The USS North Carolina (BB-55)

[Red October1984]

I saw it today....

I spent 5 hours exploring the thing and playing with it. I probably took 100 pictures. I'll post some of the highlight pictures when they're finished uploading to DropBox and Imageshack.

[Red October1984]

Sorry for the quality of some of these. I took them with my iPod camera.

The Kingfisher





40mm Bofors. This one was movable. I "attacked" the planes going in and out of the airport nearby.







Resting in the crew quarters



Plotting Room



Part of the Radio Room (Sailor Steve, that one's for you.)



Inside the 16 inch gun's loading mechanism





View Aft from the Bow



Manning the 5 Inch gun





Kills



In the Engine Room



I climbed into a 16 inch gun turret and sighted a ship in the harbor. This is through the periscope.



Soooo I proceeded to plot an attack on the plotting board inside the turret.



Here's part of the loading system inside the turret itself.



Cardboard Cutout people loading the powder charges



CIC



There's a bunch more pictures. I should've taken more....and these are some of the highlights.

Sadly, they won't let you in CIC and there are places that are closed off...but that was well worth the 12$ admission.

[les green01]

nice pics did you get any kills

[Sailor Steve]

Looks good so far. Vintage ships are always cool.

[Father Goose]

Good show!
Looking forward to seeing more when you have time.

[u crank]

Nice Red. Keep them comin'.

[Red October1984]

Originally Posted by Father Goose

Good show!
Looking forward to seeing more when you have time.

Well there's the Galley and some other little stuff...

Guess I'll drop a couple more.

Here's some of an Oerlikon





They took all the sights off all of the Oerlikons for some reason. Some of the Bofors guns had sights but all of the Oerlikons had no sights, most were pointed straight up, and there were only one or two in good presentable condition. The rest were all rusty and broken.

Engine Telegraph. Once again, they go taking stuff off.



2,700 LB Armor Piercing 16in Shell with a range of 21 miles.



Stuff in the Plotting Room (This room was enclosed with a little walkway through it.)





Operating Table in the Sick Bay



Two more Radio Room shots






Some of these I took more than one picture of...as you might see.

[Red October1984]

Originally Posted by les green01

nice pics did you get any kills

Well...the one 40mm Bofors gun was movable. There's an airport not far from the ship and planes were coming in or going out all day....so at one point I sat for a bit and "attacked" the planes.

I also plotted the attack on the boat in the harbor with the 16 inch gun even though the turret was locked in place the Periscope wasn't.

I was playing with the 5 inch gun when two Marine choppers flew real low over the ship. I let them go. I could've made it to a Bofors in time...but they were friendlies so I let them pass.

[Father Goose]

Sounds like you had a blast...just being a kid.
I'm jealous.

[les green01]

really does sound like you had a blast

[Red October1984]

Originally Posted by Father Goose

Sounds like you had a blast...just being a kid.
I'm jealous.

It was awesome... I'm not exactly a kid...but today I felt like one again.

Out of me, my Dad and my Brother I was the only one who remembered the way around and remembered which way Port, Starboard, Fore and Aft were.

I really wish I could've gotten a look in CIC. I couldn't pick a favorite part if I tried.

I also really wish that everything was fully restored to actual working condition. There are hundreds and possibly thousands of buttons, switches, handles, chains, belts, wheels, etc that are missing. It would be the coolest thing ever to see that ship move.

EDIT: I also got this Submarines and U-boats poster in the Gift Shop. I'll post a pic when I get it up on my wall at home. I almost bought the Revell USS NC kit but I didn't think I would be very good at it considering how many small parts needed to be glued and painted.

[sharkbit]

Nice pics. Thanks for sharing.

[les green01]

don't worry red I act like a kid in a candy store every time I go to places like that,last one I went to was the Alamo with a buddy and was answering questions for everyone but enjoy them while you can once you your adult and working you don't get much time for that stuff

[Armistead]

I live in NC, been many times, great ship. They do gun and light shows often at night, really cool effect of war, but not sure the schedule of it anymore.

You should head down to Charleston to Patriot's Point if you haven't been yet.

[Stealhead]

Originally Posted by Red October1984

One thing for sure they sure did not feed you to well back then in the Navy.

You should go visit the USS Drum and USS Alabama down in Mobile,Alabama some time you pay one admission for both.You can pay extra and stay the night in the USS Alabama and get a much longer tour of nearly the entire ship.