USS Texas (BB-35)

For other ships with the same name, see USS Texas.

USS Texas (BB-35), off New York City c. 1919
History
United States
NameTexas
NamesakeState of Texas
Ordered24 June 1910; 114 years ago (24 June 1910)
BuilderNewport News Shipbuilding
Laid down17 April 1911; 113 years ago (17 April 1911)
Launched18 May 1912; 112 years ago (18 May 1912)
Commissioned12 March 1914; 110 years ago (12 March 1914)
Decommissioned21 April 1948; 76 years ago (21 April 1948)
Stricken30 April 1948; 76 years ago (30 April 1948)
FateMuseum ship
General characteristics
Class and typeNew York-class battleship
Displacement
  • 27,000 long tons (27,433 t) (standard)
  • 28,367 long tons (28,822 t) (full load)
Length
Beam95 ft 2.5 in (29.020 m)
Draft
  • 28 ft 6 in (8.69 m) (mean)
  • 29 ft 7 in (9.02 m) (max)
Installed power
Propulsion
Speed21 kn (39 km/h)
Range7,060 nmi (13,075 km; 8,125 mi) at 10 kn (19 km/h)
Complement1,042 officers and men
Armament
Armor
General characteristics (1945)
Complement1810 officers and men[1]
Sensors and
processing systems
  • 2 × SG surface search radars[1]
  • 1 × SK air search radar[1]
  • 2 × Mk 3 fire control radar
  • 2 × Mk 10 fire control radar
Armament
  • 10 × 14 in/45 caliber guns
  • 6 × 5 in/51 caliber guns
  • 10 × 3 in/50 caliber gun
  • 10 × quad 40 mm Bofors AA guns
  • 44 × single 20 mm Oerlikon AA guns
ArmorTurrets: 1.75 in (44 mm) added to turret tops
Aircraft carried2 × OS2U Kingfisher
Aviation facilities1 × catapult
USS Texas
USS Texas (BB-35) is located in Texas
USS Texas (BB-35)
USS Texas (BB-35) is located in the United States
USS Texas (BB-35)
LocationGalveston, Texas in drydock for repairs.
Coordinates29°18′53″N 94°47′44″W / 29.31472°N 94.79556°W / 29.31472; -94.79556
NRHP reference No.76002039
Significant dates
Added to NRHP8 December 1976[2]
Designated NHL8 December 1976[3]

USS Texas (BB-35) is a museum ship in Galveston and former United States Navy New York-class battleship. She was launched on 18 May 1912 and commissioned on 12 March 1914.[4][5]

Texas served in Mexican waters following the "Tampico Incident" but saw no action there, and made numerous sorties into the North Sea during World War I without engaging the enemy, though she did fire for the first time when shooting medium-caliber guns at supposed submarines (no evidence exists that suggests these were anything more than waves). From September 1927 to September 1931, Texas became the flagship of the United States Fleet, one of only four ships to be designated U.S. Fleet flagships from 1922 to 1941.[A 1][6][7] In World War II, Texas escorted war convoys across the Atlantic and later shelled Vichy French forces in the North African Landings and German-held beaches in the Normandy Landings before being transferred to the Pacific Theater late in 1944 to provide naval gunfire support during the Battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. She was the only Allied battleship that took part in all four of these amphibious landings. Texas was decommissioned in 1948, having earned a total of five battle stars for service in World War II.

Texas was also a technological testbed: the first U.S. battleship to mount anti-aircraft guns, the first U.S. warship to control gunfire with directors and range-keepers, the first U.S. battleship to launch an aircraft,[8][9] and one of the first U.S. Navy warships to receive production radar. She was the first battleship in the world to be outfitted with 14-inch guns.[A 2]

Texas was the first U.S. battleship to become a permanent museum ship; she was turned over to the state of Texas on 21 April 1948 as a permanent museum in Houston.[A 3][8] In 1976 she became the first battleship to be declared a U.S. National Historic Landmark,[10] and is the only remaining World War I era dreadnought battleship. She is also one of the seven remaining ships and the only remaining capital ship to have served in both World Wars.[11][A 4] Texas is owned by the people of Texas and is officially under the jurisdiction of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Everyday operations and maintenance of Texas have been handled by the non-profit organization Battleship Texas Foundation since August 2020.[12][13] At the end of August 2022 she was moved to a dry dock in Galveston, Texas, to undergo a $60 million repair project. On completion, her new permanent home will be Galveston. As of March 2024, the repair project is still underway, but she has moved out of dry dock.[14][15]

  1. ^ a b c "BB35 Booklet of General Plans, Revised 18 July 1944" (PDF). Historical Naval Ship Association. 1944. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 July 2016. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  2. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 23 January 2007.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference nhlsum was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Friedman 1986, p. 420.
  5. ^ Gardiner & Gray 1985, p. 115.
  6. ^ "Battleship Texas BB35 history 1927 to 1931". battleshiptexas.info. Archived from the original on 8 April 2024. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  7. ^ "Commanders-in-Chief Plaque USS Pennsylvania (BB-38)". public1.nhhcaws.local. Archived from the original on 27 May 2024. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  8. ^ a b "USS Texas (BB-35)". Historic Naval Ships Visitors Guide. Historic Naval Ships Association. Archived from the original on 5 September 2006. Retrieved 29 December 2006.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference DANFS was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ "National Park Service: Maritime National Historic Landmarks: Large Vessels: U.S.S. Texas (Battleship)". 21 March 2016. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference nrhpinv2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ "Historical Overview of the Battleship Texas" (PDF). Texas Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  13. ^ "Battleship Texas Foundation begins preparations to move ship for restoration in the fall". KHOU 11. 13 August 2020. Archived from the original on 23 June 2024. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  14. ^ "Battleship Updates". Battleship Texas Foundation. 3 November 2022. Archived from the original on 26 September 2024. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  15. ^ https://tpwd.texas.gov/publications/pwdpubs/media/FY24-Operating-Budget.pdf . Page 139. Archived from the original on 16 August 2024. Retrieved 14 April 2024.


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