Decommissioning the Battleship: 1957 

I doubt many people at the time expected any of them to be brought back later, and they would all be truly shocked that all four ships would still exist in 2022.

It's nice to see how much that final Captain cared so much for the future care\long term storage of his ship.

As a former Air Force First Sergeant, whose couple major responsibility is making such the troops are fed and billeted, I found it interesting that Captain Brooks highly recommended having the crew and facilities to take care of them on board to stay active as long as possible.

I’m going to the Battleship tomorrow!

I can imagine how burned-out the officers and men (only men at that time) felt at the end of this evolution. Good of CPT Brooks to keep ship's services going as long as he did - I know how depressing it can be to be stuck in a place, overworked, poor food, and nothing to relieve the monotony. Sounds like he was one of the good'uns.😀

27:58 The folks who are taking care of the Wisconsin have said when asked that they have no record of the ship having ever had a fire during any of its periods of time in mothballs; and that it is just one of those things that started as a rumor that is now taken as fact because it was "cited" in a book once - without actually providing a source.

I attend church with a guy who served on the New Jersey at the end of WWII, then again in Korea. Last name of "Kelver" if you have any crew lists. He was a boiler tech. Love his stories!

I'd of never thought historical trivia could be so thouroughly interesting!!! Keep digging for more Ryan!!

"Tap the pipes with a hammer...if it breaks...it needed to be replaced."

The "watch caps" mentioned in the letter of the canvas covers for the tops of the two smokestacks, not hats for sailors. What a nightmare for a CO !!!

Morale is extremely important especially during these times

I recently received my pieces of Teak deck from the New Jersey. I'm happy with them. It joins my other Cold War artifact of communications cable from a Minuteman Missile silo available from the NPS Historical site in Murdo, SD.

This video illustrates the vast scope of work involved with maintaining the US Navy. I think that we normally only think about the ships’ crews but there are so many command, clerical, logistic, maintenance specialists etc. along with civilian contractors that it’s a truly huge endeavor. So don’t be so quick to point out an occasional oversight or mistake. A good portion of our defense budget goes to pay the salaries of all those involved. Fellow Americans with families doing their jobs. Thanks to the whole BSNJ crew for all of the fine content !

Thank you for taking the time to go over this and explain it so well. You’re hired, 3.35 and hour and all the donuts you can eat. Pick up a box in the morning.

A great video. Loved going through the PDF of Capt. Brooks' letter. (I'm not a Captain, but I play one in a Star Trek roleplay game campaign and for its conclusion, the ship I'm commanding is due back to the fleet shipyards at Mars for decommissioning, so I'm trawling the web for info for my character's last Captain's Log & Personal Log, as well as the roleplay of our final scenes.)

What I found most interesting was that she had received her FC for 3"/50s. I always wondered about that. These guns were designed specifically to replace 40mm quads but no Battleship ever received them. An Iowa class Battleship could easily mount 16-18 of them, depending on whether the turret roof mounts were used or removed. That would give a massive broadside of 16-20 guns each, for at least 720R/M or 12 rounds every second. Interestingly it would have also made them the first U.S. post-Dreadnought battleship with an actual tertiary battery. If they had done the refit, I wonder how many, if any would have been retained in the '80s. My ship in the early '90 (USS New Orleans LPH-11) had the same guns.

Another excellent video. Me and my girlfriend are wanting to plan a vacation some time coming up. I'm hoping to get to go to see some ships. She loves the ocean and thankfully is a history nut like I am. Me, her, and the kiddos can hopefully come to see something like New Jersey. I know the kids especially the two boys would go crazy about it. I'm sure my daughter will as well. Unfortunately my 2 adult daughters and grandsons can't come but I'm really hoping we can make it to see your ship. I'm hoping maybe my oldest daughter may let me take my grandsons. Keep up the good work, love the videos.

I love seeing those old movie clips. Thank you

I found the mess hall, barber shop, & list of baked goods to get the most interesting.

I imagine being the crew on a decommissioning unit is tough

Thank you for going through what happened when New Jersey get puts in the mouth ball Fleet.

Very enjoyable video - thank you Ryan.

Thank you

Did a yard period in Bremerton in 1978 on board USS Fox CG-33. I was an E3 at the time so I spent time chipping deck on the mess decks and removing bulkhead covering (asbestos?) from the galley. We went on Missouri to strip items we needed, I remember getting one of the coppers (steam jacketed kettles) from Missouri. I'd have to say, living in Bremerton versus Beyonne was a much nicer quality of life. We did a lot of fishing in the Puget Sound. I met my oldest son's mother there. The women in Bremerton were very friendly to the navy at that time. I worked part time at a bar that was owned by a former Chief who was very fond of sailors and catered to the crews. Overall I'd have to say, if you have to do a yard period, make it Bremerton.

Ryan's musings always makes for easy listening.

The Oil issues is amusing I once talked with a oil guy who ran around picking up used oil from train locomotives and transmission and engine shops. With the locomotives he always tried to time it so that he got to the locomotive just as they shut it down for the oil change so everything flowed quickly as it was still warm. Otherwise it would take 4-5x as long if the stuff started to gel.

I love the long videos!

Interesting , Thank You . Such a Wise Captain

40 year's DoN experience, and still at it. Since the 80's, at least, it's pretty common to do an "After Action Report" after major evolutions, including successful ones. We try pretty hard to gather "Lessons-Learned" so that we get better at doing things as we go, so that future ops can be more effective and/or more efficient.* I don't at all read this document as complaining about conditions or "things not ging smoothly," everything I see here is pretty typical of an AAR. There is always a degree of personality and personal reasons in this type of corresepondance, but it's also likely that a member of the rare breed of battleship captains would want to share his experience with one of the very few others. We also read that SAIPAN is about to be decommed, and might learn some of these lessons as well. And it's at least 80% probable that he wanted to keep the MARDET just as a source of allegedly-unskilled labor to carry things around. Good libo in NY, though, so I might have put up with it - even though CAPT Brooks notes that "New York is too big a city" for some of the crew. Ooh Rah. * A Royal Marine - "Lessons-identified, to be identified again at a later date" (because we didn't really 'learn" them).

This was very interesting.

actually Iowa &Wisconsin both had their 40mm &all 20mm &aircraft cranes taken off , before their decommissioning 1958 ,New Jersey didn't along with Missouri in 1955 .

That was very interesting.

Another great video from the battleship. Thanks

RE- USS George Washington - started 4-year Refueling and Complex Overhaul (RCOH) in August 2017. Should have completed by May 2022- but more work found and still in Overhaul, That a long TIME. I am not surprised thinking of that IRT Suicides. _ I read Adams Comment below. - I'd Agree for some rates/specialties of personnel - they should be offered chance to transfer to a ship deloying..

When my ship went through.overhaul in Long Beach, ET’s only had to care for. Chipping and painting where our comma and radar antennas were and the decks and passages and spaces that we occupied. Also, removing some electronic equipment for upgrades or reconditioning by outside contractors. But that memo says more ET’s were retained at the end? That seems like slave work to me, having to chip and paint and PMS’ing other division’s workspaces and equipment! On a separate issue about New Jersey’s comm shack, do you stil have on boar R-1051’s and T-827’s (HF Transciever sets); SRC 20/21’s (UHF transceivers); HF crypto’sKY-8’s or KY-58’s (UHF Crypto’s); KY-75’s(HF crypto’s). These were in my destroyer’s comm shack and I assume this equipment was standard on the battleship’s decommissioned in the early 90’s. Does the museum allow visitors to see the comm shack on tours?

I'm a retired US Navy Engineer! My first half I was a Boiler Technition, cross rating to Gas Turbine Mechanic just before the BTs and MMs combined! Question... as far as Battle Shock goes, I've always thought a Steam ship would be Far more robust in battle conditions! Any thoughts on that?

No radio teletype service folks in Bayonne. I bet the Army had a couple at Fort Monmouth. It had Army Signal Corps units and school back then. They could have tossed a couple guys and their tools in bus and driven right up Route 9.

I had exactly your thoughts before you said it, that the USN either anticipated reactivating them very quickly or never, so why bother spending the money either way. Though the suggestion to stock the ship with nonperishable supplies seems to hint at a quick reactivation being the thought.

I went on the tour of Big Mo when I was in Washington. 1980.

Do you know when the study was started to recommission the four battleships and what they asked four to go to Vietnam ? And why it was not done in a time to effect the war ?

“The Hellscape that is Bayonne” 😂.

When a ship such as NJ is going to be decommissioned and going to the mothballs what do they do to All the work centers etc? Does all the equipment and everything stay the same?

I was bored during breakfast (retired old guy) and decided to watch a boring episode :-) ... but NO! It was very interesting. I am impressed with the CO. A fellow engineer friend joined the reserve and then went Navy full time retiring Captain but I rarely get to see him long enough to ask questions so this is very interesting. I doubt one earns a star deactivating a ship so yes, thankless job. Now I see why we wanted these fellows as administrators in business.

20:26 Lost 2 pair of binoculars, was Admiral Rozhestvensky on board? 😂

I enjoyed my short time as Captain of this ship.

I was on the USS George Washington during her first 2 years periods in Portsmouth va

Caption Brooks seemed more realistic than I thought many officers though many I felt with were mId shippman, long ago in a world far away.

I guess Capt Minor was the Jr Capt. Lol

Why is your video so overexposed, or is it just artistic license? Otherwise, great content.

I saw the battleships in the Navy yard as a young child. This was 1961.

Is it possible for the New Jersey to still be activated as a towable shore battery?

Do they run house steam during deactivation instead of her boilers . What is that process to mothball the boilers and steam system .? Do they get Ll the water out..???? What does it take to re-lite the boilers ?

didn't you mean to edit out those re-takes?

Is there a particular reason they were stored in Bremerton Wa.

Kind of a sad subject, decommissioning the ship

Hey! What kind of bag is that?

My mom just visited the Wisconsin.

🤜🤛

I always wondered what happened to the crew of an Iowa class battleship after WW2. Were they reassigned to another ship ? Even if their rate was 16 inch turret related ?

👍👍👍👊

I never knew of sailor suicidal problems. Is there a support system ?

Ah yes, souvenirs: A single crewman thinks, "This is a non-critical piece of the ship, I can take this as a piece of memorabilia and no one will miss it." Multiply this by 1000 crew, and you begin to see the potential problems at scale.

dont forget to white balance and iris down a little

Wisconsin was like "good enough for Government work"

When is the fuel tanks emptied as well as removing all of the ammunition and weaponry. Is this done. When is all of the perishable food removed.

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Can the guns be reactivated, including the 16 inch guns?

With everything that is about to happen, i wish they would drag out the old girl, load her up with VLS and CIWS and put her back into service.

I kept hearing you say "Urology", and I am wondering why was that so critical. "Aerology" is a word that I had not heard before.

Working in the city vs working in silicon valley was the same. You didn't want to be in the office in the city.

Cadmium plated Nutz.

I imagine that parking an Iowa-class battleship is like parking your car, right??? you just sail to wherever and you turn the key and that turns the whole ship off... right? I don't have any other frame of reference than my Honda Civic - so I imagine that the battleship is just a really big Honda... when you get parked in your parking spot, right???? I wish there was a museum curator that could explain better... I know the kids make parallel parking a car with power-steering sound complicated - but you wouldn't happen to routinely parallel park your Iowa-class battleship, would you? Because, I would imagine that parallel-parking a battleship is slightly more complex than - making sure your ship is on your half of the parking-meter.

When a ship is being decommissioned, you acquire every historical piece you can get!

First Post !

2nd, 1 August 2022

"Captain Brooks operated without much guidance from above." That used to be a hallmark of Navy's method of operation. Especially in its early days, There was little communication between DC and ships, especially during a battle. Navy Regulations was a relatively small document, telling mostly the limits of decision making and some basic principles of operation. Beyond that, captains... and most Naval leaders, even among the enlisted ranks, were expected to make quick and sound decisions within those and constitutional limits. During and after the Vietnam War, this began to change, culminating in today's military being at least as much an arm of social engineering and propaganda as it is an extension of US might... let along right. Thus today's political yes-men are more likely promoted than self-reliant decision makers. Sad. Glad I'm no longer inside to see that.

This channel is awesome! The USS Texas is getting some pampering, checkout the RU-vid channel!

Third watch here 😂😂😂😂 what fun awaits

How much would it cost to fully restore the Battleship New Jersey and to activate it with some automatic additions in loading the shells at a faster clip ( reducing men that would otherwise be in constant danger. Money would not be a problem as this country sorely needs some battleships. Also thinking of Missouri, and Texas and build a brand new one Arizona 2 which will be bigger more automated, and have a power system worthy to be proud of. Would appreciate some estimates low and high. Thanks.

Why do we have such a large mothball fleet

ETs have a lot of work? Go figure

lol at "New York appears too big a city for some of the crew.. The only cure right now would be to get the crew to sea for a substantial time". What kinds of "problems" are they having with New York?? Drinking and womanizing too much is my guess.

How much of that was taking up by mob union money?

Hey! Szimanski! 1: stop deprecating your polish namesake. Polish folk have been the target of jokes, don’t continue it. 2: question: how does one counter flood a battleship. Cheers.

Ryan, I like your content in your videos. But please, cut your hair because I have a hard time paying attention when looking at you. Trust me, you're not fooling anyone with the hair. Accept yourself for who you are and be proud of your achievements so far. A well spoken man with natural male pattern baldness comes across much better than the persona of just being unkept.

I am so surprised that the iowas were decommissioned only a few years after they were built.