Summary and Key Points: The Battleship Texas Foundation is continuing its extensive restoration of the USS Texas (BB-35), the only surviving New York-class battleship to have served in both World Wars.
-Once repairs are complete, the USS Texas will be transformed into a world-class naval museum, honoring the sailors who served on her.
-Artifacts from the ship were recently sent to Europe to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings.
The Battleship Texas Foundation announced repair efforts are continuing on the New York-class battleship USS Texas (BB-35), the only surviving battleship to have seen service in both World Wars. Though the mighty warship took part in numerous combat operations, it has been engaged in a decades-long battle against time and the elements – one it nearly lost.
Since 1948, the iconic 122-year-old dreadnought made her home at the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site, and that time in the water took a toll on the ship's hull. There were fears that BB-35 would sink after a six-by-eight-inch hole about fifteen feet below the waterline opened in June 2017, causing her to list six degrees.
Repairs have been underway for nearly two years since the retired battlewagon was towed from the historic site to a floating dry dock in Galveston. The ship's five-inch guns have been restored and reinstalled, while the anti-aircraft guns are now undergoing restoration.
And though the original wood decking of the USS Texas rotted away long ago, haphazardly replaced with concrete during a 1960s botched repair, a new pine deck is being installed. The vessel will also be painted with the historic Measure 21 camouflage scheme that was employed on the ship during her 1945 deployment to the Pacific Theater in the final stages of the Second World War.
Efforts are now underway to patch up the vessel and have her returned to her former glory – while she will be transformed into a world-class naval museum. According to the foundation, it has received numerous donations of artifacts tied directly USS Texas.
"As we prepare to reopen the Battleship Texas as a fully realized museum, we should all remember that while the ship itself is an artifact, other articles of the crew and pieces of the ship's history come to the Battleship Texas Foundation," The Battleship Texas Foundation explained in a blog post last month.
"The first item the Battleship Texas Foundation received was an officer’s 1918 naval sword from the family of Arthur D. Murray. The sword is an 1852 design used until World War II. Murray likely received his sword in 1918 upon graduation from the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, based on the marking etched into the base of the blade.”
That was the first sword to be accepted by the foundation, which is now exploring how to best preserve the item. Like the warship, excessive moisture is a concern when it comes to the sword's blade as well as its scabbard. Even handling it when preparing it for storage and eventual display required careful consideration.
"Swords and scabbards are stored like most firearms. A sword case, akin to a rifle case, will properly protect the sword, both from moisture and damages sustained in transport," the foundation explained.
Other new additions to the collection include a set of officer's epaulets and a bicorne hat, once owned by Lt. JG Richard B. Derickson, who served on the ship in the 1930s. Those items will be stored in a dry environment to prevent, or at least, minimize degradation.
Several USS Texas artifacts tied to the ship went on a "tour" across Europe this summer to mark the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings. The historic battleship was among the U.S. Navy vessels that provided fire support on June 6, 1944.
The artifacts – which included components from the ship's hull including a steel silhouette – were brought to France on a restored C-47 transport aircraft owned by the Commemorative Air Force.
Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.
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