Battleship USS Texas “Nightmare” in one word

Homeless: The historic USS Texas (BB-35), the only surviving battleship from both World Wars, faces a major challenge despite extensive restoration. After $60 million in repairs and more than 300,000 man-hours spent replacing steel and restoring her guns, the ship still does not have a permanent home.

– It was originally located on the San Jacinto battlefield, but bureaucratic and financial problems are preventing its return. Proposals to move the ship to Seawolf Park or Corpus Christi were rejected due to logistics and funding issues.

– Due to local opposition in Galveston and lack of a clear solution, the USS Texas remains afloat, but without a viable future location.

The battleship USS Texas has been restored, but is trying to find a home.

Much effort has gone into preserving and restoring the former USS. Texas (BB-35), the only surviving battleship that served in both World Wars.

Launched in 1912, the warship became a museum ship after the end of World War II and was named the Houston Ship Channel near the San Jacinto House Monument for decades. All the years in the water and exposure to the elements took their toll on the warship, and at one point in 2017, leaks were so bad that emergency repairs were required just to keep the warship afloat.

In August 2022, U.S.S. Texas was towed to Galveston, where extensive restoration work was carried out on it. During the renovation of the Gulf Copper drydock and drilling rig in Galveston, more than 700 tons of steel were replaced and the ship’s anti-aircraft guns were repaired. Since 2022, almost 300 thousand man-hours have already been spent on restoring the battleship. Millions have also been spent to preserve the warship for at least another generation.

But now a very serious problem has arisen.

As previously reportedthe ship can’t find the house. To say the issue is “complicated” is a gross understatement. The battle continues to find a home for the battleship in Galveston. Instead of fighting to become the future home of the iconic warship, the business was met with resistance over concerns that its location would impact views of the harbour. Over the summer, Katie’s Seafood House, a restaurant and wholesale market in Galveston, even started an online petition to stop the battleship from docking at Pier 19-20.

So why not move it to another location? It’s just a matter of economics, logistics and past agreements.

USS Texas unable to return to the site of the Battle of San Jacinto – which might seem like a suitable choice and which has been his home since 1947 (not counting past restoration efforts). This is due to several factors, including the issue of ownership.

“Control of the USS Texas was turned over to Texas Parks and Wildlife in 2019 after state officials ordered the ship “permanently removed” from the battlefield, Chron.com explained. While it is possible that the warship could be returned to the state as a floating museum, she did not collect enough revenue to finance her upkeep.

Other potential homes for the battleship face similar problems, namely a lack of tourism to “keep the battleship Texas afloat financially.”

One proposed plan called for bringing BB-35 to Seawolf Park, which seemed like an ideal location. It is home to the Galveston Naval Museum, as well as the USS Gateau-class submarine. Cavalla (SS-244), which sank the Japanese aircraft carrier Shkaku during World War II, as well as the Edsall-class destroyer escort USS. Stewart (DE-238). In addition, Seawolf Park houses the remains of a World War I SS tanker. Selma – one of twelve experimental concrete ships built. Unfortunately, the project was derailed after the foundation considered this move just too expensiveas required channel deepening.

Government officials who still have a say in where the ship can goalso rejected a plan to move the ship to Corpus Christi, where it could be moored near the USS. Lexington (CV-16), an Essex-class aircraft carrier that is also preserved as a floating museum.

It would seem that the last two options need to be seriously reconsidered. But for now, with 60 million dollars already spent, USS Texas it’s just a hole in the water. There is hope that this homeless battleship will be able to find a home, but things are not going well.

Experience and knowledge of the author: Peter Suchu

Peter Suchiu is a writer from Michigan. He has contributed in more than four dozen magazines, newspapers and websites, which have published more than 3,200 articles over a twenty-year career as a journalist. He writes regularly about military technology, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics and international affairs. Peter is also Co-author for Forbes and Registration of works. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can write to the author by email: (email protected).

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This piece has been updated since publication.