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Two Iowa Class Battleships Berthed Side-By-Side, Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, November, 1970
Two Iowa Class Battleships Berthed Side-By-Side, Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, November, 1970.
Seen here in mothballed condition are two of the four completed Iowa Class Battleships of WWII–USS Iowa (BB-61) –Center, Bow-On, and USS Wisconsin (BB-64)–Right, Starboard Bow, nested with an unidentified Essex Class Aircraft Carrier.
At this time in 1970, USS New Jersey BB-62 was about to be decomissioned for the third time. USS Missouri BB-63 would not be recommissioned until 1986.
It was considered unusual in 1970 or any other time in history to see two “Iowas” berthed together, regardless of commissioned status, yet here they were in Philadelphia just a few hundred yards from my newly commissioned ship, now the oldest in active naval service, the USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19). (Technically The USS Constitution in Boston is considered to be the oldest active US navy ship in commission).
Though not the largest battleships ever built, the Iowa class with its nine 16″ guns was the largest built by the United States. Japan built two 18″ gun battleships, both of which were sunk in WWII by us naval forces.
In this photograph the impressive beam of the Iowa class is in full view from a perspective not often seen in pictures of these historic vessels.
Wisconsin was recommissioned once, and Iowa was recommissioned twice after WWII, and both were decommissioned for the last time in the early 1990’s. Thus, the two battleships seen here mothballed in 1970 were brought back to life to serve again–at tremendous refitting expense–close to what newer more modern warships might have cost.
Sadly, Iowa’s Number Two 16″ gun turret exploded in 1989, killing forty-seven officers and men. The cause of the explosion has never been fully explained, in spite of two extensive investigations.
Photograph taken on Kodachrome film with a 35mm Yashica TL-Electro-X SLR camera, using a 90-230mm f4.5 Yashinon Zoom lens fitted with a 2X Tele-Converter.
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