U.S.S. Batfish-Muskogee Oklahoma (Pic Heavy)

[sharkbit]

My son and I drove to Muskogee, Oklahoma from Denver, Colorado last weekend to see the U.S.S. Batfish.

Well worth the trip but very hot and pretty humid. I promised my son last year that we'd go but didn't have the opportunity until last weekend.
We drove almost 1600 miles round-trip. We also saw the Kansas Aviation Museum in Wichita, Kansas the day before.

Here are a few of the pictures I took.
Hope you enjoy!


Entrance to the park:



She's sitting in a grassy bowl: (Note how deep the rudder is embedded in the ground)




Volunteers working on replacing the deck, which is very deteriorated. Some of the deck is still original. They're replacing it all with a Brazailian hardwood. I didn't envy them one bit-it was very hot, humid, and there were wasp nests under there:



Looking aft at the conning tower. You can see the new decking ready for install:


Looking forward at conning tower:




Good bullnose shot:



Bow tubes:


She's starting to show some other deterioration from sitting out in the elements, but overall looks pretty good except for the decking:


Big submarine, little boy(He was starting to get grumpy from the heat):




Shot of the forward deck. It was cool being able to see beneath the decking. You could see the pressure hull, external frames, and a lot of the duct work:


Checkers anyone?


Periscope in conning tower.
You couldn't go up so I took the picture hanging from the ladder through the cage they had set up. This was the best in three attempts:


The boy on the hydroplane controls:


Bow tubes:


One of the forward diesels:


They had a memorial to all the US subs lost during WWII. They had small plaques for each one with information about the sub.
Here is the Wahoo's:


Lots more pictures, but these are the best.

They had a pretty interesting little museum inside and some other pretty good displays around the park as well.

We had a lot of fun, but a lot of driving.

[Kloef]

Nice pics!

Thanks for posting them,i allways enjoy pics like this..

[Mikeb213]

Great Pics! I am trying to get the money together to go up to Omaha to see the museum up there. We are up in Fort Collins, it is really hard to be a fan of subs living in Colorado, we are so far from everything!

[snakeyez]

The Batfish has some dedicated volunteers working on her regularly. They are always looking for more volunteers to work on the work weekends. Take a look at their website for more information:

http://www.ussbatfish.com/

Great bunch of guys, many of them are regulars here on SUBSIM.

Thanks so much for sharing your photos sharkbit!

[AVGWarhawk]

Nice photos. Nice to see she is getting the attention she deserves. Although she sits in her grass berth she still is and will be a grand old gal to many.

Tip my hat to the volunteers. I know of the 65 year old dust you carry home in your sinuses after putting in a days work on them. I'm suspecting we would not have it any other way on a good Saturday.

[Brenjen]

Thanks for sharing! I'd like to go see that myself. I wish they had gotten her up out of the grass; the enzymes will eat paint & steel eventually until there is nothing left where it's touching the ground.

[sharkbit]

Originally Posted by snakeyez

The Batfish has some dedicated volunteers working on her regularly. They are always looking for more volunteers to work on the work weekends. Take a look at their website for more information:

http://www.ussbatfish.com/

Great bunch of guys, many of them are regulars here on SUBSIM.

Thanks so much for sharing your photos sharkbit!

A definite thumbs-up to the volunteers.

They were very helpful and took the time to answer a couple of questions. There was a group of Eagle Scouts hindering...I mean helping out as well. Just kidding...it looked like they were all pretty busy with maybe one or two exceptions.

[Task Force]

Great pics of the Batfish... you never understand there size till a little kid stands next to one...:rotfl:

[snakeyez]

Originally Posted by Brenjen

Thanks for sharing! I'd like to go see that myself. I wish they had gotten her up out of the grass; the enzymes will eat paint & steel eventually until there is nothing left where it's touching the ground.

Her keel is supposedly 4+ feet in the sand. However, there is a cathodic protection type system in place for the metal. As to how well it is working no one really knows.

[sharkbit]

Here's a few more:

"You want me to go up there?!?"




Christmas Tree:


Control Room:





"Ready to Fire!"

[Mikeb213]

Does the Batfish have working radar?

[FADM Gryphon]

Thanks for sharing the pictures skipper. Just wish the old girl could be seaworthy again.

[shoot-kill-win]

Originally Posted by Mikeb213

Great Pics! I am trying to get the money together to go up to Omaha to see the museum up there. We are up in Fort Collins, it is really hard to be a fan of subs living in Colorado, we are so far from everything!

I am from Colorado as well, however I have volunteered at the Batfish for the past 3 years but this is because I spend my summers with my grandparents down there and am currenly attending Oklahoma State University for my bachelor's. Anyway enough about my situation, the Batfish is an awesome sub. Currently there are many projects under development that will really spruce the boat museum and grounds up, cant wait for it all to be done. All the work so far has taken quite a while, we have been working on the deck for over a year, we really need more volunteers, and to spread the word the Batfish is there. Half of the people living in Muskogee do not know it is there, whic is truly sad.
Thanks for posting the pictures, it is awesome to see her get some publicity.

P.S. Coming up in August there will be a Living History presentation on board the boat which will be a great experience, for everyone who attends, the "crew" -who are also volunteers- will be in period uniform protraying life aboard the Batfish during the war.

[Mikeb213]

Ok now I am moving to OK!

[Coopz]

How did they get that thing there? Is it by coast?