Where to see battleships? Head to the Port of Mobile in Alabama, USA
✅ Must Experience:
Visit the now-extinct battleships, the kings of naval warfare before the era of aircraft carriers. Friends who play naval games will definitely be familiar; in the games, after we accumulate enough supplies, this is the thing we aim for.
🧳 Pre-trip Preparation:
Mobile, Alabama, is the only port in the state. 'Forrest Gump' mentioned that Forrest was from this state. What I visited in Mobile was a battleship—the USS Alabama (BB60). The United States had about 20 battleships before World War I, and the number increased to about 28 during World War II. Today, there are 5 that have become museums.
🏨 Hotel Environment:
The hotel is located in the downtown area. The city is not very large, just by the river. After exiting the tunnel and taking a few turns, you'll arrive. It's all carpeted, in the style of old-fashioned American hotels.
⏳ Visit Impressions:
The typical feature of a battleship is its bulkiness, much fatter than a cruiser. There was a time in history when the doctrine of 'big ships and big guns' was pursued, referring to the size of battleship shells, some taller than a person. They were once the main force of navies. However, during World War II, with the rise of aircraft carriers, battleships gradually lost their status as the dominant force at sea. The most interesting is the world's largest battleship—the Japanese Yamato, which, apart from its symbolic role, did almost nothing during the entire war. Today, this class of ship no longer exists in navies.
🌟 Highlights:
The USS Alabama belongs to the South Dakota class of battleships, commissioned in 1942 and decommissioned in 1947. Although it was not in service for a long time, it participated in several important battles of the Pacific War, such as the Marshall Islands, Mariana, and the most famous Battle of Leyte Gulf, and it created a record of zero casualties, earning the nickname 'Lucky A'.
The ship is 227 meters long and 36 meters wide, with a full-load displacement of nearly 43,000 tons (the Yamato was 73,000 tons), and the main gun caliber is 406 millimeters.
👍 Most Recommended:
The ship is big, and so is the captain's room, which is much more luxurious than the destroyer I saw a few days ago.
In the photos, there is the sailors' living area, what do you think?
💰 Average Cost:
The museum's ticket is $15, and in addition to the battleship, there are many small boats, tanks, planes, etc.