Having undergone major restorations in Galveston, Texas, the USS Texas is now ready to make history again, as this vessel is the very last of its battleship kind. This proud ship is a New York-class, or dreadnought, battleship that served with great honor in the two World Wars and has been a museum ship for many years. The USS Texas has been in dry dock at the Gulf Copper shipyard since 2022, where nearly 700 tons of steel have been replaced. Space restoration, deck replacement, and repainting are among the tasks in this $21 million restoration work.
Other claim-to-fame credits for the USS Texas include firing the first American shots of WWI and becoming the first battleship to launch an airplane. Among its storied service was participation in many significant battles, including D-Day. Ernest Hemingway described the ship’s firepower at Normandy thusly: “There would be a flash like a blast furnace from the 14-inch guns of the Texas. Then the yellow-brown smoke would cloud out and, with the smoke still rolling, the concussion and the report would hit us, jarring the men’s helmets. It struck your near ear like a punch with a heavy, dry glove.”
The USS Texas was constructed as part of the New York-class battleships of the U.S. Navy that were designed to serve in the Navy as a more powerful armed counterpart of the Wyoming-class ships. Series New York was the first-ever super-dreadnought to sail for the Navy; it had a primary battery of 14-inch Mark 1 guns and twenty-one of the 5-inch guns, 127mm/51-caliber. Shortly after her commissioning, the Texas fitted fire-control equipment and was soon deployed to Mexican waters during a diplomatic incident.
During World War I, the Texas patrolled the North Sea, escorting President Woodrow Wilson to peace talks in France. During World War II, this battleship played the prominent role of providing covering fire for troops in the D-Day invasion by shelling German defenses. Texas was also involved in the battles for Iwo Jima and Okinawa in the Pacific. At Okinawa, the crew remained at battle stations for fifty days without rest, as there was always a threat from kamikaze attacks against the ship.
Following the war, the Texas was placed in reserve and later became the nation’s first permanent floating museum. But decades of exposure took a heavy toll on the vessel, which had serious deterioration. In 2017, a hole below the waterline caused the ship to list, underscoring the critical need for repairs. The state of Texas put up $35 million for the restoration.