Saturday, October 5, 2013

USS Massachusetts (BB-59)

Fall River, MA

The Massachusetts was launched in 1941 and is one four fast battleships comprising the "South Dakota Class" built by the US Navy during the early stages of World War II.  She saw extensive service during the war and is believed to have fired the first and the last 16" shells of that war.  After being decommissioned in 1947, she was saved from the scrap heap by veterans and citizens of Massachusetts, who along with Massachusetts school children raised $50,000 to preserve the battleship.  Currently it resides in Fall River, MA as a museum ship as part of "Battleship Cove", the state's official World War II Memorial. 

2 comments:

  1. Know a little about the South Dakota class battleships. The outline, and many of it's parts are displayed in a park in Sioux Falls, but there was no way to get the USS South Dakota to this state. Have you toured this museum?

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    1. We stopped at the park on our way home from Cape Cod recently. I didn't tour the ship, or get closer due to time, although tours are available and you can get on board. From this class of battleships, only the Massachusetts and Alabama are left, both as museum ships. I'll have some pictures of the other ships moored here later this week.

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