RE: Last Dreadnought USS TEXAS
Your observations are very good, the South Dakota during the Iron Bottom Soundengagementhad an electrical problem, a chief tide down the contact breakers as the kept un-latching. So their is this fine ship dead in the water after the first salvo,Washington did save the day, but bad blood between these two crews over thisengagementis well documented. Sadly this problem was know by the commanders and the captain on South Dakota, but like many ships she went into harms way and did the best she could.
Your right about UTAH, did you know about the chief who left 43 men to drown? The Utah had two jobs target ship and brig ship. Satureday night the Sailors and Marines were taken to Utah,then the next day their independent commanders would send SP's to collect their men. Now the story goes this chief abandoned these men,another story has a rating trying to get them free. Don't know if the truth will every be known.
The other sad ship that day was Oklahoma, capsized and many men were lost. Over 400. But after the attack she was righted through a technique never before used on such a large ship.Concrete pilings were built on shore and with many cables they rolled her over and pumped out the water. Now the men are still inside and the best thing to do is make her a grave ship.
The other issue is she is the only ship with VTE Engines,so those two reasons sealed her fate. It is a odd thing about the last battleship to battleship action if fought by ships the Japaneese never realized we had raised and repaired,not that they were waiting in Leyte Gulf,or was it SanBernardinostraight.
Another battleship casualty is the pre-dreadnought Oregon,she was a museum ship but they cut her up in the scrap drives after Dec.7th really sad end. Battleships have always been interesting to me. Seeing Alabama in the late 1960 after Hurricane Camel she was sitting their un moved,un damaged amid all the destruction. I have toured that ship twice spending a day walking about and trying to get into the engine rooms and frame 43 wear she took a torpedo,patched and filled with cement. But the ships that have been preserved are a good thing, the Texas is well cared for last time I saw her in 2003. Actually the only time I ever saw her and I was to late to take the tour.
That same year on a trip to Benicia,California their at anchor is an IOWA CLASS battleship just floating with another group of older ships. As far as I know she is still their.