Why the Navy ABANDONED hundreds of Ships in California - IT'S HISTORY
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Published 2022-03-12
An ever-shrinking collection of the US Navy’s most storied ships lies in a bay near San Francisco. This National Defense Reserve Fleet held war heroes, masters of espionage, and behind-the-scenes vessels that the Navy could not function without. Some met a cruel fate in a scrapyard, others found a grandiose museum as their new home, but all were influential in the organization that put them out to pasture.
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IT’S HISTORY - Weekly tales of American Urban Decay as presented by your host Ryan Socash.
0:00 - The Graveyard of the US Navy - Suisun Bay
0:53 - Durability and Protection - Ridge Wallet
1:44 - A Hotel on the High Seas - USS APL-24
4:49 - The Arm of Logistics - SS Green Mountain State
6:58 - An Explorer for Espionage - The Glomar Explorer
12:20 - The Hero of Pearl Harbor - USS Hoga
14:32 - The World’s Greatest Naval Ship - USS Iowa
18:56 - The Maritime Mausoleum - Conclusion
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» CREDIT
Scriptwriter - Gregory Back,
Editor - Rishi Mittal
Host - Ryan Socash
Sponsor - Ridge Wallet
» SOURCES
www.facebook.com/groups/itshistory/
» NOTICE
Some images may be used for illustrative purposes only - always reflecting the accurate time frame and content. Events of factual error / mispronounced word/spelling mistakes - retractions will be published in this section.
All Comments (21)
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This video is Sponsored by Ridge Wallet. Check them out here: ridge.com/ITSHISTORY Use Code “ITSHISTORY” for 15% off your order
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This "mothball fleet" in Suisan Bay is down to just a couple hulls that are freighters. I remember when there were dozens of ships there. No warships there anymore.
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I live practically right next to the mothball fleet and I drive by it all the time on my way to college. I know it’s for the best that the ships get removed but it’s almost sad in a way. When I was a kid the fleet was huge and scary, now it’s down to just four or five ships.
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I wouldn't call these battleships as the term "battleship" is a specific type of ship. They really should be referred as warships as that's the general term for any ship built to go into combat.
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Most of these ships have been either scrapped or moved to other locations. Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet has not been in service since 2016.
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I grew up in the Bay Area ... Alameda. I've seen the City of Oakland when it was serving as a Fire Boat. Regarding the USS Iowa. My Father served on her in the 1980's. He retired from the Navy standing on her deck in front of turret three. He was given the U.S. Flag that had been raised for morning colors on the Iowa.
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Glomar Explorer was scrapped in 2015. I worked around the corner at Mare Island. During the first gulf war, they brought in one of those ships that were supposed to be "ready to go" within a couple of days. They sent out a call to find anyone that knew how to light the boiler, as there were a lot of guys that were in the merchant marine during WW2.
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Big thanks to Ridge for sending me this wallet and supporting the channel! Here’s the site if you want to check them out! ridge.com/itshistory
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The first ship I was stationed on 50 years age was decommissioned and spent many years there in the bay. The USS Tulare LKA122. It has since been sent to Texas for scrap. Many fond memories on that ship. It was amphibious cargo transport ship. Spent many hours in Vietnam as CTF76 Flag ship. Carried several hundred Marines and LCM 6 boats.
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OOPSIE - The surrender signing was not on Iowa, but her sister Missouri.
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correction: The Japanese signed their surrender on the battleship Missouri, (BB-63). The Formal Japanese Surrender took place onboard USS Missouri (BB-63), which was chosen for being named for the President's home state and utilized as Fleet Admiral William F. Halsey's flagship for the last weeks of the war.
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The mothball fleet in Benicia is long gone for almost 20 years now. As I child the highlight of my family road trip (late 60's 70's) from San Jose to Sacramento was looking out the stationwagons window and seeing all the aircraftcarriers and other warships. As it turned out all those ship were packaged with asbestos and were toxic to go into.
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15:15 Iowa was not the only US BB serving in the Atlantic. Certainly there was USS Washington around Arctic convoys.
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Sueson lol... Its suh-soon. And they werent battleships. Or fighting ships at all really. They were mostly merchant marine vessels. Used to be a huge mooring outside of benicia/Vallejo right off the 680/780 junction Benicia bridge
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The US Navy had many battleships operating in the Atlantic during WW2, not just the Iowa
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I'd love to see more West Coast history stories. I have lived in Washington state my whole life and there may not be as much stuff as the east coast but you would be surprised about how far back our history goes.
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I am ALWAYS amazed at how long, sleek, and fast battleships like the Missouri look from the side, and yet, from the front, for some reason, burly, wide, and for lack of ANY better word, MONUMENTAL. I don't care how impressive a modern aircraft carrier looks. From sea level, bearing straight down on you, an Iowa class is like Hell with a wake...
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Definitely was a sight to see when there were more boats there. Surprised it wasn't mentioned that Sea Shadow was housed inside of there Hughes Glomar Explorer at some point while in Suisan Bay.
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As water surrounded Brits, with DNA on the water throughout our history, and a handy Navy of our own once, I cannot look on with anything but awe at the sheer power and might of the U.S Navy built during WWII, and it's continuing committent to protecting the homeland. You'll be pleased to know we have a couple of Supercarriers now, so give us a shout if you need any back-up 😉
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uh. I think you goofed. The USS Missouri BB 63 was the ship that the surrender was signed on. She is moored facing the Arizona now in Pearl Harbor.
