USS TEXAS (BB-35)
USS Texas (BB-35), the second ship of the United States Navy named in honor of the US state of Texas, is a New York-class battleship. The ship was launched on 18 May 1912 and commissioned on 12 March 1914.
Soon after her commissioning, Texas saw action in Mexican waters following the "Tampico Incident" and made numerous sorties into the North Sea during World War I. When the United States formally entered World War II in 1941, Texas escorted war convoys across the Atlantic, and later shelled Axis-held beaches for the North African campaign and the Normandy Landings before being transferred to the Pacific Theater late in 1944 to provide naval gunfire support during the Battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Texas was decommissioned in 1948, having earned a total of five battle stars for service in World War II, and is now a museum ship near Houston, Texas. Among the world's remaining battleships, Texas is notable for being the only remaining World War I-era dreadnought battleship, though she is not the oldest surviving battleship, as Mikasa, a pre-dreadnought battleship ordered in 1898, by the Imperial Japanese Navy, is older. Nor is she the oldest steel ship still in existence as HMS Warrior, the world's first all-steel warship has been restored and is available for viewing. In addition, Constitution, Constellation and HMS Victory, launched in 1765, Nelson's flagship at The Battle of Trafalgar, are all wooden warships older than Texas. Texas is also noteworthy for being one of only seven remaining ships, and the only remaining capital ship, to have served in both World Wars. Among US-built battleships, Texas is notable for her sizable number of firsts: the first US Navy vessel to house a permanently assigned contingent of US Marines, the first US battleship to mount anti-aircraft guns, the first US ship to control gunfire with directors and range-keepers (analog forerunners of today's computers), the first US battleship to launch an aircraft, from a platform on Turret 2, one of the first to receive the CXAM-1 version of CXAM production radar in the US Navy, the first US battleship to become a permanent museum ship, and the first battleship declared to be a US National Historic Landmark. Current plans have been set to build a dry berth around the ship to help prevent further deterioration on the historic ship. |
Restoration UpdateA recent update published by the Battleship Texas Foundation.
The First Texas Volunteers has made significant strides in the restoration of the Combat Information Center (CIC). With the resurgence of activity following the post Hurricane Harvey hiatus, a great deal of work has gone into this project. Currently, with the exception of detail touch-up, all bulkheads and the overhead have been primed and new insulation installed and painted. The detail work on fixtures and furnishings are soon to start. This will be exacting and time consuming work, but the end result will be exciting. This project, in particular, has become a new focal point for interpretation during future Hard Hat Tours.
Work continues on the restoration of the stern 40mm anti-aircraft guns. This follows the recent completion of the port, waist 40mm mount. As this work continues, the team members gain ever more knowledge of the intricacies of construction and operation of these guns. This work, which sprang to life after certain members found themselves shocked by the condition in which the guns had slipped, is highly beneficial, not only for the guns’ preservation, but also for the hands-on enjoyment and appreciation by the general public. The 3” magazines refurbishment is currently taking a recess due to loss of its team members. Hopefully, this project will be able to take off again shortly. Future work, which will begin as teams become available, will be the restoration of Stateroom D. |
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Important Dates for TEXAS
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