Battleship Cove
Encyclopedia
Battleship Cove, located in Fall River, Massachusetts
, is a nonprofit maritime museum
and war memorial that traces its origins to the wartime crew of the World War II
battleship . This dedicated veterans group was responsible for the donation of the decommissioned vessel from the Navy and its subsequent public display in Fall River, Massachusetts
. Formally registered as the U.S.S. Massachusetts Memorial Committee, Inc., Battleship Cove was incorporated as a nonprofit educational organization and granted 501 c(3) status by the Internal Revenue Service in 1964. The site is located at the confluence of the Taunton River
and Mount Hope Bay
, an arm of Narragansett Bay
.
Battleship Cove lies partially beneath the Braga Bridge and adjacent to Fall River Heritage State Park
, at the heart of Fall River's waterfront. The battleship forms a small cove which serves as a protected harbor for pleasure craft during the summer months. The Fall River Yacht Club maintains a dock nearby. The site also contains the historic 1920 Lincoln Park Carousel, originally located at Lincoln Park in nearby North Dartmouth, Massachusetts
, restored by local vocational high school students and installed in a new pavilion in the early 1990s.
), and her interior spaces were reconfigured to accommodate exhibits.
In 1972, the , a Second World War-era attack submarine, joined the battleship for public display. Also that year, the Nautical Nights overnight camping program commenced as a model program, enrolling more than 500,000 youths to date. The following year, the , a Gearing-class destroyer, was added to the fleet and immediately designated as the Commonwealth’s official memorial to the Korean and Vietnam Wars.
Soon after, the Mayor of Fall River christened this important site, “Battleship Cove”. In 1975 Tin Can Sailors, Inc., a national organization of 24,000 destroyer veterans, was founded at Battleship Cove.
The year 1984 included the addition of a T-28 Trojan
. This aircraft served as a US trainer, and also served in the VNAF South Vietnam Air Force, reflecting immigrants in the Commonwealth who had served in the Vietnamese armed forces. A new gift shop helped fuel the organization’s growth. In 1985, the Commonwealth awarded a $2.5 million grant for
the preservation of the Kennedy, and in that same year the National Park Service designated the Massachusetts, the Lionfish, and PT-796 as National Historic Landmarks. Subsequently, both the Kennedy and PT-617 received NHL status, giving Battleship Cove the highest concentration of such south of Boston. Presently comprising eight vessels, the Battleship Cove fleet is the largest and most diverse collection of historic naval ships in the world.
In the 1990s the organization continued to improve with over sixty new exhibitions related to the historic ships and veterans. The success of the overnight program, high visitation from school groups, and general admissions supported an expanded staff and improved ship maintenance efforts. On June 14, 1997, the Cove acquired a Cold War relic: the Soviet-built missile corvette . Three years later, the Commonwealth awarded the Massachusetts and the Lionfish a $10 million grant for significant, dry-dock restoration work.
Since 1964, Battleship Cove has hosted more than 5 million youth, veterans, and tourists. It remains one of the region’s most valuable cultural assets and one of the most appreciated by youth. As goals for continued success as an educational, historical museum, the Cove is dedicated to expanding and sustaining its outreach with programs like the Battleship Cove Community Boating Program, the Raytheon
Inspiring Technological Exploration (RITE) Program, and the Veterans’ Voices Oral History Program.
USS Massachusetts (BB-59), known as "Big Mamie" to her crewmembers during World War II, a battleship of the second , was the seventh ship of the United States Navy to be named in honor of the sixth state. Her keel was laid down 20 July 1939 at the Fore River Shipyard
of Quincy, Massachusetts
. She was launched on 23 September 1941 sponsored by Mrs. Charles Francis Adams III
, and commissioned on 12 May 1942 at Boston, Massachusetts, with Captain Francis E.M. Whiting in command.
Massachusetts received eleven battle stars for World War II service and earned a reputation as a "Work Horse of the Fleet." During World War II, no United States Navy personnel were killed in action while aboard the Massachusetts.
The USS Massachusetts is one of only eight United States Battleships remaining, of the many that were produced in the first half of the 20th century.
USS Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. (DD-850) is a of the United States Navy. The ship was named after Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr.
, a naval aviator, son of the former Ambassador to Britain, Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr.
, and older brother of future President John F. Kennedy
. Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. is presently on display as a museum ship in Fall River, Massachusetts.
Among the highlights of its service are the blockade of Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis
and the afloat recovery teams for Gemini 6 and Gemini 7
. It is now a floating museum in Battleship Cove, Fall River, Massachusetts.
In the spring of 2000, Kennedy was brought to Rhode Island Sound for the movie Thirteen Days
, portraying both herself and the .
USS Lionfish (SS-298), a , was the only ship of the United States Navy named for the lionfish
, a scorpaenoid fish found in the West Indies and the tropical Pacific. After completing her shakedown cruise off New England, she began her first war patrol in Japanese waters on 1 April 1945. Ten days later, she dodged two torpedoes fired by a Japanese submarine and on 1 May destroyed a Japanese schooner with her deck guns. After a rendezvous with the submarine , she transported B-29 survivors to Saipan and then made her way to Midway Island for replenishment.
On 2 June she started her second war patrol, and on 10 July fired torpedoes at a surfaced Japanese submarine, after which Lionfishs crew heard explosions and observed smoke through their periscope. She subsequently fired on two more Japanese submarines and ended her second and last war patrol performing lifeguard duty (the rescue of downed fliers) off the coast of Japan. When hostilities ended on 15 August she headed for San Francisco and was decommissioned at Mare Island Navy Yard on 16 January 1946.
Lionfish was recommissioned on 31 January 1951, and headed for the East Coast for training cruises. After participating in NATO exercises and a Mediterranean cruise, she returned to the East Coast and was decommissioned at the Boston Navy Yard
on 15 December 1953.
In 1960, the venerable submarine was called to duty again, this time serving as a reserve training submarine at Providence, Rhode Island
. In 1971, she was stricken from the Navy Register, and in 1973, she was unveiled for permanent display as a memorial at Battleship Cove, where she has evolved into one of the museum’s most popular exhibits and a revered monument to all submariners.
Originally commissioned by the East German Navy
as the Rudolf Egelhofer, the Hiddensee is a built at the Petrovsky Shipyard in 1984, located near the Soviet city of Saint Petersburg
(formerly Leningrad). An example of a Soviet-built missile corvette, Hiddensee was designed to oppose any naval threat to the East German Coast, and to fulfill this mission carried long-range STYX anti-ship missiles and an array of defensive weapons designed to ensure her own survival.
Following the reunification of Germany
, the Hiddensee served with the Federal German Navy until her decommissioning in April 1991. Shortly thereafter she was reactivated and transferred to the U.S. Navy. Joined briefly by a crew of 20 former East German sailors, a small civilian U. S. crew conducted extensive testing with the vessel at the Navy's Solomons, Maryland
, facility in the Patuxent River. After 50 underway deployments in the Chesapeake Bay
and Virginia Capes
areas, Navy budget cutback severely curtailed operations, but she continued on as a research vessel until April 1996.
The Hiddensee joined the Battleship Cove fleet in Fall River on June 14, 1997. She is moored on the port side of the .
The year 1975 marked the arrival of PT boat PT-796, joined in 1984 by PT-617, forming the only pair of restored PT boats on display in the world. PT-617 is the only remaining Elco
PT boat on display similar to that of John F. Kennedy
's PT-109
.
USS Fall River (CA-131) was a launched 13 August 1944 by New York Shipbuilding
Corp., Camden, N.J.; sponsored by Mrs. Alexander C. Murray, wife of the mayor of Fall River; and commissioned 1 July 1945, Captain D. S. Crawford in command.
On 31 October 1945, Fall River arrived at Norfolk, out of which she sailed in experimental development operations until 31 January 1946. The cruiser was assigned to JTF 1, organized to conduct Operation Crossroads
, atomic weapons tests in the Marshall Islands in the summer of 1946. To prepare for this duty, Fall River sailed to San Pedro, Calif., where from 16 February to 6 March she was altered to provide flagship accommodations. Arriving at Pearl Harbor 17 March, she embarked Rear Admiral F. G. Fahrion, commander of the target vessel's group for the tests, and with him sailed in the Marshalls between 21 May and 14 September.
After west coast training, Fall River served a tour of duty in the Far East as flagship of Cruiser Division 1 from 12 January 1947 to 17 June 1947. She returned to Puget Sound Navy Yard, where she was placed out of commission in reserve 31 October 1947.
The tip of her bow is now on display at Battleship Cove.
Fall River, Massachusetts
Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is located about south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and west of New Bedford and south of Taunton. The city's population was 88,857 during the 2010 census, making it the tenth largest city in...
, is a nonprofit maritime museum
Maritime museum
A maritime museum is a museum specializing in the display of objects relating to ships and travel on large bodies of water...
and war memorial that traces its origins to the wartime crew of the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
battleship . This dedicated veterans group was responsible for the donation of the decommissioned vessel from the Navy and its subsequent public display in Fall River, Massachusetts
Fall River, Massachusetts
Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is located about south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and west of New Bedford and south of Taunton. The city's population was 88,857 during the 2010 census, making it the tenth largest city in...
. Formally registered as the U.S.S. Massachusetts Memorial Committee, Inc., Battleship Cove was incorporated as a nonprofit educational organization and granted 501 c(3) status by the Internal Revenue Service in 1964. The site is located at the confluence of the Taunton River
Taunton River
The Taunton River , is a river in southeastern Massachusetts in the United States. It arises from the confluence of the Town River and Matfield River, in the town of Bridgewater...
and Mount Hope Bay
Mount Hope Bay
Mount Hope Bay is a tidal estuary located at the mouth of the Taunton River on the Massachusetts and Rhode Island border. It is an arm of Narragansett Bay. The bay is named after Mount Hope, a small hill located on its western shore in what is now Bristol, Rhode Island. It flows into the East...
, an arm of Narragansett Bay
Narragansett Bay
Narragansett Bay is a bay and estuary on the north side of Rhode Island Sound. Covering 147 mi2 , the Bay forms New England's largest estuary, which functions as an expansive natural harbor, and includes a small archipelago...
.
Battleship Cove lies partially beneath the Braga Bridge and adjacent to Fall River Heritage State Park
Fall River Heritage State Park
Fall River Heritage State Park sits on the shoreline of the Taunton River in Fall River, Massachusetts, USA, next to the Charles M. Braga Jr. Memorial Bridge and across from the World War II Battleship the USS Massachusetts . Eight and a half acres in size, it is a common place for residents of the...
, at the heart of Fall River's waterfront. The battleship forms a small cove which serves as a protected harbor for pleasure craft during the summer months. The Fall River Yacht Club maintains a dock nearby. The site also contains the historic 1920 Lincoln Park Carousel, originally located at Lincoln Park in nearby North Dartmouth, Massachusetts
Dartmouth, Massachusetts
Dartmouth is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States established in 1664. The population was 30,665 at the 2000 census. It is the location of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth....
, restored by local vocational high school students and installed in a new pavilion in the early 1990s.
History
In its first year open to the public, more than 250,000 visitors explored the historic vessel, USS Massachusetts. Soon after, the battleship was recognized as the official memorial to Massachusetts citizens who gave their lives in World War II (and later, the Persian Gulf WarGulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
), and her interior spaces were reconfigured to accommodate exhibits.
Expansion
Soon after, the Mayor of Fall River christened this important site, “Battleship Cove”. In 1975 Tin Can Sailors, Inc., a national organization of 24,000 destroyer veterans, was founded at Battleship Cove.
The year 1984 included the addition of a T-28 Trojan
T-28 Trojan
The North American Aviation T-28 Trojan is a piston-engined military trainer aircraft used by the United States Air Force and United States Navy beginning in the 1950s...
. This aircraft served as a US trainer, and also served in the VNAF South Vietnam Air Force, reflecting immigrants in the Commonwealth who had served in the Vietnamese armed forces. A new gift shop helped fuel the organization’s growth. In 1985, the Commonwealth awarded a $2.5 million grant for
the preservation of the Kennedy, and in that same year the National Park Service designated the Massachusetts, the Lionfish, and PT-796 as National Historic Landmarks. Subsequently, both the Kennedy and PT-617 received NHL status, giving Battleship Cove the highest concentration of such south of Boston. Presently comprising eight vessels, the Battleship Cove fleet is the largest and most diverse collection of historic naval ships in the world.
Since 1964, Battleship Cove has hosted more than 5 million youth, veterans, and tourists. It remains one of the region’s most valuable cultural assets and one of the most appreciated by youth. As goals for continued success as an educational, historical museum, the Cove is dedicated to expanding and sustaining its outreach with programs like the Battleship Cove Community Boating Program, the Raytheon
Raytheon
Raytheon Company is a major American defense contractor and industrial corporation with core manufacturing concentrations in weapons and military and commercial electronics. It was previously involved in corporate and special-mission aircraft until early 2007...
Inspiring Technological Exploration (RITE) Program, and the Veterans’ Voices Oral History Program.
USS Massachusetts
- Main article:
Fore River Shipyard
The Fore River Shipyard of Quincy, Massachusetts, more formally known as the Fore River Ship and Engine Building Company, was a shipyard in the United States from 1883 until 1986. Located on the Weymouth Fore River, the yard began operations in 1883 in Braintree, Massachusetts before being moved...
of Quincy, Massachusetts
Quincy, Massachusetts
Quincy is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Its nicknames are "City of Presidents", "City of Legends", and "Birthplace of the American Dream". As a major part of Metropolitan Boston, Quincy is a member of Boston's Inner Core Committee for the Metropolitan Area Planning Council...
. She was launched on 23 September 1941 sponsored by Mrs. Charles Francis Adams III
Charles Francis Adams III
Charles Francis Adams III was the United States Secretary of the Navy under President Herbert Hoover and a well-known yachtsman.-Life:...
, and commissioned on 12 May 1942 at Boston, Massachusetts, with Captain Francis E.M. Whiting in command.
Massachusetts received eleven battle stars for World War II service and earned a reputation as a "Work Horse of the Fleet." During World War II, no United States Navy personnel were killed in action while aboard the Massachusetts.
The USS Massachusetts is one of only eight United States Battleships remaining, of the many that were produced in the first half of the 20th century.
USS Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr.
- Main article:
USS Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. (DD-850) is a of the United States Navy. The ship was named after Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr.
Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr.
Joseph Patrick "Joe" Kennedy, Jr. was an American bomber pilot during World War II. He was the eldest of nine children born to Joseph Patrick Kennedy, Sr., and Rose Elizabeth Kennedy....
, a naval aviator, son of the former Ambassador to Britain, Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr.
Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr.
Joseph Patrick "Joe" Kennedy, Sr. was a prominent American businessman, investor, and government official....
, and older brother of future President John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
. Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. is presently on display as a museum ship in Fall River, Massachusetts.
Among the highlights of its service are the blockade of Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation among the Soviet Union, Cuba and the United States in October 1962, during the Cold War...
and the afloat recovery teams for Gemini 6 and Gemini 7
Gemini 7
Gemini 7 was a 1965 manned spaceflight in NASA's Gemini program. It was the 4th manned Gemini flight, the 12th manned American flight and the 20th spaceflight of all time . The crew of Frank F. Borman, II and James A...
. It is now a floating museum in Battleship Cove, Fall River, Massachusetts.
In the spring of 2000, Kennedy was brought to Rhode Island Sound for the movie Thirteen Days
Thirteen Days (film)
Thirteen Days is a 2000 docudrama directed by Roger Donaldson about the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, seen from the perspective of the US political leadership. Kevin Costner stars, with Bruce Greenwood featured as John F. Kennedy....
, portraying both herself and the .
USS Lionfish
- Main article:
Lionfish
Lionfish may refer to:* genus Pterois, collectively known as the lionfish* Red Lionfish , a significant invasive species off the East Coast of North America and in the Caribbean-Fish:...
, a scorpaenoid fish found in the West Indies and the tropical Pacific. After completing her shakedown cruise off New England, she began her first war patrol in Japanese waters on 1 April 1945. Ten days later, she dodged two torpedoes fired by a Japanese submarine and on 1 May destroyed a Japanese schooner with her deck guns. After a rendezvous with the submarine , she transported B-29 survivors to Saipan and then made her way to Midway Island for replenishment.
On 2 June she started her second war patrol, and on 10 July fired torpedoes at a surfaced Japanese submarine, after which Lionfishs crew heard explosions and observed smoke through their periscope. She subsequently fired on two more Japanese submarines and ended her second and last war patrol performing lifeguard duty (the rescue of downed fliers) off the coast of Japan. When hostilities ended on 15 August she headed for San Francisco and was decommissioned at Mare Island Navy Yard on 16 January 1946.
Lionfish was recommissioned on 31 January 1951, and headed for the East Coast for training cruises. After participating in NATO exercises and a Mediterranean cruise, she returned to the East Coast and was decommissioned at the Boston Navy Yard
Boston Navy Yard
The Boston Navy Yard, originally called the Charlestown Navy Yard and later Boston Naval Shipyard, was one of the oldest shipbuilding facilities in the United States Navy. Established in 1801, it was officially closed as an active naval installation on July 1, 1974, and the property was...
on 15 December 1953.
In 1960, the venerable submarine was called to duty again, this time serving as a reserve training submarine at Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
. In 1971, she was stricken from the Navy Register, and in 1973, she was unveiled for permanent display as a memorial at Battleship Cove, where she has evolved into one of the museum’s most popular exhibits and a revered monument to all submariners.
Hiddensee
- Main article:
Volksmarine
Volksmarine was the official designation of the maritime forces of the German Democratic Republic . It was part of the National People's Army, established in 1956.-History:...
as the Rudolf Egelhofer, the Hiddensee is a built at the Petrovsky Shipyard in 1984, located near the Soviet city of Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
(formerly Leningrad). An example of a Soviet-built missile corvette, Hiddensee was designed to oppose any naval threat to the East German Coast, and to fulfill this mission carried long-range STYX anti-ship missiles and an array of defensive weapons designed to ensure her own survival.
Following the reunification of Germany
German reunification
German reunification was the process in 1990 in which the German Democratic Republic joined the Federal Republic of Germany , and when Berlin reunited into a single city, as provided by its then Grundgesetz constitution Article 23. The start of this process is commonly referred by Germans as die...
, the Hiddensee served with the Federal German Navy until her decommissioning in April 1991. Shortly thereafter she was reactivated and transferred to the U.S. Navy. Joined briefly by a crew of 20 former East German sailors, a small civilian U. S. crew conducted extensive testing with the vessel at the Navy's Solomons, Maryland
Solomons, Maryland
Solomons is a community and census-designated place in Calvert County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,536 at the 2000 census...
, facility in the Patuxent River. After 50 underway deployments in the Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
and Virginia Capes
Virginia Capes
The Virginia Capes are the two capes, Cape Charles to the north and Cape Henry to the south, that define the entrance to Chesapeake Bay on the eastern coast of North America....
areas, Navy budget cutback severely curtailed operations, but she continued on as a research vessel until April 1996.
The Hiddensee joined the Battleship Cove fleet in Fall River on June 14, 1997. She is moored on the port side of the .
PT Boats
 |  |
- For more information, see: PT boatPT boatPT Boats were a variety of motor torpedo boat , a small, fast vessel used by the United States Navy in World War II to attack larger surface ships. The PT boat squadrons were nicknamed "the mosquito fleet". The Japanese called them "Devil Boats".The original pre–World War I torpedo boats were...
The year 1975 marked the arrival of PT boat PT-796, joined in 1984 by PT-617, forming the only pair of restored PT boats on display in the world. PT-617 is the only remaining Elco
Electric Launch Company
The Electric Launch Company, later renamed Elco Motor Yachts, is a United States boat building and electric motor company that has operated from 1893 until present . It was originally run by Henry R. Sutphen in 1895...
PT boat on display similar to that of John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
's PT-109
Motor Torpedo Boat PT-109
PT-109 was a PT boat last commanded by Lieutenant, junior grade John F. Kennedy in the Pacific Theater during World War II...
.
USS Fall River
- Main article:
New York Shipbuilding
The New York Shipbuilding Corporation was founded in 1899 and opened its first shipyard in 1900. Located in Camden, New Jersey on the east shore of the Delaware River, New York Ship built more than 500 vessels for the U.S...
Corp., Camden, N.J.; sponsored by Mrs. Alexander C. Murray, wife of the mayor of Fall River; and commissioned 1 July 1945, Captain D. S. Crawford in command.
On 31 October 1945, Fall River arrived at Norfolk, out of which she sailed in experimental development operations until 31 January 1946. The cruiser was assigned to JTF 1, organized to conduct Operation Crossroads
Operation Crossroads
Operation Crossroads was a series of nuclear weapon tests conducted by the United States at Bikini Atoll in mid-1946. It was the first test of a nuclear weapon after the Trinity nuclear test in July 1945...
, atomic weapons tests in the Marshall Islands in the summer of 1946. To prepare for this duty, Fall River sailed to San Pedro, Calif., where from 16 February to 6 March she was altered to provide flagship accommodations. Arriving at Pearl Harbor 17 March, she embarked Rear Admiral F. G. Fahrion, commander of the target vessel's group for the tests, and with him sailed in the Marshalls between 21 May and 14 September.
After west coast training, Fall River served a tour of duty in the Far East as flagship of Cruiser Division 1 from 12 January 1947 to 17 June 1947. She returned to Puget Sound Navy Yard, where she was placed out of commission in reserve 31 October 1947.
The tip of her bow is now on display at Battleship Cove.
See also
- U.S. Navy museums (and other battleship museums)
- List of maritime museums in the United States
- List of museum ships
- List of battleships of the United States Navy
External links
- Battleship Cove Naval Museum homepage
- PT-617 Photos of the Elco PT Boat PT-617
- PT-796 Photos of the Higgins PT Boat PT-796
- USS Joseph P. Kennedy Photos on board the Destroyer Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. DD-780
- USS Lionfish Photos on board the Submarine USS Lionfish SS-298 in Fall River, MA
- Hiddensee Photos on board the Soviet Missile Corvette Hiddensee at the Battleship Cove Naval Museum in Fall River, MA
- USS Massachusetts Photos on board the Battleship USS Massachusetts BB-59 in Fall River, MA