The Wreck of USS Nevada - A Target Ship In More Ways Than One
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 24 ก.พ. 2024
- When it comes to the wrecks of Operation Crossroads, you have two different categories. The shallow water wrecks that have become popular diving spots, once the radiation died down.
And the deep water wrecks, which are- with two exceptions -undiscovered to this day. One of those two exceptions, USS Nevada, is an interesting case. A ship that survived two nukes, only to be sent to the bottom by more conventional weapons testing.
By no means is she unique in this. But, however, Nevada is the most famous example by far. And her wreck was only recently discovered, as well.
Let's look at that wreck, in this video.
Video of the Sinking:
• THE FINAL MOMENTS AND ...
Pictures:
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Nevada was such a crime to sink after she stood up to pearl, got revenge in the Philippines, and then TANKED TWO ENTIRE NUKES. Absolute heresy to not decontamination and then save that beautiful old lady as a museum. I consider her as valid and important to save as enterprise and warspite also were.
Agreed, although I think she should have been spared any nuke tests (decontaminating a wreck sounds like a pricey prospect for a museum ship...) First BB with the "All or Nothing Scheme" (which proved pretty successful in later American BB's), last of her class after Oklahoma rolled over, and a fascinsting historic piece inbetween the "old" (South Carolina, Idaho, Texas, etc.) and the "new" (Pennsylvanias, New Mexicos, and eventually, Colorados, Californias and North Carolinas).
The thing that would have justified preserving her and not using her as a "test article" for Crossroads would have been if she and not Missouri had been the ship the Surrender had been signed aboard. But I must mention that even today there is no way to thoroughly decontaminate a ship even half as thoroughly irradiated as this Lady was. Plus, while she didn't flood and sink as so many other ships at Crossroads were, the airburst did significant damage topside to her masts and superstructure and then the "Hammer" effect on her hull by the underwater burst wrecked much of her internal spaces. To this day I do not understand how she managed to go without major internal flooding from ruptured sea chests and saltwater piping. She was the oldest battleship recovered after Pearl Harbor but turned out to be like my later Mother-in-Law ... a tough old bird that I would be happy to have on my side.
The radiation half-life is in the thousands of years.
They found out after the second test that there is literally no economically feasible/realistic way to decon a ship from that era that was subjected to what she was. None.
At the end of hard wars...people are TIRED of war. They just want to go home.
Some ships just have a spirit. NEVADA was one TOUGH Battlewagon.🏆
In High School, I had a teacher who for anonymity's sake I will leave un-named. But their grandfather had been not only a crewmember on the U.S.S. Nevada, but on board during the attacks on Pearl Harbor; he also talked about how hard it was to sink at the end, a true indomidable warrior. I had that history teacher during what I would later realize was a huge watershed moment in my life and he helped me in so many ways I can't begin to fit into an already too long TH-cam comment. I hope they see this by happenstance, I've been dying to tell them this.
A few more interesting things to note:
1) At 5:15 when looking at the large sonar map of the Nevada wreck site, the remains of her bow are probably located at the bottom left of the map. Specifically, the large bright target just to the south of the main concentration of debris. Sticking out from it is a curving feature with bright sonar returns that looks very much like one of her anchor chains laying on the seabed. Just above it casting a large and distinctive shadow is probably her stern. The bigger and heavier the object is the bigger the splatter pattern it makes on the seafloor. Her bow, stern, gun turrets, and superstructure are pretty distinctive in this sonar scan. I can spot at least three turrets in the sonar image, all in a line, which makes sense. The cluster of debris on the left side corresponds to the hypocenter of the breakup, while the main hull planed away and impacted the seabed further away. You can even see the radial effects of the hull's impact around the middle of the image, with the circular radiating features disrupting the debris field.
2) When comparing the timestamps of the turret I see the same dive number (134), the same date (29 April 2020) and a time difference between 20:02:46 and 20:03:45, so this is 99% the same turret. The position of the debris on the underside of the gun house itself is also quite distinctive. As for which turret it is, I couldn't say. The breaks in her hull were closest to her after turrets, but without knowing where the turret lies in relation to the hull it's difficult to say. If I were pressed I'd say it is her after turret, but that is just shooting from the hip with only theory to back it up.
3) The break at her bow and stern strongly correlate with the fore and aft ends of the battleship's citadel armor. The citadel extended slightly aft of her stern turrets to provide armor protection for the barbette and magazines, and slightly more forward of her forward turrets (about 1/3 of the distance forward from the number 1 turret barbette). Everything outside of this space was unarmored save for a single armored deck extended aft to protect the steering gear. These roughly correspond to the locations of her fore and aft casemates.
4) You are very likely 100% correct that the hole in the bottom of the hull is torpedo damage. The scan where it appears to be a depression is the result of post-processing of a point-cloud model, which tends to soften and distort finer features if not enough points are collected. HMS Hood suffered implosion damage in her void spaces when she sank, but this was distinguished by plastic deformation of the bottom plates around the structural members before they failed. It does appear to be implosion damage around her bow void spaces, while I imagine the stern's would have been fully flooded by that point as she sank by the stern. The general rule of thumb is that air always seeks a path up, and water always seeks a path down.
If I see anything else interesting I'll dump it in the replies. This is actually the first time I've seen sonar imagery of the wreck site, so this is like Christmas for me.
Thank you!
The last view was of one of the two-gun turrets. You can tell by the spacing of the guns. Great job getting all these photos.
I was looking at the spacing too and that’s what I thought.
What a tough and resilient ship! A battleship that was properly built!
Thanks for the video of BB-36s sinking. It was sad to see.
Im glad she was found and now im curious on what USS Pennsylvania looks like now compared to her sister USS Arizona
I love watching all of these wreck videos. They are all so interesting.
Even if we couldn't have her as a museum ship. It would have been nice to at least have part of her used as a memorial. Like how USS Oregon (BB-3) had her bride removed.
Museum ships are nice. I visited a few. But they are money holes. That is the sad fact. They float in an environment that is unforgiving.
amazing how detailed those sonar pictures are.
hi, nice pics. I do not understand why NO ONE is willing to report on the Iowa gun testing done to Nevada. It must have been a complete failure. Why No one wants to provide any info on the number of shells fired/ hits observed etc. If her gunnery was so bad why not fix it and keep testing? There does appear to be some evidence of gun fire damage in 2? of the pics- but wow a complete report on that would be very interesting
The silver service from the USS Nevada is on display in Nevada.
Also it’s pronounced Ne-VAD-uh.
Great video,but why didn't they post pictures of the ship itself,I no it's upside down,but I'd still like to see it.i wish they would find all the wrecks Billy Michael sank in the 20s, Washington,an the German battleship.
Thanks... Interesting... Nevada is a favorite of mine... Liked Subscribed.
The NEVADA served her country with bravery and distinction
11:35
if you look at the rusticles on the barbette, you can see they match in the two photos. i won't say for 100% certain, but i am personally confident that both images are of the same turret. and looking at the spacing between the gun barrels, i would say this would be either Turret-2 or Turret 3, the twin turrets, of the ship.
The ship sure hit the bottom hard from the crater she created.
I have just noticed that most of the battleships ‘s wreck are upside down, does that mean that they are inherently top-heavy?
You need to think as most of crew, equipment, supplies are below water line all ships would be top heavy when empty.
The old BB's after modernisation were DEFINITELY top heavy. Hundreds of tons of new AA, new radio & radar equipment, fire directors, brand new dual 5" turrets...these ships were not designed with this in mind. Also, after being sunk in harbor, the Navy decided to never let this happen again by putting the thickest torpedo belt over an already thick torpedo belt (lol). Yes they were top heavy by now.
The Iowa's on the other hand, pretty evenly balanced, as were ships like the Bismarck.
It would seem to be odd that such ships would be "top" heavy when they sink when you consider how much machinery, i.e., boilers, propulsion shafts and other gear would still be present deep within her hull, while most of the main guns and superstructure usually fall off or get sheared off during the ship's "plunge" towards the bottom. It's still kind of interesting to note most of them end up inverted...
nicely done. informative. thank you. recommended
Judging by the fact that the last turrent proably just has two barrels that does narrow it down to either being the foward or resr superfiring turrents if the other turrent is a triple then that either means the bow or stern one, with how badly the stern looks it could have maybe come from that area since the damage proably lossened if not outright broke the clips keeping Nevadas turrents in place. Atleast thats my guess anyways since the bow was a clean cut meaning the turrents are proably hidden beneath her wreck.
Really beautiful channel an video !!!!!!!😊❤❤
Legend has it that for every tank sunk underwater, there is a submarine in the sky lol
Military leadership: let's tow a radioactive disaster to Hawaii so it will be easy to study.
Thankfully our government today does not make such god-damn stupid mistakes.
Says no one
That's one of the reasons she was brought to Pearl along with the attempt to bring in Prinz Eugen and Pennsylvania. The Pennsy sank in deep water during the tow from Bikini and Prinz Eugen can still be seen capsized, grounded in Kwajalein Atoll (check out Google Earth.) So little was known about the dangers of radioactive contamination that the Navy and what would eventually be the Department of Energy needed something to study up close. They did learn a lot from Nevada before finally deciding to give her a true "Warship's Grave" in the deeps of the Pacific.
Oklahoma had almost all of it's superstructure stripped and guns removed so there wouldn't be quite as much to compare. Oklahoma also sank under tow so there would not be any post 12/7 damage to weaken the hull like 16" shell and torpedo damage.
One would think that since there never was intent to return her to service that only work that was necessary to refloat her was done. The pictures of Oklahoma's PH 12/7 damage is just incredible. Apparently no one checked the weather before attempting to tow an unmanned ship back to the states for scrapping. A ship that was already in rough shape.
Ngl we don't give Nevada enough credit, she was a good ship
What about the wreck of monitor?
Such a waist of good steel at the least.
I do feel it was a huge injustice not to preserve Nevada at the end of the war. Here was a ship that survived Pearl Harbor, was modernized, reused some of the equipment of her fallen comrades, and served with distinction! Really shameful in my opinion what they did.
Nevada was the next battle ship built after Texas. She was the first all or nothing armoured ship.
its a shame to waste such an old ship.
Is she still radioactive? and the poor guys working on her after she returned to port must have radiation poisoning.
1. How much radiation contamination remained at the time of the photo, or what would be the approximate time at which it ceased?
2. Was the Nevada and 'armored citadel' design or armored stem to stern?
based on navy reports all of the wrecks they checked where reading close to background level by the mid to late 70s
The BB Texas designation? Super-dreadnought? Difference from Nevada in Armament two less 14 inch main armament. Standard Battleship, yet Pennsylvania Class had 2 more 14 inch in main armament in triple mount turrets. Not splitting hairs just wondered where the standard battleship classification comes from in other words a question.
I think Texas would be considered a dreadnought. The Nevada and Pennsylvania class battleships would be considered super-dreadnoughts and specifically for US battleships they would be considered standard type, because of their armor and gun layout. I don’t think any classes after the Pennsylvanias would be considered super-dreadnoughts, but I’m not certain. Also, unless I’m misreading your comment, Texas and Nevada had the same amount of guns (10 barrels). Texas just had more turrets. Pennsylvania was the class that had more guns (12 barrels).
Edit: Ok, I was wrong. Texas is considered a super-dreadnought. According to Wikipedia battleships constructed about four or five years after HMS Dreadnought are considered super-dreadnoughts. This mostly has to do with gun placement, gun caliber, and ship tonnage. I believe HMS Orion is considered the first of this category.
@@samkornrumph8545 I gave you thumbs up on my Texas error (5 turrents times two) another source lists it as a "dreadnought" with BB 26 South Carolina (the 14'' inch in twin gun multiple turrets), however HMS Dreadnought placement is different this ship had 12 inch main armament. Technically New York and Texas are Superdreadnaughts
Then there's displacement, the long ton difference is between Texas and Nevada is only 500 long tons.
According to another source beginning with Nevada, these were called "Standard Battleships, (ships built beginning 1911 to 1919 and had "all or nothing" armor protection) which includes the New Mexico Class, Tennessee-) built with "crusier style" bows rather than the "ram style" bow, same number of guns as the PA and & AZ same number of 14 inch guns (12), same top speed 21 knots, the Colorado Class (8 X 16'' guns) as opposed to the later "Fast Battleships" which had 9 each guns in 16' triple turrents 16 inch.
I always thought it was such a shame Nevada was nuked and sunk. She had such history. She survived Pearl Harbor and fought with distinction in WWII. I always thought after modernization that she was the best looking Dreadnought, with her new superstructure giving her her resemblance to the South Dakota Class.
Wish they left Nevada at Bikini so we could visit it today and have her intake.
What if any influence does the Waters Depth Pressure have on the preservation or deterioration of wreckages?
Pressure has relatively little impact. Depth, itself, can have larger impacts. As a very general rule, the deeper a wreck, the better the condition. Less oxygen, less sea life. Comparing something like Nevada here to, say, USS Ward.
There are exceptions to the rule, of course. Titanic and Britannic are the obvious examples. Condition is flipped there, with Britannic being in much better shape, in spite of being very shallow.
(And it’s a good comparison, because there’s only a few years between the sinkings. And they’re sister ships built out of more or less the same quality steel)
People obsess over the Olympic which was scrapped and not unsinkable, the titanic that didn’t even last 10 days in the ocean, but we need people to focus on this beast
Out of date, survived all modern and upgraded weapons tested on it.
Sad...Sister ship of the Oklahoma.
such a cavalier attitude using atomic bombs to study sinking and effects on ships after the war..no thought given to long term damage to the beautiful islands/people and oceans inhabitants..
Great video but I sure wish you'd say "Nevada" better.
Do we know why she is upside down? At that depth she should have righted herself. Is it because of the bow and stern detaching?
Can you do a clip for U.S.S Emmons. My grandmother's brother George Seweral.
interesting about the Iowa, brings in to doubt whether a "showdown" with Yamato would have gone well. Probably best the CVs took her and Musashi down. Great video, shame she was not preserved with all the guns of Arizone and Oklahoma. Great video. Cheers!
👍🏻🏴
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Too many ships worthy of saving as memorials were disposed of. Sad to have wasted them this way.
Should have been resorted and put back in commission
I’ve always found Nevada’s story very overrated. Sure, she survived two nukes, but so did most of the other ships that partook in the test, even the elderly heavy cruiser USS Salt Lake City. The only battleships that were sunk where USS Arkansas, which was way too old for her own good, and USS Nagato, which was suffering severe unrepaired bomb damage from her Japanese service, and still survived the first bomb intact.
And I’d say Nevada surviving target practice was more a testimony to the poor shooting on the US’s part (really puts to rest that ridiculous “Iowa snipes Yamato at 20+ mile” idea).
Have you even considered the soft factors? Are the crews the same when she straddle a little destroyer ? . Or green. Typical Tojoboo statement
And to pollute the ocean is just terrible
U.S.S. California ?
USS OKLAHOMA WAS SUNK AT PEARL HARBOR REFLOATED AND SCRAPPED YOU WONT EVER FIND A SHIPWRECK FOR IT
Oklahoma sank under tow to San Francisco in a storm… the location is unknown but I’d imagine there isn’t much left but a hull considering mostly everything that was destroyed was removed when she was refloated at Pearl
Disgrace to destroy those ships
Sacrilege I say
Arizonas sister
Actually, the Pennsylvania is Arizona's sister. The Oklahoma was the sister ship to the Nevada.
The Nevada should have been kept as a survivor of Pearl Harbor and a war memorial! They had plenty of ships to test with back then!