| NAVAL IMAGERY ARCHIVES |
| Battleships The big guns that once ruled the seas American battleships carried the hull designation "BB" |
| USS Arizona BB 39 -Pennsylvania Class- Sunk in Pearl Harbor, HI, by Japanese forces, 1941 -Largest single loss of life on a U.S. Navy vessel- |
| USS Arizona Memorial Seen from the bridge of the USS Missiouri (BB 63) 10 Jan 2002 |
| USS Missouri BB 63 -Iowa Class- Permanently berthed in Pearl Harbor, HI -Site of the 1945 Japanese surrender- |
These are the only three surviving images of the USS Missouri I have from that port call. The photo lab that I turned
my film into for processing while in Hawaii lost the other rolls of film I shot when my ship, the USS Carl Vinson (CVN
70) pulled into Pearl Harbor as well as most of what I shot on board the "Mighty Mo" on 10 Jan 2002.
my film into for processing while in Hawaii lost the other rolls of film I shot when my ship, the USS Carl Vinson (CVN
70) pulled into Pearl Harbor as well as most of what I shot on board the "Mighty Mo" on 10 Jan 2002.
| USS Wisconsin BB 64 -Iowa Class- Permanently berthed in Norfolk, VA -The last american battleship- |
USS Wisconsin,
high-angle forward
view Norfolk, VA
29 Apr 2001
high-angle forward
view Norfolk, VA
29 Apr 2001
USS Wisconsin, life
ring Norfolk, VA
29 Apr 2001
ring Norfolk, VA
29 Apr 2001
USS Wisconsin,
forward starobard
side Norfolk, VA
29 Apr 2001
forward starobard
side Norfolk, VA
29 Apr 2001
USS Wisconsin,
waterline, port bow
view Norfolk, VA 29
Apr 2001
waterline, port bow
view Norfolk, VA 29
Apr 2001
USS Wisconsin,
waterline bow-on
view Norfolk, VA 29
Apr 2001
waterline bow-on
view Norfolk, VA 29
Apr 2001
USS Wisconsin, stern
view Norfolk, VA
29 Apr 2001
view Norfolk, VA
29 Apr 2001
| USS Alabama BB 60 -South Dakota Class- Decommissioned in Jan. 1947 Opened as permanent museum in Mobile, AL, in Jan. 1965 |
| USS Alabama Goes Hollywood!! |
The Alabama was dressed out as the Iowa-Class USS Missouri (BB 63) in order to be the set of the
Andrew Davis action movie Under Siege (1992). The movie, starring Steven Segal, was set on board the
Missouri at the end of her career and depicted a hijacking of that battleship for the purpose of steeling her
nuclear Tomahawk cruise missiles.
The following images were taken in March and April of 1992 during the filming of Under Siege. At this
point the movie was still going under its original title, Dreadnought.
Andrew Davis action movie Under Siege (1992). The movie, starring Steven Segal, was set on board the
Missouri at the end of her career and depicted a hijacking of that battleship for the purpose of steeling her
nuclear Tomahawk cruise missiles.
The following images were taken in March and April of 1992 during the filming of Under Siege. At this
point the movie was still going under its original title, Dreadnought.
USS Alabama,
Film sign bearing Under
Siege's original title,
Dreadnought.
14 Mar 1992
Film sign bearing Under
Siege's original title,
Dreadnought.
14 Mar 1992
USS Alabama, fantail
bearing the markings of
USS Missouri.
14 Mar 1992
bearing the markings of
USS Missouri.
14 Mar 1992
USS Alabama, Number
2 turret bearing the
markings of USS
Missouri. 14 Mar 1992
2 turret bearing the
markings of USS
Missouri. 14 Mar 1992
USS Alabama, mock-up
Close-In Weapons
System (CWIS) gattling
gun. 12 Apr 1992
Close-In Weapons
System (CWIS) gattling
gun. 12 Apr 1992
USS Alabama, starboard
5" gun mount converted
to look like a Tomahawk
launcher. 12 Apr 1992
5" gun mount converted
to look like a Tomahawk
launcher. 12 Apr 1992
USS Alabama, signal
flags. 6 May 1996.
flags. 6 May 1996.
USS Alabama, bow
view. 6 January 2001
view. 6 January 2001
In January of 2006, Battleship Memorial Park, home of USS Alabama, suffered damage during the 2005
landfall of Hurricane Katrina. While the battleship itself was largely untouched, the aviation pavilion and
numerous historic aircraft and ground vehicles were severely damaged. The ship itself was actually
"grounded" by sand and silt washed in by the storm surge. Restoration work was underway on the
grounds of the museum park. The ship itself showed slight damage to the instrumentation atop the fire
control tower.
landfall of Hurricane Katrina. While the battleship itself was largely untouched, the aviation pavilion and
numerous historic aircraft and ground vehicles were severely damaged. The ship itself was actually
"grounded" by sand and silt washed in by the storm surge. Restoration work was underway on the
grounds of the museum park. The ship itself showed slight damage to the instrumentation atop the fire
control tower.
USS Alabama port bow
view. Note the silt washed
around the ship by 2005's
Hurricane Katrina. 2-image
composite. 3 June 2006.
view. Note the silt washed
around the ship by 2005's
Hurricane Katrina. 2-image
composite. 3 June 2006.
USS Alabama port super-
structure. 3 June 2006.
structure. 3 June 2006.
USS Alabama Turret #2.
Note scale of 16 inch guns.
3 June 2006.
Note scale of 16 inch guns.
3 June 2006.
USS Alabama looking aft.
3 June 2006.
3 June 2006.
USS Alabama looking aft
from starboard bow.
3 June 2006.
from starboard bow.
3 June 2006.
USS Alabama looking aft.
3 June 2006.
3 June 2006.
USS Alabama looking aft.
3 June 2006.
3 June 2006.
USS Alabama forward
from bridge. 3 June 2006.
from bridge. 3 June 2006.
USS Alabama 40mm anti-
aircraft guns. 3 June 2006.
aircraft guns. 3 June 2006.
USS Alabama 40mm anti-
aircraft guns. 3 June 2006.
aircraft guns. 3 June 2006.
USS Alabama superstructure.
3 June 2006.
3 June 2006.
| USS KENTUCKY BB 66 -Iowa Class- Laid down: Sept. 9, 1940 - Suspended: Feb. 17, 1947; sold for scrap: Oct. 31, 1958 -Parts of her remain afloat- |
The Kentucky was to be the last Iowa-class battleship, but she was never completed.
She and USS Illinois (BB-65) were victims of the end of WWII. Illinois was only
22% completed when cancelled, and scrapped on the ways. Kentucky was 74%
completed, and eventually launched to make room in the drydock for USS Missouri
after Missouri was damaged in a grounding. The incomplete vessel sat for years.
She and USS Illinois (BB-65) were victims of the end of WWII. Illinois was only
22% completed when cancelled, and scrapped on the ways. Kentucky was 74%
completed, and eventually launched to make room in the drydock for USS Missouri
after Missouri was damaged in a grounding. The incomplete vessel sat for years.
Kentucky's bow lives on. The forward 68 feet were
severed and grafted on to USS Wisconsin following a
1956 collision. So, when you board the Wisconsin and
walk forward, you end up on board what used to be the
uncompleted USS Kentucky (BB-66).
severed and grafted on to USS Wisconsin following a
1956 collision. So, when you board the Wisconsin and
walk forward, you end up on board what used to be the
uncompleted USS Kentucky (BB-66).
| Above: The forward 68 feet of Kentucky's bow on its way for grafting onto Wisconsin. Right: 31 Oct. 1958--the hulk of Kentucky is towed away to the scrap yard. Photos are courtesy of the Naval Historical Center. |
Above: On board the weather
deck of Wisconsin is this
sign. It marks the spot where
you "cross" from being on
board Wisconsin to being on
board what was originally the
Kentucky. Trivia note: the
engines built for Kentucky
ended up in the fast combat
support ship USS Sacramento
(AOE-1), which served from
1964 until 2004.
deck of Wisconsin is this
sign. It marks the spot where
you "cross" from being on
board Wisconsin to being on
board what was originally the
Kentucky. Trivia note: the
engines built for Kentucky
ended up in the fast combat
support ship USS Sacramento
(AOE-1), which served from
1964 until 2004.