The USS Texas (BB-35) boasted a combat record surpassing that of numerous American battleships, seeing action in both World War I and II. This formidable vessel seamlessly blended military might with ingenious tactics, contributing significantly to the Allied triumph on D-Day. Amid the operation, her crew conceived a daring plan, braving perilous odds. Their bold move paid off, sealing a victorious outcome.
New York-class super-dreadnought battleships
The USS Texas, a New York-class battleship, was commissioned in March 1914, just months before the outbreak of WWI. As the second vessel in the class, designed to succeed the lesser-armed Wyoming-class, Texas and her sister ship, the USS New York (B-34), were heralded as the US Navy’s first true super dreadnoughts, boasting formidable armaments.
Armed with ten 14-inch deck guns as their primary weaponry, the ships also featured an array of secondary firepower, including four QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss saluting guns, 21 five-inch guns and two QF one-pounder “pom-poms.” Additionally, each vessel was equipped with four torpedo tubes capable of firing the Bliss-Leavitt Mark 3 Torpedo.
In addition to their diverse weaponry, both Texas and New York were heavily armored, powered by water-tube boilers and triple-expansion steam engines, providing them with a top speed of just over 24 MPH and a range of around 1,825 miles.
USS Texas‘ service during World War I
The USS Texas entered service following the Tampico Incident, before America’s involvement in the First World War, sparked by tensions between US Navy sailors and Mexican soldiers. Commissioned just before things came to a head, she promptly sailed to Mexico without the customary shakedown cruise, anchoring off Veracruz for a two-month stint.
After initial operations with the Atlantic Fleet, Texas returned to Veracruz. By 1916, she’d become the first US battleship outfitted with anti-aircraft weaponry – three-inch guns – and advanced fire control systems using directors and rangefinders, technologies still in use, albeit in more sophisticated forms today.
Her training regimen included exercises along the coasts of New England and Virginia, with winter drills conducted in the West Indies. When the US joined WWI, Texas crossed the Atlantic, marking the site of the first American shots of the conflict.
Assigned to the Grand Fleet, Texas reinforced the British blockade squadron in the North Sea. With other vessels, she escorted American minelayers deploying explosives in the North Sea Mine Barrage, which stretched from Norway to the Orkney Islands, off Scotland’s northern coast.
Interwar period
The USS Texas returned to the US in late 1918, and after escorting US President Woodrow Wilson to the Paris Peace Conference for the signing of the Treaty of Versailles underwent an overhaul and resumed her duties with the Atlantic Fleet.
In 1919, Texas became the first US battleship to launch an aircraft, a British-built Sopwith Camel, and served as a navigational reference and guard for the Curtiss NC-4, which became the first seaplane to conduct a trans-Atlantic flight. Shortly after, the super-dreadnought was transferred to the newly-established Pacific Fleet and given the designation BB-35.
As the interwar period progressed, Texas underwent yet another overhaul, which saw her anti-aircraft armament upgraded to include eight 3-inch guns. Her torpedo tubes were removed, and six of her 5-inch guns were moved to casemates. Following this, she was named the flagship of the US Fleet, before conducting routine operations with the Scouting Fleet.
By the outbreak of the Second World War, Texas had undergone a couple more refits and joined the US Fleet’s Training Detachment.
Operation Torch
When WWII began, the USS Texas operated as part of the Neutrality Patrol, before spending six months patrolling near Iceland and conducting convoy-escort missions. This was followed by Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of North Africa, during which she became one of only three US battleships to take part. The other two were the USS New York and Massachusetts (BB-59).
As part of Task Force 34.8 (TG 34.8), Texas transmitted Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower‘s “Voice of Freedom” radio broadcast, which urged France to not oppose the Allied landings. While she wasn’t immediately involved in action against the Germans, Texas was tasked with firing upon a Vichy France ammunition dump near Port Lyautey.
After her brief stint overseas, Texas returned to the US. In April 1944, she began training for her greatest operation yet: D-Day.
USS Texas (BB-35) makes a risky decision on D-Day
Upon her arrival in Normandy in early June 1944, the USS Texas, alongside the British cruiser HMS Glasgow (C21), navigated the western fire support lane at Omaha Beach, near Pointe du Hoc. The battleship was one of just seven among the 702 ships in the US-British flotilla.
Texas promptly commenced firing 14-inch shells in support of the 29th Infantry Division and the 2nd and 5th Ranger Battalions. Remarkably, within 34 minutes, she’d discharged 255 shells, a stark contrast to the 300 shells fired in the entirety of Operation Torch. Texas then redirected her firepower toward inland targets as the Allies advanced from the landing beaches. Positioned just 2,700 meters from the shoreline, the battleship continued her bombardment of German positions throughout June 7-8.
Following a brief return to England, Texas returned to Normandy on June 15. However, by then, the Allied forces had progressed further inland, rendering the battleship’s large guns ineffective, due to their inability to elevate sufficiently to reach the desired targets. As requests for fire support persisted, the crew devised an innovative solution; as the port side guns couldn’t be raised any higher, they decided to lower the starboard side.
To achieve this, the crew deliberately flooded the torpedo blister, causing Texas to tilt an additional two degrees into the water. This adjustment provided the battleship with the optimal angle to accurately fire her guns and accomplish the mission. Most vessels would never deliberately introduce water into part of their hull, but this daring decision epitomized the indomitable spirit of the Allied forces at Normandy, contributing significantly to the operation’s ultimate success.
What happened to the USS Texas (BB-35)?
Following the Normandy invasion, the USS Texas assisted in the Battle of Cherbourg and Operation Dragoon. The vessel was then transferred to the Pacific Theater, where she provided naval gun support during the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Earning a total of five battle stars during WWII, she was decommissioned in 1948.
Texas was the first ever US battleship to become a permanent museum ship and the first to be declared a National Historic Landmark. She is also the only remaining WWI-era dreadnought and the last capital ship to have served in both world wars.
On August 30, 2022, Texas set sail from her home at the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site, with her destination being the Gulf Copper & Manufacturing Corp in Galveston, where her hull will undergo a $35 million repair and upgrade. Due to her age and the amount of time she’s spent in the water, the underpart of the battleship has begun to rust and wear away, and efforts are needed to keep her afloat.
More from us: HMS Medusa (A353): The Ship That Marked the Way on Omaha Beach in June 1944
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The work is expected to take between nine and 12 months to complete.