Centennial battleship USS Texas Bashny.Net

From the author:
Before we continue to talk about the expedition on the ships Wargaming WWII I hasten to clarify a few points to my surprise caused a storm of debate on the results of the last publication.
In these publications, I describe my personal impressions about the trip. It is sincere and does not pursue any hidden agenda, the more political. I do not live and do not live in the US and can not know "whatever it really is." So I only write about what I saw with my own eyes, and as I saw it.
I'll be glad to hear alternative points of view and always ready for a constructive discussion. It is interesting and informative. But only in the event that such a view is framed in a coherent, understandable and reasonable message. If you can not coherently express their point of view, it is better to write nothing. At least not in my blog :)

Will be 64 photos

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So, in the previous post, we broke through the tumult of the industrial America reached a safe haven, where we waited for nearly a century war machine - the battleship "Texas" in person!

Going through the memories of their first meeting with Texas, I remember a bunch of bulk emotion. The first greedy eyes. Children excitement. Then look familiar touches the part. Anticipation. And immediately - fear disappointment. That is roughly the range of bright emotions.

Immediately I thought that way, perhaps, the old drunk after long compulsory treatment for alcoholism meets on his first free bottle tangle-legs. :) The analogy is certainly not the best, but the first thought was it is.

The ship is in the artificial harbor in a memorial park dedicated to the epic event in a poor US history - the Civil War. Stella memorial is visible from the ship, but neither the strength nor the time to go there is not enough.
According to the shipbuilding fashion of the time, and there was speculation as to who would go sea battles, the ship has a medium-caliber gun casements, which was then called "anti-mine caliber" (PMK). In the future, they are placed in the tower installations and used "universal": as air defense against ground and sea targets. Moreover, Texas, as well as his older brothers, had nasal casemates (two on board the gun port) are on the go constantly flooded with water of ocean waves. As a result, these weapons removed, ports and brewed it in the room of the casemates with installed air conditioning (seen in the photo) and placed our crew.

As already published articles on the impress of "Texas", my colleagues have repeatedly mentioned the wonderful people who work on the ship is now a museum. But I can not say - it's wonderful people who genuinely love their work. Total vvosmerom (!!!!) They contain a huge aging ship, serve him lead tours, restored and repaired. Having the experience of cooperation with the Russian museum workers, we were pleasantly surprised approach to the business of their American counterparts.
In Russia, many museum workers are tempted to turn and the subject, and the materials on it in his personal asset. Doing even at the highest level the project is very important for the museum, we constantly come across such "personal assets" within the community that dodgy sabotage work until until you reach them any "private" arrangements. So politically correct ornately poluchilos

Americans treat the existence of museums and their job is very simple and not ornate museums set up for people. And their personal mission - to contribute as much as possible to people who want to visit this museum. We were just given a striking level of assistance, although no direct benefit from this one was not.

To avoid repetition, pass only on those points which are not reflected in the travel notes of colleagues.

Anti-aircraft trehdyuymovka no different complexity and automation, unlike Bofors.

The very premise of the nose gun casemates

The order and discipline of the crew on the US Navy has traditionally supported "Marins", performing the functions of the military police on the ship. Their accommodation and living tried to do apart from the rest of the crew. As I understand it, sailors and armed with "Marines" traditionally dislike each other.

Ancient ship surprised wide spacious corridors and a rather good conditions for life. This is despite the fact that in the course of multiple improvement and increase of arms significantly increased the size of the crew and additional beds were placed in the aisles and the other was not originally intended to stay indoors.

In this photo visible "freelance" sailors' bunks and lockers. Also, the thickness of the visible bronepaluby in this place, but if you look at it.

Aft Galley made in the superstructure and with respect for the hard work the ship's cooks: in the heat it is possible to make a little "summer kitchen".

One of the points of food distribution. The trays are heated with steam from the distribution of the main power plant.

All installation of anti-aircraft guns impressed Bofors. This super-efficient weapon developed in Sweden was first "spiracheno" and then licensed by the US Navy.

At first, the Americans developed their own anti-aircraft guns for the Navy: 1.1-inch, quad and get a slang nickname "Chicago Piano". But it was of little use because neavtomatizirovannosti control actuators and general design flaws. Manual guidance made it impossible to respond quickly and leads to quick goals.

Plants quickly overheated and wedges.

With characteristic Yankee pragmatism they tried all that is best in the world and chose the Swedish Bofors. Selection of Americans estimates Volodya Gremitsky.

The unit has a variety of powerful drives and systems, duplicated manual. The machine is heavy and difficult, but very effective.

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These trunks were not different automation and rate of fire, but it helped them become effective with heavy shells radiolakatsionnym fuse.

Wooden deck Texas survived just fine.

Spire or windlass?

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Unable to develop the Americans and its effective small-caliber gun, so the fleet equipped with 20 mm anti-aircraft guns produced by Swiss company "Oerlikon". Swiss gnomes collect gold war by supplying weapons to both sides similar to the global conflict: the Germans too intense polzovali Oerlikon. However, the Navy Oerlikon considered rather "psychological impact weapon" in spite of the huge number of guns of this type are installed on their account for less than 5 percent of the downed aircraft.

Well, it is not licensed. Original, «made in the USA», nasal guns of the main fire.

PMK central casemates.

Cook-nasal casemates dismantled guns PMK.

At the very top, we, of course, also climbed, but not without incident. For safety bracket ladders to the height taller than a man cut - we have adapted for this ladder. The rise in the birdhouse on a sloping foot mast on skobtrapu forced imbued with deep respect for the work of those whose battle stations were there at the height. The amplitude of the pitching in the ocean for those who have been in the birdhouse was huge - it was necessary to have both remarkable skill and courage to climb back in the winter in the North Atlantic on the icy mast, and even in a storm. But as there is a storm watch to defend, even scary to think about.

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Handsome.

Ancient battleship hull keeps on her body traces of numerous lifts anchor in a storm - a visible anchor placers dents from the clutches. Apply these "injuries" thick plating can only be strong pitching.

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Steering gear compartment (steering gear) is on the restoration of the disassembled drive. However, it is clear that there was electric, duplicated manually. I wonder how many people had to turn the wheel of four that, though through a mechanical gear, shift the rudder?

Heavy bronelyuki help open as heavy counterweights.

Main caliber projectiles are stored in the cellars of "Texas" vertically, bottom-up.

Elevator cap with a supply of powder to the guns of the main caliber of the cellars, hidden armor and located almost at the bottom of the ship.

Telegraph controlling the supply of ammunition from the cellar in the tower of the main fire

The shells of the Civil Code in the cellar, the supply to the elevator hand hoists the guide rail at the ceiling. To close the security door in the cellar chamber, each time it was necessary to remove a segment of rail and re-raise with a further shell. Sailors often neglected the operation and keep the door open.

Post control of the propulsion installation. Steam boilers generate steam which drives a steam piston machine. On the course there was a terrible heat, especially in the tropics, in spite of the powerful ventilation.

Gallery between porshevymi steam engines

Leg piston and crankshaft main machine battleships. The design with an "open crankcase." On the move, perhaps impressive giant rotating mechanisms. The use of archaic piston machines yielded a gain in speed and range with equal power boilers. Among the disadvantages - unreliable and troublesome to maintain. Then the fleet grew to a steam turbine plant.

Evacuation stretcher, standard on all US Navy ships. But they attracted the attention of carefully made holes in the "intimate places»

One of the 14 boilers Babcock & Wilcox

By hatches it can be determined visually thickness bronepaluby

Central station communication and radio intercepts. More than 60 people in three shifts around the clock carrying Watch here.

Turbine generators and converters dynamoelectric

Elevators ammunition feed GC had duplicated manual transmission. This is one of the drive circuits. Apparently, the goal was to maintain combat capability, though with a low rate of fire, even at full power system damaged ship.

Switches drives supply of ammunition. Tourists are not allowed here, restoration was not carried out.

Tiers turret space and tube feeding ammunition

Slug cellar and back chain hoists to move the "carcasses" shells

The shutter 356mm guns GK

Foldable motorized tray shell into the barrel of the gun of the Civil Code. To the right of the elevator shaft is visible through which the projectile bottomed walked up to the tower and loaded on the tray.

Dozens of rukoyatochek in the fire control station allow guns to shoot accurately.

The conning tower and review the slit. After the Battle of Tsushima in the commander of the Russian ships perished en masse in bronerubkah splinter unexploded explosive ordnance that has wasted more visibility slots all began to make them narrow and tapered.