USS Texas (BB-35)

Type

Battleship

Period

20th Century

Nation

United States

Overview: USS Texas (BB-35) is a New York-class dreadnought battleship and the sole surviving dreadnought battleship in the world, having served in both World War I and World War II, which makes her a landmark subject for early-20th-century battleship modelers. Specifications: As built she displaced 27,000 long tons standard and up to 28,367 long tons full load, with a length of 573 feet overall, a beam of 95 feet 2.5 inches, and a top speed of 21 knots on two triple-expansion steam engines. Her ten 14-inch guns in five twin turrets were distinctive for the era, and she was later fitted with additional secondary and anti-aircraft armament, radar, and OS2U Kingfisher floatplanes with a catapult, giving modelers multiple distinct fit-out options depending on chosen time period. Service History: Commissioned in March 1914, Texas supported the occupation of Veracruz before joining the British Grand Fleet in the North Sea for the remainder of World War I. She underwent a major 1925 modernization converting her boilers to oil and updating her combat systems, served as U.S. Fleet flagship from 1927 to 1931, and in World War II provided gunfire support at North Africa, Normandy (including the bombardment of Cherbourg), Iwo Jima, and Okinawa before being decommissioned in 1948. Notable Facts: Upon decommissioning, Texas was turned over to the State of Texas and became the first US battleship preserved as a permanent museum ship, originally berthed near the San Jacinto Battleground and later moved to a Galveston drydock for extensive restoration; she earned five battle stars for her World War II service. The featured 1914 image, taken shortly after commissioning, is a Library of Congress (Bain Collection) photograph in the public domain, useful for modelers wanting an accurate as-built configuration reference.