feat.
@johnvanbortle65595 жыл бұрын
Thank you very much very informative and very well done..... I am a Desert Storm veteran army civil engineer (62H), Never ever thought about those navy boys in what they did are put up with from World War II God-bless them all!!!
@srcastic87645 жыл бұрын
Not just WW2. The Iowa was on active patrol until 1990. There were still battleships firing at Iraqi targets in Desert Storm.
@Icepacalapse5 жыл бұрын
Playing "Thunderstruck" on another window as I watch this video.
@thomasgallucci28804 жыл бұрын
I served as Gun captain center gun Turret 2 on the New Jersey 1968-69. Great video!!
@dieselyeti7 жыл бұрын
The USS Massachusetts (SoDak class) is on display in Fall River MA. Her #3 turret is open to view. Fascinating stuff there; I've been there a few times as a kid.
@Yusa92047 жыл бұрын
I was able to climb around the upper part of this turrret and work the range finder. Very exciting.
@SuperRD19786 жыл бұрын
Absolutely have been going there since I was a kid and have brought my kids several times you see something new every time you go
@VaporheadATC6 жыл бұрын
I got to sleep over on that ship as a young boy scout. It was awesome! Go up on deck and move the machine guns and then hope over the submarine they had on display as well. This was over 30 years ago, so not sure if it's all still there.
@skovner5 жыл бұрын
Same here. My mother wondered where I disappeared to when I found the hatch into the turret from the deck. That was probably 50 years ago.
@DaKineCometCat Жыл бұрын
V interesting. Great narration - eloquent, articulate with procedures, terminology, equipment expertly described. Real eye opener. Thank you for sharing.
@cmendla4 жыл бұрын
Amazing video - Thanks About two years ago my Girlfriend took me to the New Jersey. I think it was the aft turret that was open to the public. You could go up through the hatch he showed and into the rear portion of the turret. I was amazed at how cramped the compartment was. You had to climb over something to get a little further in where you could see the breeches of the guns. Thanks for posting that video
@Hawk19663 жыл бұрын
Biiig gun, tiny cramped spaces inside. That tour really kicked up my claustrophobia. I've been on the USS Massachusetts and have been stunned by the complexity of these fire control systems. A fully analog computer that can lob a nearly 3,000lb explosive shell ~25 miles and put it in a 3 foot circle. That is impressive.
@biffnarzilla46496 жыл бұрын
Well shot & produced video.
@stevendaugherty75902 жыл бұрын
The USS Iowa Museum now has an optional "Gun Tour" available on weekends that take you through the gun house of a 16" turret & a 5" - 38 cal turret & magazine. Plus, the plotting rooms for both guns. It's well worth the additional fee! This tour was awesome with very knowledgeable guides. Highly recommend!
@BattleshipUSSIowaLosAngeles2 жыл бұрын
Thanks so much, Steven. Glad you enjoyed it. We had a ton of fun putting it together and we're happy we can finally get people into some of these spaces. They're incredible.
@stevendaugherty75902 жыл бұрын
@@BattleshipUSSIowaLosAngeles Thanks! I sent a Thank You card to show my appreciation to all the museum staff, guides, etc. which you should receive in a few days. My wife & I toured the ship & took the Gun Tour on Sunday, May 8, 2022, & it was awesome! I've been wanting to see the USS Iowa since I was 6 or 7 years old. I had to wait 61 years to see it, but, it was well worth the wait! My regret was I didn't take enough pictures, and didn't write down the names of the guides & other USS Iowa personnel I came in contact with so that I could thank them by name. I'd like to thank all the volunteers that volunteer their time to make these tours possible. I know it takes an enormous amount of work on the ship itself (repairs, etc.) & all the other work needed to turn a decommissioned ship into a museum! I'm so happy that all four Iowa-class battleships were saved from being scrapped, because they're priceless historical treasures. My grateful, heartfelt thanks to all of you!!!
@BattleshipUSSIowaLosAngeles2 жыл бұрын
@@stevendaugherty7590 Oh wow. So glad you got to fulfill that dream and genuinely appreciate the sentiments. Lots of love around here for maintaining and sharing this great ship. Makes us extremely happy to hear words like these. We'll pass them on to the tour department and they'll get back to your guides.
@danmyers10804 жыл бұрын
*scale modelers* WRITE THAT DOWN WRITE THAT DOWN
@InGratiaDei5 жыл бұрын
I was trained as a 13E in field artillery in the nice open air. Hats off to you, naval gun crews.
@bonesshed.5 жыл бұрын
Very interesting. thanks for the tour ! Glad this popped up on my recommended.
@danielpullum1907 Жыл бұрын
Well spoken narrative. Thank You! I had the good fortune to visit the USS Alabama in Mobile Bay a few years ago. They had cut a door thru the 16" cylinder that supports the turret by going all the way to the keel. Veterans were on board as volunteers to add color and narrative of their experiences on the ship.
@BattleshipUSSIowaLosAngeles Жыл бұрын
We have the gunhouse on Turret I open for tours now. Working on ways to get the public into the rest of the turret, hopefully without too much altering of original structure.
@oh8wingman5 жыл бұрын
A few years ago I was in Mobile Alabama and went to see the Alabama at battleship park. I talked to one of the attendants there and he said the reason you cannot access certain parts of the ship such as the engine room was not oil or dirt but in fact asbestos. These old ships were loaded with it. It's hard to walk around on the Alabama. Not because there is no access but because of the decks themselves. There is no flex, no give to them. It's like pounding around on solid concrete all the time unless you are on the open deck which is covered in teak planking. One of the things you never think about is where the crew slept. Movies would have you believe that they had actual quarters with bunks. Officers maybe but the crews had hammocks for the most part. When in the mess area, there are dozens of pipes with hooks hanging down from the overhead deck. The tables and chairs were cleared away after the meals were served and the hammocks were hung where they had been. Sailors also hung their sea bags with all their possessions from these same hooks. These pipe/hook assemblies were all over the ship. Another strange thing was the amount of barrels that were on hand for the antiaircraft guns or pompoms. They were stored everywhere below deck so as to be handy for barrel changes when worn out. A small sign on a 50 calibre gun emplacement indicated that the 50's were virtually useless against aircraft but they gave the crew the impression that they were important for the ships safety and their noise and tracers gave the crews confidence and kept morale up. On the Alabama you can access the rear 16" turret and it is not a place for the faint of heart or anyone with claustrophobia. Small cramped and dark places where men lived and fought with machinery all around them that could maim or kill them at any moment should they make a mistake or get sloppy. You cannot go through that ship without coming away with a better appreciation of the crews and officers who served on those iron ships................and what their lives must have been like. One of the thoughts that came to me when I was leaving is that it's too bad that one of these old girls could not be brought up to snuff with full access to all areas. It occurred to me that when youngsters start to get out of line and need a heads up as to what life could be like for some that they could be sent there by the courts and live as those sailors did and ordered about like sailors were. A month or so of that might help put them back on track when they realized how good they have it. IE: kzbin.info/www/bejne/boOrlK1ngLhqfJo
@largol33t15 жыл бұрын
I do recall seeing a WWII movie that took place on a battleship and it showed the crew sleeping absolutely anywhere they could find space. I don't recall the name of the movie but maybe the director had a WWII vet as a historical consultant on the film.
@timinla645 жыл бұрын
Took my girlfriend to Mobile to see the Alabama about 10 yrs ago. As I was down below, I vividly remember feeling that I'd sure hate to be down there if a torpedo hit. I can't imagine having that feeling every day for a year or two. Much respect to those guys!.
@danstewart425 жыл бұрын
I work at petrochemical facility here in Canada, and am part of the site Emergency Response Team.. There is a top notch Fire/Hazmat/Rescue training facility just north of Mobile, and for our 2017 Technical Rope Rescue refresher we got to access parts of the USS Alabama that were all off limits to the public. It was so cool... We toured around all the places just like this cat is describing... and what a mess... dude's not kidding, it is SO gross in the bowels of the ship.. and with full face respirators, because of the asbestos.. icky so rad, tho
@jerredwayne84015 жыл бұрын
The 40 mm as guns are bofors not pom poms
@bobgodfrey95244 жыл бұрын
I too toured the Alabama and what I found so interesting is that she is still in WWII configuration whereas the Missouri has been retrofitted with some Tomahawk missiles as was the New Jersey. The Alabama is a bit smaller than the Iowa class BBs but the tour is very good and gave me even more respect for all who served during that war to end all wars.
@Frankestein01nl4 жыл бұрын
A very nice tour, thank you very much!
@medic83775 жыл бұрын
2,400 pounds was the shell this beast could launch up to 20 MILES!! Absolutley incredible. No wonder we're 2 time UNDEATED WORLD WAR CHAMPIONS!!
@2ID_Doc4 жыл бұрын
As a kid I toured the North Carolina with my family. My Dad was a Navy Vet, I asked him about the 16” gun. His reply always stuck with me “Son, imagine firing a Volkswagen Beetle over 20 miles accurately, very accurately.” As I got older he told me more stories from his time in the Navy. After I served in the Army, the darker stories were exchanged.
@dbfcrell83003 жыл бұрын
I think it's important when stating the weights of different parts of the turret and guns to constantly remind viewers that it's FLOATING on a ship!
@richgg25 жыл бұрын
The animation of the guy going down the ladder was hysterical!
@Vaderd2k9265 жыл бұрын
At the beginning I was disappointed that I would never get to enter the turret. By the end I was glad. Never thought there was such claustrophobic conditions in something so massive. These hero crewmen continue to amaze me.
@tfwomble7 жыл бұрын
Got to see the New Jersey underway in the Persian Gulf late in 1990. Beautiful site as it came over the horizon.
@BRicker2 Жыл бұрын
Amazing and informative video. I lost a neighborhood friend of mine as a result of the turret 2 explosion in 1989. R.I.P. Jack Thompson.
@zarkondamean5 жыл бұрын
Seeing him move up and down ladders makes realize how dangerous working in them would be just day to day, not counting while in battle.
@bobbeller14575 жыл бұрын
Brought back memories. Did two years on the New Jersey as Turret 1 center gun shell hoist operator. I made that crawl a lot of times.
@ReverenXero4 жыл бұрын
I have done this exact thing on the Mighty Mo'. I literally climbed from the turret all the way to the end of the barrel. I could have climbed out and jumped down to the deck, but the turrets were in combat position (90 deg. off the keel) and its a loooooong way down to the water. LIke broken bones from hitting the water type of far.
@Jersey2tall865 жыл бұрын
I was an artillery officer, but since we were trained on data, calling for fire, and fire support,, and only on certain aspects of the howitzers we fired, I never really thought about why brass was used for the shell casings and on certain parts of the guns instead of other types of metals. Sparks between the round, its powder, and the loading trays never crossed my mind. Obviously, other external spark hazards were always considered (smoking, lighters, knives, lit debris still in the tube or chamber after firing, etc), but I never thought about it in the engineering of the gun. The BB turret is a flipping death trap. Brave were the boys who manned them. Through the years, of the Iowa class BB's, I've been blessed to see the MO in Hawaii, the NJ in her present home in Camden, NJ, and the Wisconsin when she was still in the Phila Yards in the mid '70s. Never got to see the Iowa, though, or see any of them at sea. One of my fellow Forward Observers became the last MARDET CO of the MO before she was decommissioned. I recall the explosion of the Iowa turret during Reagan's presidency.
@friesingcold4 жыл бұрын
Just imagine what a modern designed battleship could look like!
@rearspeaker63644 жыл бұрын
they would have to automate the 16" guns because 20 year old's nowadays are too lazy to operate those guns properly.
@TAllyn-qr3io4 жыл бұрын
I was an STG on the USS LUCE- DDG 38. On Ocean Safari in fall of 1985 we were in North Atlantic and during an UNREP/Refueling evolution at approximately 0300. I was new aboard and had shitty details and this was one of them. We were alongside the USNS refueling ship. On their starboard side. All of a sudden we saw a massive shape on their port side. It kept moving forward and was long as hell. Finally they matched speed and we saw lights, not sure if this is how it was supposed to go...as blackout ops were the norm but, seas were kicking with near 48 deg. rolls. We saw the hull number and sure as shit, it was the Iowa. It made me feel something...indescribable but, made me cry. When I joined the Navy you see and live the history. This is and was the display in all its power and glory of our Naval might and long history. Then the ship pulled hard correcting and yanked the line loose from our hands and was pulling fast through the deck mounted pulley with my left thumb caught in the ring where the two line sizes change from small line after the shot line to the larger line. Deck ape saw it in the dark and slammed an axe down on the line with a few feet left before I was pulled through a big assed pulley assembly. What a night! This is why I remember it so well. Animosity aside between twidgets (me) and snipes (engineering types) and deck apes (boatswains), he saved my shit. 🥰