USS Alabama - How to make a B-52 look small

In 1945, my grandfather's ship, the U.S.S. Borie (DD-702) destroyed a kamikaze that was making a run at the Alabama. Later, during the Battle of Okinawa, the Borie herself was hit by a kamikaze, believed the be the last kamikaze attack of the entire war. The war ended while they were still putting out the fires on the ship.

So happy to see this video. Im a volunteer welder on this ship. I watched purely for entertainment because i know this ship like the back of my hand. Also shout out to Matthew McCluney. He's the fellow i deal with when a can come in and help. He has always made every trip not only memorable but enjoyable as well. Ive worked on a number of our museum ships and personally this crew is among the best of them. The history of this park alone is fascinating, dating back to the 60's I believe. The amount of work and planning that has gone into this park sets it way higher than any other ship I have been on. It has been an honor to be apart of it, i just wish she could trade places with the USS Orleck in my home town haha. Shes my "home port" ship.

My grandfather lost his leg serving in one of the 5” gun turrets on the Alabama, it’s great to hear you explain more of what I didn’t understand when I visited the ship

I have seen a 40mm bofors that was butane fired. It was on a truck and no idea who has it now but its in kansas somewhere.

We just like our squirrels

Been here twice over years
As a young man I pulled myself up on a cut off ladder and reached the crows nest. On second visit years later the ladder had been cut off higher. Crows nest no longer accessible.

If you are ever in the New Orleans, Louisiana area you should see the WW2 museum. I think you can even get a ride on PT boat still.

Great video Drach . Thanks for sharing your visit with us.

I’ve been on the ship in mobile albama it is a cool museum I go there for my bday and I live in ranburne Al

It's been 250 years and they still refuse to let go of the past and speak spanish as their native language, SAD
The last Englishman in america died 150 years ago and all the hispanics and economic migrants are still speaking his language, its bizarre.

Taking a family trip down to Orange Beach for two years gave me a chance to head 45 minutes west to see the USS Alabama one year, and 45 minutes east to the Pensacola Naval Air museum the next year was a fantastic experience.

Love the Alabama, she is a beautifully maintained ship. We visited her back in 2021 and enjoyed the ship, the submarine, and all of the other displays.

Been there many times on the way to Gulf Shores.

Awesome insight great video D your a good man

Been there, you really need 2 days lol. Amazing place

Thank you! Excellent Video!
I finally made the trip there yesterday and was quite pleased with the visit.

They actually built that wall around the USS Alabama back in the 90s because the Alabama was leaking fuel. Also, the US Drum used to be in the water when I was young

ROLL TIDE….!!!!!!

We visited the Alabama and Drum in the mid 70s. An unforgettable day.

I saw that ship when I was about 10 years old, 50 years ago! We drove into Mobile at night and it had at that time lights, I don't know if it's still does, they go up-and-down on the wires to go across the top of the ship frombow to stern.. and it was huge and we were so amazed. We didn't know what it was at first and then we realized it was the ship! We got to crawl all over the next day. it was wonderful! By the way, my grandfather enlisted after the attack on Pearl, while he was in his 50s. He had extensive knowledge of a lifetime on marine construction, such as sea walls etc in Florida. so he ended up being a CPO in the SeaBees assigned to pearl Harbor's reconstruction. He was stationed there during the war, and after the war. My father eventually joined him there to attend the University of Hawaii.

Cheers mate! Xcellent video! I've toured BB -60 myself, but served 3yrs and 6 patrols aboard USS alabama, ssbn-731. Jul 97 till September '00...

I believe the Alabama is moored in what we yanks call a cofferdam. Same as the cason, just etymology (and probably regional as in Louisiana shipyards you tend to hear cofferdam exclusively). It can be drained to do hull work, or flooded as needed to float the ship. I drive through Mobile a lot and the sight of the Alabama in the distance always fills me with pride.

They have the coolest museum. The Alabama, a submarine, and an SR71 blackbird. Inside the building in a dauntless dive bomber and torpedos.

I actually visited this ship

This is the only ship I've seen in person. I will say the sub is a short tour and well worth it.

Drach, another fantastic video of our great BBs. They are such grand and majestic ladies! A testament to engineering.

The USS Alabama was actually supposed to fight the tirpitz but the tirpitz wouldn't come out of port

Silt, The real problem in Mobile Bay is the silt.

Get off my lawn, 20mm at a time.

Lol ! He said wwwwwwwweeeeeeeee!

I've been on board 5 times all day long and have never seen all of her she a grand old lady also the north Caroline

I have a picture of my dad holding me up in those same shoulder mounts on that exact same 20mm gun. I was only about five or six years old so that would have been around 1973 or so. Brings back a lot of memories.

Imagine the noise of the 5 inch 40 cal. mounts, 40mm quad Bofors and 20mm Oerlikons firing along with the sound of incoming aircraft. Could you recreate/simulate this for us?

Playing around on those 40mm guns is a core childhood memory for me.

I leave near the Alabama, and have visited a few times, so this is cool to see. Mind you, I'm the special kind of stupid that thought she was an Iowa for the longest time . . . . . .

slept here as a boy scout back in the day it was sick

Just curious what ship's
should be brought back if needed

Revisiting this video before I tour the Alabama during the simulated attack June 1 and I could not be more pumped!

Roll tide 🤙🇺🇸

Fan and patron, and a career USN officer, one old enough to have seen the standards come into PNSY, I can’t understand the harping on the anti aircraft batteries. After all, the USN never lost one , even salvaging all but Oklahoma, Utah having lost its classification, after Pearl Harbor. I would be remiss if I failed to mention your three programs on the salvage are among the finest I have ever seen.

Funny you say the Alabama is in good condition. When I saw the Alabama in 1984 it broke my heart. Inside the main turrets, which I notice were not in this video, the backup gunnery computer was totally destroyed, the knobs all torn off, the glass on top gone, as well as all the gauges and dials. It was completely gutted, leaving only the outer casing and the empty bezel on top with the circular openings in it. Inside the main turret barbette that was open to visitors, a horrifically ugly rebar lattice was crudely welded atop the mezzanine rail and extended to the deck above, presumably to keep over enthusiastic Alabamans from jumping off the mezzanine after drinking Mountain Dew. I notice that the mezzanine and handling rooms for the 16" is not in this video either.

As of 1984, the wooden double doors to the wardroom were almost completely obliterated by people having carved their names into them or sliced off a chunk to take home as a souvenir. The doors, which were probably made of oak and carved in relief were hacked and whittled all to pieces by countless pocketknives. There were literally only scraps less than a foot wide attached to the hinges. What was left of thousands of carved names where visible traces of the stain remained before trailing off into mutilated, ragged edges.

The condition of the Alabama as of 1984 was absolutely disgusting and has been by far the worst I have seen, even more deteriorated than Texas. I don't know if the wardroom doors were replaced with replicas or just removed, and I seriously doubt those analog computers in the turrets could have been reconstructed from absolutely nothing. The destroyed analog computers in the main turrets hurt my feelings the most. Shame!

I find it interesting that you talk about how heavy the ammo is, as any armed forces personell tend to be in tip-top shape. I can imagine those guys slinging those shells into the guns probably had the whole popeye look going on.

They were farm boys, they were accustomed to throwing bails of hay.

Lead the aircraft. It is a lesson still taught in the US Military.

I slept overnight on the Alabama as chaperone for a Boy Scout trip. great ship .

As an alabamian i know the truth about our squirrel overlords

My uncle was a Carpenter's Mate on ALABAMA during the war.

Pinned post for Q&A :)