The Last Time Battleship New Jersey's 16in Guns Were Fired 

I'd like to see you go over the inactivation process for the propulsion plant. That would include when she last moved under her own power, when the boilers were extinguished for the last time, and what work needed to be done to inactivate the boilers and engines.

Hearing about the last time she was underway under her own power would be pretty cool.

I think a good follow-up video to this one would be what procedural changes were implemented in 16 inch gun drill as the result of the USS Iowa Turret 2 center gun open breech explosion.

I worked a guy in the late 1980s, who served on New Jersey during the Lebonan deployment in 1984. His description of when the guns were fired was a life changing moment. He said you had to be there to fully know the power.

I remember being in elementary school and hearing the rumble of New Jersey's guns as she worked up for her deployment to Vietnam. We were used to hearing the 105's from Camp Pendelton, but one of our teacher's (a Navy vet) had to explain why we could hear what sounded like thunder when there were now clouds.

Wasn't the last time, but I got to watch her fire her 16" guns from a bunker at the Marble Mountain transmitter site next to 3rd Amtrac in 1968. We were only a few hundred yards from the beach.

I didn't see her fire her guns on Feb 26th 1984, but I did see her fire them on Feb 8th 1984. I was on the USS Trenton (LPD-14) as part of MARG 1-84. That was the day we pulled the Marines out of Beirut. We were between the New Jersey and the coast of Lebanon and the New Jersey had to wait for us to finish loading the Marines and get out of the way before they could start firing. By the time I had a chance to grab a camera we had already moved off the coast a bit but have a grainy picture of her firing her guns into Lebanon. My other New Jersey story has to do with my father. He was a Navy Chaplain. I was recently going through some of his papers and came across the pamphlet for the New Jersey's Aug 21, 1957 decommissioning ceremony. He was listed as giving the invocation.

Was on board in 1983. Full broadsides and target practice. 5” and 16” guns. Saw an atoll disappear from radar on the first shot, 20 miles away. Was on board during a typhoon in the South China Sea. Helped holy-stone the deck. Con’d during UnRep and Refueling. I’m one of the very few.

I’ve visited this wonderful beast on so many occasions as I only live 30min from where she’s docked. Each time I take a tour I learn something new because each veteran that gives the tours have different stories and different things to add. I hope some additional parts up the ship will open up for tours soon as well. Anyways I’m glad to always donate to keep her maintained

I was on the USS Fort Snelling ( LSD - 30 ) off the coast of Beirut and witnessed the 16 inch gun firing. Awesome site and sound!

I’ve always wondered, prior to the Iowa explosion how high up the chain of command was approval needed to fire the 16” guns? Was the Captain able to plan his own exercise while out at sea? I assume in modern times due to missile costs there’s a ton of red tape and planning that goes into test / practice firing of any missiles but always wondered about the battleship’s main battery.

4:35 The last time she moved at all was a couple weeks ago, so it is pretty well documented 😀

Would love to see them all back in service!

I know that the ship will never operate again, I know that the age of the battleship has been relegated to the annals of history, I know that a weapon with a 24 mile maximum range is almost quaint in this day and age, but I also know that I cannot help but feel as though we are all somewhat diminished by the absence of those magnificent thunder chuckers.

I was on the USS California CGN36. We pulled out of our home port of Alameda Ca three days before the Loma Prieta earthquake. The Navy performed an exercise in which the three remaining battleships joined in the same battle group for the first time since WW2 and the last time ever (please fact check this). I know there were pictures taken and I believe that our ship led the formation. If someone knows where to get the pictures, I would love to purchase a copy. During that operation, we performed night shelling of San Clemente island. The Mighty Mo was in our wake. The concusiones from her guns was so pronounced that I had to keep checking my chest for my own heart beat. This was on the giving end. Imagine how the Gerries felt in their bunkers on the receiving end. I don’t know how they didn’t cut and run. We pulled into the yards in Bremerton to refuel the reactors (1990-ish). The Missouri was on the other end of the yards being placed in safe store. Sad to see that beautiful ship in that condition. I exited the Navy in 1992 after 10 years. It was the last ship I saw in the Naval Ship Yard while driving around the sound heading home.

We all know that the ship will never be reactivated again but I think an interesting topic for a video would be what work would be needed and the steps taken to reactívate the ship’s engines and boilers.

My father lived in Beirut during the war. He told me if you heard the shell coming that meant you were gonna be ok, because otherwise you'd already be dead. He also said whenever New Jersey fired her guns, the entire city knew.

When was the last time USS New Jersey conducted flight operations?

While not first / last content, how about a series on " Day in the life of a XXXX on the ship " ?

Another good question related to the munitions would be if BB-62 launched any Tomahawk missiles in both training and combat conditions.

NJ was in Sydney harbour for the Australian BiCentennial Naval review in 1988 and loosed a broadside at the end of the evening, what a sight that was. 2 years earlier Mighty Mo had been there for the RAN 75th anniversary and had put on the same show

MY SON AND I LOVE SEEING THE OLD VIDEO'S OF IT'S DAY'S ,, KEEP THEM COMING .. DONT BE AFRAID TO BLOOPER MY SON SAID ..HA!!! THX.

Awesome thank you

Love they talks and videos, thanks for keeping our Great military tradition and history alive.

Wow at about 2:00 that's a big helicopter (Chinook? maybe a smaller variant) to land on the battleship! Didn't know they would do that.

Great video

1sr and last times cruise missiles were fired?

I would like to see a video on the Battleship New Jersey's "fighting lights".

I have two questions: What was New Jersey's first combat mission like? By that I mean the first time she either fired her guns at an enemy or came under fire. The second question is do we have any information on what opinion her enemies had of her, either specifically or all the Iowa class ships? From any era?

Ryan, the old girl wants all her bits and pieces back. Please put her radar and tower back where they belong. 🙂 As always, thanks for sharing.

When was the last time she used her anchors?

alaway informative, Ryan.

For a 4th of July comparison, the largest commercial fireworks contain up to a half a kilogram of explosive; NEW JERSEY's 16 inch guns use 300 kilograms each round. So firing one gun once is roughly equivalent to 600 large scale fireworks exploding simultaneously. How many big boomers do you think go off in a decent 4th of July display? Nit-picking: The battleship guns use black powder, and fireworks use black powder and/or flashpowder. 500g is the maximum but everything over 130g is restricted to licensed professionals.

Thanks for all the great work! Think I finally gave up with a new question for you. If the ship was 100% released to you, the navy removes all restrictions and you now own the ship, what would be some of the thing you would reactivate first. Unfreeze the rudder, ge the engines going, the motors for the turret, etc... granted if budget wasn't an issue. Thanks again and keep up the great work, you have ab awesome team.

I have to do some research on myself but I think I was onboard for the final “16 guns . I was in the Navy reserve in that time

Saw my first Battleship New Jersey license plate yesterday

I would like to know. 1. First time she fired her guns 2. First time she fired her guns at another ship

The 1983 bombardment I got to see. I was on the USS Kennedy and we were in port in Haifa Israel. We could see the flashes and hear the explosions of her shell from there.

You could maybe talk about the first time she was dry docked as a museum ship, and the last time she was dry docked as a museum ship.

You might review where she has been. Voyages from commission to her final as a museum ship.

How about the last time she ran aground? All the Iowas, actually. I only recall one off the top, when the Missouri I think, grounded in Norfolk Harbor.

2:36 wow, is this footage from that exact final training volley or just other footage that has been captured in a different exercise?

Met the Marine that called in that last fire mission.

During the drydock, I recall it being mentioned about the plumbing in the ship being a problem. Seem to imply that many of the valves and what not in the ship had rotted away. Particularly rubber valves. I would be curious to see a video on the viability of systems in the ship, plumbing, etc. And whether or not any restoration efforts are planned to fix them. Thanks in advance for considering this request.

Watching this, I got to thinking about the wood deck. What kind of wood, treatment, replacement & so on.

Would love to see the first and last entries in the ships log..

When did she shoot down her first Imperial Japanese aircraft? What did she fire her guns at in anger the first time? When was the last time her boilers were hot? Are there any news articles or whatnot about her being the fastest battleship in the world? Thank you for everything you do, folks!!

Not a first or last, but which captain was C.O longest? Did any execs move up from 1st officer to captain her?

As always interesting. Are there statistics on how often she hit with the main gun right on target (within a error circle)?

So cool! What is the most fuel efficent why to run a battleship while at sea?

I can more easily follow this having seen the blueprint like rendition of the ship, her citadel and turrets on the white board from the armor video. It's burned into my brain.

Ryan, how often was New Jersey struck by lightning? Could you tell us more about lightning mitigation and warships in general?

Yes to all of those things !:-)

I just wondered if the incident on uss Iowa in 1989 put a restrictions on the firing it's main guns on all lowa class battleships till the investigation concluded. Then 1991 Iraq war the restrictions were lifted to fire the 16inch guns.

I would like to see at least 2 new battleships be built. I'm not talking full size WW2 era battleships; I'm talking about pocket battleships. With a mixture of missiles, ciws, 10 inch guns , machine guns and 10 aircraft (obviously not F-18 but F-35 vtol ). I believe it would work.

Any interviews with the last crew / gun crews to talk about the last firing of the 16” or 5” guns?

Great info! Curious as well if NJ or her sisters ever launched a Tomahawk in anger, or if that program came too late.

Was it a Joke I saw on Facebook that the Navy has chosen a contractor to upgrade the Wisconsin in order to return her to active duty? Because I figured hell would freeze over before the Navy re-commissioned a battleship! Here's hoping it's not a joke cause that would be a great time to be alive if it were true.

I’m curious to know, when was the last time the 16 inch guns of any Iowa class were fired, and was this the last time in history the main guns of a battleship were fired?

Ryan, I know in the past you've gone over accounts of people who served on New jersey where they mentioned you could see the 16-inch shells as they flew down range. You've shown video of the guns firing, and of the shells impacting, but do you have any video taken on board showing the shells in flight?

How about the last time the command "All ahead flank" was given, and how fast she went on that occasion?

I’ve long wanted to know when she last moved under her own power. And, if they knew then that it would be the last time. Same for the guns firing actually - on that last training trip, did they know the guns would never fire again?

When was the last time the 16'' guns turret's were rotated

Couple of good clips that could be a new Title Card: 2:40; and 4:07 - the rotating turret looks so menacing!

My understanding is that the Iowa has at least one ( and maybe more ) of her 5" guns that can fire and do fire blanks for ceremonial purposes. Does the NJ have a 5" turret for that purpose as well?

In the early 1990's as the last battleships were in the process of being decommissioned. Did anyone make a effort to take good high quality footage of them firing their guns for the last time?

I remember coming back from the iran Iraq war and seeing a demonstration of guns being fired I believe port side a couple of miles away the pressure was intense I was on board Robert g Bradley ffg49

Could you please tell us about the last meal was served before food services ended? A walk through the galley and food storage areas. Thank you

What is the rate of twist on the rifling of the 16 inch 50 Caliber guns?

I'd like to know how NJ (or the Iowas in general) performed during their shakedown cruises. I'm curious what issues or concerns they found testing the ships the first time, having only the drawings and projections until that point.

Can we get the first time she fired on a aircraft? Also her first shoot down of a aircraft.

I would love to know about the last time her boilers/engines were fired up (either to move under her own power, or ever)

Will we ever see new warships with similar large calibre armorments as New Jersey and sisters?

When was the last time she launched Tomahawk missiles?

I presume you currently have no live rounds or powder on board. Does the navy have 16" rounds stored somewhere and how and where were the rounds manufactured?

Her last time firing ever was my Birthday. I was 7yrs old that day.... kinda a neat fact i cqn attach to my birthday. Especially with how old she was, and combat and deployment experience she had already when i was 7.

I finally have a good question? If the 16 inch barrels can elevate up and down, that means there must be enough room for them to move inside the armored housing. I know the weather shield is flexible but it’s definitely not armor! How does the front of the gun turret remain protected when the barrels elevate in their openings?

Please talk about the loss of USNS Hiddensee. Im devastated by her loss.

Was New Jersey the last Iowa class to fire her guns, or did one of the others sneak in some training shots after 1990?

Which Battleship fired her 16” guns during the Gulf war? I recall watching the Gulf War on TV and seeing a Battleship fire the guns and the reporter commenting it was like shooting a VW Beatle 12 mlles away and hitting its target inland.

You should make a video in which you estimate, mathematically, how long you could reasonably estimate a search to last if you assume that the police have a team of 50-60 people working and in-communication with you and your staff, to conduct an exhaustive search of the entire ship to ensure a wanted fugitive is not on-board. Basically, how long would it take 50-100 people, working in shifts, if necessary, to make sure you don't have a stowaway??

2:43 - I might have missed explaining video (if there was one), but how was gun "ventilation" of exhaust handled? It seems it was pushed out a few seconds after firing :) Thanks

We see lots of images of the guns firing, but is there video of the shells impacting the ground, or other targets?

I've never seen a video on how the ship's brig was used.

Are there any Zinc anodes remaining?

Can we find any shell craters from her guns being used?

Im absolutely sure Ive missed the video on how the 5 and 16"ers are cleaned.. #hoppes

Do the main guns still rotate or are they locked down?

Do you think the US will ever get the USS Pueblo back? I just read it’s still actually listed as a commissioned vessel

Are there any shells left in any weapons depots? Or gunpowder bags?

When is the last time an Iowa class fired the 16" guns both in anger and training?

How many times has New Jersey been re-decked? How many times was the deck painted?

Keep seeing stories about the navy having contractors put preliminary plans on reactivation iowa and wisconsin. Is there any way the navy ever would?

"Last time she moved at all" seems like it would be rather recent. :)

I’ve been to places where they fired a canon or artery piece with a dummy charge is that something that could be done with the 16” or 5” guns? Like Memorial Day or Veterans Day?

Good one 🤣

How does the paperwork with the ATF work for the guns? I assume the guns could still function could they not?

When was the last time her gally was used to feed the crew? Alternately, when was she brought down off of steam power, boiler wise. For her last time?

If I was curator for the battleship New Jersey I’d always be telling women in bars they need to come check out my place.

Where would you hit if you fired the guns as they are aimed right now? They say, HMS Belfast in London is aimed deliberately at a particular motorway service station.