Big guns moving

[66dc75]

I don't think I've seen anything on this on here yet. Been hearing about it coming up for a few months.

http://www.13newsnow.com/news/military/historic-battleships-giant-gun-barrels-moving-to-new-homes/507257216

 

[kscarbel2]

Thank you very, very much for sharing this news.

I was always amazed by the 16-inch battleship guns installed at nearby Fort Story, and other coastal Army installations along the east coast. Most Americans, then and now, have no idea.

http://hamptonroadsnavalmuseum.blogspot.com/2016/06/happy-birthday-america-fort-story.html

With another two 16-inch guns installed on the southern tip of the Eastern Shore at Fort Custis, they had the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay completely covered. My understanding is they could fire 2,000 pound shells some 20 miles with impressive accuracy.

http://www.northamericanforts.com/East/Virginia/Fort_Custis/history.htm

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[mowerman]

yes thanks for sharing.... aslo .DM 800    is one of my favorites...bob

[1958 F.W.D.]

Matt Pfahl (not sure if he is on here?) had a big hand in moving them and posted some pictures on his facebook page. A big A-Car tractor was the power. 

And on a local note, the main castings for the 16" 50 Caliber Mark 7 guns were made not 5 miles from where I am typing this at Bethlehem Steel's Bethlehem, Pa. plant. As was most of the plate steel and the armor plating for all of the Iowa-Class BB's 

Edited February 19, 2018 by 1958 F.W.D.

[41chevy]

1 hour ago, 1958 F.W.D. said:

Matt Pfahl (not sure if he is on here?) had a big hand in moving them and posted some pictures on his facebook page. A big A-Car tractor was the power. 

And on a local note, the main castings for the 16" 50 Caliber Mark 7 guns were made not 5 miles from where I am typing this at Bethlehem Steel's Bethlehem, Pa. plant. As was most of the plate steel and the armor plating for all of the Iowa-Class BB's 

The USS Oklahoma BB-37 main gun is on display at the Bethlehem Steel Plant

[1958 F.W.D.]

18 minutes ago, 41chevy said:

The USS Oklahoma BB-37 main gun is on display at the Bethlehem Steel Plant

Yep, in front of old #4 treatment shop (High House.) I often show friends from out of town the old plant and this is a stop. Had Slpwlkr there last summer in fact. 

[Outbehindthebarn]

Globalists see no need for any of this weaponry .... "don't we all bleed red?"

[kscarbel2]

U.S. Army M1888 8-inch railway coast defense guns being test fired at Fort Story in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Date: July 8, 1935

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/8-inch_M1888

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[kscarbel2]

We've come a long ways.............

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[1958 F.W.D.]

Aberdeen Proving Ground, dammit. There is no "S" in "Ground." 

[steelman]

Had an opportunity to see16 inch guns fired at Dahlgren, Va. In 1968/69.  Those shells weigh over a ton, and they travel 20 to 23 miles down range, ACCURATELY!  Very impressive.  The New Jersey worked on the little people with them.   Also witnessed 20 mm Vulcan cannon unleash.  Sounds like a train locomotive running wild, or as my friends and I remarked, VICTORY!! 

[41chevy]

25 minutes ago, steelman said:

Had an opportunity to see16 inch guns fired at Dahlgren, Va. In 1968/69.  Those shells weigh over a ton, and they travel 20 to 23 miles down range, ACCURATELY!  Very impressive.  The New Jersey worked on the little people with them.   Also witnessed 20 mm Vulcan cannon unleash.  Sounds like a train locomotive running wild, or as my friends and I remarked, VICTORY!! 

Seen one of the first AC130 gun ship on a night run in Vietnam do a pylon turn locked on with the Xeon light all 4 miniguns and 4 Vulcans all firing at once. There was nothing left of the ground personnel but rags.  It's now on display at Elgin Air Force base in Florida.

Edited February 19, 2018 by 41chevy

[steelman]

Those gunships are kind of like a giant rototiller on steroids.  They tell me the wart hogs are now the ground pounders best friend.  

[kscarbel2]

Dahlgren.....off 301 on the river?

Always wondered what took place there.

[VaPatentman]

1 hour ago, kscarbel2 said:

Dahlgren.....off 301 on the river?

Always wondered what took place there.

They test fired guns there, parts of the Potomac River were off limits just south /east of the Harry Nice Bridge (301) between Maryland and Virginia. I did a project there in 2013 and there were still many large guns setting around on cribbing throughout the base. As for what takes place there now, many buildings are very secure and the missions are classified. They are keeping us safe!

[GA_Dave]

I don't mean to sound stupid, but if these guns are off the USS New Jersey, what guns are on the USS New Jersey?

[1958 F.W.D.]

24 minutes ago, GA_Dave said:

I don't mean to sound stupid, but if these guns are off the USS New Jersey, what guns are on the USS New Jersey?

They were replaced in 1961, and have been sitting at Dahlgren since. They obtained one for display on the pier, one is going to be displayed at the Phila Naval Shipyard (where two of the Iowa-Class BB's were built) and one is going to Gary Mahan's collection.

[1958 F.W.D.]

Here is the giant Hammerhead crane at the PNSY, which was used to lift and install the gun turrets into the BB's during construction. Was torn down while I was there as a civilian firefighter. Was not allowed to take pictures, but a smaller crane lifted a skid steer with a concrete pecker up into the cab to break apart the concrete counterweight. 

[1958 F.W.D.]

Some pictures I took of the USS Iowa BB-61 and the USS Forrestal CV-59 tied up on the "Battleship Quaywall" on the Delaware River at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard when I was a civilian firefighter there. I think I took these in the spring of 1997, by then the PNSY had been pretty much shut down and the ships there are under NISMF (Naval Inactive Ships Maintenance Facility.) Had I been caught with a camera in some of these areas when the PNSY was in full production I would not be here. Most of these were waiting for disposal but a few were part of the ready reserve force (could be activated, steam in the kettle ready to turn screws) within 96 hours. 

[1958 F.W.D.]

The Iowa-Class BB's were almost as long as Forrestal-Class CVA's 

[41chevy]

On 2/18/2018 at 11:46 PM, steelman said:

Those gunships are kind of like a giant rototiller on steroids.  They tell me the wart hogs are now the ground pounders best friend.  

This was one of the first ones,  no 105 and analog fire computers. we had AC130's, AC47's and AC119 Boxcars. On a pylon turn the 47 could put 3 round in each square foot of ground. The newest AC130's I'm told are 5 times more deadly than ours in 1971.

[j hancock]

That was one hell of a crane!

[41chevy]

1 hour ago, 1958 F.W.D. said:

Some pictures I took of the USS Iowa BB-61 and the USS Forrestal CV-59 tied up on the "Battleship Quaywall" on the Delaware River at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard when I was a civilian firefighter there. I think I took these in the spring of 1997, by then the PNSY had been pretty much shut down and the ships there are under NISMF (Naval Inactive Ships Maintenance Facility.) Had I been caught with a camera in some of these areas when the PNSY was in full production I would not be here. Most of these were waiting for disposal but a few were part of the ready reserve force (could be activated, steam in the kettle ready to turn screws) within 96 hours. 
 

I often wondered how the Jersey, Iowa or Missuri would has faired in a one on one against the Musahsi, or Yamato

[steelman]

20 hours ago, 41chevy said:

I often wondered how the Jersey, Iowa or Missuri would has faired in a one on one against the Musahsi, or Yamato

I might be mistaken, but I believe the Yamato carried 20" guns.  It would have been one hell of a fight.  

[1958 F.W.D.]

https://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/watch-and-hear-the-last-time-the-battleship-wisconsin-f-1707956997