Proposals sought for new home for Battleship Texas

[Elderberry]

Houston Chronicle by  Nick Powell Jan. 28, 2020

The Battleship Texas, the last surviving dreadnought that fought in two world wars, is officially looking for a new home.

The nonprofit Battleship Texas Foundation on Tuesday announced that it had put out a request for proposals (RFP) for a new berth. The USS Texas’ current berth at the San Jacinto State Historic Site does not draw enough visitors to financially support its annual maintenance costs, which have skyrocketed in recent years due to the ship’s decaying condition.

The foundation, which runs the battleship museum, hopes a new home port will ensure sufficient paid visitor revenue can be generated to support the operation and maintenance needs of the ship well into the future. The battleship, which has been closed to the public since August, typically attracts about 88,000 visitors annually and generates $1.3 million in revenue at its current location.

“The whole strategy has been at some point the battleship has to operate with a (high) level of visitation,” said Bruce Bramlett, the foundation’s executive director. “That’s not the only way money comes in but it’s probably the biggest bucket. If we’re gonna maintain her going forward, you don’t do it at 80-90,000 paid visitors.”

More: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Proposals-sought-for-new-home-for-Battleship-Texas-15010979.php

[PeteS in CA]

http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/battlesh/bb35.htm

The second Texas (Battleship No. 35) was laid down on 17 April 1911 at Newport News, Va., by the Newport News Shipbuilding Co.; launched on 18 May 1912; sponsored by Miss Claudia Lyon; and commissioned on 12 March 1914, Capt. Albert W. Grant in command.

On 24 March, Texas departed the Norfolk Navy Yard and set a course for New York. She made an overnight stop at Tompkinsville, N.Y., on the night of the 26th and 27th and entered the New York Navy Yard on the latter day. She spent the next three wee ks there undergoing the installation of the fire control equipment.
...
The 6 April declaration of war found Texas riding at anchor in the mouth of the York River with the other Atlantic Fleet battleships. She remained in the Virginia Capes-Hampton Roads vicinity until mid-August conducting exercises and training naval armed-guard gun crews for service on board merchant ships.

In August, she steamed to New York for repairs, arriving at Base 10 on the 19th and entering the New York Navy Yard soon thereafter. She completed repairs on 26 September and got underway for Port Jefferson that same day. During the mid-watch on the 27th, however, she ran hard aground on Block Island. For three days, her crew lightened ship to no avail. On the 30th, tugs came to her assistance, and she finally backed clear. Hull damaged dictated a return to the yard, and the extensive repairs she required precluded her departure with Division 9 for the British Isles in November.

more at above link

The three oldest battleships in the USN on December 7, 1941 were the 12"-gunned USS Arkansas, and the 14"-gunned USS New York (class leader) and USS Texas. The class after the New Yorks, the Nevada class, had a significant change in machinery placement and armor layout, so the USN did not use these three older ships in the Pacific until very late in WW2. Not that supporting the invasions of North Africa, Normandy, and southern France and convoy escort were light duty.

When USS Texas was built, the USN was, at best, a second-navy (the RN, German Navy, and possibly the French Navy being first-class). When USS Texas was retired, the USN was the best in the world. Her service saw saw sea changes in naval power, technology, and weaponry. I hope the Battleship Texas Foundation finds a suitable home for USS Texas. I hate saying this, but it probably won't be easy. The USS Hornet Museum struggled some, and there was considerable difficulty finding a home for USS Iowa.

[PeteS in CA]

This is a reconstruction of comments accidentally deleted and (after I first posted this) later restored.

USS Arkansas (12" guns), class leader USS New York, and USS Texas (14" guns) were the three oldest BBs in the USN's fleet when PH was attacked. New York and Texas were approximately equivalent to the IJN's Fuso and Ise class battleships. However, because there was a significant improvement in armor layout between the New York class and the following Nevada class and later BB classes, Arkansas, New York, and Texas were deemed inappropriate for service in the Pacific until late in WW2. Not that supporting landings in North Africa and Europe were insignificant.

Texas' service from commissioning to retirement saw significant advances in naval architecture, weaponry, and technology. Hopefully the foundation can find a suitable location for her (it probably won't be easy - the Hornet museum had a rocky start, and it took a while to find a home for USS Iowa).