Current:Home > Contact-usFamed battleship USS New Jersey floating down Delaware River to Philadelphia for maintenance-LoTradeCoin
Famed battleship USS New Jersey floating down Delaware River to Philadelphia for maintenance
View Date:2025-01-12 19:50:11
A famed battleship was floating down the Delaware River on Thursday as the USS New Jersey left its dock in Camden, New Jersey, on its way to the Philadelphia Navy Yard for extensive maintenance work.
The vessel, guided by tugboats, was first headed to the Paulsboro Marine Terminal, where it will be balanced to prepare for dry docking and will then go to the Navy Yard in six days.
The maintenance work is expected to take about two months to complete, officials said. Three major repair projects are planned, including repainting the ship’s hull, fixing the anti-corrosion system underneath the ship and inspecting through-hull openings.
The battleship, which was built in the 1940s in Philadelphia, served for about 50 years before its retirement in February 1991. It has been a floating museum since 2011. The ship was built at the former Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and was launched from there on Dec. 7, 1942, the first anniversary of the Japanese air attack on Pearl Harbor.
The ship is the most decorated battleship in Navy history, earning distinction in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War and conflicts in the Middle East, according to its website. The ship steamed more miles, fought in more battles and fired more shells in combat than any other battleship.
Thursday’s ceremony was attended by some veterans who served aboard the ship, including Capt. Walter M. Urban Jr., who was a public affairs officer from 1970 to 2000, serving with both the Army and Navy Reserve. He worked aboard the battleship in February 1985 and February 1991 and remembers those times fondly.
“You always felt the presence of those who walked the decks before you,” Urban said. “She was born in a time of war, was a symbol of our great country at that time .... to be part of that history and see her today about 81 years later is fascinating.”
Ryan Szimanski, the battleship’s curator, said moving the ship could be “a once in a generation occurrence.” He described the ship as ”one of the most impressive man-made objects ever,” noting it’s the size of a 90-story office building, can displace 57,500 tons and can move through the water at about 38 mph (61 kph).
Szimanski said there are some concerns about the move, mainly due to the ship’s age, but believes things will go smoothly.
veryGood! (58)
Related
- AIT Community Introduce
- Where pro-Palestinian university protests are happening around the world
- ‘Reprehensible and dangerous’: Jewish groups slam Northwestern University for deal with activists
- Russian military personnel enter Niger airbase where some U.S. troops remain
- Bitcoin has topped $87,000 for a new record high. What to know about crypto’s post-election rally
- What a judge’s gag order on Trump means in his hush money case
- Monster catfish named Scar reeled in by amateur fisherman may break a U.K. record
- Lance Bass, Robin Thicke, more went to this massive billionaire wedding. The internet was enraged.
- Georgia's humbling loss to Mississippi leads college football winners and losers for Week 11
- 3 bodies found in Mexican region where Australian, American surfers went missing, FBI says
Ranking
- Wendi McLendon-Covey talks NBC sitcom 'St. Denis Medical' and hospital humor
- With PGA Championship on deck, Brooks Koepka claims fourth career LIV Golf event
- Padres make move to improve offense, acquiring batting champ Luis Arraez in trade with Marlins
- 2 women found dead and 5-year-old girl critically injured in New Mexico park, police say
- Satire publication The Onion buys Alex Jones’ Infowars at auction with help from Sandy Hook families
- The 2024 Met Gala Garden of Time Theme and Dress Code, Explained
- The 2024 Met Gala Garden of Time Theme and Dress Code, Explained
- 5 people die from drinking poison potion in Santeria power ritual, Mexican officials say
Recommendation
-
Halle Berry Rocks Sheer Dress She Wore to 2002 Oscars 22 Years Later
-
Hush money, catch and kill and more: A guide to unique terms used at Trump’s New York criminal trial
-
Kevin Spacey denies new sexual harassment and assault allegations to be aired in documentary
-
Mike Trout's GOAT path halted by injuries. Ken Griffey Jr. feels the Angels star's pain.
-
Gerry Faust, former Notre Dame football coach, dies at 89
-
Reese Witherspoon's Daughter Ava Phillippe Slams Toxic Body Shaming Comments
-
Former Michigan basketball star guard Darius Morris dies at age 33
-
'Star Wars' Day is sign of franchise's mass appeal. It owes a lot to Frank Herbert's 'Dune'