This December, Piscataway High School students from the local AFJROTC (Air Force Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps) unit and TSA (Technological Students Association) will take a field trip to “America’s Most Decorated Battleship”, the Battleship New Jersey as a trip to not only teach TSA students about the electronics on the Battleship New Jersey’s modernization, but its military history and usage for the JROTC unit.
From the Pacific Theater to the Gulf War, the Battleship New Jersey has taken such punishment from such conflicts and brushed it off like nothing. The Battleship New Jersey is a 45,000 ton aquatic war machine, armed to the teeth with its massive 16 inch Naval guns, it’s a complex and humongous vessel. Today it resides alongside the Delaware River in Camden, New Jersey under the possession of the non profit organization, the Home Port Alliance, as the Battleship New Jersey Memorial.
The History Behind Battleship New Jersey
During the early stages of the Second World War, the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard set the keel for the Battleship New Jersey on September 16th 1940 as the second Iowa class battleship. Following the wake after Pearl Harbor a year later on December 7th, 1942, the Battleship New Jersey finally launched, but only entered service a year later on May 23rd 1943. It was assigned to its very first commander, Captain Carl F. Holden, and assigned to the United States Navy Fifth Fleet which was under the command of Admiral Spruance. It first saw combat during the invasion of the Japanese occupied Marshall Islands in 1944, providing bombardment and support with its devastating nine 16 inch guns. After that, it became a crucial part of the US Naval Fleet during the Pacific Theater in WW2, participating in major naval battles Iwo Jima, the Marianas, New Guinea, and the famous Okinawa where the famous group of US Marines raised the American Flag.
After WW2, the ship was decommissioned. But in 1950, it was recommissioned and used for the Korean War, and in later wars it kept getting modernized with new advanced weaponry until finally retiring in February 1991 and opened as the Battleship New Jersey Memorial we know as today since 2001.
What is at the Exhibit?
Due to the large size of the ship, the ship is nearly free to roam. You can see a lot of things aboard the ship such as the CEC (Combat Engagement Center), the propulsion systems, the turrets, the mess hall, the crew quarters, and so much more. Firstly, the CEC, this is where sailors operated the weapons systems aboard the ship such as it’s Tomahawk missile systems, Phalanx Close in Weapon Systems, and of course its famous 16 inch guns.
Before modernization during WW2, the CEC was very basic, only a dimly lit compartment, a simple radar system, and plotting tables for navigation. But later in the 1980s, it featured more advanced digital systems, radar screens, and much more. Visitors are allowed to see it to learn about the weapon systems but are not allowed to go to the CIC (Combat Information Center).
You might expect a regular ship to be powered by standard piston engines akin to car engines, but you’d be wrong. The ship was instead powered by 8 Babcock and Wilcox branded boilers powered by fossil fuels which boiled water into steam reaching temperatures of 850 degrees Fahrenheit, then it was sent into four massive turbines made by Westinghouse to create the massive torque to propel the Battleship, then the steam is collected and condensed back into water and the cycle is repeated. The powerplant produced an enormous 212,000 horsepower which made the battleship have a top speed of 33 knots (38 mph), making it the fastest battleship the US ever had.
Then the turrets: the Battleship New Jersey had a total of 9 16 inch cannons, housed in 3 turrets on the deck, the cannons can hit a target from a maximum range of 9 miles. The ammunition however were extremely heavy, each shell weighing nearly 3,000 pounds. Sailors back then had to use a series of pulleys to load the shells into the cannons and the cannons needed a reload time of 30 seconds, aboard the Battleship you can see the ammunition room of Turret 2.
The mess hall is the area where the crew dined and ate, there was a separate room for chefs aboard the ship called Chef’s Mess where it can now be rented, the Crew’s mess is where the sailors ate, now you can find artifacts left by the sailors.
Finally, the crew quarters. The beds for the sailors were very narrow and small due to the need of maximizing space efficiency aboard the ship, you can even find artifacts and other items left behind by the sailors, giving you a perspective of their life aboard the ship.
What to do at the Battleship
Besides touring the Battleship, you can get the opportunity to do other things. You can visit the gift shop, which contains challenge coins, tags, hobby model items, and many more. The ship can also be reserved for tours for youth groups and field trips like ours on December 3rd. But you can also reserve overnight stays aboard the Battleship, where you’re able to bunk in the crew quarters and eat dinner and do other things. You can also have the opportunity to meet and greet a veteran who might’ve served aboard the Battleship during it’s service time.
Conclusion
The Battleship New Jersey Memorial, despite being an old Naval war machine which is unlike any regular field trip, is possibly one of the best and fascinating places anyone can visit. From its deeper inner workings to the fascinating history behind the Battleship, there couldn’t be a reason not to visit it. We hope that our local AFJROTC unit and students of TSA have a fun learning experience on the Battleship.
