The battleship USS Texas was built in the early years of the last century, when battleship building was all the rage. For a time, it was the most powerful ship afloat. Yet, looking at her, one has the impression of great age, even when she was new. It was an ungainly frame with tall thick masts and guns sticking out sponsons along the sides.
The Texas was sent to Vera Cruz by Woodrow Wilson as part of the US's "gunboat diplomacy," which we can still see used today. And then she made excursions into the North Sea during World War I without incident.
By the beginning of World War II, the Texas was considered ancient -- underpowered, underarmed, and unable to take part in any fleet actions. So she was used as a floating gun platform during amphibious assaults, taking a German shell off the Normandy Coast. Her final missions included Iwo Jima and Okinawa. The Texas is now part of a maritime museum.
The Texas had a rather routine career, "routine" being a relative term, but achieved a number of "firsts." She was the first battleship to launch an airplane and the first to mount anti-aircraft guns, for instance.
The program consists of still photos, newsreel footage, and a number of talking heads. It's not badly done.
The Texas was sent to Vera Cruz by Woodrow Wilson as part of the US's "gunboat diplomacy," which we can still see used today. And then she made excursions into the North Sea during World War I without incident.
By the beginning of World War II, the Texas was considered ancient -- underpowered, underarmed, and unable to take part in any fleet actions. So she was used as a floating gun platform during amphibious assaults, taking a German shell off the Normandy Coast. Her final missions included Iwo Jima and Okinawa. The Texas is now part of a maritime museum.
The Texas had a rather routine career, "routine" being a relative term, but achieved a number of "firsts." She was the first battleship to launch an airplane and the first to mount anti-aircraft guns, for instance.
The program consists of still photos, newsreel footage, and a number of talking heads. It's not badly done.