Couldn't find an appropriate place for this, so figured I would start one. The USS Texas (battleship) has been used in several recent films and been undergoing some restoration over the years and I have a couple of questions that occured to me after responding to a thread on WW2 films ('Midway' and 'War and Rembrance') maybe some members might be able to help me with. It seems that the Texas has been refitted with quad 40mm mounts (I dont know how long), but I remember that in the late 60s it had those old quad 1.1 inch mounts (chicago pianos) fitted. So, my two questions are; At the end of WW2, surely the Texas wasn't still using those 1.1 mounts was it? And the second question is, what happened to those things? I mean, were they removed during the time that the Texas was drydocked back in the 80s and never refitted? Where did they go?
During WW2, the last 1.1s were removed in September, 1943. The 1.1s were added in 1948 and removed 1989-90. As to what happened to the 1.1s, you could try contacting General Battleship Texas Foundation Matters Mr. Steven Howell Executive Director Battleship Texas Foundation 908 Town & Country Blvd., Suite 120 Houston, Texas 77024-2208 bb35foundation@sbcglobal.net 713 827-9620 (Office) 713 827-9621 (Fax) This and other contact information is here: The Battleship Texas Foundation - BB35
This is me when I went to see the old girl about 2 years ago! She is a beauty. The oldest dreadnought still around she was in good shape.
It's a cool ship and the old girl has certainly been pulling her share of movie time. I would like to think that those old 1.1s went to a good home. They aren't something you see very often.
During WW2, the last 1.1s were removed in September, 1943. The 1.1s were added in 1948 and removed 1989-90. Interesting.....during the war of course the 1.1s were replaced by 40mms; did the Navy take the 40s off when they decommissioned the ship? I suppose 40mms were still considered useful, although I would think the Navy had more than enough of them at that point! Also they were being superseded by 3"/50s.
Yes, the 40s were removed when the ship was decommissioned, as is shown in this photograph http://www.navsource.org/archives/01/013575b.jpg If not remounted on other ships, they would have been used for spare parts. Heck, some of the Iowas retained 20mms until 1951. The 3inch/50s were intended for the Iowas, but the guns were never funded. AFAIK, none of the battleships held in the reserve fleet never received the 3inch/50s. Also, AFAIK, several of the carriers retained some of their 40mms into the early 1950s
