Battleship New Jersey
Camden, New Jersey
visited May, 2002
USS New Jersey (BB-62) DANFS
(Page One of Four)
The New Jersey is the third Iowa-class ship to be opened to the public, and like her sister in Hawaii, is now a museum & memorial ship, unlike the Wisconsin, which remains on the Navy List (and as such, no internal spaces are open). The fourth and lead ship, Iowa, was towed to Suisun Bay, California, where she awaits a decision by a Bay Area city to agree to an arrangement similar to the Wisconsin's in Norfolk, VA.
As of this writing, the New Jersey is still a work in progress - at the time of my visit, volunteers were working full-bore to ready the ship for more extensive tours. A permanent docking/access facility was still under construction, although enough was complete to give the idea of the final appearance. Still, there is more than enough to warrant the trip to see her now. The foundation has come up with a unique way to present the ship - tours are guided, but in the sense that each station is manned by a docent who sends you on to the next stop. While it restricts you from simply wandering the decks, it should keep vandalism to a minimum and preserve the ship in her current state for years to come. One tip - school tours tend to take place in the morning, and if you get mixed up with one, it's not easy to detach from the group (although, with persistence, it can be done).
The Photos
To ease the page load times, the New Jersey photos have been spread across four pages.
(click on thumbnails to show the larger image)
For More Information:
Battleship New Jersey Historical Museum Society
Battleship New Jersey Page Two
Battleship New Jersey Page Three