Vintage artillery returns to Battleship New Jersey

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wreckless
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Vintage artillery returns to Battleship New Jersey

Post by wreckless » Sun Nov 26, 2017 11:29 am

Vintage artillery returns to Battleship New Jersey

Four-barreled anti-aircraft gun that was used in World War II is back after 50-year absence

Carol Comegno
Cherry Hill Courier-Post USA TODAY NETWORK - NEW JERSEY

CAMDEN – A World War II gun mount that once shot down Japanese aircraft over the Pacific has come home to the Battleship New Jersey after a 50-year absence – restored and ready to fire.

The four-barreled anti-aircraft gun, called a Quadruple 40 Bofors Mount, was lifted recently to the main deck of the ship, now a museum on the Camden waterfront, by a giant crane aboard a Weeks Marine barge that delivered it on the Delaware River.

The gun was hoisted onto one of the spots on the port side where one used to be mounted until all 20 of the outdated weapons were removed in 1967 during the ship’s modernization for the Vietnam War.

This particular weapon had been deteriorating on static display outside the commandant’s quarters at the former Philadelphia Naval Shipyard until the Battleship New Jersey Museum and Memorial rescued it this year. The Mahan Collection Foundation museum in Basking Ridge agreed to restore the gun free of charge.

“It was in such bad shape from being on display outside as a naval armament that I didn’t think we could save it,” said Philip Rowan, battleship museum CEO.
“Gary Mahan and his crew of machinists did an outstanding and detailed job of refurbishing it, even refabricating some of its metal parts that were missing or too badly damaged. We’re just ecstatic because it looks outstanding and we want visitors to be able to touch history and work the gun.”

By climbing up removable steps added to either side of the gun mount and then using hand cranks, visitors can slowly rotate the 23,000-pound weapon horizontally on its turntable and also elevate or lower its four barrels.

Museum officials have decided the gun will be fired on board for the first time in 50 years at a ceremony on Pearl Harbor Day, Dec. 7.

http://www.courierpostonline.com/story/ ... 864535001/
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Re: Vintage artillery returns to Battleship New Jersey

Post by Urban Camo » Sun Nov 26, 2017 12:13 pm

pretty cool.
The little museum near me I volunteer at has one of the ones off the Missouri .
UC

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Re: Vintage artillery returns to Battleship New Jersey

Post by W. Winget » Sun Nov 26, 2017 3:40 pm

We have two of the Missouri's gun mounts here in Newport News Va.
Really hard restoring the heavy rust out.
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Re: Vintage artillery returns to Battleship New Jersey

Post by Austringer » Mon Nov 27, 2017 7:13 am

post sample. wonder how they handled the BATF SOT requirements and paperwork, unless it's a actual Navy (DoD) operated museum.
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Re: Vintage artillery returns to Battleship New Jersey

Post by wreckless » Mon Nov 27, 2017 8:48 am

Austringer wrote:
Mon Nov 27, 2017 7:13 am
post sample. wonder how they handled the BATF SOT requirements and paperwork, unless it's a actual Navy (DoD) operated museum.

You can ask them if you like...


http://www.battleshipnewjersey.org/
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Re: Vintage artillery returns to Battleship New Jersey

Post by wreckless » Mon Nov 27, 2017 8:52 am

Image
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Re: Vintage artillery returns to Battleship New Jersey

Post by John Neuenburg » Mon Nov 27, 2017 10:00 am

Very nice! Iowa class battleships had 20 of those quad mounts. I don't think they carried dual mounts - there is one at the Alameda Naval Air Museum at the ex-Alameda Naval Air Station in California:

http://svsm.org/gallery/40mm_markI_bofors/P1460160

The article talks about them getting two 16" guns for display. Great idea - these things are even more awesome when you see the whole thing. The National Park Service in California got one out of storage in Nevada and are going to mount it in one of the shore batteries that protected the Golden Gate. There were two guns in Marin County at Ft. Cronkhite and two in southwest San Francisco at Ft. Funston. This website shows the gun at Hawthorne, Nevada and describes the awesome trucks that delivered it to the Bay Area. Yes trucks - one pulling and one pushing via Interstate 80 over the 7,300' Donner Pass!

https://www.nps.gov/goga/learn/historyc ... update.htm

Apparently these stored guns are all numbered and the history is known. This one was in turret 3 aboard USS Missouri when the Japanese surrender was signed. It's visible in the famous photo that's on the next web link which also shows period photos of one of the guns being transported to Battery Townsley. Interestingly the company that delivered the gun in 2012 was the same one that delivered the guns in 1939!

https://www.nps.gov/goga/learn/historyc ... photos.htm
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Re: Vintage artillery returns to Battleship New Jersey

Post by Raymond Smith » Mon Dec 04, 2017 9:12 am

Somewhere around here, I have the blueprints of the entire 40MM mount.
The drawings are about 11x17" and about 2.5" thick.
This thing is detailed, down to the last nut and bolt.
I would have to dig it out, but I believe it is from WWII and marked declassified.
Is there any interest? Value?
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Re: Vintage artillery returns to Battleship New Jersey

Post by wreckless » Mon Dec 04, 2017 10:49 am

I am sure that the museum would love to have it.
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Re: Vintage artillery returns to Battleship New Jersey

Post by davewy » Mon Dec 04, 2017 2:12 pm

Battleship Iowa's Curator here. We were happy to see sistership New Jersey obtain a quad 40mm for display. These have become very rare. Our ship has been looking for a quad 40mm, as well as single 20mm, gun mount for several years now. If anyone knows of one of those available, we would like the opportunity to find one.
If the New Jersey doesn't want you 40mm drawings, we would be pleased to add them to our archives. Our web site has our contact information. Thank you.
Now where can I find a Vought Kingfisher float plane.........mmmmmmm???????

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Re: Vintage artillery returns to Battleship New Jersey

Post by wreckless » Mon Dec 04, 2017 2:39 pm

The G is a great resource just for this. The contacts here cover everything. I hope a museum can get those drawings. I don't think have much value beyond that.
Rob
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Re: Vintage artillery returns to Battleship New Jersey

Post by W. Winget » Tue Dec 05, 2017 4:36 am

Raymond Smith wrote:
Mon Dec 04, 2017 9:12 am
Somewhere around here, I have the blueprints of the entire 40MM mount.
Is there any interest? Value?
Well Raymond, I'm currently responsible for restoring the Missouri Quad 40 (one of two we have Dave....) for the Va. War Museum's Foundation, but by "restoration" I mean new floor boards, flash hiders, guard railing, maybe some shield sections. Seat, Sights and functionality are beyond the current desire.
Heavy rust, having sat on and off a ship in salt air over 75 years have taken it's toll, and were talking shake the mount fall out rust. I could not immerse it (40+tons) in a bath (which it needs) rather tried to make a surrounding basin and shielded enclosure to spray rust converter (professional version of Evaporust) on it for a few days with a pump and garden sprinkler system I created. This helped, but there were too many holes in the base allowing the expensive mixture to leak out, as well as weather being borderline too cold (50's, need 70's) for really effective treatment.

Bottom Line, we would welcome the prints, but there are sufficient drawings and 1:1 measurements we have to accomplish our work were doing. This book would be better preserved if it headed to the Wisconsin, Missouri, New Jersey or Iowa Battleships for storage (they have room) in one of their engineering rooms instead of a landlocked museum with diverse collection interests and hidden reference areas.
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Re: Vintage artillery returns to Battleship New Jersey

Post by W. Winget » Tue Dec 05, 2017 4:43 am

Oh Raymond if you did want to get them to a BB, I am near the Wisconsin, and would look them over, photo copy some sections, and then personally hand them over to the Curator, etc. of the Wisconsin in Norfolk to ensure they ended up on the shelf in their Engineer reference area.
That or Dave, the curator of the Iowa might be a great place for them to go.
Not sure of value to a collector, it's worth something for sure.
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Re: Vintage artillery returns to Battleship New Jersey

Post by Raymond Smith » Tue Dec 05, 2017 7:02 am

I will go dig them out this weekend, I believe I know where they are.
Then make a few scans and see if there is interest. Not doing anything for me put up in the archives.
Plus I don't have a 40MM.
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Re: Vintage artillery returns to Battleship New Jersey

Post by Raymond Smith » Mon Dec 11, 2017 6:38 am

Men, I forgot to look for this.
Will make a note for next weekend.
I do recall it had a blue fabric type cover, and really thin pages.
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