USS Alabama (BB-60)
Norfolk Navy Yard
37 694 ts
207.30 m
32.94 m
8.50 m
1793 - 325
4 propellers driven by steam turbines 4; 130,000 WPS ( 99 MW)
27.8 kn
17,000 nautical miles at 15 knots
- 9 × 16 " guns
- 20 × 5 " guns
- 48 × 40 - mm anti-aircraft guns in four of a kind guns
- 56 × 20 mm MK in single and double carriages
3 OS2U Kingfisher
The USS Alabama is a battleship of the South Dakota class. It was built at the shipyard Norfolk Navy Yard. Construction began on February 1, 1940 The ship was launched on February 16, 1942 from the stack.; completed it was on 16 August 1942.
From the spring of 1943 at the Alabama took part in operations in the North Atlantic and the North Sea as part of the British Home Fleet. After she returned to Norfolk in early August, she ran again on August 20, this time in the Pacific. There she took, among others, in the battle for the Gilbert Islands, Battle of the Philippine Sea, sea and air battle of Leyte Gulf and the battle for the Marshall Islands, Operation Flintlock in part.
On January 9, 1947, the ship was decommissioned, had since been in reserve in Bremerton until it was deleted from the inventory on June 1, 1962. On 16 June 1964, the ship was handed over to the state of Alabama. It is since September 1964 near Mobile as a national monument and can be visited. On 14 January 1986, the USS Alabama was recognized as a National Historic Landmark.
The USS Alabama was the last ship of the new battleships of the South Dakota class, which was built as part of the rearmament program of the United States. She was shorter, but better protected than the ships of the former North Carolina class and was comparable to the British King George V class on the whole. A remarkable detail of the execution of the USS Alabama is the compact design with the concentration of anti-aircraft guns. This was possible because of American battleships and cruisers, the reconnaissance aircraft and catapults were accommodated on the aft deck.
Except for Military use
- The former warship today is not only a tourist attraction on the U.S. Gulf Coast, but also serves as a film set. For example, the action film Beloved was: red with Steven Seagal in 1992 turned largely on the ship. In the film the ship as USS Missouri ( BB -63 ) is called. At the Museum and the submarine USS Drum part (SS -228 ). In the adjoining aircraft pavilion are among other things a Boeing B- 52D and a Lockheed A- 12th
- The USS Alabama is also always a refuge from the storms frequently occur in the Gulf region. So put yourself in August 2005 during Hurricane Katrina 18 employees of the connected museum on the ship to safety, which was severely damaged by the hurricane.