www.AdamTheWoo.com - PLEASE SUBSCRIBE - I was given special access to visit off limit areas to the historic battleship USS Iowa. Special thanks to Jim for the amazing day. www.pacificbatt...
I'm Jim, the guide in the vid. I'd like to clear one thing up if I may. I say a couple things in the vid that I probably shouldn't have said on camera. That is 100% my fault, and Adam bears zero responsibility for it. I should not have mentioned the young man's name, and I was probably too intense describing the area around his bunk. Even though all the facts about the incident are in the public domain, it is against ships policy to be so descriptive. Jay (Adam's sidekick in the vid) is my stepson, and I was in sort of a 'private family tour' mode rather than focused on the fact that every word I said would become public. I fully apologize to my ship. The ship tries to be sensitive on the subject, yet many here are passionate about the injustice that occurred. Remember, Adam is blameless in this. I am SO happy everyone is enjoying this! Also, REMEMBER THE 47.
Jim, I was astounded by your passion for sharing the history of that ship. And your continuing to exonerate that honorable sailor who was shamelessly blamed for a tragic accident exemplified your own honor and courage. God speed Jim.
Every time I go to the range with veterans and listen to them talk or see something like this that shows the cramped, spartan conditions in which our service men/women served, it gives me great pause. Thank you for your expertise and your passion. I thank God that I grew up in a time of global peace for which many before me made huge sacrifices for my ultimate benefit.
If you think that the interior of this Battleship was cramped and spartan, visit the USS Growler submarine alongside the USS Intrepid in N.Y., that is totally claustrophobic and it certainly took a brave man to be a submariner in ALL countries Silent Service back then. I would Never qualify for service in that division.
The design, as well as the construction engineering of the vessel is just staggering, especially considering it was drawn out on drafting boards after being figured out with slide rules. Truly the GREATEST Generation.
Want an even greater perspective on such building/engineering? The Pentagon went from an empty field to operational in 16 months. Today just the environmental impact approvals to start building would take longer than that.
See, it really is a service that so many old men gain knowledge about stuff like this, and they pass it down. He knows so much about that ship, and sharing it is really cool of him.
What is really impressive are the analog computer that makes up the fire control computer, similar gear also in the Norden™ bomb sight and the submarine TDC that was used along with several 'slide rule' type devices for aiming torpedoes.
As the R-2 division officer in SIMA GTMO (Shore Intermediate Maintenance Activity, Guantanamo Bay Cuba) 19834-87 we were tasked with pouring and machining the babbit lining of a spring bearing (main shaft bearing) for the USS Iowa. The R-2 division was the foundry, machine shop, pump shop etc. etc. The bearing was at least two feet in diameter and we'd never done anything that big (at least I hadn't). I asked the workers, 5 Cuban commuters (the youngest being 74 years old), twenty Jamaican nationals and several senior USN petty officers if we could do it. The Cuban commuters said they had done several during WWII and then everyone jumped on board. I took the Cuban Commuters aboard to check the bearing race for damage, not telling the Captain or anyone else onboard for that matter, that these Cuban workers commuted each morning and evening back to Castro's Cuba. I think the statute of limitations has expired so I can tell this story, but the bearing was perfect and each worker got a certificate from the Iowa's CO. I put all the civilian workers in for a bonus and they each received 200 dollars. The Petty Officers got an "Attaboy" on their evals. and an Iowa belt buckle.
Great story! Any memory of which shaft and bearing location? I do know that Iowa suffered from vibration for most of her service life, and at one time had rather severe damage to the bearing right at the prop (don't know the name of that last bearing). At it's worst, it supposedly was pretty bad.
james pobog, how did the vibration affect performance and day-to-day life aboard? Did the ship have a noticeable vibration throughout? Did she want to naturally pull to one side or the other? Btw thx for the excellent tour, your enthusiasm, and above all for your service.
When i was in coast guard boot camp back in 1978, when it was still in active service , we were taken to tour the Iowa, Man--Camera's can't begin to show what it was like with men running back and forth, all the sounds going on around you, Orders being yelled out, having to salute sup. officers I will never forget that, would have been more exciting if we didn't have Officer's barking orders at us,, plus being still new to the military and to boot camp (had 1 week to Grad), it was scary and intimidating to say the least.
lol No doubt James. My father was Air Force but any time we went on vacation or were anywhere near a Navy dock he always took us to get as good a look as we could. I have never been on a Navy ship but yea, I have been close enough to be stunned by the sheer size. It has been 35+ years but I got to walk the dock next to a carrier (no idea which one) and I still recall how shocking the sheer size was. It's like an entire city block, and then some.
The USS Iowa looks so complex inside compared to her beauty from the outside, this was very informative and seeing the Analog and Gun Fire Control System, my god! Thank you so much for exploring such an amazing battleship, we thank you!
SUPERB , job on the video. It should be shown, in every history class, in our high schools, across the U.S., and elsewhere, where the there is an interest, of learning about the devastating wars around the globe that human kind inhabits ! .
Wow, that guide really put the realism in his tour, especially during the burst steam pipe scenario, really makes your heart stop and think about it deeply.
Thanks so much, you "get" it. What you see on the tape is actually the first time I delved into that level of intensity. It's 100% ad lib. I was so pleased with the way it came across that it is now a technique that I use daily. I call it "smacking you upside the head with reality". I do it because even people who interact with volunteers/guides often don't have a clue going in, and leave much the same way, informed but not to the level of "getting it". Best day I had on the ship in 7 years was in that exact spot in the engine room, a while after this vid was shot. I was talking to a family with 2 teen girls, and REALLY laying it on thick for the 17 year old, and I actually SAW her "get it", I saw the lights of understanding come on in her eyes. Still gives me goosebumps...
The total body of competency that it must have taken at every stage to make this ship run is amazing. Every single person had to know their job. No shirkers I bet.
My brother was on the ship during the accident. He was a firefighter on the ship and we got to see inside the ship shortly after the incident. Thanks for the video.
Something I just remembered... I started as a volunteer, and on the last day the ship was wide open to former crew, when the ship closed I ran to the 'boss' and asked for permission to go down to engineering. Went there with another volunteer and all of a sudden, all this stuff came back to me and I was talking like I was still in the navy even though it had been about 40 years. I remember thinking "Jeez, where is all THAT coming from?"
Thanks very much. Come visit sometime. In 2005 I got to go on the O'Brian and went into the machinery space (combined engine room/fire room). Man, watching an old triple expansion engine working is really something...
Omg. I’m in total awe. Ty Adam. Not done watching but full debt of gratitude for you and the host of your tour what a treat to be able see this phenomenal battleship that I love so much
Was a museum crewmember for a short while. Unfortunately I couldnt make it work on a permanent basis. But I'm probably one of the few that has actually had the chance to see areas and spaces most STAFF never get to see. Great but brief experence!😁 Many thanks to Sue Schmidt and the security crew!
Absolutely FASCINATING video. This is so the tiny sweet spot of RU-vid. Such a complex and exhilarating piece of armament. That tour guide is an incredible spokesman. You picked the right tour guide! Much love to my sister-branch Navy brothers (and sisters) from a Veteran Marine!
Amazing tour and very interesting insights of the compartments you else never get to see ! I always have wanted to see something like this; thanks for uploading this !
If you are ever near San Pedro, stop by. Since this was shot, we have expanded tour areas. There is now "Full Steam Ahead" that is a limited availability premium ticket that takes you to those engineering spaces down on Broadway.
The company I work for made those 5-inch 38s; Northern Ordnance Inc., then a wholly owned subsidiary of Northern Pump Company, subsequently owned by FMC Corporation, United Defense LP and currently BAE Systems. And yes, we still make all the 5-inch guns for the Navy's Arleigh Burke class destroyers and most recently the 6-inch guns for the Zumwalt class destroyers.
During WWII there were several producers of the guns. It's interesting to read the stampings, very often the barrel and "frame" of the gun are by different outfits. IIRC, one of those barrels is stamped 1945, meaning it was replaced.
He asked if it was haunted, well let me tell you, it really wouldn't surprise me. I had the opportunity to volunteer on the Iowa when it came to port in L.A.. It needed some maintenance done to it and at the time I was a union ironworker. Me and my buddy who was also a ironworker went off and ook a tour of our own and you get the creeps in there like I have never got the creeps before. And there were some former crewmen on there and they said that they knew it was haunted but didn't elaborate.
I think some of that is personal expectation. I've been here since day one, have extensive area coverage of the ship, and have never been creeped out even once. I am EXTREMELY comfortable in engineering (3rd deck). That having been said, am aware of some of the comments and experiences of others. There is even a name I've heard, "Chief George".
+Crazykid Gaming I asked the guy I thought had put it up, our electrician Hippie George, and he said it is a leftover from a movie shoot. Hollywood is here sometimes.
Alot of those compartments are for small men. Not for 6 and above. But ,,small guys can be just as tough and strong. My dad and other guys his size were strong men. Wish I had more of Thier fiber. God bless them.
16:16 probably a coincidence but the audio interference was eerily timed for the subject matter lol Jim is an amazing tour guide who seems extremely knowledgeable & passionate!
way cool! i feel like i got the rock star all access pass!!! i also feel like i got to tread the deck where many brave men trod before. they may not all have been heros, but they were certainly heroic! bravo remembering mr hartwig and calling out the BS surrounding his death. rip to the crew of #2.
Nice video and beautiful ship, the tour guide was great. I am so jealous you got do this. The only thing is you took this tour and planned to video it, but forgot to bring your own flash light.
The audio freaked out at 16:11 when he announced that they were in the area where the men who died in the 2nd turret explosion. Interesting. Poor souls
Fortunately, major boiler casualties are not common. On the other hand, todays nuke ships are still steam ships, just a different tea kettle. High pressure superheated steam will still kill you...
There is never any disrespect in remembering a shimate!!!shipmates!!!! Never!!! There was no disrespect...I have lost students and shipmates. I'm a retired snipe. I agree you know evey valve, every leak every piece of machinery, you can walk the deck plates and feel your equipment..even smells in the engine room clue you to if something is not right. You spend months or years hearing smelling equipment. Automation has ruined basic troubleshooting. I so miss this life...smoking sigarets drinking black coffee and being dirty. Top sideers complaing that you smell and are dirty. Don't call me sir, I work for a living. Go snipes.
Well said, Bravo Zulu. Your comment about sounds is SO true. I was active duty 71-73, and worked on Iowa 2012-2020. Not long after I started, I was up near the air intakes for the forced draft blowers and as I walked by, I heard a vent motor running several decks below. Instant flashback to my active duty, the sound was EXACTLY the sound I would hear through the open hatch to the fire room on my ship 40-ish years earlier.
And a follow-up... If your 'disrespect' comment is about my comments about getting trouble, here's the deal. Hartwig's sister (who I knew personally) was a real gadfly who spent many years fighting like hell to clear her brothers name. She was quite capable of raising bloody hell about the navy smear on him, so much so that it was sort of ships policy not to talk about him or the incident in order not to poke the hornets nest that Kathy could be. That's what I worried about. Then I got wind that she had posted the vid link on her youtube page. Without comment, just the link. That's when I realized that she didn't think at all I had disrespected Clayton. I had defended him and she was fine with that.
Need to make a correction on the boiler steam drum portion of this tour, remember this is constructed criticism. He pointed out the tubes below the scrubber's is where the water goes down, those are steam generating tubes that's where steam comes up. The water actually goes down 4" downcomers which you can't see. Believe me I spent four years maintaining these boilers and crawled in the steam drum with a bucket and sponge to get any water left before dry lay up. Thank you brother for the memories. BT3 (SW) Lemon 83'-87' Plankowner second recommissioning.
Hello, Kevin. I was a BT also, but on 450lb sectional header Babcock & Wilcox. I never had to go in a steam drum because I'm too large (tall). It's been since '73 since I went into a firebox. At that point in time, engineering was pretty dark and even tho for years I lobbied to get the drum and firebox lit, when covid hit and I lost my job, it still hadn't happened. They just looked like water wall downcomers to me, because I assumed the generating tubes were under that sheet at the drum bottom. I gave a lot of tours all over the ship, Spot 1 to the bilges of fireroom 4 and it didn't take long to figure out that more important and memorable sometimes was not the exact facts (because some of them can be ......obscure), but the CONCEPTS involved. That happened a lot in the plot rooms.
When Adam was in the turret where the men died I kept hearing strange noises like the mic was messed up. It's probably just a technical problem but it was creepy.
First off, I really wish more of this was available to the general public. I always want to know, "whats down there," or "whats behind this door". Now, I get it. Fire hazards, fall dangers,.... ect, just a lot of people going in more places spells disaster. but i wish you could sign up for small tours like this. Is the floor dangerous in some places? Or are there places NOBODY goes? Just dark, rusted, dangerous areas of the ship? Why coudn't you go down that super long hallway. Also, 16:14 , that audio static seems suspiciously ghost like ... just a thought.
Major thanks to the good people of the USS Iowa for not only letting me aboard but also the legit tour into all the nooks and crannies of the ship. BIG shout out to Jim for taking time out of his day and being so great on camera. If you ever stop by tell them I said hello
+adamthewoo That was a fantastic vlog and worth every minute. You are getting well known Adam and becoming a big celebrity . Thank you kindly for this great entertainment and the great tour of this great ship..
+prodezignz Yes, the ship is steam powered. 8 Babcock & Wilcox "M"-type oil fired boilers. The hull is just standard hull plating, somewhere around .5-.75 inch. The armor is a different structure from the hull, the main armor is called the "Citadel" and is different thickness in different places. Look up "ALL-OR-NOTHING" armor on Wiki. EDIT: Actually, I just learned something from my boss, it turns out that much of the hull is not simply mild steel plating, but rather STS, about 5/8 to 7/8 think. STS itself is a type of armor.
My brother was on the USS Iowa "The Big Stick" when the explosion happened in 1989. He was on the damage control and had to help put out the fire and assisted in the recovery. He had a lot of stories about everything that happened. The military did a huge cover-up by putting blame on Hartwig. They tried to say crap that Hartwig and Pruitt had a thing going, and when they broke up, Hartwig put a detonating device between two powder bags and that was what caused the explosion. It was a total lie. Truth was, they were scrambling to put guys in the turrets to put on a show for I forget who was on board at the time. There were guys in Turret 2 that were not normally in there. The loading ram is manually operated, and the operator has to know exactly what they were doing. Whoever it was running the ram at the time mistakenly ran the ram in too far, it buckled and hit the side of the breech, and it caused the detonation of the powder. 660 lbs. of powder igniting, you can imagine what that does in an enclosed steel space. The 47 lives lost deserved so much better than what the Navy did to dishonor them the way they did. They made a movie about this, called A Glimpse Of Hell.
Yes, that's pretty much it. Actually, the film is from the book of the same name. I worked on the ship for almost 9 years, and I personally know several '80's crew who were involved in the damage control activities, and to a man, I was told that the book and film (AGOH) is NOT held in very high regard by the crew. A better read is the Sandia Labs report. Also, Mike Getscher (Chief Engineer for the museum) did much research and in his view, the claims of degraded powder are incorrect.
james if you were the guide, I have to say hats off to you for how excellent you are at what you do. It was especially good how much respect you showed for the man who was unjustly accused of deliberately causing the explosion. I was in the Navy at the time it happened, and many of our crew went to the Iowa afterward to help in the cleanup. It was very grim, by their account.
Except that that the UK’s economy was ******** after WWII and they had to pay of the US which they only finished last decade I think. So yeah there was almost no way save ships. What I’m sad about though is that they didn’t save the USS Enterprise.
A shame that HMS Warspite after serving so long (even laste through the Falklands War) was left to rust on a beech. Granted I hope we never see anything like WW2 again, but these ships were every bit as much a marble of engineering as any military hardware in use today back in their time
I've never been so impressed by a video in a long time. That guy giving him all the information was fantastic. One hell of an educational upload. Thank you my friend.
I know to much on the Iowa,s then most of you the names are Iowa Wisconsin Missouri any jersey kunteky and the Illinois those to last one,s were never completed
The correct order by hull number is Iowa (61), New Jersey (62), Missouri (63), and Wisconsin (64), although Wisconsin was completed before Missouri. Kentucky and Illinois were cancelled at the end of the war. Kentucky was a little over 70% complete, Illinois was near 20%. Both were scrapped, however the bow of Kentucky replaced the collision-damaged bow of Wisconsin, and Kentucky's power plant was used to power 2 AOE's, Camden and Sacramento, making them extremely fast replenishment ships (26 knots).
One of the most interesting, knowledgeable and well-spoken tour guides I've ever seen. That man truly has a passion for the USS Iowa. Absolutely fascinating.
+james pobog thanks james. i was in school in iowa when the turret explosion occured. i faintly remember the bs blaming. i found a model kit of the iowa online. hadnt got it together yet. be nice to visit the ship someday. the capital building in des moines has a huge model of it in the hallway.
+james pobog thanks james. i was in school in iowa when the turret explosion occured. i faintly remember the bs blaming. i found a model kit of the iowa online. hadnt got it together yet. be nice to visit the ship someday. the capital building in des moines has a huge model of it in the hallway.
Nice video, brought back a lot of memories. One of the ships I served on was the U.S.S. Comte de Grasse DD-974 (she is now sitting on the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean). While aboard, we traveled with the U.S.S. Iowa underway in formation a few times. Her size dwarfed us, just like one of the Nimitz class carriers. It is amazing to see a full on BB especially when you realize they are not very much smaller than a massive Nimitz in side, yet are not carriers rather armored sea going tanks. Like most, I too was unhappy when all four Battleships were finally decommissioned in the 90's. But this video reminds me now why that decision was made. To be put in use yet again today, they would probably have to be completely gutted to be brought up to any modern standard. Even in the 90's, these battleships and the modernization done to them to bring them back to the fleet, did not compare at all, not even close to the ships of the line I served on even then. My first ship, 'The Count', was a Spruance class destroyer and she carried technology that was 50 years more advanced than what even the updated battleships in the 90's had. I never knew those serving on-board even in the 90's, for the most part, were using and living in the exact same hard ships and conditions of the fore-bearers of when those ships served in WWII. I am amazed at the archaic technology they had to use even in the 1990's. I had always thought their weapon systems had been updated to modern standards.. Wow was I wrong. On board my ships, all those panels and controls were modern screens, LED readouts and digital circuitry.. seeing that even in the 90's the battleships were still using analog everything based around tube technology, did surprise me. One other highlight for me was the dead hole. It seems all ships have them. On-board the Comte de Grasse, ours was at the very bow of the ship. In Sonar 1, in the floor was a hatch that opened and was straight down from deck one all the way to the bottom of the ship where it stopped at the sonar dome. In between was Sonar 2, 3 and 4 which contained all our gear and electronics for Sonar Control. I spent MANY MANY days climbing up and down that ladder to each compartment.. In fact Sonar 2 became my kind of 'hidey hole' space when I wanted to be alone. But I will never forget that every time I climbed that straight up and down ladder, EVEN in rough weather in the North Atlantic, the adrenaline and fear always hit me every single time because one mistep, one loss of grip by my hands and I would have plummeted all the way to the bottom hoping maybe a safety net might stop me but in reality, probably not helping in the least. Again, thanks for the video and my own memories of the best time and period in my life.
Yeah, I had those little "hidey hole" places when I wanted to "be alone." I remember an unrep aside a tanker with the Iowa on the other side of the tanker. If folks think the gigantic battleships were slow to turn, slow to maneuver, big mistake. Once we broke from the unrep the Iowa engaged all four shafts, got to about thirty knots, made an incredibly fast ninety degree turn and was gone in three or four minutes. Fast as fuck.
It always blows me away that this ship was engineered back in the 1940's. Seeing all the pipes, and wires going all over the place. Truly a masterpiece!
+adamthewoo Thanks for the reply back Adam. With you writing back it really shows the youtubers that care enough and take the time to comment back from the bad ones who just want the views and likes and say nothing at all to there subscribers. You will always have my sub and support my friend! Cheers.
I commanded a german fast attack boat fifteen years ago, and it was fun to see, that in some places you have as less headroom on a battleship as we had on the Gepard class... ;) Very fine video, thanks for sharing. And also a very good tourguide that loves his job. Greetings from Germany.
At about the 18:50 mark, the guide talks about how every part of it gets into you, becomes you and that's true. We found home amongst those pipes and cables. How you're sitting in your chair or bedroom right now, relaxed and comfortable, well we could do the same thing sitting next to a screaming ventilation system, an engine room, aft steering...anywhere. I still miss my ship.
(Long post Mike, forgive me) Yeah Mike, I think they would if they had a sense of history. So many young people are fed this nonsense about how corrupt everything is, how crooked the politicians are, etc, etc, and there's a lot of truth to that, and there's a lot of falsehood in it. But what they don't realize is that it's those crooked bastards who keep this country free. Those slimeballs we elect are our frontline defense of freedom that we have. Like your dad (bless his heart for what he did), there are those of us who have seen the world in person. We've been to the shitholes, under the worst of circumstances, we've seen people who are happy to clobber people on the side of the street in the head with ball bats because it's "fun" (Korea), or rape girls because they can (Vietnam), or kill people because of their religion (the ENTIRE Middle East). I've been to 11 countries, lived in 6 states, been to all 48 lower states, and when I see these little shits who post anti-American crap while they sit in their mom's house, having never been anywhere in their life, I want to beat them to a pulp. They couldn't say HALF the shit they do if they lived even in Germany, the pukes. But then I remember... your dad and I, we did what we did in order that these little assholes would never have to live through the shit we've seen others live through. We did what we did so they can live in peaceful ignorance. I'll tell you a quick story about the most profound thing I've ever seen: My ship was part of Operation Sharp Edge. We went in to evacuate refugees from the Liberian Civil War. Easy, right? Well, we took on 800 of these refugees, many with limbs having been hacked off, kids blinded, girls maimed, etc. Gunfire in the streets, dogs eating dead bodies as they lay in the gutters. They had been shoved to the ocean by the oppressing forces and were about to literally be hacked to death, and when we brought them aboard my ship, I saw relief. I saw release. I saw a river of tears, the likes of which no man could stomach. It broke my heart. I had to deal with them, and what they needed...what they BEGGED for with their lives was what we have here, what we take for granted everyday. They literally begged for an OUNCE of our freedoms. That hit me more than anything I've ever experienced. I've watched a man get his face ripped off right in front of me, and this was more powerful. So, when I see these protest groups in the U.S. who claim they have it so bad, I want to puke. Gay rights? Yeah, like the gays have it bad. Black Lives Matter? Oh sure, the government is burning them alive and feeding them to the hogs in the stockyards. The atheists who say Christians are so oppressive? Yeah, try being atheist in Somalia. Then I see these little fuckheads (excuse my language, but that's what they are), speak ill about how bad they have it as they sit there eating Cheetos, drinking Dew and typing away on their smartphones, I literally want to beat them to death. Those Liberians deserve our freedoms more than the asshats sitting at his computer reading this thinking America is the bad guy without having ever left his tri-state area. Mike, God forgive me, but I often feel hatred towards them. I feel hatred towards them and compassion towards the Afganis and Iraqis who actually understand what it means to be free, yet they aren't. Then I think about why I served, why your dad served, why all of us who did, served. We did it so the ignorant and happy could stay that way. I don't hate the ignorant people, but I have zero respect for their self-entitled, self-righteous little asses. Mike, bless you and your dad, my fellow American. Always know that your dad did what he did for us, and he learned basic truths that few ever will. Sorry I went on so long, Mike. And thank you for your reply. God bless.
@Erich Von Manstein - he's a basement-dwelling loser. Probably unemployed, lives with his parents, and couldn't get into the military if he tried. Ignore the shitbrain. The coward only does this because he's anonymous on here.
This makes my heart ache. My time in the Navy was just a fraction in my life, but even though it's only been a handful of years being out, seeing this "extended" tour is very real. I can hear the hourbells, my equipment running, see the endless amount of shipmates traveling to and from the P-ways. It all felt normal then. Still does. But being an outsider looking in, makes me miss all this so much. Not many times in your life, that you can go to the smokedeck after your watch ended at 02:45, look up at the sky, and see nothing but the stars and the milky way, or swim in the middle of butt f$&k nowhere on the ocean during swim call. I even miss Mid-rats. Being up on watch in the middle of the night and getting left over chicken-pom, or corndogs, was fantastic. You never forget your time in the Navy, or the military. You still see, smell, hear, feel everything... Thank you for this walking down memory lane.
Seeing the inside of this gives you a great sense of what it was like for men to fight and die on ships like the hood, Bismarck, Tirpitz and Arizona I know there better men than I am I couldn't do it RIP to all the brave men and women who sacrifice so much for us all.
"So when you see a ship pull out to meet a war-like foe, Remember faintly, if you can, the Men Who Sail Below." docs.google.com/document/d/1uZfnIYiJsJh_BBlMPnT9UrMxtcG-R5ZTxj2l5UsVLhU/edit?usp=sharing
+james pobog Rest easy, Gunner's Mate Clayton Hartwig, and the 46 others who perished in that turret that day. Really was incredible to hear about you and the team there, checking on his rack to make sure the light is on. You do the Iowa and her crews proud.
+james pobog I was an HT on board the Iowa from 1986 until the end of 1989. Thank you for your assistance in the video of the "Off Limits Tour". I was wondering if anyone has ever been into the Pipe Shop? The Sheet-Metal shop that has the V-J Day names on the work bench is next-door to the Pipe Shop; our names were stamped into the bench in there as well. I have been wondering if they were still there. I have searched the internet for videos and have only seen personnel going into the Metal Shop. Just curious?
+james pobog Thanks for all the commentary. It really brings it home. I was in the army and never dreamed of the complexity of a battleship. Great tour behind the public access.
I'm 6'4" and I don't care how many times I'd hit my head, I'd be early for work every day to be on something this amazing, more engine room please, aw hell, more everything.
Yeah, it can be pretty fun to work on old warships like the USS Iowa. You can just feel the history everywhere you walk. Every room and deck tells a story.
Best. Woo. Evar. This is what I long for... the smell of Greatest Generation. Adam, you are indeed fortunate to have copped that tour... and we are the beneficiaries. And thanks to your docent Jim.
For anyone who is or will be near the ship soon, keep a lookout. We are getting VERY close to starting a premium small group guided tour of Broadway and the engineering spaces, much like you see in this vid. If you're lucky, you may even get me as a guide...
Adam, I am a current sailor in the Royal Canadian Navy. This was a fantastic tour, thank you so very much for sharing it. I'm in the Engineering world and of course I found those parts of the tour the most interesting. Jim, outstanding tour, BZ!! Your ship knowledge is excellent and made for a most enjoyable video. Fair winds.
This is one of the MOST amazing videos on You Tube. It is to bad every American does not have the opportunity to view this. As a Disabled Vet I take my hat off to you for posting this amazing Video. Jim Miller
I so agree, Jim. I was married to a sailor for almost 17 years and have been aboard the U.S.S Midway (CV-41), U.S.S Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) and the U.S.S Enterprise (CVN-65) (went out 150 miles on the Enterprise for a family fun day cruise) and I have to admit, it was an awesome experience...an entirely different world for sure...bit creepy at times feeling the ship rock just a little, but so much fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My father served on the USS Iowa from 1944-1946. I still have a model of the ship which he assembled when I was a child in the 1950’s. I found this video to be fascinating and the tour guide did a great job. It meant a lot to me to see the areas that you wouldn’t see on a public tour.
Thanks so much. Four years ago I started as a volunteer knowing zero about the ship. Now, I run the Tour Dept. See what 4 years of immersion will do for you?
I was four years navy, 3 on my ship. You learn every nook and cranny on it. It's weird, really. She's alive, just as you and I are, with her own personality. It's like being married to the most cantankerous woman you've ever known - love/hate, ya know? Everything becomes as familiar as the family photo on your living room wall. Then you leave one day but the ol' girl stays with you. I could smell the ship as James gave the tour, could feel the rails under my hands. The chipped paint on that insulation? I chuckled, because I know there are about twenty coats of paint on it. So cool. Thanks for the tour. You'd have been a great sailor on her!
Being British I have to say, I am SO jealous of you being able to have such an amazing lady as a monument. I think the closest we got over here is HMS Belfast which is in London. I've seen Belfast many times and had an 'off-limit' tour like this. As much as I love Belfast, nothing compares to a US BB. And respect to Hartwig and everyone else who died in 1989. If I what I gather is correct, I totally agree with never allowing those idiotic ghost teams onto Iowa. One day Iowa, I'll come and see you.
Wow this was a remarkable Adam The Woo episode. Very professional, felt like I was watching PBS! keep up the great work man I can see the new equipment really got you inspired to go out there and give your followers some really high quality content. Great job Adam! =)
That part starting at roughly 17:31 gives me goosebumps whenever I watch it... " Bingo, you die" and the short monologue afterwards, the expression on his face... That guy really knows what he is talking about, and he is not bs´ ing
Thank you very much. You "get" it. To be honest, I think I pulled that part off pretty well. That actually is the first time I did that little bit, it was full ad lib, and I now use it every time I bring people down there. The big payoff for me with that is when I actually see the little light go on in their eyes, I see them "get it". I saw it in a 17 year old girl not long ago. Man, that gave me goose bumps. BIG win for me....
@@jamespobog3420 I have total respect for the guys who went to sea during wartime. I worked on merchant ships for 10 years and it was a hard job under peacetime conditions. It's hot, it's tiring, it's stressful. Add the risk of being torpedoed or whatever into the mix, with the obvious risk of death from explosion or drowning if you get caught below decks while the ship is sinking, it doesn't bear thinking about. These engineers were incredibly brave.
damn i love tours like this where you just have yourself and a guy who a: knows an insane amount about the thing.. from the overall operation down to the intricacies, and b: is enthusiastic and obviously cares a great deal about it all. his enthusiasm is infectious.. and he's great at explaining things in an interesting way.. not like a tour guide or wikipedia page. i wish there was a whole channel devoted to tours like this on all kinds of different military stuff
+swish007 Completely agree. Jim is incredibly knowledgeable of the Iowa, and it was literally a privilege to sit and watch this, and just soak in information. I would be nice if the History Channel did documentaries on stuff like this, instead of all the reality TV shows they sold out for.
+SHiBBY927 Thank you so much. It is amazing to read all these accolades about ones self. Does the ego whisper "OOoooohhhh I LIKE this"? Oh heck yes, but the ego also has to deal with the self awareness that I'm just a shlub with a pretty cool job who likes to share the coolness of a very wonderful ship in a very interesting place (the harbor). BTW I would be remiss if I did not mention that compared to several other Iowa staff, I'm in about 1st grade of ship knowledge. Dave C., Mike G., Dave W., Jonathan W., and about a half dozen Tour Dept. Volunteers who run rings around me...
james pobog Anytime! Thank you for taking the time to teach people. History seems to be a topic that kids know less and less about nowadays. You help keep history alive, and for that I am very thankful. It might not be in the near future, but the Iowa is on my bucket list and I'll be making my way out there sometime! Ever since I was a little guy and I saw the model of the Iowa, and one of her bells in the Iowa Legislature, I've wanted to see the real ship! Keep up the good work!
When i first look at a ship from the outside its a ship, but when you dive in it and see all the small little details and complexity, its amazing, its crazy, humans build this and operated it, i have no words for it. Floating cities i love it. Imagine the organised chaos on board when a combat situation occured, from below to top of the deck hundreds of people doing its job.
And even more amazing- they designed these things in the late 1930's/early 40's with nothing but pencil and paper, compass and protractor and slide rule. And then actually built them! Purely mechanical and analog systems- that still work- all built without the help of computerized any thing. I got a huge kick, touring the USS Croaker in Buffalo, NY, watching a young father trying to explain what the controls were and what they did to his younger kids. It simply did not "compute", lol! They just couldn't get it.
