My grandfather was posted to the Philadelphia navy yard in the early 1950's. He spent most of that time painting ships that had been mothballed after ww2. He told me once that he saw the old South Dakota battleship laid up. She took a kamikaze attack once and he said that all it did was leave a dent in the armor!
There is a picture floating around the internet of a battleship which was struck on the armor belt by a kamikaze. All you can see is an airplane shaped smudge on the side. I dont know if the pic is of the South Dakota but it fits.
Missouri, a museum ship at Pearl Harbor also took a Kamikaze hit, on the starboard side aft. You can see the little dent in the armor around the deck. It is an amazing tour, you can stand exactly where McArthur stood when the instrument of surrender was signed by the Japanese. HIGHLY recommended.
I was on the Kennedy during 93-95 when the ship was in the yards. Spent months walking all over and under the ship supervising fire watch crew who were watching the welders and keeping the spaces safe.
That's BLDG. 1000, to the left, of dry dock, tall one. the lower, was tool Issue, "BRICK". Brings back memories, worked there 83-88, lived in "Tacony" northeast Philly. WG.-10.
I remember as a kid going with my mom to pick my dad up. He was ships company on the USS Kitty Hawk CV63 when it was in Philly for its SLEP. I remember entering the yard at its back entrance off Penrose passing the fire practice area, going over the draw bridge, and parking near the dry dock and waiting for my dad. Those massive cranes PNSY had, and the amount of ship yard workers was a sight to see. All but a fading memory.
@@step2191 I was the MMC in 4MMR on "The Hawk" for the entire SLEP. Picked her up in the IO when she was making her around the world cruise from San Diego to Philly. So I ended up coming on board a couple of months before she went into drydock and then rotated to shore duty a few months after she left to go to Norfolk. That shore duty tour was at PERA (Surface) HQ which just happened to be at PNSY. Basically spent 8 years on shore duty at the same place, something pretty unusual in the Navy (with the possible exception of career recruiters).
@@step2191 "I remember entering the yard at its back entrance off Penrose passing the fire practice area, going over the draw bridge, and parking near the dry dock." Me too! That's how I got to work there.
@@robwong4349 Seems like “parts” of it sure are - just under private companies. The theory being efficiency, I suppose - though when private industry takes over these massive things, and they finally wear out, they do sometimes come back to the government for financial help. Look at “The Fifty”, from the USAF Heavy Press program, for an example.
I was last at the Philadelphia Inactive Ship Facility in 1997 when I received a 3 hour tour of the Iowa . I was also there in 1995 and toured both Wisconsin and Iowa as well as the John F. Kennedy which was the last Carrier overhauled before the yard closed in 1996. Hat's off to my good friend Dan Unitis who arranged these tours for me. It was probably the last time two Iowa class ships would be berthed together . What an impressive sight they were !
I remember seeing the Iowa, the Wisconsin , New Jersey & the Shangri la sitting in the mud at the end of the pier... I worked their from 1974 to 1987...
After watching that video a light bulb suddenly went off in my head as to why it's so expensive. For some unexplained reason I couldn't figure out why renting a hole in the ground would cost so much until I realized that it's not just a matter of putting the ship up on blocks and having the museum staff and an army of volunteers descend on it with paint rollers. There are a LOT of specialized workers and tradesmen that will be working on it and expecting (deservedly so) to be paid. Even if the drydock could be rented for $1 there would still be a HUGE cost for materials and labor. This is why I don't have a job in the cost estimating department.
The recent articles about the Navy reconsidering its capabilities to repair wartime damage to its fleet in a timely manner makes me think that it was a real mistake to turn over shipyards and other military bases and properties
The people on the BRAC commission who advocated for the decommissioning of the Navy’s public shipyards need to be dragged before Congress and made to answer for their positions. It has been an absolute disaster for the USN. Those shipyards were a national treasure, given current fiscal realities virtually impossible to reconstitute. I really can’t state strenuously enough what a massive mistake it was to close those yards. The amount of institutional knowledge alone that has been lost is incalculable, to say nothing of the physical assets like dry docks that they possessed.
@@cassidy109 Hell even the loss of all the specialized machinery used for producing capital ships is enough to drag someone out onto the streets. Let alone the loss of the whole shabang
I was going to post a comment to the same, but you beat me to it. It was extremely short term thinking. Now look where it got us. China now has the largest navy in the world, and we're backed up at our shipyards and can't catch up.
@@cassidy109 I believe that we have a core group of the lifelong political and unelected careerist classes in national government, the ultimate outcome of whose actions will be to destroy us from within through their making poor decisions that run contrary to the best national interests of the United States of America. We're presently apparently more concerned about issues such as a few bases that were named a century ago after defeated Confederate generals, or opening the military to sexual-identity confused persons, than we are about the long term ability of the nations military to present an adequate defense against future peer adversaries.
The only time I was at the Philadelphia Navy Yard was in August 2001, and the USS America CV-66 was sitting where the Big John is sitting now. Instead of Gerald Ford and John F Kennedy, the first 2 ships of the Ford-class carries should have been named USS Lexington and USS Saratoga.
@@erichvonmanstein6876 The USS Lexington CV-2 and USS Saratoga CV-3 were the names given to U.S. Navy's second and third aircraft carriers. They were the Navy's first fleet carriers as well. The Lexington was lost at the Battle of Coral Sea in May 1942, and was replaced by an Essex-class carrier USS Lexington CV-16, which you can visit in Corpus Christie, Texas. The Saratoga served with distinction through out WW2. It was decommissioned shortly have hostilities ended, and a Forrestal-class aircraft carrier USS Saratoga CV-60 was commissioned in 1956 and served the Navy until it was decommissioned in 1994.
@@josephstevens9888 hey all that common knowledge information that in no way needed to be stated, also in no way did it answer my question? But thanks for playing better luck next time.
@@erichvonmanstein6876 For Historical continuity and to remember our Naval Heritage, those ships should have been named the USS Lexington and USS Saratoga. That Is Why.
I was aboard the USS Kitty Hawk CV63 when she was went through SLEP there starting in 1987. I got out before she was finished, but it is very cool the she the yard again. We used to call it the Philadelphia Naval Ship Yard (PNSY). The world cruised to get her there was memorable too. Thank you for the great USS New Jersey posts!!
I miss the old Hammerhead cranes which used to rule the skyline at PNSY until the mid 1980s... They were HUGE, and could lift the full turret from a battleship! You could see them clearly all the way up past the Ben Franklin Bridge.
I was sailing in puget sound when I saw the new Jersey being towed out. I've been on the Missouri when she was at Bremerton naval yard. I've also seen Wisconsin in the state of virginia. Iowa is my last encounter of these awesome ships I have to look forward to.
When I was on the re-commisoning crew in the 80s. Long Beach Naval Station. Also had a Dry Dock that was able to Take the Jersey. Had a lot of Fun going Under Her Hull and seeing all the Features and openings under her. Great way to Learn for a Snipe/Machinist Mate!! LOL
I have experience drydocking ships, everything from blasting to structural repair, painting to installation of new equipment. My experience comes from CVN-68 class carriers in Bremerton, WA.
Thanks for these updates. I was commissioned a 2nd Lt in the USMC in June of 1993 after graduating from Drexel University. I shipped to OCS the previous summer from the Philly Naval yard. What a wonderful memory.
In the 80s and early 90s, I had to fly in and out of Philly on business. Coming home, the glide path into the Philly airport usually came down the Delaware River and over the PNSY. If I was lucky to get a starboard side window seat, it was always a thrill to see TWO battlewagons moored side by side (BB62 and 63 ?). Made you feel .......... proud.
I'm not in favor of turning the Kennedy into a museum ship if it means taking money away from the other museum ships. There are so many that are in poor shape from lack of funds now.
@@kenkahre9262 that is why they should make unified parks out of them instead of them being in competition with eachother. However, with the presents ot the Karkov class nuclear powered battle cruisers made by the Russians we need not to have our battleships as museum ships they need to be manned and out to sea to counter act the Karkovs.
Its still a competition for resources, even if all of them were under the same umbrella like the parks service. Just look a the state of their trails or historic buildings.
I’m pretty sure the pier where the U.S.S. Kennedy is moored was where the U.S.S. Blue Ridge Lcc-19 was Commissioned in November 1970. After boot leave, I flew from San Francisco to Philadelphia to my new duty station aboard the Blue Ridge. I was placed in B-Division. That crane he was talking about was huge. It was freezing in Philadelphia that winter of 1970. Blue Ridge was the last U.S. Naval ship built at the Naval Shipyard in Philly. 51 years ago. Blind Mans had great Philly cheese steaks!
My father rest his soul served on the New Jersey during the Korean war. He was so proud when they brought her back out during the gulf war. They equipped her with scud missiles and kicked some ass. I got to visit her with him before he died. It was a proud moment for both of us.
It would be amazing to see New Jersey dry-docked! For some reason, I thought she was like the Lexington, sunk into the mud and immovable. Can't wait to see this, I hope you'll put-up a fund-raiser, with a counter showing how close/far it is from getting this vital service!
My Mom graduated Germantown in 1943. She worked at the Navy Yard as a typist until the end of the War. She talked about the day Roosevelt died, everybody on the subway and then everybody on the bus down to the Navy Yard was crying openly. Things were way different then.
Went through SLEP there with the USS SARATOGA CV60, 1980-82... Blankenship Hall BEQ Mgr. Had a great sandwhich shop on base called Blindman's. Oregon Steaks rules! Good times in South Philly!
My last seven months of active duty in the Navy as a Lt. (j.g.), December 1973 - July 1974, were spent as a Ship Superintendent here. My job was to monitor Shop work on the ship for my areas of responsibility (compartment closeout) for the overhaul and AAW modernization of the USS "Macdonough" (DLG-8). After recommissioning I also rode the ship down to its homeport in Charleston, South Carolina. It was one of the most interesting half years of my life. At the time I was there, two of "New Jersey's" sisters, "Iowa" and "Wisconson," were mothballed here, and I got to go on them a few times. I have many pleasant memories and nostalgic memories of my time here.
My father worked at the PNSY for thirty years. 72 Shop. He helped lineup the New Jersey when she was dry docked when taken out of mothballs for the Vietnam war. He told me a story of when New Jersey was taken out on a shake down cruise and her 16” guns were fired they crushed a metal tool box left on the deck..
I had the honor to attend (sort of) the Decom ceremony of New Jersey in 1991. The ceremony occurred at the Long Beach Naval Shipyard at or adjacent to Pier E. The ship I served on was being serviced at LBNSY, adjacent to New Jersey, so I had the opportunity see the ship being decommed up close for some time. I was walking past Jersey one day and I could not help but notice all the guests and officials seated at the pier and I figured what was happening and approached as close as I could. I was standing behind all the honored guests but go to see the whole thing. Something I won’t forget!
I have watched countless videos on this channel and have enjoyed every one. My father was an officer in the US Navy and during his career we moved from one coast to the other with many duty stations along the way. I was able to see some of his ships in dry dock when I was a kid and was always fascinated about how big everything was. He was an engineering officer and I was able to go below into the engine rooms also. This is perhaps the most interesting channel on RUclips because of the unique nature of the ship, the great tours we have watched and the total content of everything here. Ryan has done a super job of making this channel the great one that it is.
My grandfather worked here during the war, and worked on one of the Iowas, but I can't recall which one. The one story I remember him telling me was that one time, a worker decided to take a nap in a hidey hole in the hull, and while he was asleep he was welded into the airtight compartment. Fortunately, somebody heard him banging on the walls when he woke up, and the story had a happy ending! The only other thing I remember from that story is that my grandfather called these airtight compartments "Bismark " after a feature they knew Bismark had, and going by what I know of ships from watching a variety of these kinds of videos, was probably part of the torpedo defense system.
In 2004 I was the Docking Engineer and Dock Master at Metro Machine Corp which operated Dry Docks #3 and #2. In September of that year we did a tandom docking (docking both ships at the same time) of the ex-USS Lawrence (DDG-4) and the ex- USS Luce (DDG-38) for the purpose of scraping. Both ships were then dismantled and the steel sold off for scrap.
I know this is an old post but I'm hoping you can help me.....I've been trying to find out information on *how* these drydocks capable of servicing an Iowa-class or modern super carrier are constructed. These ships exert a massive weight onto the drydock so I can't help but wonder if the dry docks have pilings extended down to bedrock to transfer that weight, but #3 is from the early 1900s if I remember correctly and I don't even know if they had the technology back then to drop piers down to bedrock. Anyway, if you see this I'd love to hear your thoughts. Also, I've always been curious about the mechanisms to flood the drydock as well as the pumps and systems to *drain* the drydock. I imagine it requires many massive electric pumps but I can't find any info about this.
My dad's ship was there to be scraped. The ship was cv 38 uss shangri-la an air craft carrier. He was a seaman when it was commissioned in 44. We were surprised it was used in Viet nam.after that it was decommissioned. My older brother took my dad there to say goodbye to her. My dad passed away a few years ago. I still have the original photo of the ship hanging in my living room.
What is really impressive is that how good the US Navy Logistics ability was during WW2. They had a forward deployed floating dry dock(ABSD-2) in the Pacific that was capable of dry docking a Iowa Class Battleship.
My grandfather and uncle worked there as chippers and caulkers and my grandfather went out on the sea trials for the USS Washington. We still have the letters he wrote to his family from aboard.
That's nice that the New Jersey has a dry dock near by. Other museum ship's are not so lucky. One other thing, the JFK CV-67 should be brought back into service and leased to Australia. Just to make the folk's up north of them look twice before they do something...
One of your best! BRAC was one of the worst disasters to befall the US. There is continual speculation about the future of the hammerhead crane at Norfolk.
Was one of the reasons that the Iowa's were refitted in the 1980's was because the refit didn't take up yard capacity that could be used to build new ships, or did the refit still require the same infrastructure, just less time and money?
The North Carolina’s were constructed with skegs too. In fact during trials the navy ran into issues with those skegs. Read Battleship At War by Ivan Musicant
Did you ever talk to Philly Shipyard (Aker)? Drydocks 4 and 5 should have no difficulty holding New Jersey either. There’s a picture somewhere online of Drydock 5 with two standard class battleships in it at the same time.
In case your interested, the two standard BBs are sisters Tennessee and California prior to being sold for scrap. Reference Blue Water Beat History of USS California.
@@robmcconnell4702 O.M.G. YOU LIVED IN B&M FWD,ME B&M AFT...I GOT HURT REAL BAD A NUMBER OF TIMES AND IRON MIKE CAME TO SEE HOW I WAS DOING LAID UP IN MEDICAL... WHAT A BUMMER TO SEE HIM PASS,WE ALL WENT AND GOT OLD...STILL MISS MY FRIENDS,HAVE A COOL PLACE UP IN THE NORTHWEST,GOD BLESS "T"...
Makes me wonder if and when the USS Midway CV-41 needs to get drydocked if the drydocks at the NASSCO shipyard here in San Diego can take her. The shipyard still builds and drydocks a lot of Navy ships.
@@BattleshipNewJersey During some of the renovations and expansions at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago they were able to have limited tours to parts of the construction areas. They might be willing to discuss their experiences if you contact them. But obviously safety must always come first...and even the stairs into the drydock would be a challenge.
When she came back from Vietnam, she was at Long Beach Ca. Naval Ship Yard. I was out in the mass of boats that went out to met her. I was 8 ..........
I was discharged from Philly in August of 77 at that time quite a few old timers were in port being used by weekend warriors there was also a battleship there but ,alas ,the memory got a little foggy
They should allow the SS United States to. use one of these dry docks for paint and minor repairs if needed. Just to get her looking good. And then work on the interior.
I was sent to PNSY to report aboard the USS Biddle, CG34 back in 1980, while she was in for overhaul and refit, when she left the yard,max she could do was 14 knots, we went to Gitmo for reftra hi on the way back to Norfolk we got up to 37 knots, by the Spring of 81when we went on a Med Cruise we got 41 knots out of her, is Biddle CG34 mothballed or has she been scrapped?
how do they get the ships so perfectly situated on the row of 4 ton blocks? its not like they can just push on the side of the ship and align it without it possibly shifting at the other end
I've had the privilege of seeing and touring BB63 Missouri in Pearl. Can't wait to Missouri's her Big sis. Trivia note. The Missouri has a brass plate in her deck located where the Japanese signed the surrender documents the ended the pacific part of world war ll.
Your ship went to the Philly Navy Yard ? ? You have my DEEPEST Condolences! What a bunch of 'Screwups' I was on a ship that spent 11 months in the Philly yard and came out of it with only 2 of the 4 boilers repaired and operational. deploying to the Persian Gulf in '83, the ship made it across the Atlantic and inchopped the Med, BUT about half way across the Med one of the Philly repaired boilers suffered a CATASTROPHIC failure of high pressure steam pipe taking out one of the only 2 working boilers. NOT a good thing to happen to a ship on its way into a 'Hot Zone'
At least you did better than CV-6 did when work was done in Norfolk before WW2. She left port with a bomb that some dock worker put in there to get her to come back and get more work done.
Why wasn't NJ DDed at Bremerton for a hull cleaning before being moved to a new location to prevent marine growth contamination? The Kitty Hawk just got out of DD6 PSNS in preps for it's tow to Texas for cut up.
My grandfather was posted to the Philadelphia navy yard in the early 1950's. He spent most of that time painting ships that had been mothballed after ww2. He told me once that he saw the old South Dakota battleship laid up. She took a kamikaze attack once and he said that all it did was leave a dent in the armor!
There is a picture floating around the internet of a battleship which was struck on the armor belt by a kamikaze. All you can see is an airplane shaped smudge on the side. I dont know if the pic is of the South Dakota but it fits.
@@edfrawley4356That could have been HMS Sussex.
To be fair, if somebody had rammed the Yamato with a Wildcat, it may not have even smudged the paint.
Missouri, a museum ship at Pearl Harbor also took a Kamikaze hit, on the starboard side aft. You can see the little dent in the armor around the deck. It is an amazing tour, you can stand exactly where McArthur stood when the instrument of surrender was signed by the Japanese. HIGHLY recommended.
My grandfather served there during 5 wars.
I was on the Kennedy during 93-95 when the ship was in the yards. Spent months walking all over and under the ship supervising fire watch crew who were watching the welders and keeping the spaces safe.
She sure looks sad now.
That's BLDG. 1000, to the left, of dry dock, tall one. the lower, was tool Issue, "BRICK". Brings back memories, worked there 83-88, lived in "Tacony" northeast Philly. WG.-10.
I remember as a kid going with my mom to pick my dad up. He was ships company on the USS Kitty Hawk CV63 when it was in Philly for its SLEP. I remember entering the yard at its back entrance off Penrose passing the fire practice area, going over the draw bridge, and parking near the dry dock and waiting for my dad. Those massive cranes PNSY had, and the amount of ship yard workers was a sight to see. All but a fading memory.
@@step2191 I was the MMC in 4MMR on "The Hawk" for the entire SLEP. Picked her up in the IO when she was making her around the world cruise from San Diego to Philly. So I ended up coming on board a couple of months before she went into drydock and then rotated to shore duty a few months after she left to go to Norfolk. That shore duty tour was at PERA (Surface) HQ which just happened to be at PNSY. Basically spent 8 years on shore duty at the same place, something pretty unusual in the Navy (with the possible exception of career recruiters).
@@step2191 "I remember entering the yard at its back entrance off Penrose passing the fire practice area, going over the draw bridge, and parking near the dry dock." Me too! That's how I got to work there.
It would be great to see new jersey in there, but it would be even greater to see olympia in there finally
It would be even greater if the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard were still operating, repairing and BUILDING new ships.
@@robwong4349 Seems like “parts” of it sure are - just under private companies. The theory being efficiency, I suppose - though when private industry takes over these massive things, and they finally wear out, they do sometimes come back to the government for financial help. Look at “The Fifty”, from the USAF Heavy Press program, for an example.
I agree
@@dgansz705 Idiocy runs in your family, I see.
Agreed ! The Olympia hasn’t been out of the water in almost 100 years
I was last at the Philadelphia Inactive Ship Facility in 1997 when I received a 3 hour tour of the Iowa . I was also there in 1995 and toured both Wisconsin and Iowa as well as the John F. Kennedy which was the last Carrier overhauled before the yard closed in 1996. Hat's off to my good friend Dan Unitis who arranged these tours for me. It was probably the last time two Iowa class ships would be berthed together . What an impressive sight they were !
That would be cool!!!
I remember seeing the Iowa, the Wisconsin , New Jersey & the Shangri la sitting in the mud at the end of the pier... I worked their from
1974 to 1987...
After watching that video a light bulb suddenly went off in my head as to why it's so expensive.
For some unexplained reason I couldn't figure out why renting a hole in the ground would cost so much until I realized that it's not just a matter of putting the ship up on blocks and having the museum staff and an army of volunteers descend on it with paint rollers. There are a LOT of specialized workers and tradesmen that will be working on it and expecting (deservedly so) to be paid.
Even if the drydock could be rented for $1 there would still be a HUGE cost for materials and labor.
This is why I don't have a job in the cost estimating department.
The recent articles about the Navy reconsidering its capabilities to repair wartime damage to its fleet in a timely manner makes me think that it was a real mistake to turn over shipyards and other military bases and properties
The people on the BRAC commission who advocated for the decommissioning of the Navy’s public shipyards need to be dragged before Congress and made to answer for their positions. It has been an absolute disaster for the USN. Those shipyards were a national treasure, given current fiscal realities virtually impossible to reconstitute. I really can’t state strenuously enough what a massive mistake it was to close those yards. The amount of institutional knowledge alone that has been lost is incalculable, to say nothing of the physical assets like dry docks that they possessed.
@@cassidy109 Hell even the loss of all the specialized machinery used for producing capital ships is enough to drag someone out onto the streets. Let alone the loss of the whole shabang
I was going to post a comment to the same, but you beat me to it. It was extremely short term thinking. Now look where it got us. China now has the largest navy in the world, and we're backed up at our shipyards and can't catch up.
@@cassidy109 I believe that we have a core group of the lifelong political and unelected careerist classes in national government, the ultimate outcome of whose actions will be to destroy us from within through their making poor decisions that run contrary to the best national interests of the United States of America. We're presently apparently more concerned about issues such as a few bases that were named a century ago after defeated Confederate generals, or opening the military to sexual-identity confused persons, than we are about the long term ability of the nations military to present an adequate defense against future peer adversaries.
Yeah it's too bad, unfortunately it's going to take a large scale battle somewhere to wake people up again.
The only time I was at the Philadelphia Navy Yard was in August 2001, and the USS America CV-66 was sitting where the Big John is sitting now.
Instead of Gerald Ford and John F Kennedy, the first 2 ships of the Ford-class carries should have been named USS Lexington and USS Saratoga.
CNV 80 will be named Enterprise at least
Why should they have been named that?
@@erichvonmanstein6876 The USS Lexington CV-2 and USS Saratoga CV-3 were the names given to U.S. Navy's second and third aircraft carriers. They were the Navy's first fleet carriers as well. The Lexington was lost at the Battle of Coral Sea in May 1942, and was replaced by an Essex-class carrier USS Lexington CV-16, which you can visit in Corpus Christie, Texas. The Saratoga served with distinction through out WW2. It was decommissioned shortly have hostilities ended, and a Forrestal-class aircraft carrier USS Saratoga CV-60 was commissioned in 1956 and served the Navy until it was decommissioned in 1994.
@@josephstevens9888 hey all that common knowledge information that in no way needed to be stated, also in no way did it answer my question? But thanks for playing better luck next time.
@@erichvonmanstein6876 For Historical continuity and to remember our Naval Heritage, those ships should have been named the USS Lexington and USS Saratoga. That Is Why.
I was aboard the USS Kitty Hawk CV63 when she was went through SLEP there starting in 1987. I got out before she was finished, but it is very cool the she the yard again. We used to call it the Philadelphia Naval Ship Yard (PNSY). The world cruised to get her there was memorable too. Thank you for the great USS New Jersey posts!!
Next door neighbor I was onboard the USS INDEPENDENCE
@@billyoung7352 I worked on both. Its a young mans game.
Honestly really excited for when NJ goes into dry dock just from the videos that can be made of the process.
I miss the old Hammerhead cranes which used to rule the skyline at PNSY until the mid 1980s... They were HUGE, and could lift the full turret from a battleship! You could see them clearly all the way up past the Ben Franklin Bridge.
I was sailing in puget sound when I saw the new Jersey being towed out. I've been on the Missouri when she was at Bremerton naval yard. I've also seen Wisconsin in the state of virginia. Iowa is my last encounter of these awesome ships I have to look forward to.
That drydock is huge. I got to see it in 1985 on the Independence. Seeing a ship of that size from the bottom of the drydock was amazing!
I was in the shipyard when the Forrestal went to SLEP,walked under that beat
When I was on the re-commisoning crew in the 80s. Long Beach Naval Station.
Also had a Dry Dock that was able to Take the Jersey. Had a lot of Fun going Under Her Hull and seeing all the Features and openings under her.
Great way to Learn for a Snipe/Machinist Mate!! LOL
I have experience drydocking ships, everything from blasting to structural repair, painting to installation of new equipment. My experience comes from CVN-68 class carriers in Bremerton, WA.
My ship just left Drydock earlier in the week and it was the coolest thing watching it fill up with water!
The drydock, not the ship, I hope!
@@SteamCrane - 😂
Thanks for these updates. I was commissioned a 2nd Lt in the USMC in June of 1993 after graduating from Drexel University. I shipped to OCS the previous summer from the Philly Naval yard. What a wonderful memory.
In the 80s and early 90s, I had to fly in and out of Philly on business. Coming home, the glide path into the Philly airport usually came down the Delaware River and over the PNSY. If I was lucky to get a starboard side window seat, it was always a thrill to see TWO battlewagons moored side by side (BB62 and 63 ?). Made you feel .......... proud.
museum keepers producing videoa everyday indicates how much love Big J is getting.
The Kennedy ought to be museumed in Boston, Ma.
I'm not in favor of turning the Kennedy into a museum ship if it means taking money away from the other museum ships. There are so many that are in poor shape from lack of funds now.
@@kenkahre9262 that is why they should make unified parks out of them instead of them being in competition with eachother. However, with the presents ot the Karkov class nuclear powered battle cruisers made by the Russians we need not to have our battleships as museum ships they need to be manned and out to sea to counter act the Karkovs.
Its still a competition for resources, even if all of them were under the same umbrella like the parks service. Just look a the state of their trails or historic buildings.
Bob Witkowski There is a combined museum of several different types of ships at Fall River, Mass. ⚓️🇺🇸
I’m pretty sure the pier where the U.S.S. Kennedy is moored was where the U.S.S. Blue Ridge Lcc-19 was Commissioned in November 1970. After boot leave, I flew from San Francisco to Philadelphia to my new duty station aboard the Blue Ridge. I was placed in B-Division. That crane he was talking about was huge. It was freezing in Philadelphia that winter of 1970. Blue Ridge was the last U.S. Naval ship built at the Naval Shipyard in Philly. 51 years ago. Blind Mans had great Philly cheese steaks!
My father rest his soul served on the New Jersey during the Korean war. He was so proud when they brought her back out during the gulf war. They equipped her with scud missiles and kicked some ass. I got to visit her with him before he died. It was a proud moment for both of us.
Scud missles are not part of the American weapon inventory.
I spent a year with my ship DDG-38 in that drydock 76-77. Coldest winter of my life.
It would be amazing to see New Jersey dry-docked! For some reason, I thought she was like the Lexington, sunk into the mud and immovable. Can't wait to see this, I hope you'll put-up a fund-raiser, with a counter showing how close/far it is from getting this vital service!
The idea that NJ is stuck in the mud is so commonly thought that we made a video about that: ruclips.net/video/CN1sWcl7jao/видео.html
My Mom graduated Germantown in 1943. She worked at the Navy Yard as a typist until the end of the War. She talked about the day Roosevelt died, everybody on the subway and then everybody on the bus down to the Navy Yard was crying openly. Things were way different then.
Went through SLEP there with the USS SARATOGA CV60, 1980-82... Blankenship Hall BEQ Mgr. Had a great sandwhich shop on base called Blindman's. Oregon Steaks rules! Good times in South Philly!
Herman the German is in my living room 7’ tall as it was at LBNSY
Brings back memories dry docked on Ex -USS Farragut (DDG-37), and on the last active duty ship homeported at Philly EX-USS Estocin (FFG-15) .
My last seven months of active duty in the Navy as a Lt. (j.g.), December 1973 - July 1974, were spent as a Ship Superintendent here. My job was to monitor Shop work on the ship for my areas of responsibility (compartment closeout) for the overhaul and AAW modernization of the USS "Macdonough" (DLG-8). After recommissioning I also rode the ship down to its homeport in Charleston, South Carolina. It was one of the most interesting half years of my life. At the time I was there, two of "New Jersey's" sisters, "Iowa" and "Wisconson," were mothballed here, and I got to go on them a few times. I have many pleasant memories and nostalgic memories of my time here.
USS Fort McHenry (LSD-43) in the background...I was stationed on the LSD-38 USS Pensacola
WOW,WHAT DO YOU KNOW AND I ALSO LIVED IN THAT TOWN...
Rode back from Vietnam on LSD 27 USS Whetstone 1969
My father worked at the PNSY for thirty years. 72 Shop. He helped lineup the New Jersey when she was dry docked when taken out of mothballs for the Vietnam war. He told me a story of when New Jersey was taken out on a shake down cruise and her 16” guns were fired they crushed a metal tool box left on the deck..
A few years ago I did some work in the brown building in the background of the drydock. That's neat to know she was in there.
I had the honor to attend (sort of) the Decom ceremony of New Jersey in 1991.
The ceremony occurred at the Long Beach Naval Shipyard at or adjacent to Pier E.
The ship I served on was being serviced at LBNSY, adjacent to New Jersey, so I had the opportunity see the ship being decommed up close for some time.
I was walking past Jersey one day and I could not help but notice all the guests and officials seated at the pier and I figured what was happening and approached as close as I could. I was standing behind all the honored guests but go to see the whole thing.
Something I won’t forget!
I was there the last time she was dry docked. Long Beach NSY. I served on a ship in Long Beach moored adjacent to her.
Quite a sight to see.
Love to see it out of the water
I have watched countless videos on this channel and have enjoyed every one. My father was an officer in the US Navy and during his career we moved from one coast to the other with many duty stations along the way. I was able to see some of his ships in dry dock when I was a kid and was always fascinated about how big everything was. He was an engineering officer and I was able to go below into the engine rooms also. This is perhaps the most interesting channel on RUclips because of the unique nature of the ship, the great tours we have watched and the total content of everything here. Ryan has done a super job of making this channel the great one that it is.
Back in the mid '70s my ship, the Farragut, was refitted at PNY. I remember no. 3, the Jersey must have filled the entire drydock!
Thank You
Great information, I will donate to support this
My Dad was a riggers apprentice on the New Jersey when it was there in 67.
My grandfather worked here during the war, and worked on one of the Iowas, but I can't recall which one. The one story I remember him telling me was that one time, a worker decided to take a nap in a hidey hole in the hull, and while he was asleep he was welded into the airtight compartment. Fortunately, somebody heard him banging on the walls when he woke up, and the story had a happy ending!
The only other thing I remember from that story is that my grandfather called these airtight compartments "Bismark " after a feature they knew Bismark had, and going by what I know of ships from watching a variety of these kinds of videos, was probably part of the torpedo defense system.
Sea Scout Ship 52 is stationed at the Philly navy yard. Join the Sea Scouts!
S.S.S. CHASER . 63 FT. A.V.R. BACK IN THE 70'S.
In 2004 I was the Docking Engineer and Dock Master at Metro Machine Corp which operated Dry Docks #3 and #2. In September of that year we did a tandom docking (docking both ships at the same time) of the ex-USS Lawrence (DDG-4) and the ex- USS Luce (DDG-38) for the purpose of scraping. Both ships were then dismantled and the steel sold off for scrap.
I know this is an old post but I'm hoping you can help me.....I've been trying to find out information on *how* these drydocks capable of servicing an Iowa-class or modern super carrier are constructed. These ships exert a massive weight onto the drydock so I can't help but wonder if the dry docks have pilings extended down to bedrock to transfer that weight, but #3 is from the early 1900s if I remember correctly and I don't even know if they had the technology back then to drop piers down to bedrock.
Anyway, if you see this I'd love to hear your thoughts. Also, I've always been curious about the mechanisms to flood the drydock as well as the pumps and systems to *drain* the drydock. I imagine it requires many massive electric pumps but I can't find any info about this.
My dad's ship was there to be scraped. The ship was cv 38 uss shangri-la an air craft carrier. He was a seaman when it was commissioned in 44. We were surprised it was used in Viet nam.after that it was decommissioned. My older brother took my dad there to say goodbye to her. My dad passed away a few years ago. I still have the original photo of the ship hanging in my living room.
Great information
I hope you guys will be able to get New Jersey dry docked sometime relatively soon.
What is really impressive is that how good the US Navy Logistics ability was during WW2. They had a forward deployed floating dry dock(ABSD-2) in the Pacific that was capable of dry docking a Iowa Class Battleship.
That floating dry dock is amazing.
My grandfather and uncle worked there as chippers and caulkers and my grandfather went out on the sea trials for the USS Washington. We still have the letters he wrote to his family from aboard.
OMGOMGOMGOMG Hearing they're already planning her drydocking!!!! My heart is melting :)
That's nice that the New Jersey has a dry dock near by. Other museum ship's are not so lucky. One other thing, the JFK CV-67 should be brought back into service and leased to Australia. Just to make the folk's up north of them look twice before they do something...
Very informative, thank you
Love the road trip to another place with Navy history!! Keep it up Ryan S !
My ship (USS Vreeland FF-1068) and my Dad's ship (USS New Mexico BB-40) were placed in Dry Dock 3) for overhauls.
I have always wanted to see a Iowa Class Battleship in drydock, I am fascinated with the Iowa Class and would give almost anything to see one.
One of your best!
BRAC was one of the worst disasters to befall the US.
There is continual speculation about the future of the hammerhead crane at Norfolk.
I was a sailor aboard the New Jersey and then I went to work for the Long Beach Naval Shipyard until it closed in 1995.
Was one of the reasons that the Iowa's were refitted in the 1980's was because the refit didn't take up yard capacity that could be used to build new ships, or did the refit still require the same infrastructure, just less time and money?
Hopefully I get to see New Jersey dry docked, this vessels are so amazing
Great history lesson dude.
I sit down turn on the iPad just to see what Ryan has for me tonight
My husband was on the USS Saratoga while it was in dry dock. Year 1968.
The North Carolina’s were constructed with skegs too. In fact during trials the navy ran into issues with those skegs. Read Battleship At War by Ivan Musicant
Did you ever talk to Philly Shipyard (Aker)? Drydocks 4 and 5 should have no difficulty holding New Jersey either. There’s a picture somewhere online of Drydock 5 with two standard class battleships in it at the same time.
In case your interested, the two standard BBs are sisters Tennessee and California prior to being sold for scrap. Reference Blue Water Beat History of USS California.
Excellent video.
I gave the curator years ago the OOD of the launch along with the removed tags from my Grandfather's collection . There on the ship somewhere.
While I was in the Sea Cadets I saw USS Wisconsin in that drydock(1991?). It was amazing to see
And now she’s back there!
I look forward to seeing NJ in the dry dock. Still waiting on Texas to hit the dry dock for only the 2nd time since 1948.
Big John cv-67 good seeing her. Shame she will be disposed. Thank you for the video
3MMR M DIV. 40 YEARS BACK...
@@terrelmchenry9524 40 yrs back as well. Oil Lab and 4MMR B Div. Saw that Mike "Iron Mike" Fahey passed away awhile back. A swell Guy
@@robmcconnell4702 O.M.G. YOU LIVED IN B&M FWD,ME B&M AFT...I GOT HURT REAL BAD A NUMBER OF TIMES AND IRON MIKE CAME TO SEE HOW I WAS DOING LAID UP IN MEDICAL... WHAT A BUMMER TO SEE HIM PASS,WE ALL WENT AND GOT OLD...STILL MISS MY FRIENDS,HAVE A COOL PLACE UP IN THE NORTHWEST,GOD BLESS "T"...
@@terrelmchenry9524 Stay well fellow Snipe
I worked there from 11/1980 until 9/1995
I worked on the Wisconsin too
Very interesting information and presented well.
Makes me wonder if and when the USS Midway CV-41 needs to get drydocked if the drydocks at the NASSCO shipyard here in San Diego can take her. The shipyard still builds and drydocks a lot of Navy ships.
In dry dock, will you give tours to check out the bottom? I'd love to be able to stand near one of the propellers.
Theres a lot of legal hurdles to jump before that can be decided. Stay tuned.
@@BattleshipNewJersey During some of the renovations and expansions at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago they were able to have limited tours to parts of the construction areas. They might be willing to discuss their experiences if you contact them. But obviously safety must always come first...and even the stairs into the drydock would be a challenge.
We aren't even committed to a yard yet, its still very early!
@@BattleshipNewJersey I hope we can at least look forward to a video tour!
When she came back from Vietnam, she was at Long Beach Ca. Naval Ship Yard. I was out in the mass of boats that went out to met her. I was 8 ..........
I used to deliver sand there for the few buildings left that’s still being used by the navy to build blades for some subs that are being built.
I was discharged from Philly in August of 77 at that time quite a few old timers were in port being used by weekend warriors there was also a battleship there but ,alas ,the memory got a little foggy
Us Wisconsinites are noted for being heavy.
Brats, cheese and beer will do that. Say hi to your folk's
Did the Nauticus Museum get the Badger from the capitol, last I heard they were requesting it?
My sister and brother in law had their wedding reception at the officers club on the Philadelphia Navy Yard in 1992.
When I was in the navy in 93-97, I wanted to get out and be an electrician for the Philly navy yard but it closed down prior to my getting out. So sad
how can i contact Ryan S directly? I have some questions I would like to ask him but I don’t really think it’s appropriate to share here
Email education@battleshipnewjersey.org
Was on the USS Independence in 1987 during its slep period at the phily yard air dept v4
Thanks for sharing
I love your videos!
I worked at PNSY, I was in 51 Shop!
Looks like the Museum of Science & Trucking next door
NewJersey, Olympia, SS United States..all close to each other.
The Norfolk naval ship yard still has the 500 ton crane.
They should allow the SS United States to. use one of these dry docks for paint and minor repairs if needed. Just to get her looking good. And then work on the interior.
I can see the navy yard when I drive past on 95, always wondered what those tied up ships looked like on the inside
I was sent to PNSY to report aboard the USS Biddle, CG34 back in 1980, while she was in for overhaul and refit, when she left the yard,max she could do was 14 knots, we went to Gitmo for reftra hi on the way back to Norfolk we got up to 37 knots, by the Spring of 81when we went on a Med Cruise we got 41 knots out of her, is Biddle CG34 mothballed or has she been scrapped?
At 04:39 what the gray navy ship in the background?
Keep up the good work I'm so amazed but the horsepower ship horsepower propellers and weight is unreal and it floats
how do they get the ships so perfectly situated on the row of 4 ton blocks? its not like they can just push on the side of the ship and align it without it possibly shifting at the other end
I've had the privilege of seeing and touring BB63 Missouri in Pearl. Can't wait to Missouri's her Big sis. Trivia note. The Missouri has a brass plate in her deck located where the Japanese signed the surrender documents the ended the pacific part of world war ll.
Cool ! My Mom actually worked there during WWII .
Your ship went to the Philly Navy Yard ? ? You have my DEEPEST Condolences! What a bunch of 'Screwups' I was on a ship that spent 11 months in the Philly yard and came out of it with only 2 of the 4 boilers repaired and operational. deploying to the Persian Gulf in '83, the ship made it across the Atlantic and inchopped the Med, BUT about half way across the Med one of the Philly repaired boilers suffered a CATASTROPHIC failure of high pressure steam pipe taking out one of the only 2 working boilers. NOT a good thing to happen to a ship on its way into a 'Hot Zone'
At least you did better than CV-6 did when work was done in Norfolk before WW2. She left port with a bomb that some dock worker put in there to get her to come back and get more work done.
Why wasn't NJ DDed at Bremerton for a hull cleaning before being moved to a new location to prevent marine growth contamination? The Kitty Hawk just got out of DD6 PSNS in preps for it's tow to Texas for cut up.
That dark tan and light tan building was the electric shop (51 shop) where I worked.
Currently do you do underwater inspections to check for damage?
Very interesting