Perspective

[Flying10uk]

When the Iowa Class Battleships were reactivated in the 1980's did any/many other older US warships also get reactivated?

I remember at the time the reason given in the media was that Ronald Reagan wanted a bigger navy and, therefore, the WW2 Iowa Class Battleships were being reactivated. Presumably the real reason was the firepower of the 16" main armament was what was wanted.

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[Sapper740]

I remember at the time the reason given in the media was that Ronald Reagan wanted a bigger navy and, therefore, the WW2 Iowa Class Battleships were being reactivated. Presumably the real reason was the firepower of the 16" main armament was what was wanted.

Yes, President Reagan wanted a 600 ship Navy and part of that proved an opportunity to reactivate the four Iowa-class battleships. It wasn't just numbers that the four Iowa-class battleships provided, they were upgraded with new combat systems, removing 4 of the five-inch 38's in order to accommodate Harpoon anti-ship missiles, Tomahawk cruise missiles, and Phalanx CIWS close-in weapon systems. Each ship retained its nine sixteen-inch guns since the new, modern Navy had no naval guns over five inches in diameter, and the big guns of the battleships would prove invaluable in the event of an amphibious landing.

[Bob Womack]

By the way, here is why she is called "Wisky."



On May 6th, 1956 in heavy fog she collide with DD-510 Eaton and suffered bow damage. She was sent to Norfolk Naval Shipyard. A 120-ton, 68 foot section of the bow of Wisconsin's incomplete classmate, Kentucky, was removed from her in dry dock at Newport News Shipbuilding across the James River, transported across the bay, and installed on the Wisconsin.

The resultant hybrid was jokingly named "WisKY" by wags in the crew.

Bob

[Eaglelord17]

Yes, President Reagan wanted a 600 ship Navy and part of that proved an opportunity to reactivate the four Iowa-class battleships. It wasn't just numbers that the four Iowa-class battleships provided, they were upgraded with new combat systems, removing 4 of the five-inch 38's in order to accommodate Harpoon anti-ship missiles, Tomahawk cruise missiles, and Phalanx CIWS close-in weapon systems. Each ship retained its nine sixteen-inch guns since the new, modern Navy had no naval guns over five inches in diameter, and the big guns of the battleships would prove invaluable in the event of an amphibious landing.

Those 16" guns also shredded the Iraqis during the Gulf War, exceptionally effective I think would be the best way to describe it.

[CINDERS]

Those 16" guns also shredded the Iraqis

Yes they were rather devastating.

In Pursuit also I remember a gunner in one of Rodney's turrets saying at the beginning of the engagement the breech when firing was in the bottom of the turret but when they closed on the Bismarck the breech was level.
In fact Rodney closed to point blank range for her 16" guns which I think they said in the book was 3000 yards hence as Bob stated the deck armour was thicker rather than the raking shots she was receiving.

In my book I have Tiger I & II Combat Tactics By Jentz the brits in WWII did a huge test on captured Tiger 1 & Tiger 2 armour and it was found to be far superior to what any of the stuff the allies had the testing involved various calibers but predominantly the 6pdr at 0 - 30 degrees.
Consensus was that the Germans made very good tough to defeat armour.