Amazing views of historic USS New Jersey battleship while in dry dock for maintenance 

I recall shortly after the Falkland Islands war (between UK and Argentina in 1982) when Argentina sank a UK destroyer, HMS Sheffield, with an Exocent missile. About that time the New Jersey came to call in SanFrancisco, one reporter breathlessly asked the New Jersey captain what he would do if his ship were hit by an Exocent. His answer was priceless 'I'd send some men to sweep the debris over the side and possibly a paint crew to repair the scorched paint'. That weekend the ship was opened for deck tours and I was lucky enough to get a ticket. A magnificent ship, one that has captured my affection since I was about 8 years old... 60 years ago.

Navy veteran here, I served on the USS FORRESTAL in 1972. We had to go into dry dock towards the end of 72. After only seeing her in the water it was an overwhelming sight to seeing her full size.

The Iowa class remains unparalleled in drawing the awe of the country and of the world.

I did the drydock tour April 7th 2024 the video doesn't do this ship justice. The size and Majesty of uss new jersey. Awesome sight. Glad to see she is getting some great care. Great job bb62 staff!!

I remember this beast when active. She's both elegant and potent. The ship also makes me grateful the ship I served aboard will never be a museum.

Hello Rex, my dad was stationed aboard this ship in WW-II, from December 1944 through When he volunteered to go into Japan and help the transition team, he was honorably discharged in January 1946 in Atlanta, GA. He was stationed in Farragut US Naval Training Base (Idaho-now state park) as editor of the base newspaper. I can prove all I write here and have some pictures of him/the ship. Great Video.

Big fan of Ryan and his team and the old lady itself. I'm sad no battleships were preserved as museums here in Europe.

As a Shipsmith I appreciate all the work and those clean lines of this floating treasure. Had the honor of visiting for the first time last year and for a Jersey boy it was a joy at every bulkhead.

I grew up in Southwest Philly and spent some memorable moments in the Philadelphia Naval Base since my dad was stationed there throughout the 1970's. He took my brother and me aboard the USS Intrepid when she visited around 75' or 76'. My family went to Virginia Beach in October 2022, and we just had to stop at Norfolk to tour the battleship USS Wisconsin. What a piece of engineering! Definitely a highlight of our vacation.

A friend of mine was on this battleship during Vietnam,and he had the history of the ship. It was amazing to read the books that he had. I saw the Battleship Iowa when it was in NYC for the reopening of the Statue of Liberty on the 4th of July. They are amazing ship's.

“Hi, I’m Ryan Szimanski, curator of battleship New Jersey, museum and memorial…”

Thats amazing….lets keep this thing around for another 80yrs…..great video…..lets see more

what a fantastic rare view thank you keep them coming please

I'm heading to Norfolk next month to see big whiskey. The Iowa class is truly amazing.

The most highly decorated battleship in the US and also the fastest battleship in the world. She ran 35.7 knots over the measured course when she was reactivated for Vietnam. Ryan, I'm still going to sneak in there one night and paint the whole ship measure 21. 😉🖖‍

The Greatest Generation deserves no less than to see this great battleship restored to its original floating status....GO NAVY🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸‼️‼️👍🏻❤️🎉😍

I was there on the 1st day tour at 3:45. I can’t imagine anything more amazing than seeing that ship completely out of water. And seeing how much of the ship is underwater!

Nicely done Ryan!

Cobi from Poland makes an excellent model of her, by the way. Thanks for the post.

Very impressive and great to be able to walk on the dock floor. Thanks also for making this for YT. Great to see. I've seen some big ships etc in dry docks and from the dock bottom and have dived plenty, but nothing quite this big. Few things are, or seem, as big as a big ship that's live, but tagged out to allow diving.

Thank you So much! For this video😊

Nice to hear Ryan

Great video thank you keep the good job your doing in keeping this great ship shipshape 👍❤️🇬🇧🇺🇲

She’s absolutely beautiful…sleek, strong and still a formidable warrior.

Voice immediately recognizable for anyone following the dedicated channel.

My!! New Jersey (BB-62) looks great for her age.... Very nice to see this....

Love its stuff Ryan She looks different all the time from different angles

Great work Ryan

Back in action. Welcome to the world of the Mightiest Sea Wolves USS New Jersey. The history always Repeat itself!

Look at the finished work of the USS Texas battleship....it's awesome.

I definitely considered my drydock tour to be worthwhile. Glad I did it. I look forward to doing it again in 30 years when I will only be 107😂

I commented on Battleship NJ's channel that I think there was an amazing lack of marine growth on the Big J's Hull when they got her into dry dock 👍 All the Iowa Class are awesome vessels that need to be preserved

Amazing !

Amazing to see.

I really want to thank all the service members and Veteran's.

All the Girls are chasing USS Texas in age milestone, still afloat and able to visit for years to come. Great job on keeping all those Big Beautiful Girls from being scrap and off the bottom.

My last main "Bucket List" item to check off is to go see a Battleship in person. I wish I could see it in dry dock, but I will go see either the New Jersey or the Iowa in the next couple of years. I'm a citizen of Iowa, but I would love to see any of the Iowa class Battleships in person.

Wow ...... Way back in the 80s I was able to see the USS Forrestal Aircraft Carrier in dry dock in Philly. A comprehensive 2 year service life extension and refit. 100 thousand tons.....1000 feet in length....IMPRESSIVE !!

Always been on my bucket list to walk under a Battleship or Carrier in dry dock. Am guessing that the vids. don't even put the actual mass in perspective. Pretty sure I would constantly be saying ''Wow'' !! Lastly,, Really cool to see the People below under it @ 0:27 ,, which really helped with seeing the height size of the hull ! 😎👍

Thats amazing

Very nice

After my tourist week in DC I will travel to see and visit an Iowa-class and get one of these beautiful hats with the BB-61-64

Amazing

I recognize the area there by the buildings shown in a couple of the clips having done some mechanical work there. Little surprised with this vid & thinking that the NJ 62 had work done (I thought) just a couple of years ago ago. Nice vid

Great channel and Content.. How about a quick video on the dry dock itself..History, other famous ships built there..

Wow! Just, WOW!

👏Fantastic 👏

Nice job, Philadelphia shipyard.

Well Done

Sign of power! Show of force! Pride of her nation! Firepower 🇺🇲💪

Im still hoping to one day see a couple or one of the Run again and serve maybe the Wisconsin.Jersey, the mo, iowa , big whiskey would make me happy but for now atleast we got wonderful human beings like ryan and his crew that love these ships and know what they have done for this country and keeping Atleast that memory alive for future generations to know what 3 football fields long of military awesome did and can do .lol🤘🇺🇸🤘🙏🇺🇸🇺🇸

Awesome

This is just awesome to see how majestic and huge This old lady is. You Americans certainly had the foresight to protect these beautiful behemoths. Unlike us British who scrapped all there capital ships at the end of the war. Truly tragic.

I’m going to see her in the 21st

Amazing how little of the boat is below the waterline.

Ddg 995 1988 just got refloated when I saw it last.i was at sea when the bb ships was rebuilt and used.The mothballed ships in that Era was ww2 heavy cruisers similar to the indianapolis.Ive since visited bb 62.Ill pass on the tour lol I can watch from here.

I worked on the Battleship Iowa in early '80's at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, MS. She had super hardened steel 13" belt armor around hull. It can't be center punched. 4" thick double shell going up insides. 17" thick armor surrounding bridge. It took 2 of us to open manhole to bridge. Mark Gress and I were regular shipfitter apprentices at the time. Paintings from Navy personnel were all over the ship. Unfortunately, Ingalls shittard painted over them. 1" steel plates were added to many deck plates in passageways. The teak wood was restored. 5" guns removed. 4 Tomahawk missile launchers installed. Avondale shipyard in New Orleans did the hull work because Ingalls had no dry dock facility big enough to hold her. Red combat lighting is on its insides. Welds are all stainless steel. It took a carbon arc gouger to remove welds as needed. Many things don't line up. As in bulkheads being 2" off backing up other bulkheads. There is an expansion joint mid superstructure. Asbestos was all over it. Removed by a subcontractor. We had to wear respirators all the time while on board. The radar room was a rust bucket full of vacuum tubes. Small battle station ports dot the ship with degree markers. It was an unforgettable experience. She's a magnificent ship. Built by old men and women.

How do I purchase tickets to see the underside? That would be way cool!

It still amazes me how something made out of tons of steel can float

LONG LIVE USS NEW JERSEY.

I miss seeing Iowa in Suisun Bay.

If I am correct she was the only battleship firing her guns during the Vietnam War I was on the USS O'brien DD 725 and I could hear her guns from 20 miles away

Amazing Indonesia good Navy seal

This drydock project does NOT include repacking the prop shaft seals, etc?

Seeing the Jersey high and dry I was wondering, the bottom hull looks like it was painted black, I've usually seen it painted red, is there a reason for the color difference?

Красота!

Jesus Christ look at that beast. God bless our war fighters for their service🙏❤️

We The People... can build anything.

I served aboard the Big J from 1985-1988. Once back at the pier, can you please station it lower in the water to make it look more menacing? It stuck out of the water too much before. Previously, and as evident in this video by the faded black paint along the bottom, with the darker black that was under the water, the water was about 5 feet below the water line.

A great Lady

wow👍👍

How do they know where to position the blocking under the ship so when they pump out the water it settles in the right place?

❤

Wasn't the black dragon at 57,000 tons on her last deployment?

Wow

She is beautiful.

At least that one when you walk underneath, you don’t have to do daily and weekly radiation surveys…😂

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

HO -LEE-SMOKE! Look at her!

how do you get tickets ?

160 holes ? I have a lot to learn about how to build a battleship.

Long live Black Dragon!

💪👍 🙂

If they are going through all this…at least get it back in service and use the others as part stores even one battleship would give us the world prestige we currently need. Those 16” guns make for a show of force.

She can still fight.

all about the jersy. what about the Lexington. the Alabama. the Houston?.

Your gonna want all those battleships,after emp attack

EXCUSE ME, EXCUSE ME. You opened with ship length. BUT you missed the 7inches. (887', 7". Though it's not the size that matters. It's how you shoot your main gun.

What a beautiful lady!

DAMN..I wish I was in the USA. IDC HOW much those tickets cost, I would be there.

I would think they'd be using those spread-beam lasers to remove all the hull crap by now.

I wished the ship could be stored on dry land.

they made a huge mistake by not keeping at least 1 Iowa class in active service

It would make a lot more sense to put the ship into a permanent dry dock.. She is never going to sail in anger again and keeping her afloat in salt water is eroding her.

Why not just leave it out of the water so it wont rot as fast?

I think he is not sure what is going on. At less you might can take him to the vet calmly.

While in Vietnam watch USS NEW JERSEY firing its guns. Would love to see the ship come back in service to generate recruitment. Trouble with our youth and this goes for parents too. You don't respect yourself and country. Volunteers to operate this great ship and learn respect and honor.

Put big j Back into service,we are going to need her....

Any views of the poopdeck?

Made in America