Texas (CGN 39) - Naval Cruise Book

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.. W.-m . ...fn A ,.-Q , smffim , gm .,,f . ,fa Vvy, :I ' V, ' , ww - f ' - aw: I I fb fa- , I-1 'W ,,- - ,7 I ,,',,f, I f www f ,, f ,fw,m,: .f,f, V ,,', L,,, Y ' p H 1 U, 4, ,,fg,d', ,I ig 'ff 'Q I ' ,S v W-v,,.M 4, , ' fq, ,mp:f,yf1' 'nw ' LAU CHI 9 AUGUST 1975 MEMBERS OF THE LAUNCHING PARTY QFROM LEFTJ: NAVY SE- CRETARY MIDDENDORF, CON- GRESSMAN MAHON, MRS. MAHON, GOVERNOR OF TEXAS DOLPH BRISCOE AND MRS. BRIS- COE WITH THEIR DAUGHTERS. BELOW MRS. BRISCOE SWINGS INTO ACTION AS LAUNCHED. TEXAS IS I 33 fry ,ww ,W J: ,ff f , I r ' .5 W' , .3 ,Im , I .W Mfv Q A 4 b fi 'Wu J A We M ul! 'L fill 1' I I ffm 7? , .,,,1, I ,W , ' , ,,l ,. 59? fill, qfiszuj 'f 7:52 V, M. i ,w:,,f ,, ,,,, ,gif f ' W 'Vf , 2f:, , n 3:5 I I I ' W1 ,. V' I wwf I f- , 161 , , . , . jk' N, ,QV , , ,,,, ,T ,nw Wil Ei? , H, 'YM r , 'zyw , I , M 'I ' . Y I' F w I I ff , V, W1-1,4 ff Wa 1 1 11:22 I w M , p ,wwf -DIA ' W 4 1 4' ' W I 7,5 , , TZ -, AW I ' If I I f f :.,'4 w I 5 I ' , L+ ,f , ,N I , if if L1 ,,-- ..-' i,gf2ff?1ZMXgO ' W ,WMMWMWWwmZwwe IS'HS 1 'IIf SI ',.A F E ffffffffwf A Qwfff fWfffMfMMWmffff a ffAA gg. '1., I' ,yi off if wwwwfwwifwwwv WWWMW, Lv f f ITf W?WxWwwWww2wWWWww,, ,TA I, I I I I I S f ,,IM ,,,T, IRI1 af f if ZX W! Wx XWWWWW ffW X Wf7QWZWWWWWZ - . I L'L, 'f WQQAWWWWWWWWZ IM A QWWWWW w W f f ffifffffl fyf Wf A WWQMWQ f f ' , 3+ fffffgwff If' in I IISI pi! , y , f ' , f V W! ,f 7 , ,Z I 5? ,yi ,Qi f l I I MMM? ZW, ff! ,, , MW ff My ,UW VYAYW-77 '72-fm I AW!! ,wif f, f ffff f f ff I ,QQ 'f yy,W?y,,L,WfMf, , , ,wwf fzfgwf RWM yy, JU. ,sf f f ' Wy' ff Y! '. X f .yn .fy ,, ,- f. 0 ff ' fffz f if f ff 5 f ff ffzwffwwe f,HT I ITIT SS 5 2 5 z 2 52 12 V H

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.. . .,-,,.i..,-an-1-i.-1 BUILT BY NEWPORT NEWS SHIPBUILDING, THE SECOND BATTLESHIP USS TEXAS QBB-3JWAS COMMISSIONED IN 1914. HER TWIN-GUNNED 14-INCH TURRETS WERE OF THE LATEST DESIGN, AND SHE HAD WHAT WAS REPUTED TO BE THE LARGEST AND MOST EFFICIENT SET OF RECIPROCATING MAIN ENGINES AFLOAT. IN HER SPEED TRIALS SHE MADE HER DESIGNED SPEED OF 21 KNOTS, AND HER GUNNERY SCORES LAID THE FOUNDATION FOR HER REPUTATION AS ONE OF THE FINEST GUNNERY SHIPS IN THE NAVY. DURING WORLD WAR I SHE SERVED IN EUROPEAN WATERS AND WAS PRESENT AT THE SURRENDER OF THE GERMAN IMPERIAL HIGH SEAS FLEET. ON THE FATEFUL DAY OF DECEMBER 7, 1941, TEXAS WAS IN PORTLAND, MAINE. SHORTLY THEREAFTER SHE BEGAN SERVING AS AN ESCORT FOR CONVOYS TO EUROPE. THESE ESCORT DUTIES EXTENDED THROUGH 1942 AND 1943, AND IN APRIL OF 1944 SHE WAS ORDERED TO REMAIN IN THE EUROPEAN THEATER TO PREPARE FOR THE INVASION OF NORMANDY. AT NORMANDY, TEXAS ANCHORED OFFSHORE TO DELIVER PRE-INVASION BOMBARDMENT ON THE MORNING OF JUNE 6. THIS DAWN BOMBARDMENT THREW 250 PROJECTILES INTO THE GERMAN SHORE BATTERIES. TEXAS SPENT 13 MORE DAYS ON THE NORMANDY COAST UNTIL THE GROUND TROOPS ADVANCED FURTHER THAN HER GUNS COULD REACH. ON JUNE 25TH SHE WAS STRUCK BY THE ENEMY FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HER 30 YEAR CAREER. DURING A THREE HOUR DUEL WITH THE GERMAN GUNS AT CHERBUORG, TEXAS TOOK TWO HITS WHICH KILLED ONE MAN BUT CAUSED NO DISABLING DAMAGE. AFTER REPAIRS, SHE PROCEEDED TO THE MEDITERRANEAN FOR THE INVASION OF SOURTHERN FRANCE. TEXAS LEFT EUROPE, THE NEED FOR BATTLESHIPS THERE HAVING COME TO AN END, AND, AFTER REPAIRS, STEAMED TO THE PACIFIC TO FIGHT THE JAPANESE. SHE ARRIVED THERE JUST IN TIME TO PREPARE FOR THE INVASION OF IWO JIMA. THERE, SHE BLASTED THE ENEMY INSTALLATIONS WITH EVERY ROUND OF AMMUNITION ALLOTED TO HER. SHE WAS PRESENT AT THE FAMOUS FLAG-RAISING AT MOUNT SURIBACHI. AFTER A BRIEF REST, TEXAS PARTICIPATED IN THE INVASIONOF OKINAWA, WHERE SHE FIRED FOUR COMPLETE SHIPLOADS OF AMMUNITION IN SUPPORT OF GROUND OPERATIONS. HER CREW SET A NEAR RECORD BY REMAINING AT THEIR BATTLE STATIONS FOR A PERIOD OF 50 DAYS, SLEEPING AT THEIR POSTS AND EATING AT ODD HOURS, THUS SURVIVING ONE OF THE TOUGHEST NAVAL OPERATIONS IN HISTORY. ' FOLLOWING THE WAR, TEXAS WAS DECOMMISSIONED AND MOVED TO SAN JACINTO BATTLEGROUNDS, TEXAS, FOR A WELL DESERVED REST WHERE SHE REMAINS TODAY AS A MEMORIAL.

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NT 1 Rf ' it PM . f A Ni. I . if 4 NS iii :L A f ,, . Q Q W' ,km I.,,Mf5 W AN 4 A a x I.. , ' --Q w 5?E S1f--f XV' W . Q . Nw AMN, . . M ,I ADMIRAL HYMAN G. RICKOVER CSECOND FROM RIGHTJ VISITS WITH GOVERNOR AND MRS. BRISCOE AND CONGRESSMAN MAHON. CAPTAIN PETER B. FIEDLER FIRST COMMANDING OFFICER WW f M, , r Ai!-In -N. COMMISSIONIN G 10 SEPTEMBER 1977 V f ff f fxfnffff ywmfff-ff! 074 'yfffY'74'g f Myfff' 6 -I U , A 2, ' ,, V' K ' ,jf WG! X . - gg f W. , K . f, in . 1 , if 5 y Eg, n I 1 CEREMONY IN PROGRESS COMMISSIONING CREW MARCHES ' ABOARD THE SHIP.