The Lone Star State Loves The USS Texas - While there is still considerable work that needs to be done to preserve the only surviving battleship to see service in both World Wars, when the restoration efforts are complete, USS Texas (BB-35) will have a new home at Pier 21 in Galveston.

The warship is actually being moved as part of an effort to attract more tourists.

According to the Battleship Texas Foundation, which is responsible for maintaining the historic vessel, it had only seen 80,000 to 90,000 visitors a year at the San Jacinto Monument – located approximately 25 miles east of Houston

That was far below what's needed for it to be self-sustaining, and it is now hoped that the move to Galveston will at least triple those numbers.

The foundation is currently seeking to raise $15 million toward renovations and a visitor center, while the State of Texas has contributed $60 million for repairs to the vessel, which is the honorary flagship of the Texas Navy.

"Where we're going now is the location that will give us the greatest chance of success," the foundation's president and CEO Tony Gregory told Bloomberg.

USS Texas: The First Museum Ship

After being retired following the Second World War, USS Texas became the nation's first battleship to be turned into a floating museum and she was transferred to the Lone Star State.

Since April 21, 1948, the gallant warship was located in the Houston Ship Channel near the San Jacinto Battleground Memorial – the location where Texian troops led by Gen. Sam Houston surprised and quickly defeated the Mexican Army in 1836.

It was considered a fitting location for what became the honorary flagship of the Texas Navy.

However, all those decades spent in the water had taken their toll on the old battle wagon, and in June 2017, a six-by-eight-inch hole about fifteen feet below the waterline opened and caused the USS Texas to list six degrees. It had been kept afloat by pumps as it took on 2,000 gallons of water a minute.

The situation was so dire that there were concerns the ship could sink. Fortunately, work has been taken to ensure that the warship won't be lost to the elements.

The vessel has been undergoing what foundation officials described as a "major surgery" in dry dock at the Gulf Copper Dry Dock & Rig Repair near Galveston. Restoration on the USS Texas began a year ago, with most of the repairs funded by a $35 million federal grant. The hope is to see the warship afloat as a museum in 2025.

A number of suitable locations had been considered for the future home of the historic vessel, but in September 2023, it was announced that the Battleship Texas Foundation was just two months away from an agreement to keep the ship at Pier 21, near the Galveston Historic Seaport, which is also home to the 1877 Tall Ship ELISSA.

"Where else can a child go and put their hands physically on something that served in both of the World Wars?" said Matt Pham, the foundation's vice president of development. "It serves as that resounding and lasting connection to that generation, to the sacrifice that they made."

Wartime Service

Though far from the massive battleships that would see service in World War Two, the New York-class warship's main battery featured ten 14-inch 45-caliber guns capable of firing 1,400-pound armor-piercing shells up to 13 miles; while the secondary battery was outfitted with 5-inch 51-caliber guns. In addition, BB-35's torpedo rooms housed 12 torpedoes as well as 12 naval defense mines.

Following America's entry into the First World War, BB-35 joined the Grand Fleet and provided support for the British Squadron. Though she did not see significant combat action, the USS Texas still was part of the Battleship Force of the Atlantic Fleet.

The next war was to be much different.

USS Texas took part in her first combat operations of the Second World War as part of Task Group 34.8 (TG 34.8) in support of Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of North Africa, and it was from the battleship that Lt. General Dwight D. Eisenhower made his first "Voice of Freedom" broadcast, which called up the Vichy French forces defending Morocco not to oppose the Allied landings.

On June 6, 1944, the USS Texas was among the warships to provide supporting fire during the Normandy landings. The battle wagon further participated in the bombardment of Cherbourg, during which she was hit by enemy coastal artillery fire but suffered no serious damage.

After undergoing repairs in Plymouth, England, the USS Texas took part in the Allied invasion of the South of France during Operation Dragoon. Following an overhaul in New York City, which involved replacing her main battery barrels, the USS Texas returned to the Pacific and later provided naval gunfire support during the Battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa.

The vessel earned a total of five battle stars for her service in the Second World War.

Author Experience and Expertise

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu.

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