The USS Iowa was called The Big Stick, and after a long career, and long stint in the mothball fleet, it's now a museum ship at the Port of Los Angeles.
The Iowa tour is self-guided, but one of the easiest-to-follow self-guided tours I've been on. Just follow the on the deck, and eventually you see everything available to see.
During the restoration process, this hand-painted map was found underneath several layers of wall paint. There's no record of it, but using the names of several countries, it's assumed it was painted during World War II and possibly used to brief officers.
While the commanding officer (CO, a captain on the Iowa), is in charge of the whole ship, the executive officer (XO) is in charge of day-to-day operations.
Rank has its privileges, and nowhere is that more obvious than where sailors sleep. Two in this room, but FAR more space than lower ranks. Some higher-ranking officers have their own room.
You can't access the below decks on the Iowa, but this gives you some idea of how high up you area, relative to the keel, when you're on the main deck.
The crew would use this to get powder bags for the guns up from the magazine.
Like all big ships, the Iowa has multiple bridges, including the navigation bridge, the flag bridge and others (all seen here, but we'll get to them a little later in the tour).
During the war, the Iowa transported President Roosevelt across the Atlantic to meet with Churchill, Stalin and other Allied leaders. During that time he used the captain's in-port cabin including this, the wardroom (the captain used his at-sea cabins).
Fourteen men would fit in here to fire the two guns. Even more were in the decks below handling shells and gunpowder bags. All working in unison, each gun could fire 15-20 times per minute.
One of the main differences between the Iowa and the other ships in her class, is the flag bridge. This allows the Iowa to function as a flagship for an Admiral.
Note the heavily armored conning tower. Seventeen inches of steel.
While running a battlegroup, the admiral has a big staff, many of whom were in this room. They gathered data, monitored the situation, helped figure out tactics and so on.
Though exposed, this space behind the bridge offers a far more expansive view. The CIWS (close-in weapon system) offers close-in support (we'll get a closer look a little later).
What most fictional ships hide is all the wires and tubes that let a vessel function. Since you never know what might go wrong and when, having access is key. Note the curve of the armored conning tower on the right.
This is where the helmsman steered the Iowa. If the ship came under fire, the command staff would squeeze in here. The helmsman couldn't see out very well. Instead he just followed the orders of those who could.
The 1980s crew called this the dashboard. To the right is part of the AN/SLQ-32(V)3 electronic warfare suite, which helps protect against missiles. Other parts are visible in the next slide.
The launcher boxes were hydraulically raised to firing position. There were three different versions of the Tomahawk: Antiship, land-attack and land-attack nuclear.
The view aft, from near the armored box launchers, over the No. 3 turret, to the fantail, the World Cruise Center, and the Vincent Thomas Bridge in the distance.
The curtains added a little privacy, and straps could be fastened so you didn't roll out. The little boxes (upper left) were respitory aids in case of an emergency.
This is the other side of the wall from the last photo. Because there were nearly 1,000 fewer men on board in the '80s, there was a little bit more free space. This area held 62 in WWII and Korea, and 42 in the '80s.
One of two chow lines. During WWII the galley crew would prepare over 8,000 meals a day. Even with the reduced complement in the '80s it was still over 5,000 a day.
In the '80s this was used for helicopters. In WWII, floatplanes. There were two catapults here as well, launching Kingfishers at the start of the war, and Seahawks by the end.
Though it's a fast tour, it's a good one, especially when aided by the official app for Android and iOS. There are even special guided tours occasionally that give access to parts of the ship currently inaccessible during a normal visit. For more info, check out its website.
