Let's explore the power, history, and future of the mighty USS Texas battleshiptexa... Battleship Texas RU-vid / battleshiptexas HMNS www.hmns.org/ #usstexas #battleshiptexas #battleship
We hope you enjoyed our Battleship Texas video! Our channel is not monetized, so subscribing and liking our videos if you enjoy the content is a much appreciated kindness 😊 Stay curious!
I’m in New York . My grandfather was a crew member of the Texas in 1918. Would like to get ahold of the foundation. I have had in my possession documents and many pictures. Dated November 1918. Scappa flow
My father quit school at the age of seventeen and was going to enlist in the Marines but when they got to Philadelphia the line was so long he and his buddy enlisted in the Navy. He never looked back or regretted it because after basic training he was assigned to the TEXAS in the 7mm division. He served on the Texas from 1943 until his honorable discharge in 1945. I would listen for hours to his stories about the Texas. My father talked about all the things mentioned in this video and others, most of his stories were about life on the Texas. When the torpedo blister was flood in Normandy and 0:06 the 14” guns would fire he thought the ship was going to sink but of course it didn’t and it worked. My father loved bread and he said the cook on the Texas made sure they always had two things, plenty of coffee and bread. The cooks made the bread and the smell of the fresh baked bread would drive him crazy for a taste. Any time they hit port the cook would get as much fresh food as possible and as much fresh vegetables and fruit as he could. He talked about the 51 days at battle stations, he said they always had coffee but food were K-rations, he said he would open them up take out the two cigarettes put one in his ear light one, put the hard candy in his pocket and throw the rest over board. I could go on and on but one last story. When the Texas went to the Pacific theater the Japanese started kamikaze runs. His gun Captain drained the oil out of the recoil even though it wasn’t allowed because of damaged but the guns would shot faster. The problem was the empty shell cases would start to jam up the gun mount which during training they were supposed to save them but when a Kamikaze is headed for you my father said the only thing they were thinking was to keep the 40 mm firing. They would pick up the empty shell cases and throw them over Board and keep loading. He said after that every 40 mm mount on the ship drained their oil. They were hit by small arms from the planes but as the video states they only lost men at Cherbourg my father. He loved the Texas and the Navy and took us to see her in 1980, we spent a week touring her and him reliving life on her with his crew mates. In ports other ships crew would call her an old tub but during from when she was commissioned and still to this day she plays a very important part of our history and not only our freedom but the world’s freedoms. I can’t wait until she is done in dry dock to see her in her glory again and maybe she’ll leave under her on power again!
Unfortunately, she will likely never sail under her own power again, but she will last another 40 plus years safely because of the drydocking and with her planned new home she will get tell her story(and by extension your fathers story) to many of the coming generations
Once while visiting the Texas I had to opportunity to talk to a man who served on the Texas in WW II. He told me the story of when the Texas was in Port in North Africa after the capitulation of the Vichy French how they traded gallons of Ice Cream to other ships, and even the port, for other things. He said they were real popular with the other ships in the fleet because they were the only one who had an Ice Cream machine onboard.
@@houstonmuseum My uncle's ship, APc-48, an almost unheard of Small Coastal Transport, was also able to effect a lot of trading at Pacific ports of call because they kept their equipment in good repair, notably their fresh water condenser...They also carried mail to and from the remote Pacific outposts, and were always found a premium berthing spot in these locations...
We spent the night aboard the Texas around 2012/2013 when my son was in Boy Scouts. Most of the kids were scared, and most of the parents found it uncomfortable. As a Marine who had previously deployed aboard a few navy ships for months on end; I had a great time and felt right at home.
@@rustyrelicsfarm2406 It is back afloat after having just coming out of dry dock and is still undergoing a beautiful restoration. She looks great and it will be nice when she is moored at her new home so all can enjoy the history.
My favorite story about the Texas was while she was off Normandy providing fire support. As the army extended beyond her range they desperately needed fire support, so the captain ordered one of her torpedo blisters flooded to give her a list and extend the range of her guns
The USS Texas does have the record for being at battle stations for the longest time. The men took turns sleeping at their stations, ate cold sandwiches, or K- rations, and relieve themselve in buckets.
What a huge, beautiful ship the legendary Battleship 🇨🇱Texas is! I toured her five years ago, and it took me most of a day to see everything. It was amazing. I hope after her refurbishing at her new home in Galveston that she will be placed in or on a platform out of the water. Im sure that would probably be expensive, but at least she will no longer be rusting in the unforgiving salt water. She is so large and impressive....I can only imagine how large she looked back during WWI and even before that war. God bless and a big Texas-sized salute to ALL of our brave heroic men that served on the BATTLESHIP 🇨🇱TEXAS
and one more thing HMNS housten Museam, i admire this video and your commentary i really do ..i bet you spoke trough your heart and not only just your mouth❤️ godspeed comrade i bless you🇷🇺❤️
My Uncle Don Wells was on the USS Barnett which landed first, landing General Roosevelt. He said little about the carnage only that it was Hell. How many landings they made I don't know. I recall mentioning getting wounded aboard. After that he wound up heading to the Pacific never mentioned any particulars. He turned 100 Saturday. He went around to schools as part of a Kiwanis Program talking about his experiences. He retired as a Commander, 40 years, retiring fromn the Reserves. An indredibly likeable person and storyteller. He said Ike made it all possible by faking out the Germans that the landing would be to the North, and the weather with cloud cover made the mission successful. The Germans did not see them coming until it was too late.
One thing you didn't mention was the fact that while TEXAS was on-station off of the coast of Normandy providing fire support for the advancing troops, her operating theatres were able to provide on-site medical procedures which saved the lives of many of the soldiers who had become wounded after they landed on Omaha beach.
There are volumes and volumes and volumes and volumes....of things left out. To mention everything about her would make the video WEEKS long. She is incredible.
First time I walked her decks as a 10 year old kid in 1958 I burned my feet on the hot deck. Lesson I won't ever forget. Next time I went there as a 12 year old, I wore better shoes. I still have the souvenir program.
I love that texas was saved from the scrapyard, i wish the colorados, the most powerful of the standard battleships, or the Tennessees/Oklahomas with the iconic 4 triple turrets could also have been...
Such a beautiful ship I hope she is preserved forever. A one modernized for a war asset of the United States would be great. I’ve never seen a modular super heavy battleship yet. I think the ship tower design could have a lot of modern weapons appeal to get range over the horizon on targets.
my great and fore most all respect who serve on the USS Texas and the us navy, it make s me sad our nations russia and your nation usa has tensions. i just do NOT understand why our so called world leaders forgot the unhumanly cost on ALL sides
As long as most of the parts on her are preserved and are rebuilt that would be beautifull :) Would be even cooler if her engines would be given a new life and then after dry dock she moves under her own power - just think about that view on the horizon combined with the smoke
@@benniebarrow348 the navy retains final say over naval ships in terms of functionality. They almost retook control over the Destroyer Escort Stewart a few years ago due to neglect.
Some might wonder, was Texas in Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked in Dec 1941? No, she was on the US eastern coast in Maine at the time preparing for another Atlantic patrol (according to Battleship Texas website).
They should rearm the Texas with modern weaponry and make it the keystone of the Texas navy. Theres a mothball fleet in Corpus to do the same to FIGHT.
BB is the ship type. Some ship types simply doubled the letter (BB-Battleship, DD-Destroyer, etc.), while others used a two letter descriptor (CA-Carrier, Aircraft). The number is her registry number. So BB35 is Battleship #35. She was completed before her sister New York (BB34), so the registry helps keep track of what ship was ordered first. There’s more to it than that, but I hope this helps you understand
We American taxpayers paid-in-full for this bit of kit.........and should RESTORE this beast to FULL DUTY..... It could be of immense use in the Gulf of Mexico.but limit yhe refit to some surface-to air defences below decks medium range missles. , and updated attack arms. The "cartels" could be "calmed-down" very quickly. As a born and raised Houstonian, I have toured her many times.
Some might wonder, was Texas in Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked in Dec 1941? No, she was on the US eastern coast in Maine at the time preparing for another Atlantic patrol (according to Battleship Texas website).
