Veteran Tells What It Was Like to Fight World War II on the Battleship USS Nevada

[TomSea]

Excerpt, this article tells of his experiences throughout the whole war, Europe, South Pacific and so on, not just the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Veteran Tells What It Was Like to Fight World War II on the Battleship USS Nevada

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At 7:55 am on December 7, a bright, sunny Hawaiian morning, most of the Nevada crew had finished eating breakfast, and the band members and the Marine color guard were assembling on the main deck aft in preparation for the daily posting of the American flag. I left the dining area to use the enlisted men’s “head” and, moments later, the concussions of the first bombs that hit the Nevada literally blew me from my seat.

As general quarters sounded, I ran to my battle station, which was Number 4 After Searchlight, located high up on the mainmast. Already, incoming Japanese planes were strafing the exposed deck areas with machine-gun bullets, and the color guard and band members were scattering for safety. Since the searchlights were obviously not used during daylight hours, all I could do was watch this terrible, alarming, unbelievable nightmare unfold before my eyes.

The Nevada, with some of its boilers already lit on standby, got up enough steam pressure to get underway. As my ship slowly eased its way into the channel and past the Arizona, a tremendous, fiery explosion ripped the Arizona apart, showering the open-deck crews of the Nevada with hot, searing debris, burning many of them to death.

Read more at: https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/veteran-tells-what-it-was-fight-world-war-ii-battleship-uss-nevada-139897

[PeteS in CA]

The picture of USS Nevada at the top of the article is of Nevada post rebuild:

Upon my return to Bremerton, a profound change was occurring in the silhouette of the Nevada’s superstructure, foremast, and smokestack. The 10 casemated guns had been removed, and eight dual-purpose twin 5-inch gun mounts were being installed. These guns were more suitable for defense against incoming enemy planes and could still be used against surface craft using modern electronic fire-control systems and computerized range-finding equipment to provide rapid firing and movement.

As built, Nevada (and other BBs) had casemate mounted 5"/51 guns on each side for defense from destroyers and other smaller craft. She also had a number of 3"/50 AA guns. After rebuild, Nevada had turret mounted dual 5"/38 dual-purpose guns for anti-ship and AA. These are the turrets that can be seen along the superstructure.

After a short stay in New York harbor to avoid a hurricane threat, the Nevada entered a drydock at Norfolk on September 18, 1944. The crew was given a 21-day leave while an interesting and unusual event took place. Our 14-inch guns were relined, and the guns in Turret 1 were replaced with tubes salvaged from—of all ships—the Arizona and Oklahoma, both stricken at Pearl Harbor.

BB main guns were rifles, and barrels had a finite life, after which range and accuracy would be significantly affected. Like Nevada, Arizona's and Oklahoma's main guns were 14"/45; Oklahoma was Nevada's classmate, and Arizona from the next class of BBs.

USS Nevada was used in but not sunk by the Bikini A-bomb tests.