ackimzey Posted 7 April , 2006 Share Posted 7 April , 2006 According to an article in today's Houston Chronicle, the Battleship Texas is in danger of rusting away. She is currently part of the Texas Parks system, berthed south of houston in a cut just off the Houston ship channel. In many places her metal sides are no more that 1/8" thick. Apparently the only way to permanently preserve the ship is to place it in a dry dock setting and this will cost many $$$$$$$$. The state hopes to start a campaign to raise the necessary funds. Let's hope they are successful as the Texas served valiently in both WWI and WWII. Ann Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FAAAEd Posted 7 April , 2006 Share Posted 7 April , 2006 According to an article in today's Houston Chronicle, the Battleship Texas is in danger of rusting away. She is currently part of the Texas Parks system, berthed south of houston in a cut just off the Houston ship channel. In many places her metal sides are no more that 1/8" thick. Apparently the only way to permanently preserve the ship is to place it in a dry dock setting and this will cost many $$$$$$$$. The state hopes to start a campaign to raise the necessary funds. Let's hope they are successful as the Texas served valiently in both WWI and WWII. Ann Well I hope so too. This being the only surviving example of her generation. It is a shame that HMS Iron Duke was not saved from the scrap or one of the 8x15 inch QE class or the slightly smaller and slower Royal Sovereigns. It does sound like that the USS Texas has not received the amount of TLC required over the years. A recent History Channel broadcast of a programme supposedly inquiring into the causes behind the disastrous tendency of British battle-cruisers to blow up included film sequences shot inside Texas and the structure in parts certainly looked rather sad - this opinion from a chap used to serving in old ships. The History Channel programme was rather like a 'curates egg', good in parts. It was full of repeated dialogue and of innacuracies and ommissions which if filled would have helped the explanation for those not appraised from other sources. Keeping Victory in commission is an expensive business but well worth it IMHO. Only by visiting these ships can one get anywhere near the idea of what it was like to serve on such. It was an utter shame that the Implacable (ex French Le Duguay-Trouin - also at Trafalgar in the Allied Fleet) was scuttled in 1949. We have also failed to preserve any example of the classic British aircraft carrier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andigger Posted 7 April , 2006 Share Posted 7 April , 2006 Here's a quick link with great graphics about the ship. For those interested there is also a link to donate money towards the restoration. Andy Texas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenwoodman Posted 7 April , 2006 Share Posted 7 April , 2006 Saw the Texas a year ago. When my main computer returns, I'll try to find a photo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Roberts Posted 7 April , 2006 Share Posted 7 April , 2006 Its never easy preserving old ships which are impregnated with salt and were never intended to last more than a couple of decades. SS Great Britain, following her original restoration in the 70's, has now had to be treated with an electrolytic process to remove the salt, and taken out of the water permanently. They are going to have to do the same with the Cutty Sark at a cost of £11m (she has iron frames which are more of a problem than the wooden planking). The Texas is of course much bigger than these. I wonder how Belfast is faring, or Japan's Mikasa? Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Beckett Posted 8 April , 2006 Share Posted 8 April , 2006 I certainly hope something is done as here in Victoria, Australia, we have the only monitor with her guns left in the world and still very little done. http://www.cerberus.com.au/ Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ackimzey Posted 8 April , 2006 Author Share Posted 8 April , 2006 I'm not certain but I think this would be the largest (or second largest) ship to be placed in drydock, assuming the efforts to raise the money are successful. Ann Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roel22 Posted 12 April , 2006 Share Posted 12 April , 2006 Any pics showing its present condition? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ackimzey Posted 12 April , 2006 Author Share Posted 12 April , 2006 roel22, There are several articles and pictures at the Houston Chronicle web site. The address is: http://www.chron.com/ Just enter "battleship Texas" in the search box. Ann Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ackimzey Posted 8 July , 2006 Author Share Posted 8 July , 2006 More on the "Texas" Today the Houston Chronicle carried two articles on the efforts to "save the Texas". There were also some great diagrams and pictures which unfortunately don't appear on the "web" version of the story. The link is posted below. Just enter Battleship Texas in the search window. The first two articles are the ones in today's paper. Ann http://www.chron.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenwoodman Posted 13 July , 2006 Share Posted 13 July , 2006 As promised. Spring 2005 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyHollinger Posted 14 July , 2006 Share Posted 14 July , 2006 Even if only a shell (meaning nothing inside actually working) I think these are incredible monuments to a by-gone era. They were at the time the most complex, integrated operation devices built by humans. They were the space ships of their day. For the cost of one B-1 we could probably restore everything ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Burns Posted 14 July , 2006 Share Posted 14 July , 2006 New Jersey New Jersey had the advantage of having the Reagan administration cover the cost for us. USS Ling We also have the USS Ling Submarine in Hackensack. Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andigger Posted 14 July , 2006 Share Posted 14 July , 2006 I'll add a pic when I get home, but the USS Kentucky is in Norfolk harbor. Back in the day it hit another ship while heading out to sea. The repair included removing the bow from the USS Wisconsin - which was going tot he scrap heap and adding it to the Kentucky. Since it was the front part (bow) of the Wisconsin the ship was 'renamed' USS WisKy (Wisconsin in the front, Kentucky in the rear). Those punny seamen!! Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob H Posted 14 July , 2006 Share Posted 14 July , 2006 Andy It is USS Wisconsin in Norfolk harbour. She rammed a destroyer in 1956 and had the bow of the uncompleted USS Kentucky grafted onto her. Thus the nickname should have been KyWis. Not such a ring to it. USS Wisconsin Regards Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andigger Posted 14 July , 2006 Share Posted 14 July , 2006 You are right... my mistake. I still have the pic though. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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