Broadside... Just Awesome!!! The Iowa Class Battleship's Guns were composed of nine 16-inch guns in three turrets, two on the bow and one on the stern. These main guns were capable of projecting a shell aand creating a crater the size of a Volkswagen Beetle more than 20 miles away from the target... Yes! Nothing like reaching out and touching someone. It Have you ever wondered… Do Battleships move sideways when they fire? For those who had the good fortunate to have ridden the USS Iowa, USS New Jersey, USS Missouri or the USS Wisconsin through the Panama Canal or made a ship's visit to the Iowa Class battleships or even served on one of these dreadnaughts you may have wondered: Do Battleships move sideways when they fire? What looks like a side-ways wake is just the water being broiled up by the muzzle blasts! The ship doesn't move an inch or even heel from a broadside. The guns have a recoil slide of up to 48 inches and the shock is distributed evenly through the turret foundation and the hull structure. The mass of a 57,000-ton ship is just too great for the recoil of the guns to move it. Well, theoretically, a fraction of a millimeter. But because of the expansive range of the overpressure (muzzle blast), a lot of the rapidly displaced air presses against the bulkheads and decks. Those structures that are not armored actually flex inwards just a bit, thus displacing air quickly inside the ship and causing loose items to fly around. Sort of like having your house sealed up with all windows and vents closed and when you slam the front door quickly the displaced air pops open the kitchen cabinets. Courtesy of the US Navy Archives Just thought you might add that to other trivia about the battleships of the Old Navy. USS Missouri BB-63 providing gun fire support... Iowa class battleship (Dreadnought) Above we see the USS Missouri BB-63 locking through the Panama Canal at Miraflores Locks during WWII. In naval history, battleships were the most heavily armed and armored warships afloat. In the mid-20th century they were surpassed by the aircraft carrier. In a Battle Group the battleship assumed the role of shore bombardment and as a missile platforms. The last battleships were decommissioned in the late 1990s. The Iowa-class battleships (BB-61 through BB-64) were built in the early 1940s in the United States. Two other Iowa-class ships, Illinois and Kentucky, were scrapped prior to their completion. Just astern of the USS Wisconsin BB-64 A positive mental attitude combined with definiteness of purpose is the starting point of all worthwhile achievement. --- Napoleon Hill Escape To Panama, the land of enchantment... The USS Nevada BB-36 makes an intermediate stop in Cuban waters before going on to Panama.... where the living was easy. "... And the sea will grant each man new hope, as sleep brings dreams of home." --- Admiral of the Seas, Christopher Columbus Escape to Panama It has been a real pleasure sharing some of my love of the Old Navy as I remember it. Feel free to check out other pages.....you'll be glad you did! So take care and drop by again. We will all be here, God willing. Hasta la Vista.... See you on the flip side. Photo Credits: Author,Bill Fall, Montana, CZ & PCC Archives and US Navy Archives Little Stories to enjoy Sing and rejoice, tra-la-la, for fortune is smiling upon you!