I was on the J during the Vietnam deployment. Of all the memories I have of that great ship, and what It could do one stands out that exemplifies it's capabilities. Since the ships 16 inch guns have a range of over 20 miles, we very seldom fired without a spotter. One day we received a call for fire, as it turned out, it was about 22 miles away. Spotter says: Onrush, we have some regular army milling around a hooch on a hill top, these are the coordinates, fire one for effect. A flight time of about one minute 15 seconds later, spotter comes back and says: regulars just ran into the hooch, right 50,up 100. Fire one for effect. Flight time passes, spotter comes back and says: don't know if you got them, but the top of the hill is gone! Not bad for a 20 plus mile shot. Main battery was fantastic, don't think we were ever more than 150 yards off target on first round. Best ship ever ! R.B.G.
A friend in the Army told me this. He and his platoon were trapped with their backs to the sea and were badly outnumbered. They were desperately calling for air or artillery support, but none was available. Suddenly on their radio came a call "this is the New Jersey, where do you want it?". He looked out to sea and saw nothing. They sent coordinates. A few minutes later they heard the sound of rounds overhead. Then massive explosions where the enemy was. The New Jersey asked "How was that?" That was all they needed.
my buddy a marine recon guy had at last resort been given the use of the nj when all else was not availible. He said while watching from a distance he saw a division of vietnam soldiers decimated. He was impressed.
Yes but you still lost the war. Despite all the war cimes.... chemical weapons, My Lai Massacre, and countless untold atrocities..... still u lost the war. Go visit the orphanages in Vietnam where kids of 2 and 3rd generation are still being born with severe birth defects due to Amerikan war crimes. Its trans generational, passed onto the DNA from Agent Orange. There is no cure.
In 1969, I had just turned 14 yrs old. My Mom's Husband was a Fighter Pilot flying in Vietnam, we were Stationed at Clark A.F. Base in the Philippines. That Spring we took a short vacation at Subic Bay Naval Base. I was exploring around the Docks when I came upon the Battleship New Jersey. I walked up to the Gang Plank and asked the Guard if I could go up on the Ship. I was allowed to board the Deck and given a Tour of the Ship that lasted several hours. I was treated like a King, complete tour of the Deck, Below Deck, the above Deck Superstructure and into one the Turrets of the 16" Guns. The Tour ended with Dinner with some of the Officers. I'll never forget that day.
Sounds amazing, man! I’m jealous. My dad took me to the (former) Long Beach Naval Shipyard when they brought New Jersey down for modernization. We didn’t get onboard because there was such a crowd!
My father was a crew member on the New Jersey during Vietnam. He was a corpsman and took turns on board the ship and in country treating Marines. If you go to the Ship for a tour my fathers voice is part of the tour. The ships live on when people visit them. And the spirits of those who served on them.
Small world GIs. I ended up knowing two guys who served on her in that police action. Can’t believe they could sleep in a sweat box with 16” going oh. They said they’d be so exhausted sleep was easy.
My father served aboard the New Jersey as well during Vietnam. Lt. Richard H. Kerr. He was the administrative officer. He was with the ship all the way from bringing her out of moth balls in Philadelphia(mid '67) to putting her back in moth balls in Bremerton, WA(late '69) He was gone from home for the most part of 2 and half years. I still have his cruise books. It is a 3 volume set that documents the recommissioning, on the firing line in Vietnam and then the decommissioning and mothballing. He said that Capt. Snyder was the finest CO he ever served under. My dad eventually retired in '73 as a LtCmdr after 30 years of service.
My uncle was a real deal Marine Force Reccon LLRP platoon sgt. His unit was on a mission in a fire fight by the DMZ and it was hairy. Uncle Danny called for an air strike and couldn't get 1. He called for an artillery strike and couldn't get 1. The USS New Jersey responded and uncle gave the coordinates to the battleship and they fired several salvos and that ended the fire fight. Uncle Danny said it blew his mind that he was a 19 year old platoon sgt , in special forces and he got a battleship for an artillery strike.
Well in the US special forces just means you get better priority for fire support. Most of what SEALs, Delta, Rangers etc. have done the past few decades is find enemy, engage, call for air strikes, move on, repeat
@@mantarayasurf agreed big J is like a mom protecting her brothers in arms and she probably has her anger moments but she's good at artillery support like she deleted an island she's probably the most decorated battleship in history and has more experience than most ships today
BIG J was a 105 Battery on Steroids.... She hsd a bigger battery of 105s running down each side .... And they were pop guns compared to her main battery of 16in/50s‼️☠‼️😊❤😊
Back when I was a police officer in Atlanta during the mid 70s, I knew a fellow officer who was a 'Nam vet, and one day he mentioned one of the most memorable moments he experienced. I don't know what unit he was with (he was Army) but he said he was serving around Saigon at the outbreak of the Tet Offensive. He was part of a unit assigned to defend their side of the river (I think it was the Mekong, but I could be wrong; Lord how time messes with your memories!) and he said they were engaged in a firefight with a group of VC across the river in the middle of the night. His C.O. called for fire support, but none was forthcoming for some time, I think it was about an hour. He told me that he and his buddies heard a Whooshing sound above them, then the entire other side of the river exploded, with bodies, trucks and trees flying everywhere! He said he'd seen a lot of artillery impacts, but he'd never seen anything like this! Just thought to add what little bit I heard about this grand old lady. She was and still is a real credit to our nation and what we can accomplish if we just put our minds and our backs into it!
It was probably the Saigon river if he was in Saigon. The Mekong River connects to the ocean a pretty long way south of (Saigon) Ho Chi Minh City. Thanks for sharing the story!
That must have been an awe inspiring sound and sight line..watching the enemy being destroyed by incoming super heavy artillery from such a close viewpoint
I was stationed at the Marine Barracks Philadelphia Naval Shipyard from 1967-68 when the New Jersey was recommissioned. My uncle was a machinist who worked on the ship at the time and went on the sea trial before the recommissioning. She is now a floating museum at the Camden NJ waterfront, less than 30 miles from my home.
I'me a subscriber to the New Jersey youtube channel. They release content every day about something to do with the ship, at least every weekday, pretty good stuff.
She is also a Museum Ship on the Camden/Philadelphia waterfront. Well loved, taken care of, in all its glory for the public to admire. Videos & photos don't do this leviathan justice.
The battleship New Jersey is extremely fortunate to have such talented people work on her. The curator Ryan S is a walking encyclopedia on just about every WW2 navy ship. He has produced hundreds of videos on the New Jersey. I served in Nam in the Army but his videos wish that I should have joined the Navy. Worked with several men that worked in & on navy boilers. All were extremely talented and all drank tons of black coffee if what they told me was a hold over habit from time in the navy.
I was a two tour Marine in Viet Nam and in April of '69 I was assigned to guide some type of Naval forward observation team to a location of an old destroyed bridge in the Duc Khe and La Tho Bac area about a click from Hill 55. The objective was a farewell firing mission for the New Jersey. The observation team described what the target was going to be and I watched and heard those rounds as they came over and sounded like a dump truck cutting through air. Our observation elevation was high enough on the bridge berm and the field of view was unobstructed to the target area, an abandoned village that had once been a tunnel complex. I was not only in awe of the destruction capabilities of the rounds, but how damned accurate they were. Completely obliterated the small village and left bragging rights craters. There were two other Marines with me and we were interrogated relentlessly by our platoon when we returned. We were able to inspect the area with our platoon 2 days later and even more impressed. What a Lady she was.
I remember hearing the New Jersey's shells passing over Dong Ha, Vietnam and wondering-as did my buddies, "what the hell is that?", as we thought about diving into a bunker. Very impressive indeed - And thank GOD there weren't any airbursts. I still have photos taken from a helicopter of New Jersey's shell holes - you couldn't miss them.
@@jeffreyeichelberger6550 They are. I was there in 1998 as part of the Joint Task Force-Full Accounting, to recover the remains of MIA service members. Between New Jersey's shell holes and those from B-52 Arc Light bombing, there are too many fish ponds to count.
My uncle was with the Marines in Vietnam, and the way he described it, they would call in a fire mission to the New Jersey, you'd hear the whistle of the rounds overhead, you'd hear them explode on the target, and then you'd hear the report from the cannons on the ship.
I was stationed at the Philly Navy Yard after 9/11. On a day off, I went over to visit the New Jersey. If you ever get a chance to see her, try to approach from her bow, you will not forget your first glimpse of her. Easily the most beautiful ships that ever served in the US Navy, their lines are the equal to any car built by Ferrari.
I had the chance to talk at length in the late 90s with a Vietnam Marine of the 3rd MarDiv. He said you really cannot believe what it was like to watch a guy talk into a radio, wait a couple minutes, and sense, feel, hear and actually SEE a couple shells in close formation land on the exact spot required. They called them "pond makers" when they blew up acres of jungle. But the ultimate was knocking a rock ledge off the side of a mountain with two AP shells that sealed off a railway tunnel and buried a train under a million pounds of crushed granite. It's one thing to get lucky and hit a target -it's wholly different to KNOW exactly what naval gunfire can do and choose the right moment to do it.
I remember a beautiful, calm morning on Dixie Station near the DMZ; the sea was smooth as glass. I was aboard the Hancock (CVA-19) and we were enjoying a safety standdown day. Off in the distance, about two or three miles away was the New Jersey firing salvos in support of Marine positions. Sailors were lined up across the full length of the flight deck watching, hearing and feeling the shock waves as they radiated in all directions from the New Jersey with each firing of its powerful 16-inch guns. That experience and actually walking on her decks as an active battleship while moored at Cubi Point in Subic Bay are some of the many awesome memories I will cherish to the end of my days.
I was on the beach in phan thiet. The first sergeant said, look guys the battle ship new Jersey. She turned her guns toward our firebase we were building. I felt the heat of the flames when it fired, them smoke from her barrels. I'm only a mile away. No movie could ever equal that moment in time.
Thank you for making a mini doc about Big J. My grandfather served on her during Vietnam in X Division. He was so fond and proud of this ship and I travel to visit her every few years.
In 1972 while on Yankee Station aboard the USS KITTY HAWK, I read a story in the Navy Times about the two destroyers that guarded the harbor at Da Nang in which one of the destroyers got a blip on its radar and they signaled for the vessel to identify with no immediate response. A second msg was sent to identify or we will open fire. The response was "we are the USS New Jersey BB-62.....fire when ready"! I suppose it was just a little fun between the two Captains.
I have a long story told to me by a good friend I knew when we were both Shriners together. His name was Bill "Moose" Wilson. The name was given to him by a School Master in England because of how big he was for his age playing rugby. A name he also kept being a Shriner Clown. He told me a story one day when we were together at a Shrine Circus between shows, about the time when he was a Marine officer helicopter pilot. There was a Marine base under fire by a large force of VC. They called out for fire support but all the guns were facing away supporting other calls. He heard the call flying near them and the radio operator's transmission was very weak. He contacted them back and let them know he would relay their call out for help. When he called out for any fire support help and he got a response from an unknown source. They said they were available to help and asked for their coordinates. He relayed back to the sieged Marines for coordinates. He relays back to wherever the fire team was located but he still didn't know where they were. Then they told him that since he was flying a helicopter, he told them this, to stay below 1000 feet. He gets a call back "Rounds out" on the radio. The next thing he sees is a flash from the direction of the ocean over the horizon. Within seconds of the flash, he sees a gigantic artillery round fly over him. After it passes over him he sees a very big explosion when the round hits. He gets a call back from the Marines with a few adjustments and is told to fire for effect. He relays it and more flashes and more rounds fly over him while hovering. He said a few more high explosive rounds or so went out and the Marines were saved. The radio guy calls back to him to relay their thanks to the fire team. When he calls to relay their thanks to the ship he asked who they were and they came back with the New Jersey. This story may be the story of your title. My friend Moose has been gone for a long time due to Agent Orange exposure but I have always remembered this story from him. RIP Moose. I miss you brother.
The battle ship New Jersey museum has the best TH-cam channel of any other museum ship in my opinion. They show you places you didn’t even know existed on board and will likely never see even working at the museum
Yeah, I'm subscribed to the Jersey channel and to our Patriots Point, no comparison. I get a short video about once a month, more about the museum events than the vessels there. They did just announce the Clagamore is dead and headed for the great scrap yard in Valhalla, what a shame she couldn't be saved. The video gave us a breakdown of what will happen, what's kept, what's sent to other museums, what's melted into Snap-on combination wrenches and hair pins, unfortunately that was actually the best and most informative video I've seen from them. Guess there are only so many Ryan Szimanski's in the world.
@@HadToChangeMyName_TH-camSucks He is. He has fans (such as myself) that know nothing at all about ships of any kind, and he has crew from the Big J who are also on the channel. I never feel talked down to and the people who know the ship intimately share talk, calibers and alphabet soup language, engineering specs and stuff that flies over my head. And I love it!
Thanks for doing a wonderful documentary on Big J! I was privileged to join her crew from 85-88! Always was proud of serving on the most decorated Battleship in the fleet and helped to add to her awards! I learned more about my ship today that just makes my heart smile! 😊🦄🙃
Had her with us in Beirut, amazing how she changed the environment in one engagement early in 1984. It was an incredible experience for this then 19 yo sailor.
I was out there a few years ago and I toured her. It was such a great experience, I spent most of the day walking around and studying everything I could haha. I'm not too far from the USS Massachusetts, a SoDak. Seeing the Iowa in person was such a shock at how much bigger she is.
My dad served on the Iowa in WW2 and shared many stories.He passed away in 2020.I was able to tour the Iowa about 5 years ago and brought back many pictures for my dad.
What a treat when she was docked there. I jumped on that baby lickity split. Additionally I had a private tour of the Missouri in the mid 80's. Next time on board take a look at the thickness of steel around the control room On the Missouri it was 12 inches thick and if I remember correctly there was 11 floors from the bridge on down. Massive ship, but what a beauty.
You might want to go a little more often to hear those stories while you can. In May 2020 there were 330,000 American WW2 vets. July 4th of last year, there was just over 249,000. We won't have them much longer. Soon WW2 will no longer be living memory, and will be just history. 😞
@@AmsterdamHeavy I had to look it up just to make sure. The name of the channel is "Battleship New Jersey". And apparently they have a show coming up in about 1 hour called "crossing the line, what happens when a ship crosses the equator."
Love all of your channels no one would know anything about these great stories in history without you taking the time to make all of these interesting videos.....some of the best channels on TH-cam 👍👍
A worthy tribute to the Black Dragon. As a North Carolinian, I'm biased towards our battleship, the Showboat, but New Jersey certainly made her older sister proud.
I went to the dry dock tour of NJ…. Unbelievable scale and power. It’s hard to even imagine it in operation let alone being built in the first place! The dry dock itself was a sight to behold as well
She is the exact reason why battleships are so badass. Just the sight of her on the horizon would intimidated enemies. That's hard to do these days. As someone who grew up studying battleships I can only imagine how much of a boon she must have been to the sailors morale that fought alongside her even more in the 60's. The true meaning of hero ship who's adventures will be told around a camp fire. It's sad her days are over but what a ship to go out on
I personally think that there will ALWAYS be a need or use for a battleship or two. Mainly because if Marines need to land on a beach where there are enemy troops, you are going to need artillery. And so you are going to need naval guns until the Marines get enough of a toehold to move in tank armor & land artillery. I mean, I guess you could have some Cruisers doing that but being realistic, battleship guns are bigger and shoot farther. I guess the Navy figures they can do it with airplanes. Which I'm sure will probably work too. Or a combo of Cruisers & planes, idk. I've not really studied present tactics. Or much past WW2 Closing a needle.
@@kennethdeanmiller7324 Once we become a space-farring civilization, battleships may come back as mobile fortresses or headquarters that can carry supplies or weapons other spacecraft cannot, like imagine a battleship that uses a star as a power source.
naval artillery support has become much more precise with higher range utilizing smart munition from higher fire rate naval guns if you were to compare to BB main batteries
Except that the Iowas were strategic failures the moment they hit water. Building a capital ship only to use it in secondary roles is strategically unjustifiable.
Zaron and over the Horizon. The Syrian Army was sending a large military column into Lebanon on the land side of the Coastal mountains. The NJ was on the Seaward side at the Visible Horizon. Fired her main batteries and walked her shells down the Road on the other side of those low mountains. The End of that Troop movement. PS it took years to repair that roadway.
The Iowa Class battleship was and is the most impressive battleship of all time. She has everything, speed, armour and tremendous firepower. They were aesthetically beautiful ships and designed to fit through the Panama canal being 108 ft 1” wide and 887 feet long. My favourite warship of all time.
887 feet...somehow i didnt realize that. and a razor to boot...I should have joined the navy I would have been to young to serve aboard New Jersey as I would have preferred but I imagine a nuclear carrier at "classified" speed is pretty thrilling too
Thank you for that man I have wanted to see someone talk about the new jersey. She sits now across f from where she was built in her name state. She still looks like she could go into battle tomorrow. I am glad they keep those proud ships around. The last American battleships. Thanks again.
Somewhere in my Father's papers is a propaganda leaflet. He was in Vietnam in 1968/69 as part of the brown water navy. After taking serious fire from an embankment above the river, they called in for an airstrike and were told to withdraw. Instead of an airstrike, they heard an ear piercing shriek and the fortified embankment all but disappeared. A small observation plane flew over and dropped leaflets like the one my father has. It says, in several languages, "you have just received a single Salvo from the USS New Jersey, the world's most powerful battleship. If you do not surrender in the next ten minutes, you will receive another". According to my Father many Vietcong came out of the jungle with their hands up, so many that they had to call in reinforcements to take them away. Basically the New Jersey was sitting just off the coast at the time and she was within range with a little bit of maneuvering. Three 2000 pound shells would have scared me into surrendering too.
A similar thing happened with the Wisconsin during the Gulf War. She had just got done shelling a target and had obliterated it. Her spotting drones were up for her next fire mission and the Iraqis saw the drone. They knew what it meant and came out and surrendered to the drone b4 the Wisconsin could even fire.
I was stationed on the USS New Jersey as an Fire Control Technician. We operated the 5” twin gun mount analog computers. The Mark 1 Able. It took five of us to operate her when firing land based targets. That was 1985-1987. Our Captain shot the Big Guns every time we went out to sea.
An old boss of mine was a Coast Guard vet, including service in Vietnam. The cutter he was on used to swap mail, movies, and, other things with the Navy ships in the area. Well, one day, they came close aboard the New Jersey, as they were hoping to trade for some ice cream from her galley. Unfortunately, she let fly with a salvo from her main battery in the opposite direction just as the cutter came alongside. She didn't sink, but, one of her engines was knocked off it's bed, and, every frame was so buckled that they couldn't close any of the hatches. They had to be towed back to Subic Bay. The Big J had a scratch in her paint.
I was on a destroyer DD709 operating with the New Jersey during a bombardment of Tiger Island just off of Vietnam around the Dmz. We were inside of the New Jersey taking fire from the shore batteries.
I was on a tour of BB61 USS IOWA in San Pedro Ca. As we stood beside one of the 16 inch batteries I told a lovely old couple next to me "You know... from her berth here in San Pedro IOWA could easily lay waste to downtown Los Angeles...it's only about 20 miles away" It gave them a realistic picture of the power to say the least....
You don't want to be at the end of those guns even today . Please bring back the battleship.They're just the coolest looking things military is ever built.
I was in the US Army when she was on her last tour of duty back in the 80s. I never saw her operational but have been aboard her in Camden NJ as a museum ship. I've also been aboard Wisconsin in the same capacity at Norfolk VA. I wish I could've had the opportunity to see the New Jersey or her sister ships fire those big azz 16 in guns. I've seen interviews with former sailors who were aboard the New Jersey when it fired them. They said it would suck the air out of your lungs. There were only a few places you were allowed to stand outside and witness them fire safely they also said.
I witnessed Iowa fire her 16" during exercises with 6th Fleet in the Mediterranian. From two miles away the concussion of the muzzle blasts could be felt deep in my chest. I also watched Missouri and Wisconsin fire into Iraqi positions. At night even single gun salvoes would light up the night sky even though we were 15 or 20 miles away from the battlewagons.
I’ve been told if the concussion doesn’t get ya (standing next to the turrets while they fire) the shells leaving the barrels create so much suction, some kind of riptide effect, that it will pull you off the deck… is this true?
@@nolanmonke4330 Don't know but I've heard that too. The interviews from the former crewmembers of the USS New Jersey said that for safety reasons, they had very few areas on deck where you were allowed to be outside and see the guns fire. That could be the reason.
I actually got to go on the NJ when she docked in San Francisco and the public was invited aboard. Stunning ship, and the sleekness of her hull contrasted with the mammoth turret castings; it my understanding that castings this large have not been made since. The teak deck planks were, I’d guess 3-4” thick. The hull, as you’re standing on the deck, widened out as it went under the deck planks. Phenomenal ship. I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to go aboard. 🇺🇸💪💪
My father was an electrician on her during her refitting for Vietnam. She was feared by the V.C. Dad told me her shells sounded like a train when in flight. I've walked her decks. Impressive.
The USS Wisconsin nicknamed "the big wisky"..is a truly enormous and magnificent ship. Walking on her deck is a one-of-a-kind experience as it feels a bit humbling. She's berthed next to the museum Nauticus in downtown norfolk. The city of norfolk owns this battleship as the navy transferred ownership many years ago. I highly recommend touring the ship if you get the chance, it's something you won't forget.
I toured the Iowa in LA...the armor on the bridge is so thick it's unbelievable and that's far thinner than the armor at the water line. It's amazing they could get these boats to even move in the water, never mind being so fast. I cant imagine what firepower they were up against to warrant such thick armor.
A "triple gun" turret has the attribute that all three barrels are ALWAYS at the same angle of elevation. A "three gun" turret has the ability to elevate each barrel independently from its turret mates. Iowa Class Battleships have "three gun" turrets.
Despite being decommissioned four times. she still performed as she was supposed to. Goes to show you cannot forget a legend. Remember the Japanese unconditionally surrendered on the deck of her sister ship in Tokyo Bay.
Many Thanks to the New Jersey and her crew, heard her many times and seen the devastation she made saved many life’s of U.S. soldiers mine include. Thanks to Big J and crew!
Salute to her and her crew, probably the oldest battleship to serve in this many wars and battle's and she's still around to remind us that she was one of the best we ever had, thanks for the service and the greatest of all times, AKA the Navy's Goat!?
I served with the 173rd Abribone Brigade from 6/1968 to 6/1970 and I was fortunate enough hear the Battle Ship New Jersey fire her 16” guns . It was an amazing to hear her rounds fired overhead. She was and still is a powerful battle ship.
I was there on LZ Salem. We were shooting for the "Herd". There was a 24 hr shoot. It included that Battleship. Our rounds were rocks compared to their stuff.
My father served aboard "Big J" in 1946. I have a full blown photo of her and the entire crew aboard ship docked in Bremerton, Washington. My mother gave birth to me that same year at the naval hospital there. Cool photo. My brother and I both served and retired with the navy in later years.
I never had the opportunity to serve on an Iowa class as they were recommissioned after I had left the service in the early 1980s, but I consider the Iowas to have been the greatest surface warships ever constructed by any nation. And after their Reagan era upgrade, the most deadly surface warship ever of its time. Sadly they are gone from service, but are still with us as museum ships so we can still touch the past.
My dad was a chief aboard new jersey in 68 I remember seeing her docked in long Beach before they deployed to Vietnam. Then was in Bremerton when she returned for decommissioning in 69.was quite an impressive site for a small boy
What else could be said but MAGNIFICENT.... Question. How does an inanimate object built the same as 3 other inanimate ships excel all others BY SUCH A MAGNIFICENT LONG TERM HISTORY ! God Bless America.!
I love the story about the US mine sweeper off the coast of Vietnam who came across an unknown ship in the fog and sent out the Morse code light signal warning “identify yourself, or we will open fire” and the response they got was “go ahead, you won’t do much, but it will be entertaining - USS New Jersey”.
When I was stationed in South Vietnam, I had the pleasure of watching one of New Jersey's fire missions. Very impressive. First you see the flashes from the nine 16-inch guns of the broadside, then the ship is quickly obscured by the gun smoke. Next is the tearing shriek of the salvo passing overhead, and finally the roar of the guns. My base was on the coast, south of Da Nang and southeast of Marble Mountain. 3rd Marine Division, 3rd AMTRAC Battallion. No idea what the target was, but it was probably 20 miles or more inland.
The New Jersey should have been there for the whole conflict. It would have saved many lives. What are you going to do when the Black Dragon is within 23 miles of you? Probably beat feet ASAP!
The youtube channel of Battleship New Jersey is worthwhile to watch. It has historical info, and facts about the lovely BB, and naval stuff in general.
Many thanks for the video! How fortunate that the US Navy kept these ships in reserve rather than scrapping them. I plan to visit the USA and part of the plan is to visit as many historic ships as possible ending with the Missouri in Hawaii. It'll be great for me but not so exciting for my wife........
It was really cool to see her exit drydock maintenance in June 2024 and move (under tow) back to her permanent dock in Camden, NJ. She is absolutely enormous!
My father used to tell me that during gunnery practice in Puerto Rico the NJ would always fire last so the other ships could watch. The entire area went from night to daylight.
As an Army Bird Dog pilot in the Delta, I had the privilege to observe her 16" fire on a mountain near the coast. Flying near the apogee I could see the freight car projectiles enroute to the target. Rumor has it that the NVA in caves on the mountain were bleeding from their ears and noses after the bombardment.
I was a fire controlman when all four were in commission during the 80s. I saw the Iowa in Cuba and took many pictures and walked aboard the Wisconsin in Norfolk.
1:34. They are not triple-gun turrets. They are three-gun turrets. Triple gun means they barrels move in unison. 3-gun means the barrels can move independently. In contrast the 5" guns were dual mounts that moved in unison.
I was aboard the USS HANCOCK CVA-19 in the gulf of Tolkien when the New Jersey was shelling over us 21miles inland I will never forget the sound those shells made traveling over the ship. It made the hair stand up on the back of my neck. I can't believe any country would fuck with the United States. Vietnam Veteran
Back in the 70s I had an instructor at Brookdale C.C. who had been an Army infantry Captain in Vietnam. One night he needed fire support near Cam Ranh Bay and got on the horn. After 2 or 3 minutes of no replies the NJ responded and offered assistance. He had no idea it was the NJ thinking something smaller. Sent one over and the captain told them how much they're off, NJ said tell your people to stay as close to the ground as they could. Fired a 3 shell volley, attack ceased and the next morning the biggest thing they found was a foot. Said the noise as the volley went over was like a fast freight train. He was a published author name go Gene Snyder (sic).
My brother was aboard a USCG ship near the north Vietnam coast. A scout plane gave coordinates of an NV flying school. New Jersey fired her big guns. 10 minutes later, my brothers ship heard ( schools out ). From the scout plane.
Great story about the New Jersey. I visited her nearly 10 years ago. She was a great ship, and is a great museum ship. I urge everyone seeing this, to go see her in person. It will be a great trip.
We could build sommething like her again. We couldn't build something _like her_ again, however. A copy is a copy, but without her fighting spirit, it wouldn't be the same
Aboard the USS Canberra (CAG-2/CA-70) we were witness to "Big J's" initial fire missions against Vietnam. Simply an astounding sight. Although three miles away, her nine-gun salvo seemed as loud as our own eight-inch, six-gun salvos. New Jersy was awesome!
One thing I'll forever regret is that I wasn't born at a time when I could've seen the guns of a battleship fire in person. Tank cannons would rock your world, but 16 inch guns? They would probably blow you off your feet and pulverize your ribcage if you were on the deck when they went off. That kind of firepower is something unlikely to be seen again
When TWA flight 847 was hijacked in 1985 it was taken to Lebanon for a few days. One of the hijackers was cursing New Jersey and one of the passengers on this flight was from New Jersey and wondered what her state had done to them. She found out later he wasn't cursing the state he was mad at the battleship lobbing shells and destroying training camps and terrorist in Lebanon
My pops served aboard BB62 as a Boiler Tender and Gunner's Mate back in Vietnam. He loved his time on that ship and always refers to it fondly. Great DOC, thanks for sharing the history of this very special ship.
I can still remember my father, a coxswain in the Navy serving in the South Pacific during WWII, taking me and my sister to visit the New Jersey in 1958 at the Bayonne, NJ, naval yard. It was quite impressive to say the least. That same day we visited the USS Franklin, a flat top at the same naval yard. I can still remember in the late 60's when she was scrapped.
I really enjoyed this video because our Coast Guard Cutter Wachusett W-44 followed Big J over to The Coast Of Vietnam during Operation Market Time and stopped with her in Pearl Harbor for supplies and spent the same years of '68 and '69 off the coast as we acted as a "Mother Ship" for The Navy's Swift Boats and we also did a lot of shore bombardment with our 5 inch 38 cal. gun. I remember we were told that every time Big J fired a round it was like sending a Volks wagon to the target~! 2800 lb. Projectile~!
I was assigned to the National Photographic Interpretation Center in DC in 1983 when the New Jersey was providing support to Israel in the Lebanon War with Syria. We had supplied Syrian artillery targets for the New Jersey to fire on the next day. When we got the photos the following day we were expecting big holes in the ground where the Syrian artillery had been. We didn’t see any artillery but no damage to report either. After comparing previous photographs, we realized the small ponds we saw across the new imagery was actually where the artillery had been. It had rained after the New Jersey had attacked and the small bodies of water we were seeing were actually the shell craters from the 16” guns of the New Jersey. It had ruined many a Syrian’s day! These were indeed powerful battleships. But, with the increase in precision rockets and missiles, the need for long range artillery has almost been eliminated. I love the big guns on ships but the future is warships with multiple missile systems to fight any threat and provide precision, on target, destruction. The big battleships like the New Jersey, the Yamato, and the Bismarck had their day but that era is over, unfortunately. They were impressive ships of the line!
I worked on refurbishing the 16" projectiles and bag charges at a ammunation depot in Indiana. The AP shells weighed 2700 Lbs. The HE "high explosive" shells weighed 1800 Lbs. The ship only worked in Viet Nam for a month, then stopped because of political reasons. The projectiles were manufactured in 1941, but refurbished, and painted frequently.
@@davidschwartz5127 really don't remember, something about it wasen't allowed. Just how we were handicapped in fighting the political war. Would have won but political policies stopped us.
We should have been using battle ships from the very start in Vietnam. They are more cost effective than B52 bombers and would have given us near complete control of the DMZ and coast of Vietnam. It could have created a coastal safety zone for the South Vietnamese people.
and the vc would not know when inbound was in their neighborhood. Read a piece one time from an nva retired officer and he stated they knew when a B-52 strike was coming. A spotter in Guam would radio them when they took off.
I did 20 years in the Navy. The New Jersey was my second ship from 1982 -1984. I was there at the fourth Recommissioning. I served in No1 engine room. I transferred three months after we got back from Lebanon. There were a lot of good sailors aboard the New Jersey. The Jersey was the best ship in the Navy and had the best crew of any ship I had been on.
I was on the J during the Vietnam deployment. Of all the memories I have of that great ship, and what It could do one stands out that exemplifies it's capabilities. Since the ships 16 inch guns have a range of over 20 miles, we very seldom fired without a spotter. One day we received a call for fire, as it turned out, it was about 22 miles away. Spotter says: Onrush, we have some regular army milling around a hooch on a hill top, these are the coordinates, fire one for effect. A flight time of about one minute 15 seconds later, spotter comes back and says: regulars just ran into the hooch, right 50,up 100. Fire one for effect. Flight time passes, spotter comes back and says: don't know if you got them, but the top of the hill is gone! Not bad for a 20 plus mile shot. Main battery was fantastic, don't think we were ever more than 150 yards off target on first round. Best ship ever !
R.B.G.
Yes.
I read something to the same effect, in a book written by a soldier in MAC-V/SOG.
Impressive. I work construction with a guy who is an artillery spotter. He couldn’t hear shit.😂 great guy
I served on M110 8 inch guns in the Army. We used to admire those battleships and joke that they basically launched Volkswagens.
Great story, thanks for sharing it!
A friend in the Army told me this. He and his platoon were trapped with their backs to the sea and were badly outnumbered. They were desperately calling for air or artillery support, but none was available. Suddenly on their radio came a call "this is the New Jersey, where do you want it?". He looked out to sea and saw nothing. They sent coordinates. A few minutes later they heard the sound of rounds overhead. Then massive explosions where the enemy was. The New Jersey asked "How was that?" That was all they needed.
nice fiction.
@@dyong888 dyong888 must believe the USS NJ never fired it's guns before...
my buddy a marine recon guy had at last resort been given the use of the nj when all else was not availible. He said while watching from a distance he saw a division of vietnam soldiers decimated. He was impressed.
Yes but you still lost the war. Despite all the war cimes.... chemical weapons, My Lai Massacre, and countless untold atrocities..... still u lost the war.
Go visit the orphanages in Vietnam where kids of 2 and 3rd generation are still being born with severe birth defects due to Amerikan war crimes. Its trans generational, passed onto the DNA from Agent Orange. There is no cure.
@@dyong888 nice fiction.
In 1969, I had just turned 14 yrs old. My Mom's Husband was a Fighter Pilot flying in Vietnam, we were Stationed at Clark A.F. Base in the Philippines. That Spring we took a short vacation at Subic Bay Naval Base. I was exploring around the Docks when I came upon the Battleship New Jersey. I walked up to the Gang Plank and asked the Guard if I could go up on the Ship. I was allowed to board the Deck and given a Tour of the Ship that lasted several hours. I was treated like a King, complete tour of the Deck, Below Deck, the above Deck Superstructure and into one the Turrets of the 16" Guns. The Tour ended with Dinner with some of the Officers. I'll never forget that day.
U lucky man … you got dinner with some badass officers
Great story!
Sounds amazing, man! I’m jealous. My dad took me to the (former) Long Beach Naval Shipyard when they brought New Jersey down for modernization. We didn’t get onboard because there was such a crowd!
mum husband? not ur father too?
@Haziq1992 step father?
"Lovely Lady who will have Her angry Moments"..best quote i have heard in a long while..
Sounds like my wife 😂
I was stationed in Main Battery Plot and the forward gun director on her last Vietnam Tour in 1969. It was an honor to serve aboard her.
Fkin awesome man
Thank you for your service, sir. 🇺🇸
My father was a crew member on the New Jersey during Vietnam. He was a corpsman and took turns on board the ship and in country treating Marines. If you go to the Ship for a tour my fathers voice is part of the tour. The ships live on when people visit them. And the spirits of those who served on them.
Your Father participated in removing my Appendix in Sick Bay off of the DMZ. He took pictures but I didn't get any for my scrap book. So it goes....
Small world GIs. I ended up knowing two guys who served on her in that police action. Can’t believe they could sleep in a sweat box with 16” going oh. They said they’d be so exhausted sleep was easy.
My father served aboard the New Jersey as well during Vietnam. Lt. Richard H. Kerr. He was the administrative officer. He was with the ship all the way from bringing her out of moth balls in Philadelphia(mid '67) to putting her back in moth balls in Bremerton, WA(late '69) He was gone from home for the most part of 2 and half years. I still have his cruise books. It is a 3 volume set that documents the recommissioning, on the firing line in Vietnam and then the decommissioning and mothballing. He said that Capt. Snyder was the finest CO he ever served under. My dad eventually retired in '73 as a LtCmdr after 30 years of service.
Tell him, Thank you, for his service, Bill.
Also check their TH-cam channel. Hundreds of videos about the ship
My uncle was a real deal Marine Force Reccon LLRP platoon sgt. His unit was on a mission in a fire fight by the DMZ and it was hairy. Uncle Danny called for an air strike and couldn't get 1. He called for an artillery strike and couldn't get 1. The USS New Jersey responded and uncle gave the coordinates to the battleship and they fired several salvos and that ended the fire fight. Uncle Danny said it blew his mind that he was a 19 year old platoon sgt , in special forces and he got a battleship for an artillery strike.
Now thats what you call "overkill is underrated"
Well in the US special forces just means you get better priority for fire support. Most of what SEALs, Delta, Rangers etc. have done the past few decades is find enemy, engage, call for air strikes, move on, repeat
when our soldiers called out for help Big J like a Mom responded to save her boys! with full power!
@@mantarayasurf agreed big J is like a mom protecting her brothers in arms and she probably has her anger moments but she's good at artillery support like she deleted an island she's probably the most decorated battleship in history and has more experience than most ships today
BIG J was a 105 Battery on Steroids....
She hsd a bigger battery of 105s running down each side ....
And they were pop guns compared to her main battery of 16in/50s‼️☠‼️😊❤😊
Back when I was a police officer in Atlanta during the mid 70s, I knew a fellow officer who was a 'Nam vet, and one day he mentioned one of the most memorable moments he experienced. I don't know what unit he was with (he was Army) but he said he was serving around Saigon at the outbreak of the Tet Offensive. He was part of a unit assigned to defend their side of the river (I think it was the Mekong, but I could be wrong; Lord how time messes with your memories!) and he said they were engaged in a firefight with a group of VC across the river in the middle of the night. His C.O. called for fire support, but none was forthcoming for some time, I think it was about an hour. He told me that he and his buddies heard a Whooshing sound above them, then the entire other side of the river exploded, with bodies, trucks and trees flying everywhere! He said he'd seen a lot of artillery impacts, but he'd never seen anything like this! Just thought to add what little bit I heard about this grand old lady. She was and still is a real credit to our nation and what we can accomplish if we just put our minds and our backs into it!
Thank you for your Service.
She has a special place in my heart.....
Excellent comment
It was probably the Saigon river if he was in Saigon. The Mekong River connects to the ocean a pretty long way south of (Saigon) Ho Chi Minh City. Thanks for sharing the story!
That must have been an awe inspiring sound and sight line..watching the enemy being destroyed by incoming super heavy artillery from such a close viewpoint
I was stationed at the Marine Barracks Philadelphia Naval Shipyard from 1967-68 when the New Jersey was recommissioned. My uncle was a machinist who worked on the ship at the time and went on the sea trial before the recommissioning. She is now a floating museum at the Camden NJ waterfront, less than 30 miles from my home.
Yes, me & my wife went on it, many years ago. We loved it 😁!!
I'me a subscriber to the New Jersey youtube channel. They release content every day about something to do with the ship, at least every weekday, pretty good stuff.
Thank you for both you and your uncle's service.
Semper Fi MARINE!!
Oh man..i could give an arm to see this beauty..i live in England..😑
She is also a Museum Ship on the Camden/Philadelphia waterfront. Well loved, taken care of, in all its glory for the public to admire. Videos & photos don't do this leviathan justice.
The battleship New Jersey is extremely fortunate to have such talented people work on her. The curator Ryan S is a walking encyclopedia on just about every WW2 navy ship. He has produced hundreds of videos on the New Jersey. I served in Nam in the Army but his videos wish that I should have joined the Navy. Worked with several men that worked in & on navy boilers. All were extremely talented and all drank tons of black coffee if what they told me was a hold over habit from time in the navy.
Battleship New Jersey is a very active TH-cam channel.
Dont forget they have an awesome youtube channel called "Battleship New Jersey"
I too watch the New Jersey TH-cam channel
@@JohnThomas-lq5qp He also does a curators tour which I wish I could afford. I'd pay half the price just to get to chat with him for an hour.
I was a two tour Marine in Viet Nam and in April of '69 I was assigned to guide some type of Naval forward observation team to a location of an old destroyed bridge in the Duc Khe and La Tho Bac area about a click from Hill 55. The objective was a farewell firing mission for the New Jersey. The observation team described what the target was going to be and I watched and heard those rounds as they came over and sounded like a dump truck cutting through air. Our observation elevation was high enough on the bridge berm and the field of view was unobstructed to the target area, an abandoned village that had once been a tunnel complex. I was not only in awe of the destruction capabilities of the rounds, but how damned accurate they were. Completely obliterated the small village and left bragging rights craters. There were two other Marines with me and we were interrogated relentlessly by our platoon when we returned. We were able to inspect the area with our platoon 2 days later and even more impressed. What a Lady she was.
Wow!
Thanks for serving and the story. Glad you made it home.
A lady with a VERY bad temper. Must be a redhead.😉
Just don't make her angry 😡😡😡😡
I wonder if that could have been observed from the rocket tower on hill 55.
I remember hearing the New Jersey's shells passing over Dong Ha, Vietnam and wondering-as did my buddies, "what the hell is that?", as we thought about diving into a bunker. Very impressive indeed - And thank GOD there weren't any airbursts. I still have photos taken from a helicopter of New Jersey's shell holes - you couldn't miss them.
thank you for your service. you guys did not get the gratitude you deserved...
I heard that those holes are now fish ponds
@@jeffreyeichelberger6550 They are. I was there in 1998 as part of the Joint Task Force-Full Accounting, to recover the remains of MIA service members. Between New Jersey's shell holes and those from B-52 Arc Light bombing, there are too many fish ponds to count.
Welcome home, and thank you for your service and your story. I wish more could speak openly about it, but I understand why they don't/can't.
My uncle was with the Marines in Vietnam, and the way he described it, they would call in a fire mission to the New Jersey, you'd hear the whistle of the rounds overhead, you'd hear them explode on the target, and then you'd hear the report from the cannons on the ship.
The Iowa class had such beautiful lines. I’ve been aboard Missouri in Hawaii. It’s truly an awe inspiring sight.
I'm going there next month, Missouri is. on. the. list. LOL!
That's on my bucket list as well. Iowa's are drop dead gorgeous, imo.
@@DarthRaijiin As CGI as it is, I love the movie "Battleship" . I'd give anything to see The Mighty Mo steam out of Pearl for real.
I was stationed at the Philly Navy Yard after 9/11. On a day off, I went over to visit the New Jersey. If you ever get a chance to see her, try to approach from her bow, you will not forget your first glimpse of her. Easily the most beautiful ships that ever served in the US Navy, their lines are the equal to any car built by Ferrari.
Love that ship! Even in death the BB Arizona has the BB Iowa guardians her.
I had the chance to talk at length in the late 90s with a Vietnam Marine of the 3rd MarDiv. He said you really cannot believe what it was like to watch a guy talk into a radio, wait a couple minutes, and sense, feel, hear and actually SEE a couple shells in close formation land on the exact spot required. They called them "pond makers" when they blew up acres of jungle. But the ultimate was knocking a rock ledge off the side of a mountain with two AP shells that sealed off a railway tunnel and buried a train under a million pounds of crushed granite. It's one thing to get lucky and hit a target -it's wholly different to KNOW exactly what naval gunfire can do and choose the right moment to do it.
I remember a beautiful, calm morning on Dixie Station near the DMZ; the sea was smooth as glass. I was aboard the Hancock (CVA-19) and we were enjoying a safety standdown day. Off in the distance, about two or three miles away was the New Jersey firing salvos in support of Marine positions. Sailors were lined up across the full length of the flight deck watching, hearing and feeling the shock waves as they radiated in all directions from the New Jersey with each firing of its powerful 16-inch guns. That experience and actually walking on her decks as an active battleship while moored at Cubi Point in Subic Bay are some of the many awesome memories I will cherish to the end of my days.
My father was on the Hancock I believe in '68.
I was on the beach in phan thiet. The first sergeant said, look guys the battle ship new Jersey. She turned her guns toward our firebase we were building. I felt the heat of the flames when it fired, them smoke from her barrels. I'm only a mile away. No movie could ever equal that moment in time.
Thank you for making a mini doc about Big J. My grandfather served on her during Vietnam in X Division. He was so fond and proud of this ship and I travel to visit her every few years.
Search " Warmonger's Legacy " on YT.
Eye Opening 👀...
@@cosmoray9750 lol yes listen to the chinese they have you're best interest at heart lol
@@cosmoray9750Chinese troll alert 🤣🤣🤣🤣 China and Russia are paper tigers
I was on active duty when New Jersey was reactivated for Vietnam. even got to see her shoot. VERY impressive sight!!!
Welcome home and thank you for your service.
Semper Fi!!!
And then you woke up
@@richardnixon4345 I was awake, unlike you
@@merlemorrison482 yeah, and then mom washed your sheets
@@richardnixon4345 troll.
In 1972 while on Yankee Station aboard the USS KITTY HAWK, I read a story in the Navy Times about the two destroyers that guarded the harbor
at Da Nang in which one of the destroyers got a blip on its radar and they signaled for the vessel to identify with no immediate response. A second msg was sent to identify or we will open fire. The response was "we are the USS New Jersey BB-62.....fire when ready"! I suppose it was just a little fun between the two Captains.
The destroyer captain: *nervous sweating*
😅
That Lady can dance!!
And she DOES have a temper!!
Love those Iowa class battleships. Thank you for the video.
I have a long story told to me by a good friend I knew when we were both Shriners together. His name was Bill "Moose" Wilson. The name was given to him by a School Master in England because of how big he was for his age playing rugby. A name he also kept being a Shriner Clown. He told me a story one day when we were together at a Shrine Circus between shows, about the time when he was a Marine officer helicopter pilot. There was a Marine base under fire by a large force of VC. They called out for fire support but all the guns were facing away supporting other calls. He heard the call flying near them and the radio operator's transmission was very weak. He contacted them back and let them know he would relay their call out for help. When he called out for any fire support help and he got a response from an unknown source. They said they were available to help and asked for their coordinates. He relayed back to the sieged Marines for coordinates. He relays back to wherever the fire team was located but he still didn't know where they were. Then they told him that since he was flying a helicopter, he told them this, to stay below 1000 feet. He gets a call back "Rounds out" on the radio. The next thing he sees is a flash from the direction of the ocean over the horizon. Within seconds of the flash, he sees a gigantic artillery round fly over him. After it passes over him he sees a very big explosion when the round hits. He gets a call back from the Marines with a few adjustments and is told to fire for effect. He relays it and more flashes and more rounds fly over him while hovering. He said a few more high explosive rounds or so went out and the Marines were saved. The radio guy calls back to him to relay their thanks to the fire team. When he calls to relay their thanks to the ship he asked who they were and they came back with the New Jersey. This story may be the story of your title. My friend Moose has been gone for a long time due to Agent Orange exposure but I have always remembered this story from him. RIP Moose. I miss you brother.
The battle ship New Jersey museum has the best TH-cam channel of any other museum ship in my opinion. They show you places you didn’t even know existed on board and will likely never see even working at the museum
Yeah, I'm subscribed to the Jersey channel and to our Patriots Point, no comparison. I get a short video about once a month, more about the museum events than the vessels there. They did just announce the Clagamore is dead and headed for the great scrap yard in Valhalla, what a shame she couldn't be saved. The video gave us a breakdown of what will happen, what's kept, what's sent to other museums, what's melted into Snap-on combination wrenches and hair pins, unfortunately that was actually the best and most informative video I've seen from them. Guess there are only so many Ryan Szimanski's in the world.
@@HadToChangeMyName_TH-camSucks
He is. He has fans (such as myself) that know nothing at all about ships of any kind, and he has crew from the Big J who are also on the channel. I never feel talked down to and the people who know the ship intimately share talk, calibers and alphabet soup language, engineering specs and stuff that flies over my head. And I love it!
Thanks for doing a wonderful documentary on Big J! I was privileged to join her crew from 85-88! Always was proud of serving on the most decorated Battleship in the fleet and helped to add to her awards! I learned more about my ship today that just makes my heart smile! 😊🦄🙃
Thank you for your service sir .
😊
My dad served on the USS Missouri for last two years of WW II. He was there when the Japanese signed the peace treaty.
historic
That was a historical moment that would never be forgotten,
Awesome.
Had her with us in Beirut, amazing how she changed the environment in one engagement early in 1984. It was an incredible experience for this then 19 yo sailor.
So proud to have USS Iowa BB61 docked in my home town of San Pedro California. I tour the ship everytime I go home absolutely love it.
I was out there a few years ago and I toured her. It was such a great experience, I spent most of the day walking around and studying everything I could haha. I'm not too far from the USS Massachusetts, a SoDak. Seeing the Iowa in person was such a shock at how much bigger she is.
My dad served on the Iowa in WW2 and shared many stories.He passed away in 2020.I was able to tour the Iowa about 5 years ago and brought back many pictures for my dad.
What a treat when she was docked there. I jumped on that baby lickity split. Additionally I had a private tour of the Missouri in the mid 80's. Next time on board take a look at the thickness of steel around the control room
On the Missouri it was 12 inches thick and if I remember correctly there was 11 floors from the bridge on down. Massive ship, but what a beauty.
The “Big J” has the very prestigious distinction of being the only US Ship during the Vietnam War to sink an island.
Yeah thats feat worthy of an anime character.
I'm still trying to wrap my head around that
I know it to be true!! I was in DLG- 28 and radio man was laughing and he said The New Jersey fired on an island an sunk it!
I was there in Sky 1. Didn't sink the island, just caved it in big time. Right on those guns that were shooting at our ships.
and helped lose the war.
I visit the New jersey at least once a month love hearing her storys and meet her old crew
You might want to go a little more often to hear those stories while you can.
In May 2020 there were 330,000 American WW2 vets. July 4th of last year, there was just over 249,000.
We won't have them much longer. Soon WW2 will no longer be living memory, and will be just history. 😞
Once a month? Whats with you Anglo-Saxons and the act of killing. Visit a library at least once a month will go a longer way for you
The NJ Museum has a YT channel and, I forget his name, is extremely knowledgeable about the class. The curator.
@@AmsterdamHeavy
I had to look it up just to make sure. The name of the channel is "Battleship New Jersey".
And apparently they have a show coming up in about 1 hour called "crossing the line, what happens when a ship crosses the equator."
Have you met Ryan?!
Love all of your channels no one would know anything about these great stories in history without you taking the time to make all of these interesting videos.....some of the best channels on TH-cam 👍👍
A worthy tribute to the Black Dragon. As a North Carolinian, I'm biased towards our battleship, the Showboat, but New Jersey certainly made her older sister proud.
I went to the dry dock tour of NJ…. Unbelievable scale and power. It’s hard to even imagine it in operation let alone being built in the first place! The dry dock itself was a sight to behold as well
She is the exact reason why battleships are so badass. Just the sight of her on the horizon would intimidated enemies. That's hard to do these days. As someone who grew up studying battleships I can only imagine how much of a boon she must have been to the sailors morale that fought alongside her even more in the 60's. The true meaning of hero ship who's adventures will be told around a camp fire. It's sad her days are over but what a ship to go out on
I personally think that there will ALWAYS be a need or use for a battleship or two. Mainly because if Marines need to land on a beach where there are enemy troops, you are going to need artillery. And so you are going to need naval guns until the Marines get enough of a toehold to move in tank armor & land artillery. I mean, I guess you could have some Cruisers doing that but being realistic, battleship guns are bigger and shoot farther. I guess the Navy figures they can do it with airplanes. Which I'm sure will probably work too. Or a combo of Cruisers & planes, idk. I've not really studied present tactics. Or much past WW2 Closing a needle.
@@kennethdeanmiller7324 Once we become a space-farring civilization, battleships may come back as mobile fortresses or headquarters that can carry supplies or weapons other spacecraft cannot, like imagine a battleship that uses a star as a power source.
naval artillery support has become much more precise with higher range utilizing smart munition from higher fire rate naval guns if you were to compare to BB main batteries
Except that the Iowas were strategic failures the moment they hit water. Building a capital ship only to use it in secondary roles is strategically unjustifiable.
Zaron and over the Horizon. The Syrian Army was sending a large military column into Lebanon on the land side of the Coastal mountains. The NJ was on the Seaward side at the Visible Horizon. Fired her main batteries and walked her shells down the Road on the other side of those low mountains. The End of that Troop movement. PS it took years to repair that roadway.
The Iowa Class battleship was and is the most impressive battleship of all time. She has everything, speed, armour and tremendous firepower. They were aesthetically beautiful ships and designed to fit through the Panama canal being 108 ft 1” wide and 887 feet long. My favourite warship of all time.
887 feet...somehow i didnt realize that. and a razor to boot...I should have joined the navy I would have been to young to serve aboard New Jersey as I would have preferred but I imagine a nuclear carrier at "classified" speed is pretty thrilling too
From a long distance, the Iowa Class BBs look similar to a canoe. Some canoe!
Thank you for that man I have wanted to see someone talk about the new jersey. She sits now across f from where she was built in her name state. She still looks like she could go into battle tomorrow. I am glad they keep those proud ships around. The last American battleships. Thanks again.
search for the Battleship New Jersey TH-cam channel, it's great for info about the ship.
Somewhere in my Father's papers is a propaganda leaflet. He was in Vietnam in 1968/69 as part of the brown water navy. After taking serious fire from an embankment above the river, they called in for an airstrike and were told to withdraw. Instead of an airstrike, they heard an ear piercing shriek and the fortified embankment all but disappeared. A small observation plane flew over and dropped leaflets like the one my father has.
It says, in several languages, "you have just received a single Salvo from the USS New Jersey, the world's most powerful battleship. If you do not surrender in the next ten minutes, you will receive another". According to my Father many Vietcong came out of the jungle with their hands up, so many that they had to call in reinforcements to take them away.
Basically the New Jersey was sitting just off the coast at the time and she was within range with a little bit of maneuvering. Three 2000 pound shells would have scared me into surrendering too.
That's just soooo damned gangster 😆
."You can make it stop ANYTIME you want" 😉
even back then it was cheaper to fly an observation plane with leaflets to the target than fire at it twice.
I hope they had plenty of spare and clean trousers to give to those that surrendered. Without doubt, surrendering was a wise choice.
A similar thing happened with the Wisconsin during the Gulf War. She had just got done shelling a target and had obliterated it. Her spotting drones were up for her next fire mission and the Iraqis saw the drone. They knew what it meant and came out and surrendered to the drone b4 the Wisconsin could even fire.
Those reconnaissance planes were the Bird-dogs, flew mostly Cessna's, brave souls indeed.
I’m a truck driver in SoCal working the ports. I see the Iowa every day. She is permanently moored there as a museum. She is a sight to behold.
I was stationed on the USS New Jersey as an Fire Control Technician. We operated the 5” twin gun mount analog computers. The Mark 1 Able. It took five of us to operate her when firing land based targets. That was 1985-1987. Our Captain shot the Big Guns every time we went out to sea.
An old boss of mine was a Coast Guard vet, including service in Vietnam. The cutter he was on used to swap mail, movies, and, other things with the Navy ships in the area. Well, one day, they came close aboard the New Jersey, as they were hoping to trade for some ice cream from her galley. Unfortunately, she let fly with a salvo from her main battery in the opposite direction just as the cutter came alongside. She didn't sink, but, one of her engines was knocked off it's bed, and, every frame was so buckled that they couldn't close any of the hatches. They had to be towed back to Subic Bay. The Big J had a scratch in her paint.
No warnings about it either.
Oops. I hope no one was hurt? Was the cutter salvageable?
Nothing compares to the battleships of WW2 and beyond. Such a sight to behold.
The new Jersey battleship TH-cam channel is a very good channel that goes in depth on a lot of the details of battleships
Yup Ryan is a great youtuber
great channel.. detail is everything..
As Ryan likes to say: "Why? Because we have an Iowa class Battleship"
God bless that guy.
And he recently pointed out that NJ is the largest licensed liquor establishment in the state.
Fun fact: an Iowa class battleship is about 148 curators long.
@@cleverusername9369 well, I'm .96 curators tall so how long is the Iowa in Zaps?
Who's Ryan?
I was on a destroyer DD709 operating with the New Jersey during a bombardment of Tiger Island just off of Vietnam around the Dmz. We were inside of the New Jersey taking fire from the shore batteries.
I also was there at Cap Lay Tijer Island at that time. I was aboard the USS Harwood DD861. We received a hit to our mount 52 that day.
Any where DD765 Keppler?
I was on a tour of BB61 USS IOWA in San Pedro Ca. As we stood beside one of the 16 inch batteries I told a lovely old couple next to me "You know... from her berth here in San Pedro IOWA could easily lay waste to downtown Los Angeles...it's only about 20 miles away" It gave them a realistic picture of the power to say the least....
That was some ship.The different crews must have felt proud to serve on her.
You don't want to be at the end of those guns even today .
Please bring back the battleship.They're just the coolest looking things military is ever built.
What a beautiful looking ship, her lines were sleek and majestic.
I was in the US Army when she was on her last tour of duty back in the 80s. I never saw her operational but have been aboard her in Camden NJ as a museum ship. I've also been aboard Wisconsin in the same capacity at Norfolk VA. I wish I could've had the opportunity to see the New Jersey or her sister ships fire those big azz 16 in guns. I've seen interviews with former sailors who were aboard the New Jersey when it fired them. They said it would suck the air out of your lungs. There were only a few places you were allowed to stand outside and witness them fire safely they also said.
I witnessed Iowa fire her 16" during exercises with 6th Fleet in the Mediterranian. From two miles away the concussion of the muzzle blasts could be felt deep in my chest. I also watched Missouri and Wisconsin fire into Iraqi positions. At night even single gun salvoes would light up the night sky even though we were 15 or 20 miles away from the battlewagons.
I’ve been told if the concussion doesn’t get ya (standing next to the turrets while they fire) the shells leaving the barrels create so much suction, some kind of riptide effect, that it will pull you off the deck… is this true?
@@nolanmonke4330 Don't know but I've heard that too. The interviews from the former crewmembers of the USS New Jersey said that for safety reasons, they had very few areas on deck where you were allowed to be outside and see the guns fire. That could be the reason.
the biggest question: why isnt wisconsin docked in wisconsin?
@@Blox117 How is it going to get there? It can't fit up a river, it can't enter the great lakes because it is too wide for the St Lawrence canal.
I actually got to go on the NJ when she docked in San Francisco and the public was invited aboard.
Stunning ship, and the sleekness of her hull contrasted with the mammoth turret castings; it my understanding that castings this large have not been made since.
The teak deck planks were, I’d guess 3-4” thick. The hull, as you’re standing on the deck, widened out as it went under the deck planks.
Phenomenal ship.
I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to go aboard. 🇺🇸💪💪
My father was an electrician on her during her refitting for Vietnam. She was feared by the V.C. Dad told me her shells sounded like a train when in flight. I've walked her decks. Impressive.
I SERVED ON BB-62 BIG J THANK YOU FOR THIS
Ryan Szimanski anywhere in here?
He got me hooked on watching BB-62 a LOT!
steve
The USS Wisconsin nicknamed "the big wisky"..is a truly enormous and magnificent ship. Walking on her deck is a one-of-a-kind experience as it feels a bit humbling. She's berthed next to the museum Nauticus in downtown norfolk. The city of norfolk owns this battleship as the navy transferred ownership many years ago. I highly recommend touring the ship if you get the chance, it's something you won't forget.
I had a chance to tour the uss Wisconsin. It's awesome
The last battleship built and the biggest!
USS Wisconsin 👍👍👍
Big Wisky earned her name. And the subtitle "Temper, Temper."
I toured the Iowa in LA...the armor on the bridge is so thick it's unbelievable and that's far thinner than the armor at the water line. It's amazing they could get these boats to even move in the water, never mind being so fast. I cant imagine what firepower they were up against to warrant such thick armor.
The Wis-tucky. The bow was grafted from the unfinished hull of the Kentucky after it was damaged with a collision with the destroyer Eaton.
A "triple gun" turret has the attribute that all three barrels are ALWAYS at the same angle of elevation. A "three gun" turret has the ability to elevate each barrel independently from its turret mates. Iowa Class Battleships have "three gun" turrets.
You should see the range finder for these big guns.....amazing instrument for its time.
Glad I served on deck dept first division
Boatswain
Very very good video
Despite being decommissioned four times. she still performed as she was supposed to. Goes to show you cannot forget a legend. Remember the Japanese unconditionally surrendered on the deck of her sister ship in Tokyo Bay.
👍
Many Thanks to the New Jersey and her crew, heard her many times and seen the devastation she made saved many life’s of U.S. soldiers mine include. Thanks to Big J and crew!
Salute to her and her crew, probably the oldest battleship to serve in this many wars and battle's and she's still around to remind us that she was one of the best we ever had, thanks for the service and the greatest of all times, AKA the Navy's Goat!?
Dont know I ever managed it but I've had the honor of having been aboard of all the great Iowa ladies
I served with the 173rd Abribone Brigade from 6/1968 to 6/1970 and I was fortunate enough
hear the Battle Ship New Jersey fire her 16” guns . It was an amazing to hear her rounds fired overhead. She was and still is a powerful battle ship.
I was there on LZ Salem. We were shooting for the "Herd". There was a 24 hr shoot. It included that Battleship. Our rounds were rocks compared to their stuff.
My father served aboard "Big J" in 1946. I have a full blown photo of her and the entire crew aboard ship docked in Bremerton, Washington. My mother gave birth to me that same year at the naval hospital there. Cool photo. My brother and I both served and retired with the navy in later years.
Fun how that happens to many of us?
Thank you and your family.
I never had the opportunity to serve on an Iowa class as they were recommissioned after I had left the service in the early 1980s, but I consider the Iowas to have been the greatest surface warships ever constructed by any nation. And after their Reagan era upgrade, the most deadly surface warship ever of its time. Sadly they are gone from service, but are still with us as museum ships so we can still touch the past.
My dad was a chief aboard new jersey in 68 I remember seeing her docked in long Beach before they deployed to Vietnam. Then was in Bremerton when she returned for decommissioning in 69.was quite an impressive site for a small boy
What else could be said but MAGNIFICENT.... Question. How does an inanimate object built the same as 3 other inanimate ships excel all others BY SUCH A MAGNIFICENT LONG TERM HISTORY ! God Bless America.!
Well, "Firepower for Freedom" it's the only thing I'd like to say, after watching this great video about my favourite battleship.
I love the story about the US mine sweeper off the coast of Vietnam who came across an unknown ship in the fog and sent out the Morse code light signal warning “identify yourself, or we will open fire” and the response they got was “go ahead, you won’t do much, but it will be entertaining - USS New Jersey”.
"challenge accepted"
You sank a battleship!
When I was stationed in South Vietnam, I had the pleasure of watching one of New Jersey's fire missions. Very impressive. First you see the flashes from the nine 16-inch guns of the broadside, then the ship is quickly obscured by the gun smoke. Next is the tearing shriek of the salvo passing overhead, and finally the roar of the guns. My base was on the coast, south of Da Nang and southeast of Marble Mountain. 3rd Marine Division, 3rd AMTRAC Battallion. No idea what the target was, but it was probably 20 miles or more inland.
The New Jersey should have been there for the whole conflict. It would have saved many lives. What are you going to do when the Black Dragon is within 23 miles of you? Probably beat feet ASAP!
The youtube channel of Battleship New Jersey is worthwhile to watch. It has historical info, and facts about the lovely BB, and naval stuff in general.
It is docked very close to where I live. Did a couple of tours on it. Fantastic ship
John, did you ever work for a company called CISPRI in Alaska?
@@jefpanisi3764 nope
Many thanks for the video! How fortunate that the US Navy kept these ships in reserve rather than scrapping them. I plan to visit the USA and part of the plan is to visit as many historic ships as possible ending with the Missouri in Hawaii. It'll be great for me but not so exciting for my wife........
You can let her go shopping!
This is interesting...Iowa class battleship...nice.
It was really cool to see her exit drydock maintenance in June 2024 and move (under tow) back to her permanent dock in Camden, NJ. She is absolutely enormous!
My father used to tell me that during gunnery practice in Puerto Rico the NJ would always fire last so the other ships could watch. The entire area went from night to daylight.
As an Army Bird Dog pilot in the Delta, I had the privilege to observe her 16" fire on a mountain
near the coast. Flying near the apogee I could see the freight car projectiles enroute to the
target. Rumor has it that the NVA in caves on the mountain were bleeding from their ears and
noses after the bombardment.
You saw the projectiles in flight!?
You could see them from the deck on the ship until they got several miles away.
I was a fire controlman when all four were in commission during the 80s. I saw the Iowa in Cuba and took many pictures and walked aboard the Wisconsin in Norfolk.
Wisconsin 👍👍👍
Gotta love how my state has one of the most decorated ships in the us navy and some of the greater heroes of ww2
Well at least NJ has that going for it!!
@@pwilki8631: Throw out 75% of the crazy Liberals you have living there and Become a Great State Again!
1:34. They are not triple-gun turrets. They are three-gun turrets. Triple gun means they barrels move in unison. 3-gun means the barrels can move independently. In contrast the 5" guns were dual mounts that moved in unison.
My uncle was on the Wisconsin in Vietnam. His son my cousin served on her in the Gulf. They had a good story to blend together
I've been on Wisconsin and Iowa. Big J is next on my list.
I was aboard the USS HANCOCK CVA-19 in the gulf of Tolkien when the New Jersey was shelling over us 21miles inland I will never forget the sound those shells made traveling over the ship. It made the hair stand up on the back of my neck. I can't believe any country would fuck with the United States. Vietnam Veteran
Back in the 70s I had an instructor at Brookdale C.C. who had been an Army infantry Captain in Vietnam. One night he needed fire support near Cam Ranh Bay and got on the horn. After 2 or 3 minutes of no replies the NJ responded and offered assistance. He had no idea it was the NJ thinking something smaller. Sent one over and the captain told them how much they're off, NJ said tell your people to stay as close to the ground as they could. Fired a 3 shell volley, attack ceased and the next morning the biggest thing they found was a foot. Said the noise as the volley went over was like a fast freight train.
He was a published author name go Gene Snyder (sic).
Yeah. Danger close from a 16 inch salvo is 1 klick if I remember correctly.
My brother was aboard a USCG ship near the north Vietnam coast. A scout plane gave coordinates of an NV flying school. New Jersey fired her big guns. 10 minutes later, my brothers ship heard ( schools out ). From the scout plane.
This thing is totally unbelievable to see in person. Well worth a visit if you’re in the Philly/Camden area.
I served on the Jersey from Thanksgiving of 68 to when it tied up back in the US in 69. Interesting adventure.
The Big J was very much a product of her time! What an interesting bit of history.
Great story about the New Jersey. I visited her nearly 10 years ago. She was a great ship, and is a great museum ship. I urge everyone seeing this, to go see her in person. It will be a great trip.
I worked to help turn her into a museum. Beautiful ship. We couldn't build another like her again.
We could build sommething like her again.
We couldn't build something _like her_ again, however.
A copy is a copy, but without her fighting spirit, it wouldn't be the same
Every one of these stories is a winner,you cant go wrong watching them.
Aboard the USS Canberra (CAG-2/CA-70) we were witness to "Big J's" initial fire missions against Vietnam. Simply an astounding sight. Although three miles away, her nine-gun salvo seemed as loud as our own eight-inch, six-gun salvos. New Jersy was awesome!
One thing I'll forever regret is that I wasn't born at a time when I could've seen the guns of a battleship fire in person. Tank cannons would rock your world, but 16 inch guns? They would probably blow you off your feet and pulverize your ribcage if you were on the deck when they went off. That kind of firepower is something unlikely to be seen again
I got to watch her mighty strength while in Lebanon in 1983. It was amazing. Semper Fi till we Die!
When TWA flight 847 was hijacked in 1985 it was taken to Lebanon for a few days. One of the hijackers was cursing New Jersey and one of the passengers on this flight was from New Jersey and wondered what her state had done to them. She found out later he wasn't cursing the state he was mad at the battleship lobbing shells and destroying training camps and terrorist in Lebanon
My pops served aboard BB62 as a Boiler Tender and Gunner's Mate back in Vietnam. He loved his time on that ship and always refers to it fondly. Great DOC, thanks for sharing the history of this very special ship.
I can still remember my father, a coxswain in the Navy serving in the South Pacific during WWII, taking me and my sister to visit the New Jersey in 1958 at the Bayonne, NJ, naval yard. It was quite impressive to say the least. That same day we visited the USS Franklin, a flat top at the same naval yard. I can still remember in the late 60's when she was scrapped.
check out the youtube channel they have, "Battleship New Jersey". awesome channel
@@45lc48 Thank you. Will do.
I really enjoyed this video because our Coast Guard Cutter Wachusett W-44 followed Big J over to The Coast Of Vietnam during Operation Market Time and stopped with her in Pearl Harbor for supplies and spent the same years of '68 and '69 off the coast as we acted as a "Mother Ship" for The Navy's Swift Boats and we also did a lot of shore bombardment with our 5 inch 38 cal. gun.
I remember we were told that every time Big J fired a round it was like sending a Volks wagon to the target~! 2800 lb. Projectile~!
The size of the main gun shells is amazing
I was assigned to the National Photographic Interpretation Center in DC in 1983 when the New Jersey was providing support to Israel in the Lebanon War with Syria. We had supplied Syrian artillery targets for the New Jersey to fire on the next day. When we got the photos the following day we were expecting big holes in the ground where the Syrian artillery had been. We didn’t see any artillery but no damage to report either. After comparing previous photographs, we realized the small ponds we saw across the new imagery was actually where the artillery had been. It had rained after the New Jersey had attacked and the small bodies of water we were seeing were actually the shell craters from the 16” guns of the New Jersey. It had ruined many a Syrian’s day! These were indeed powerful battleships. But, with the increase in precision rockets and missiles, the need for long range artillery has almost been eliminated. I love the big guns on ships but the future is warships with multiple missile systems to fight any threat and provide precision, on target, destruction. The big battleships like the New Jersey, the Yamato, and the Bismarck had their day but that era is over, unfortunately. They were impressive ships of the line!
I worked on refurbishing the 16" projectiles and bag charges at a ammunation depot in Indiana. The AP shells weighed 2700 Lbs. The HE "high explosive" shells weighed 1800 Lbs. The ship only worked in Viet Nam for a month, then stopped because of political reasons. The projectiles were manufactured in 1941, but refurbished, and painted frequently.
What was the political reason, blowing the hell out of the NVA and the VC positions, and might have ended the war too soon?
@@davidschwartz5127 really don't remember, something about it wasen't allowed. Just how we were handicapped in fighting the political war. Would have won but political policies stopped us.
That is so wrong. I was there were you.
@@davidschwartz5127 I think so actually, it was a bargaining chip
That bit of politics cost a lot of US lives by being gone.
1966-1968 Danang area during TET.
There’s no doubt battleships are the most beautiful and awesome looking ships ever built. Their reputation will live on forever.
We should have been using battle ships from the very start in Vietnam. They are more cost effective than B52 bombers and would have given us near complete control of the DMZ and coast of Vietnam. It could have created a coastal safety zone for the South Vietnamese people.
Agreed. Would’ve been easier to establish based and points of operation along the coast too. Would’ve been a more effective battle strategy IMO.
and the vc would not know when inbound was in their neighborhood. Read a piece one time from an nva retired officer and he stated they knew when a B-52 strike was coming. A spotter in Guam would radio them when they took off.
With all the modern weapons we have now . The Battle ships are freaking awesome. Watching the 16 inch guns firing, awesome.
“Big J”IS, and always will be, quite a lady.
I did 20 years in the Navy. The New Jersey was my second ship from 1982 -1984. I was there at the fourth Recommissioning. I served in No1 engine room. I transferred three months after we got back from Lebanon. There were a lot of good sailors aboard the New Jersey. The Jersey was the best ship in the Navy and had the best crew of any ship I had been on.