Wow.. another day of rain.  So we decided to tour the North Carolina Battleship.  This was a really neat ship considering my all time favorite game to play is Battleship. LOL The North Carolina Battleship was  commissioned on  April 9, 1941.  During World War II, she participated in every major naval offensive attack on the Pacific Ocean earning her 15  battle stars.

 

 

She was known as a protector of aircraft carriers.  She defended carrier Enterprise against air attacks during the battle of the Eastern Solomons , on August 24, 1942.  I like the sea plane.  It was lifted on and off the battleship by the huge hoist on the back.

 

 

Look how big the propeller is. The North Carolina carried out nine bombardments during WWII.  She sank an enemy troopship and destroyed 24 enemy aircraft along with assisting in shooting down many more.

 

 

Her anti-aircraft guns helped halt or frustrate scores of attacks on aircraft carriers.  She steamed over 300,000 miles. The Japanese radio claimed over six times that she had been sunk.  She survived many close calls and near misses.  She survived one hit when a Japanese torpedo hit tore a 30 foot hole in her hull on September 15, 1942.  Check out these 16 inch guns!!  Six on the front, 3 on the rear of the boat.

 

 

Bryce is practicing his aim on one of the anti-aircraft guns.  This picture gives the size of the smaller guns.  There were dozens of these guns on the ship.

 

 

Look how big this 16 inch projectile is.  She carried hundreds of these.  There was a four story rotating supply area below each of the 16 inch turrets.  Here Bryce is near the bottom.

 

 

For all you computer junkies.. Back in these days, there were no digital computers. There were only analog computers. Here is the GUI for the crew in the 16 inch gun turret.  It connected to a huge analog computer down inide the hull of the ship.  The analog computer controlled huge motors that continuously moved these guns as the ship rose and fell over waves. 

 

 

Bryce loves the machine area. Probably because at home he has a small machine shop in the garage.  This picture shows one of the smaller lathes.

 

 

How would you like to sleep here?  I cannot even think of sharing my area… LOL

 

 

There were two huge rudders to steer the ship.  Bryce is standing next to a huge hydraulic actuator used to turn the rudder.  There were two of these actuators on each rudder.  And each rudder could be controlled independently.

 

 

Check out her spare anchor just in back of Bryce.  It weighs 24,000 pounds.

 

 

She had as many 5 inch guns on one side as a destroyer escort carries totally!!

 

 

This battleship carried 15 boats at one time!!!  Three 50 foot boats!!

 

 

Look at the size of this teak deck on the rear of the ship.  This picture also shows the aft 16 inch guns.