Seventy-Five Years Ago: Ready or Not, Here Alabama Comes!

Exactly six months after she was launched on the Elizabeth River, the ship's company of USS Alabama (BB 60) and guests assembled on her stern during the battleship's commissioning ceremony at Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, Virginia. Note that  Turret Number Three has yet to be finished. (Naval History and Heritage Command image) 

Six months ago we briefly covered the launching of USS Alabama (BB 60) at Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, Virginia.  Of course the launching of a warship does not mean she is ready for the Navy to take possession by a long stretch.  A great deal of fitting out had yet to be done over the spring and summer of 1942 to complete the 35,000-ton battleship, which was approaching fruition on this date three-quarters of a century ago.  

In any event, her commissioning ceremony took place six months to the day after her launching, ready or not.  This photograph indicates that for certain parts of the ship, it was the latter.  For example, notice that the battleship's Turret Number Three has yet to be covered with armor plating.  It is perhaps for that reason that nothing about Alabama's commissioning appeared in either of Norfolk's major daily newspapers that week.  Of course, wartime censorship regulations might have been a significant factor as well, but it is a pity that the event's particulars were not recorded by the press for posterity, as Alabama was the last battleship built at Norfolk Naval Shipyard. 

She would finally complete her fitting-out and begin shakedown maneuvers in Chesapeake bay in November.

The battleship Alabama (BB 60) is fitted out by thousands of workers at Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, Virginia during the summer of 1942.  The former battleship Kearsarge, then utilized as a crane ship, is off her starboard bow.  Her 16-inch 45-caliber guns have yet to be installed, and construction of numerous antiaircraft gun tubs is still underway. (Naval History and Heritage Command image) 

Seventy-Five Years Ago: Alabama on the Elizabeth

Over the last couple of years, prevailing strategic thinking in the United States Navy's surface community has, for the first time in decades, gravitated back towards an emphasis upon offensive capability.  This concept, known as Distributed Lethality, marks the return to a posture presuming that the navies of rival nations present a credible threat wherever the US Navy operates.  Thanks in part to advances in missile technology, rival militaries now possess anti-access/area denial capabilities that can effectively put American naval vessels under threat hundreds, if not thousands, of miles from their shores.  This new reality has forced a paradigm shift on the part of American planners.  The Cold War-era battle groups of a dozen or more frigates, destroyers and attack submarines screening a huge capital ship have been replaced by three to four American and allied vessels comprising a hunter-killer surface action group.

Seventy-five years ago today, however, a different mindset held sway as the South Dakota-class battleship Alabama (BB-60) was launched at Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, Virginia.  Perhaps the ethos behind her conception and construction could be thought of as "Concentrated Lethality."
      

An aerial oblique view of USS Alabama (BB-60) in the Elizabeth River after launching at Norfolk Navy Yard, February 16, 1942.  Her Sponsor was Henrietta McMcormick Hill, wife of J. Lister Hill, senior senator from Alabama. (US Navy/ National Archives via NHHC Flickr)

Two years and two weeks after her keel was laid at Norfolk Navy Yard, Alabama was launched on February 16, 1942.  Commissioned in August, she taunted the Kreigsmarine in the North Atlantic for a year before earning her 9 battle stars in the Pacific, serving as protection for aircraft carriers and providing shore bombardment.  Although her concentrated lethality in the form of nine 16-inch guns, 20 five-inch guns and numerous 20mm antiaircraft guns made Alabama a devastating machine of war, it was her air search radar that proved pivotal in the run-up to the June 1944 battle later called the "Marianas Turkey Shoot," from which Japanese naval air power would never recover.

Perhaps one of the greatest testaments of her effectiveness is that, despite repeated action against enemy forces during the war, during which over 1,200 16-inch shells were fired and 22 enemy aircraft were shot down, the only casualties incurred during the war were accidental.  Like many of the most powerful and effective ships ever to sail the seas as a part of the most unrivaled navy ever assembled, however, Alabama's operational life was short.  It was not because of obsolescence or any other reason that she was consigned to mothball status after the war.  It was just that there were no worthy adversaries still afloat.

USS Alabama (BB-60), seen here in September 1974, is permanently docked at Battleship  Memorial Park in Mobile, Alabama. (US Navy/ PH1 Richard Pendergist, National Archives via NHHC Flickr)

Decommissioned on January 9, 1947 and stricken from the naval register on June 1, 1962, a grassroots fundraising drive on the part of the citizens of Alabama saved the battleship from the cutting torch, and for over a half-century she has served the public in Mobile as a reminder of the battles she fought and the men who fought those battles.  Not to be forgotten, however, are the over 3,000 shipyard workers at Norfolk Naval Shipyard who worked around the clock for two and a half years to make her a reality.

USS Alabama @ NNSY as Drawn by Illustrator Thorton Oakley, 1942

Oakley's rough sketch
of the painting shown above.

 Illustrator Thornton Oakley created this interpretation of the battleship USS Alabama (BB-60) at Norfolk Naval Shipyard preparing for launch. The illustration was part of a series he painted of American war industries during World War II. The point of this series was to show the industrial side of the war effort. Oakley was active in making patriotic art during both of the World Wars.

National Geographic showcased his work several times during WWII as part of its coverage of the war. Oakley also worked as both an illustrator and writer for many publications, such as Harper’s Monthly and Scribner’s. He also taught at the Philadelphia Museum School of Industrial Art for many years. As an artist, Oakley favored the use of primary colors, such as blue, red, and yellow. This is evident in this particular painting as he has worked several different hues of these colors into the scene for a striking effect. National Geographic originally published this work in their December 1942 issue.

Compare Oakley's work to Arms' interpretation of Alabama and one can quickly see the difference in styles. Even though both men studied architecture at college, Oakely also trained as an illustrator under the great illustrator Howard Pyle. As a result, Oakley's interpretation is more active and action-oriented than Arms' drawing of the battleship, which was still and highly detailed-orientated.

Editor's note: HRNM educator Eljiah Palmer composed this entry.

2014 LEGO Ship Designs Announced

LEGO Shipbuilding is one of the most popular programs and events we have done in recent history.  Nearly 2,000 people came out for a day of ship building, contests, and demonstrations from local user groups and businesses.  We are currently planning our 2014 LEGO Shipbuilding event.  A middle education program based on the event is now available for schools and school groups around the Hampton Roads area as an in-house or outreach program (FREE of charge).

Every year, staff at the Hampton Roads Naval Museum pick out new designs for ship models participants can build in the gallery during the event.  Designs from each year are put on our website as build-able
models for FREE.  Understanding that LEGO bricks are expensive, all models are made layer by layer using only standard LEGO bricks available in stores across the country.

All ship designs included in the Brick by Brick: LEGO Shipbuilding Program are created from models included in our museum gallery.  With this in mind, we are pleased to announce the new designs for the 2014 LEGO Shipbuilding Day at the Hampton Roads Naval Museum:

CSS Nansemond

Twin-Screw Gunboat

American Civil War 

USS Onondaga

Double-turreted river monitor

American Civil War 

USS Maine (BB-2/c, ex-ACR-1)

Second-class Battleship

Spanish-American War 

USS Alabama (BB-60)

South Dakota-Class Battleship
World War II

USS Stump (DD-978)

Spruance-Class Destroyer

Cold War/Post Cold War 

Stay tuned for more updates as we get close to the event!  It's time to get building for 2014!

Gearing Up for War at Norfolk Naval Shipyard

This two-page photo spread appeared in the September 1, 1941, issue of Life magazine. The photos show a busy Norfolk Naval Shipyard shortly before America's official entry into World War II.  The photograph specifically shows the Yard's Pier Number 3, and the photographer took the picture from Building 163.

At the far left are USS Texas (BB-35) and USS Ranger (CV-4).  Two unidentified destroyers (possibly USS Rowan (DD-405) and Stack (DD-406)) sit in front of Texas.  The Presidental yacht/ex-U.S. Coast Guard cutter USS Potomac (AG-25) is docked in front of Ranger.  The pre-World War I and hard working ocean tug/ex-U.S. Coast Guard cutter USS Acushnet (AT-63) sits at right, awaiting her next job.   At the time, Norfolk  Naval Shipyard was also building the battleship Alabama (BB-60) and repairing the British aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious, along with several other projects. 

Appearing in the same issue of Life was the above picture of 14-inch gun barrels from Texas.  The barrels had just been removed from the battleship and were awaiting transport to be re-sleeved.  Looming over them is Norfolk Navy Yard's distinctive "Hammerhead" crane.

Norfolk Naval Shipyard by John Taylor Arms

This is a 1942 etching of Norfolk Naval Shipyard by nationally-known Gothic artist John Taylor Arms. It shows the battleship Alabama (BB-60) being made ready for war and the craneship/ex-battleship Kearsarge (at right) at Norfolk Naval Shipyard. This is one of several Arms prints that are currently in the museum's collection.

Known mostly for his detailed drawings and prints of churches and cityscape scenes in Europe and the United States, Arms frequently sketched and printed U.S. Naval warships. This is possibly due to the fact that he served as an officer in the U.S. Navy during World War I. After the war, he attended Princeton Law School before transferring to M.I.T. to train as an architect. In the 1930s, he decided to devote all of his time to his art and teaching. His 1934 work, Handbook of Print Making and Print Makers, is one of the central textbooks on the subject.

Arms' skill as an artist is lauded for his ability to extract every little detail from his subject. He used sewing needles and magnifying glasses to achieve the level of detail seen in his work. The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., has more than sixty of Arms' drawings in their collection. Some of them can be seen here.

Happy Halloween-Neptunus Rex's Royal Police

For Halloween 2011, we present "HRH" Neptunus Rex's Royal Police squad on board the battleship USS Alabama (BB-8) during the 1907-1909 cruise of the U.S. Battle Fleet (a.k.a. the “Great White Fleet”). The Royal Police's job was to enforce order during the "crossing the line" ceremonies, which took place when a ship crosses the equator. Along with other the warships of the Fleet, this particular crossing-the-line ceremony took place on January 8, 1908. It was one of the largest events of its type.

Bob Feller

Bob Feller, Hall of Fame baseball player and World War II Navy veteran, died yesterday at the age of 92. Feller was a true American patriot.  Two days after Pearl Harbor was attacked, Feller informed the Cleveland Indians baseball team not to expect him for Spring training as he just enlisted in the Navy.While the Navy gave him the rate of "Chief Specialist Athletic," he wanted to train like any other sailor.  He struck as a gunner's mate and began his training here in Norfolk.  He later served as a 40mm gun captain on the Norfolk-built battleship USS Alabama (BB-60).

 When I started to work on an article about the "NTS Nine," the name of Naval Training Station Norfolk's baseball team in World War II, I got a phone call from Mr. Feller himself.  He had heard through the grapevine that someone wanted to talk to him about his time in the Navy.  He told me he was always more proud of his service in the Navy than his time in the Major Leagues.   Shortly after the interview, he sent me the autographed picture shown above.  

I strongly encourage you to visit our special section on our website to read about Feller's time here in Norfolk and the rest of the Major League players who gave up a life of luxury to serve their country.

Bob Feller and two of his NTS Nine teammates "Ace" Parker (Football Hall of Fame and Portsmouth, Virginia-native) and Sam Chapman (Philadelphia A's all-star outfielder).