--- Photos: SPOTTER'S THREAD (post up all years/models) ---

[89Suburban]

Prolly the coolest thing that little POS will haul in it's life

I didn't even know they made those things. Imagine having one of those as a kid.

 

[Tonyrodz]

I didn't even know they made those things. Imagine having one of those as a kid.

My oldest son had 2--a dump truck and a front end loader. They were pretty damn big. He's 35 now, so they've been around for awhile.

 

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[89Suburban]

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@OR VietVet

 

[OR VietVet]

@OR VietVet

Yep, looks like a battleship.

Big and deadly, but small compared to the floating city aircraft carrier I was on.

 

[homesick]

Yep, looks like a battleship.

Big and deadly, but small compared to the floating city aircraft carrier I was on.

During our time, the Navy had a string of flight training bases, strung along the Gulf Coast, from FL to TX.

The Lexington cruised back and forth, parking off each of these bases, so the student pilots could carrier qualify. I wanted to go, as part of the maintenance teams, but it never happened.

I finally got to get on her, after she'd been retired and parked in Corpus Christi, as a museum. AFAIK, she was still like she was in 1943, except that an escalator [with LOW head clearance] had been hung on the starboard hull, during the Korean War.

I really wished, again, I'd have gotten on her while she was still active.

joe

 

[Fosscore]

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The USS Wisconsin (BB-64) is an Iowa-class battleship, commissioned in 1944, that served in World War II, the Korean War, and the Persian Gulf War, making her one of the few U.S. battleships to serve in three major conflicts. Known for her powerful 16-inch guns, she provided crucial naval gunfire support and is now a museum ship in Norfolk, Virginia, operated by Nauticus.

Key Facts

• Class: Iowa-class battleship
• Commissioned: April 16, 1944
• Builder: Philadelphia Naval Shipyard
• Armament: Nine 16-inch/50-caliber guns, among other weapons
• Service:
  • World War II: Pacific Theater (Iwo Jima, Okinawa)
  • Korean War:Provided fire support
  • Persian Gulf War (Operation Desert Storm): 1991 Aremd with Tomahawk missiles - was involved in the first launch of those missiles in the Gulf War.
• Decommissioned: Final time in 1991
• Current Status:Museum ship in Norfolk, Virginia, operated by Nauticus
  

Notable Features & Service

• "Big Wisky": A nickname reflecting her size and power.
  
  
• Three Wars:
• One of the few U.S. battleships to see active duty in three major conflicts.
  
  
• Modernization:
• Upgraded in the 1980s to remain relevant in modern warfare.
  
  
• Kamikaze Encounter:
• Survived a kamikaze attack in April 1945 with minor damage

 

[OR VietVet]

During our time, the Navy had a string of flight training bases, strung along the Gulf Coast, from FL to TX.

The Lexington cruised back and forth, parking off each of these bases, so the student pilots could carrier qualify. I wanted to go, as part of the maintenance teams, but it never happened.

I finally got to get on her, after she'd been retired and parked in Corpus Christi, as a museum. AFAIK, she was still like she was in 1943, except that an escalator [with LOW head clearance] had been hung on the starboard hull, during the Korean War.

I really wished, again, I'd have gotten on her while she was still active.

joe

The USS Kitty Hawk CV63, that I was on, had the full height escalators. They, 4 of them, were located fore and aft and port and starboard. They would be turned off at times or down for maintenance/repairs. IIRC, they were taking you 6 levels and were a bit of a "bear" to climb if shut down.

Yes, the older carriers, that were still active but not ready for battle, were used for training. IIRC, that training was done in the Gulf because the east and west coast had carriers that were battle ready and would depart from the coasts and the Department of War did not want any training and active battle ready duty mixed.

 

[OR VietVet]

By the way. The Kitty Hawk was designated as CVA63 when I first went aboard. Then we had 2 West Pacs and they sent us to Hunter's Point and we went in to a yard period and were in dry dock for 4-5 months for the flight deck/catapults/jet blast deflectors to be readied to handle a larger fighter jet that we were getting. I do forget the jet designation. Then the Kitty Hawk became CV63 instead of CVA63.

The thing I will always remember, is that when in dry dock, a brother of mine and a friend of ours came to Hunter's Point and while there we took the steps down to the bottom of the dry dock and we were able to walk under the hull of the ship. The blocks that the ship had settled on, were tall enough to allow us to walk under. It was crazy.

 

[homesick]

By the way. The Kitty Hawk was designated as CVA63 when I first went aboard. Then we had 2 West Pacs and they sent us to Hunter's Point and we went in to a yard period and were in dry dock for 4-5 months for the flight deck/catapults/jet blast deflectors to be readied to handle a larger fighter jet that we were getting. I do forget the jet designation. Then the Kitty Hawk became CV63 instead of CVA63.

The thing I will always remember, is that when in dry dock, a brother of mine and a friend of ours came to Hunter's Point and while there we took the steps down to the bottom of the dry dock and we were able to walk under the hull of the ship. The blocks that the ship had settled on, were tall enough to allow us to walk under. It was crazy.

I think I'd've enjoyed the heck out of that day.

joe

 

[Fosscore]

A few more from Norfolk.

The designation DDG-78 belongs to the USS Porter, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer. Following a seven-year forward deployment to Rota, Spain, the ship shifted its official homeport backto Naval Station Norfolk.

From left to right for carriers numbers are

CVN-68 USS NIMITZ
Arrived 09 July 2026 soon to be deactivated.

USS Nimitz - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

CV-3
The hull designation CV-3 belonged to the USS Saratoga, a Lexington-class aircraft carrier commissioned in 1927. Originally laid down as a battlecruiser, it was converted into one of the U.S. Navy’s first fleet carriers. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
The Navy has never used the designation "CVN-3," as nuclear-powered carriers (CVN) began their numbering with USS Enterprise (CVN-65). [1, 2]


CV-50
The designation CV-50 was a planned Essex-class aircraft carrier that was canceled in March 1945 before construction ever began. Due to the nearing end of World War II, the U.S. Navy canceled six planned Essex-class carriers (CV-50 through CV-55). [1, 2, 3]