Which Museum Ships Would be Brought Back First if Needed?

When your country's museum fleet still has more aircraft carriers then any country in the world...

USS Enterprise was completely discarded as scrap metal despite having most most decoration, and massive impact. She deserved to be preserved that any other US ship.

I had the pleasure one night to observe the New Jersey some distance off the shore of the base I was stationed in Viet Nam firing it’s big guns in a barrage directly over our heads at targets farther inland. It was the most awesome display of fire power I’ve ever witnessed. The deep roar and the long stream of colorful flame and fire coming from its muzzles. Then looking directly over head we could see the huge rounds sailing through the moon lit cloud base . What seemed like a short time would go by when you would hear the dull rumble when they impacted. I’ll never forget that spectacular sight.

There's a book called Tempered Steel, where the US is attacked by a 100 or so nuclear bombs destroying all of our modern technology. (anything with transistors) and the Navy recommissions all the WW2 fast battleships, heavy cruisers and a bunch of destroyers. Great book especially if you like reading about battleships fighting a modern war!

We have to make sure the guns all work, I saw a documentary called "Battleship", it made me realize that when aliens invade, BB's are the only thing that will stop them.

WWIII on the horizon.... The Navy starts installing VLS tubes onboard USS Constitution. Noiseless, stealthy on radar, emissions free and crewed by only the bravest sailors and officers.

If they needed to, I bet the museum carriers would be reactivated before the battleships. I toured the Hornet a few years ago. The catapults and elevators are still being preserved, and that's from the public tour. Hornet is also equipped to handle and secure nuclear weapons. When I stayed there, it still had all the bunks. I believe it's still floating, and they could dry dock it in Vallejo. She's definitely a solid candidate to reactivate, as good as the Iowa from what I've seen on this channel.

When I visited Hornet years ago, one of the staff told me that she was overhauled just before being placed into mothballs. He said that her machinery was the best of all the museum carriers by far.

"Great we're finally going to get more battle stars than Enterprise" I'm dying laughing 😂

Down right shame USS Eneterprise CV-6 was scrapped.

5 ships for me: 1 & 2) Treasury-class cutters (327 cutters). 3) USS Midway (CV-41). She operated alongside much newer carriers and carried F-18s onboard. 4) USS Wisconsin (BB-64). Material condition and imposing and versatile weapons systems. 5) USS New Jersey (BB-62). Same as Wisconsin.

I remember when the New Jersey came to Australia, made a hell of an impression when it fired off a broad side for the tv news!

I'm Canadian. The Battleship New Jersey museum said online they wouldn't ship a beer opener made from the original teak deck to me. But I phoned in and the museum curator, a very nice lady, took care of getting me a UPS shipping quote and getting me my bottle opener now mounted on my wall. This is a great ship with an epic history forged in real battle, please support her!

When I was a kid I spent a night in a museum sub as part of a cubscout thing. Being a bit naiive, I asked if the ship still worked as a submarine, and got the answer, "well, you can go down, but I'm not sure about up again."

I think by far the most likely museum ship to be reactivated is USCG Mackinaw, a US Coast Guard icebreaker that served on the Great Lakes up until 2006, simply because she is an icebreaker. The US has fallen far behind our competitors in the building of ice breakers, and this one was fully functional the day she was replaced by her successor. The biggest reason she was taken out of service was the difficulty in obtaining spare parts, but I suspect that would be alleviated to a great degree by the advent of 3D metal printing. I would not be all that surprised if she did sail again one day.

I loved the response by an Iowa class Battleship Captain when asked if he was worried about the enemy firing anti ship missiles at his Battleship. His said, "I'd be worried about my paint job."

Imagine a war starts, and you see the Iowa leaving port with full crew

In a world full of cyber warfare, there's something to be said for mechanical systems. Can't electronically jam a solid steel slug flying at several hundred miles an hour. Can't down a mechanical system with an EMP.

The Wisconsin is about a 20 minute drive from me and she's still in amazing shape. They've pulled her out of retirement before and I really think they could do it again if absolutely necessary.

Yes, the USS Wisconsin BB64 is in Norfolk, VA. I live a ferry ride away from her and she is still in wonderful condition. She is moored across the Elizabeth River from Norfolk Naval Ship Yard, which is down the street from me. Newport News Shipbuilding is on the James River which the Elizabeth River empties into. There are numerous other shipyards here in the Hampton Roads area. It's been rumored that there are extra 16" guns kept in storage at St Julian's Creek Annex, which is up river from NNSY. Big Whiskey would be the easiest and cheapest to refit and get underway. Many of her lower compartments have been kept off limits to visitors since the last time I visited her.