USS IOWA To Fire 5" Guns for Rose Bowl

[TacoSallust]

http://whotv.com/2015/12/23/uss-iowa-to-fire-guns-for-hawkeye-pep-rally/

 

Pretty cool. As an Iowa native I got to see IOWA in Oakland before she sailed to LA. Not a Hawkeyes fan (did NROTC at Iowa State, go Cyclones!) but eager to see the old gal speak!

[dmckay]

Cool.  Cooler would be to fire the 16 inch guns all at once.  Why do they not do that? 

[The_GoDDfather]

Cool.  Cooler would be to fire the 16 inch guns all at once.  Why do they not do that? 

 

Didn't they fill them with cement?

[TacoSallust]

 

Didn't they fill them with cement?

 

Not sure, but IOWA's Bravo turret was not fully repaired after the explosion in 1989. 

[Mannstien]

 

Didn't they fill them with cement?

 

I don't think they can,  the Navy is suppose to fulfill a specific shore bombardment capability and all of it's new little toys and projects have not convinced congress to completely decommission all of the Iowa's so they are maintained in some state of readiness especially given some of the projects were cancelled no other ships are able to reach a target with the designated rate of fire at range with precision over extended periods of time and still be able to loiter close to shore. So at least for now Iowa and Wisconsin though in need of repair and modernization will be awaiting the call of the sleeping giant still.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_naval_gunfire_support_debate

[TacoSallust]

Thanks for looking into that. I was going to yesterday but we had nothing to do at work and a bored coworker kept wandering over to talk to me, so I ended up forgetting about the whole thread.

[dmckay]

 

Didn't they fill them with cement?

 

Why fill em with cement?  So as to prevent some nut from lugging a 16 inch shell aboard along with powder bags and somehow being able to get it in the breech and actually be able to fire the damn thing? 

[The_GoDDfather]

 

Why fill em with cement?  So as to prevent some nut from lugging a 16 inch shell aboard along with powder bags and somehow being able to get it in the breech and actually be able to fire the damn thing? 

 

Idk, that's what I've always heard. That they fill the barrels with cement after they're decommissioned.

[Guest]

I wonder if they will be firing one turret at a time, or all at once? either way, the event sounds quite neat, and I wish I was there. ( if mostly for the food)

[dmckay]

 

Idk, that's what I've always heard. That they fill the barrels with cement after they're decommissioned.

 

Ok but I have never seen this and I have see a hell of a lot of old cannon on various vehicles and ships.  I have just seen the barrels plugged with the tampion not cement. Seems to me that filling the barrels with cement would hurt em and ya never know if we might need em again. Heck they were useful in the Gulf Wars.  Never know.....but I will take your word for it! Carry on.

[The_GoDDfather]

 

Ok but I have never seen this and I have see a hell of a lot of old cannon on various vehicles and ships.  I have just seen the barrels plugged with the tampion not cement. Seems to me that filling the barrels with cement would hurt em and ya never know if we might need em again. Heck they were useful in the Gulf Wars.  Never know.....but I will take your word for it! Carry on.

 

Yeah, I just googles it. Nothing on ships, but it's a common practice to deactivate tanks.

[Guest]

 

Ok but I have never seen this and I have see a hell of a lot of old cannon on various vehicles and ships.  I have just seen the barrels plugged with the tampion not cement. Seems to me that filling the barrels with cement would hurt em and ya never know if we might need em again. Heck they were useful in the Gulf Wars.  Never know.....but I will take your word for it! Carry on.

 

It would make sense to not fill them up with Cement, even old ships can provide some limited support even in today, you can always hope :3. 

[dmckay]

 

It would make sense to not fill them up with Cement, even old ships can provide some limited support even in today, you can always hope :3. 

 

Indeed.  We still have the USS Constitution (Old Ironsides) in working order at the Boston Naval Yard. She is rested and ready whenever she is needed!

[56Bravo]

 

Indeed.  We still have the USS Constitution (Old Ironsides) in working order at the Boston Naval Yard. She is rested and ready whenever she is needed!

 

Sure, but the USS Constitution does not have any operable cannon on board.  In  the case of the Iowa, the main batteries would have been demiled by having the breech disassembled an the firing components removed since a museum must adhere to state and federal laws.  Thus it cannot, unless special liability and specific dispensation is gained have or use military ordnance.  Every piece of military hardware and ordnance in displays around the nation are, by law, inert.  

 

It is far easier to convince the state of California's insurance companies to allow the firing of special blank pyrotechnic shells of 127mm than firing a 406mm within city limits.   

[Mannstien]

She's still on the list of mobilization assets to fulfill a shore bombardment role in the advent of a national emergency she can be commissioned again, repaired, modernized, and put back to sea until the Navy  can figure out a way to meet certain requirements to fill that requirement I doubt you'll see cement in either Iowa or Wisconsin's barrels anytime soon. With basically the dead DDX program slashed from 33 ships to just 3 and the cancellation of other projects congress will not remove them from that list just yet.

[dmckay]

 

Sure, but the USS Constitution does not have any operable cannon on board.  In  the case of the Iowa, the main batteries would have been demiled by having the breech disassembled an the firing components removed since a museum must adhere to state and federal laws.  Thus it cannot, unless special liability and specific dispensation is gained have or use military ordnance.  Every piece of military hardware and ordnance in displays around the nation are, by law, inert.  

 

It is far easier to convince the state of California's insurance companies to allow the firing of special blank pyrotechnic shells of 127mm than firing a 406mm within city limits.   

 

I have been on the Constitution and she has a full compliment of cannon.  Have they been made inoperable?  Vent hole spiked or whatever?  Beautiful ship. Ultra cool ship to visit! She handed the Britts their butts in the War of 1812.

[Decidis]

But havent all US BB's been stricken from the naval roster? I thought being taken off that list means that the goverment no longer keeps even a basic level of readiness for a ship? May be wrong, though. 

[TacoSallust]

Before Stanford put on its clinic, the only footage of a gun being fired that I have seen from the U of I pep rally was one of the signal guns. I don't think any 5" fired any pyrotechnic charges. 

[UrPeaceKeeper]

She's still on the list of mobilization assets to fulfill a shore bombardment role in the advent of a national emergency she can be commissioned again, repaired, modernized, and put back to sea until the Navy  can figure out a way to meet certain requirements to fill that requirement I doubt you'll see cement in either Iowa or Wisconsin's barrels anytime soon. With basically the dead DDX program slashed from 33 ships to just 3 and the cancellation of other projects congress will not remove them from that list just yet.

 

I'm not sure the US Government knows this anymore than we do.  I have read everything from formerly and permanently retired to still on the list to "no one knows".  At this point, "no one knows" is probably the most accurate.  I'd be shocked if the Iowa and Wisconsin are on the list still especially given the damage to Turret 2 on the Iowa.  They were, until 2009, able to be recalled into active service as you stated, but after 2009 who knows.  Last I heard they were formerly and permanently retired in 2009.

[TenguBlade]

Idk, that's what I've always heard. That they fill the barrels with cement after they're decommissioned.

The put cement plugs in the barrels behind the gun caps, I think.  What purpose they serve is beyond me.

I'm not sure the US Government knows this anymore than we do.  I have read everything from formerly and permanently retired to still on the list to "no one knows".  At this point, "no one knows" is probably the most accurate.  I'd be shocked if the Iowa and Wisconsin are on the list still especially given the damage to Turret 2 on the Iowa.  They were, until 2009, able to be recalled into active service as you stated, but after 2009 who knows.  Last I heard they were formerly and permanently retired in 2009.

With the Zumwalt-class DDGs entering service now I think they have a replacement, or at least as close to one as they'll get.

[motaz87]

as far as i know only the Uss Missouri has her main turrets welded in place. there is no cement in any of the iowa class bb main guns.

[DeltaEchoBravo]

Neither the main or secondary batteries of any of the Iowa class BBs have been modified in any way. They are required, by congressional order, to remain completely intact. There is a list of what can and can't be modified in any way, and which systems may or may not be operated. It is mostly mundane stuff like not being able to operate the main galley, but being able to use the smaller CPO and Officer galleys. No turrets have been welded in place. They are not allowed to fire up boilers and generate ship power (they run off generators and shore power), so they can only traverse the turrets or elevate the guns the hard way, by hand (which has been done on Iowa recently). 

 

However, access holes for tourists have been cut into the barbette of one of the main battery turrets on Missouri and New Jersey. Otherwise, the only way to enter those spaces is through the turrets and down, which would be a liability with tourists. These two are no longer on the list for possible emergency re-activation, but the guns themselves are to remain intact to have spares available. Missouri also has had some alterations to add an elevator from the weather deck on the starboard side, for handicapped tourist access.

[Combined_Fleet_HQ]

 

Idk, that's what I've always heard. That they fill the barrels with cement after they're decommissioned.

 

Aren't the iowa class on a list of ships (Reserve Fleet) that can be recommissioned back into service like it was in the 90s?

 

edit:  Congress passed Pub.L. 109–163, the National Defense Authorization Act 2006, requiring that the battleships be kept and maintained in a state of readiness should they ever be needed again.^[54] Congress ordered that measures be implemented to ensure that, if need be, Iowa could be returned to active duty.^[54] These measures closely mirrored the original three conditions that the National Defense Authorization Act of 1996 laid out for the maintenance of Iowa while she was in the "mothball fleet"

[slags83]

I wonder why they chose Iowa instead of New Jersey or Missouri? Her #2 turret has been inoperational since the explosion in it in 1989 and she was widely recognized as the "problem child" of the recommissioned 1980s era Iowa class ships, which is also what got her retired before her sisters in 1990.

[DeltaEchoBravo]

New Jersey, although nicely preserved, has the most wear and tear of the 4, and I've heard reports of powerplant and rudder issues. Missouri is in great shape, but is also the biggest tourism attraction of the 4 by a large margin. 

 

Turret 2 on Iowa, despite being left inoperational, is not too badly damaged, and completely salvageable. The crew inside didn't fare well in the explosion, but the structure and mechanical stuff survived a lot better than you might think. It was hastily cleaned up, re-painted, but left unused after 1989.  The volunteer crew had no problems elevating the turret 2 barrels as seen currently. They just couldn't use the electric motors, due to the inactivation rules preventing operation of those systems, but manually cranking them by hand worked just fine. 

 

When there was still talk about another, more extensive, modernization program, some designs eliminated turret 3, and there was talk of swapping Iowa's turret 3 in place of the original turret 2.