USS Nevada

[EZ_E]

 

 

[font:Comic Sans MS]USS Nevada (Battleship # 36, later BB-36), 1916-1948[/font]

 

USS Nevada, first of a class of two 27,500-ton battleships, was built at Quincy, Massachusetts. She was commissioned in March 1916 and operated in the western Atlantic and the Caribbean until mid-1918, when she went to the British Isles for World War I service. Following that conflict, Nevada was active in the Atlantic, Caribbean and Pacific. Cruises to Brazil in 1922 and to Australia in 1925 punctuated a decade of regular fleet exercises and drills.

 

Nevada was modernized in 1927-30, exchanging her "basket" masts for tripods. The update work also included the installation of a new superstructure, relocation of her five-inch secondary battery, new anti-aircraft guns and significant improvements to her firepower and protection. She then returned to duty with the U.S. Battle Fleet, mainly operating in the Pacific over the next eleven years.

 

The only battleship able to get underway during the 7 December 1941 Pearl Harbor Raid, Nevada was the object of intense attacks by Japanese aircraft. Left in a sinking condition after receiving one torpedo and several bomb hits, she had to be beached. Vigorous salvage work and temporary repairs enabled her to steam to the U.S. west coast in April 1942. She spent the rest of the year receiving permanent repairs and improvements, including a greatly enhanced anti-aircraft gun battery.

 

Nevada returned to combat during the Attu landings in May 1943. Transferred to the Atlantic in mid-1943, her 14" and 5" guns were actively employed during the Normandy Invasion in June 1944 and the Southern France operation in August and September. The battleship then returned to the Pacific, where she assisted with the invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa in 1945. Though damaged by a suicide plane on 27 March and by an artillery shell on 5 April, Nevada remained in action off Okinawa until June 1945. She spent the remaining months of World War II in the Western Pacific, preparing for the invasion of Japan.

 

With the coming of peace, Nevada steamed back to Hawaii. She was too old for retention in the post-war fleet, and was assigned to serve as a target during the July 1946 atomic bomb tests at Bikini, in the Marshall Islands. That experience left her damaged and radioactive, and she was formally decommissioned in August 1946. After two years of inactivity, USS Nevada was towed to sea off the Hawaiian islands and sunk by gunfire and torpedos.

[Just Bob]

Nice article, Victor. (thumbs u With that kind of history, it's too bad that she couldn't have been preserved as a floating museum.

 

Nice coin, too.

[cpm9ball]

Nice article, Victor. (thumbs u With that kind of history, it's too bad that she couldn't have been preserved as a floating museum.

 

Nice coin, too.

 

When I was living in Reno in the early 80's, there actually was an attempt by a few legislators to try to get the Nevada moved to the State Capitol grounds, but they couldn't figure out how to get it across the mountains. At that time, there was no mention of the radioactivity.

 

Besides the Bikini tests, the Nevada was used repeatedly for bombing and torpedo practice, but they couldn't sink her.

 

Chris

[DWLange]

As mentioned in the original posting, USS Nevada was sunk as a radioactive hulk in 1948. The remaining battleships of her generation were all scrapped in 1959-60, with the exception of Arizona and Utah, which survive as sunken memorials at Pearl Harbor, and USS Texas (yeehah!), which is a very interesting museum ship near the San Jacinto Battlefield outside Houston. Texas is the only American dreadnought type ship remaining afloat.

[EZ_E]

When I was in the Navy in the late '80's, I went onboard the USS Texas (CCGN), but this was a Guided Missile Nuclear Cruiser. I got a Zippo brass ship's lighter while I was there. I also got one from the battleship, New Jersey as well as a cool mug with the ship's logo. Oh well, I thought it was a neat-o story anyway.

[Coindude]

I was in the Navy in the late 80's also, up to 92, and I saw the Texas and Longbeach which I believe are the only two that are real cruisers... nuclear that is. The others listed as CGN's were destroyers... don't let me go on a tangent.. but I thought those were decent sized ships, I was on the Enterprise, so pretty much anything was small I guess you could say. Two things impressed me though, a Trident sub, can't remember which one, but the sucker was absolutely huge for something that punches holes in water and a Battleship.. I believe it was the Missouri... drove right next to us and it was one huge fat sucker. Then it shot its guns off and oh my! Very impressive.

[MarkFeld]

As mentioned in the original posting, USS Nevada was sunk as a radioactive hulk in 1948. The remaining battleships of her generation were all scrapped in 1959-60, with the exception of Arizona and Utah, which survive as sunken memorials at Pearl Harbor, and USS Texas (yeehah!), which is a very interesting museum ship near the San Jacinto Battlefield outside Houston. Texas is the only American dreadnought type ship remaining afloat.

I was born in Houston and have since lived there two different times. My family used to go to The San Jacinto Inn restaurant (no longer in business) on occasion, where they served all-you-can-eat fried chicken, biscuits, fish, cold boiled crabs and I don't remember what else, since I filled up (and then some) on the crabs. I ate way too much every time I went there! I am not sure, but suspect that the restaurant went out of business because/when I moved away from Houston.

 

Of lesser interest to me back then, but still quite cool, were the San Jacinto Monument and the Battleship Texas. I bet I'd appreciate them even more today. Thanks for the reminder!

[Coindude]

I too lived part of my life near Houston, Houston/Baytown. Anyhow, we'd on occasion visit the San Jacinto Park. Pretty cool place actually. Been up and down that Battleship, totally enjoyed it. Of course, I was a kid and the humidity wasn't killing me... nowadays, I'd just drop dead! San Jacinto Monument, larger than the DC monument.. buleve it baby, bigger and better in Texas! Did I mention I'm from Texas?

[bsshog40]

Nice article Victor. Looks like it brought all the texans to the board too! haha

[Schatzy]

[font:Comic Sans MS]I thought I had to post picture of my ship.

 

I was on the USS La Salle from April 2002 till decom. The ship was home ported in Gaeta, Italy[/font]

[cpm9ball]

Every time I pass over Mobile Bay on Interstate 10, I am always in awe of the sight of the USS Alabama anchored there.

 

Chris

[EZ_E]

My ship:

 

USS Nimitz (CVN-68)

 

[WoodenJefferson]

<>

 

 

 

Perhaps she's one of these.

 

I've had this image for a long time and it came to mind with your post.

[Schatzy]

My ship:

 

USS Nimitz (CVN-68)

 

 

Have you seen the show on PBS called "Carrier" they used the USS Nimitz for the show.

 

What was your rate!!

[Coindude]

Personally, I was a Machinist Mate, first class when I left... They filmed some of "Hunt for the Red October" when I was aboard... USS Enterprise, or the PIG as we called her.

[EZ_E]

I was a nuke electrician. EM3(SW)

 

No advancement among surface nukes.

[Coindude]

I was a nuke electrician. EM3(SW)

 

No advancement among surface nukes.

Nuke MM1, currently a Reactor Operator at Comanche Peak near Glen Rose Texas, only spent 6 yrs and 2 days... I count my leap days as extra! But I know what you mean, no advancement for EM's when I was in either... stud sporting that SW!! Hardly any Nukes cared enough to go for the SW or any other designation.

[EZ_E]

I was a nuke electrician. EM3(SW)

 

No advancement among surface nukes.

Nuke MM1, currently a Reactor Operator at Comanche Peak near Glen Rose Texas, only spent 6 yrs and 2 days... I count my leap days as extra! But I know what you mean, no advancement for EM's when I was in either... stud sporting that SW!! Hardly any Nukes cared enough to go for the SW or any other designation.

 

Uh-oh! A machinist mate is a reactor operator???

 

Can you say C*H*E*R*N*O*B*Y*L?

 

Cool move! How did you swing that? Did you qualify as a shutdown reactor operator or did they just decide to train you because of your background? How's the job?

 

As far as I know, I was the first nuke to ever get the ESWS medal since it was commissioned in 1975 but who knows? Thanks for the compliment. (thumbs u

[Revenant]

Speaking of the Texas, I'm attaching a picture I took of it some time ago. You guys refer to it as the last dreadnaught still afloat but that might change. Pollution has turned the water of the bay exceptionally corrosive. It's eating away at the hull. They're going to have to move the ship into a dry dock in the coming years or it's going to sink.

[Coindude]

Actually, I came to this plant 15 years ago. Spent quite a while as an equipment operator. People think that Reactor Operators are the same as the Navy, not quite so. A lot more equipment to operate, not just the reactor. There are actually two reactor operators per operating plant, on is specifically for wathing reactivity the other takes care of everything else. If you remember how big the RPCP was, think of one that's at least 20 times as big. As for SRO, in the Navy it means Shutdown RO, in the other world it means Senior RO. Essentially the Officer in the control room. It's a cool job, the pay is quite a bit better than the Navy! I'm sure you figured that. As for the job, it's boring, but we like Nuc Power to be boring don't we? We don't run drills, except during training, in which we have a simulator which mocks the control room and does everything that you could think of and has been designed to act jut like the real thing, and it really does. Right now, I'm working in a different area where I don't stand watch but do planning for outages... it's not like the Navy where that only happens once every 10 years, we have to shutdown the plant for refuel every 18 months. Last refeuling took 21 days and you cannot imagin the amount of work that was done. Anyhow, if you want more info, let me know.

[RGT]

Here's a picture of my boat, underway and making way.

 

USS Woodrow Wilson, SSBN 624

 

[WoodenJefferson]

~ping~ ~pinG~ ~piNG ~PING~ ~PING~ ~PING~

 

There you are...got ya!

[EZ_E]

Actually, I came to this plant 15 years ago. Spent quite a while as an equipment operator. People think that Reactor Operators are the same as the Navy, not quite so. A lot more equipment to operate, not just the reactor. There are actually two reactor operators per operating plant, on is specifically for wathing reactivity the other takes care of everything else. If you remember how big the RPCP was, think of one that's at least 20 times as big. As for SRO, in the Navy it means Shutdown RO, in the other world it means Senior RO. Essentially the Officer in the control room. It's a cool job, the pay is quite a bit better than the Navy! I'm sure you figured that. As for the job, it's boring, but we like Nuc Power to be boring don't we? We don't run drills, except during training, in which we have a simulator which mocks the control room and does everything that you could think of and has been designed to act jut like the real thing, and it really does. Right now, I'm working in a different area where I don't stand watch but do planning for outages... it's not like the Navy where that only happens once every 10 years, we have to shutdown the plant for refuel every 18 months. Last refeuling took 21 days and you cannot imagin the amount of work that was done. Anyhow, if you want more info, let me know.

 

I find that fascinating because that could have been my life if the right opportunity had presented itself. But, I am very content with being a diagnostic imaging technologist. Definitely not as boring I'd bet.

 

20 times as big?!

 

What a lucky guy. No watches! (thumbs u

 

And, if you're bored and like writing then I'd love to hear more of what you and others do at your job.

 

~ping~ ~pinG~ ~piNG ~PING~ ~PING~ ~PING~

 

There you are...got ya!

 

[Schatzy]

I am a HT and made 2nd class in 2 years and 2 months. I voluntered to stand watch in the pit and I sat and read my rate books for at least 8 hours a day. I was standing 6 on and 6 off for about 6 months. On my second class test I scored 98 percentile, so I was only 1 of 7 to make it. I got out when I decomed the ship and started going to college. I then joined the navy reserves and 3 years later I made 1st class. I hadn't picked up any of my rate books the whole time, no study and scored 88 percentile on the test. I didn't even think I had a chance to make it the first time up.

 

I graduate from college and December, I am going to school for a BS in Construction Management and AS in Business Management. As you all may know construction was HOT when I started school and now it is getting worse everyday. I have already started thinking about putting my officer package in and seeing what happens. I didn't want to go back in but I just might have.

 

Thanks for all of the storys.

[EZ_E]

Great success story there, HT1. (thumbs u I hope your B.S. will take you places. If not, then you can always rely on the good, old-fashioned form of bs to make your way through life.

 

Six and sixes, eh? That's awful! The worse watch rotation I ever had was five and dimes but when I got senior in rate qualified as a load dispatcher then the watch rotation was 5 and 40.

[Schatzy]

When we pulled into port, we shut down one plant and the other was still light off.

It sucked because you only got every other day off for liberty.

Port and Starboard is the wrost duty section there is, but at least I got to sit in 110

degrees and sweet out all of the beer that I had the night before.

[Schatzy]

[font:Comic Sans MS]Don't you miss this. Mine was the bottom one.....easier to get in when I was drunk!![/font]

[EZ_E]

Those coffin racks are a definite upgrade from what we had. Back in my day....