Mothball Warships US Navy Ghost Fleet Abandoned Ships

How the US Navy keeps old ships in storage at ports all across the country. The mothball reserve fleet of warships has included hundreds of battleships, frigates, destroyers, cruisers and aircraft carriers over the years. A naval history and tour of the nation's aging ghost fleet of historic ships. The Mothball Fleet might be called by some the battleship graveyard but there is more to the story than meets the eye. Take a full tour with us and learn the history of this fascinating hidden place. The storage and dismantling of ships at the Philadelphia Navy Yard.
#usnavy #ships #navalhistory #falklandswar #falklands #belgrano #mothball #mothballfleet #abandoned #abandonedplaces #navy #history #documentary

The Mothball Fleet of the US Navy, Abandoned Destroyers, Cruisers and Aircraft Carriers. A battleship graveyard. The Dismantling of USS Kitty Hawk. Wreck of the USS Nevada.

Sources:
National Archives
US Navy
US Maritime Administration, Department of Transportation
Library of Congress
Department of Defense
Image of USS Iowa in Long Beach by Jonathan Williams
Image of Bremerton Ship Yard by Jelson25

Kitty Hawk
Falklands
Belgrano
Battleships
Ghost Fleet
Battleship
History
Naval history
Mothball Ships
Military history
USS Arleigh Burke
Arleigh Burke Class
USS Kitty Hawk
Wreck of the USS Nevada
Nimitz class
USS Oliver Hazard Perry
Perry Class
USS Iowa, USS New Jersey, USS Missouri, USS Wisconsin

Great inspiration:
Mark Felton
Drachinifel

[darylwalls]

In my 29 years of active duty Naval Service, I served on 7 different ships, from aircraft carriers to amphibious assault ships. All but one of them are gone from the fleet, this is to be expected with time. Just like many of us Fleet Sailors, our time will come. With that said, we have all made our mark in history which will live on forever. I salute each and every one of you, Thank You for your service. Fair Winds and Following Seas.

[albertkinney]

I served on a Korean class destroyer in the late 70s she has been scraped in NC it was based in Charleston SC the ship was the USS DAVIS DD 937 1200 Psi super heated steam plants we made 42 knots I Time after a freshing in the ship yard that old girl was tough took me half way around the world twice and I became a shellback on that ship along with the captain and the exo got a cruise book to prove it.Those 4 years turned me from a boy into a man .I don't regret any of it I'm 65 now and proud I am a veteran.

[marcoosvald]

USS Lexington CVT 16 1979, 1980. I can still remember the smell to this day, like all Naval Ships

[johnslaughter]

I served in USS Ranger for 2 years. I was part of the effort to try and save her.
Basically, I think we need at least 15-17 super carriers. These should be converted back to CVAs (Attack Aircraft Carriers) and smaller carriers to handle the ASW work, as we had when I was in. We need another ship building facility, like Newport News, on the west coast. There's only one dry dock big enough for the carriers - Bremerton, WA. Having only one major ship building company is absolutely absurd, this is exacerbated by Newport News being the only place to build new carriers, to refuel them, and do other maintenance. This whole setup was extremely short sighted by the Navy and the government.

[MrTPF]

I was a Mustang officer for 24 years, but I have been retired from active duty for 20+ years. I was assigned to four ships and rode several others for various lengths of time including several submarines. Every vessel has since been decommissioned, sold to foreign governments, sold as scrap, or sunk during large-scale training exercises. It breaks my heart to think about all of those great ships & boats that were our homes and beloved vessels for decades being put out to pasture like that.

[gregswarmer]

Hi served on the USS, John F Kennedy and USS forestall in the 70s. I was an AO, and ran the elevator shop on the Forrestal when I was discharged. I would love to see some of the mothball fleet return to service.

[hilliswaddell]

Every ship I served on has been decommissioned (USS Sea Devil SSN 664, USS Saratoga CV 60, USS Taylor FFG 50. The USS Frank Cable AS 40 may still be in active service. We need at least a 500 ship Navy.

[keithhull]

I served on the Kitty Hawk in the mid-sixties. A bit of trivia...in the movie, "Seven Days in May", a movie about a plot by the Chairman and several members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff t ol overthrow the government, the Counsel to the President is sent somewhere in the Mediterranean to obtain a sworn affidavit from the Commander of the Sixth Fleet as to his role in the plot. The counsel, portrayed by Martin Balsam, arrives at the Admiral's flagship and as he is escorted across the flight deck, you can plainly see the number 63 emblazoned on the superstructure, which is the number of the USS Kity Hawk! At the time this scene was filmed Kitty Hawk was in San Diego undergoing repairs and I was aboard her. I remember watching the scene being shot while standing well out of camera range!

[EricWilliams-peli]

I was a radioman on USS Flatley (FFG-21). She decommisioned in '96 and was transferred to the Turkish Navy as TCG Gemlik (F 492).

[John-dvhu]

Not many hot mid day sunny days in Bremerton.

[briananderson]

The teaser pix includes Forrestals; CV-61 Ranger, and CV-62 Independence, and Kitty hawks; CV-63 Kitty Hawk, CV-64 constellation. Those 4 carriers were in a pix in 2012 at Bremerton. At this time in 2023 all 4 have been sold for scrapping.

[oscarvalenzuela]

Awesome video. USS IOWA is docked in SAN PEDRO, CA. 🤙

[tracybrown]

I think that some of the month ball fleet should be refitted into backup power stations placed along coastal cities and rivers that are plaged with natural disasters such as hurricanes and tornadoes. By floating these ships that have been refitted up into a dirty dry dock, then after water supply from rivers have been setup, can be filled in with dirt to prevent from sinking. Can supply electricity from each ships original ship board generators. The current fuel tanks can hold long term fuel storage for lengthy power runtime. In addition each ship is already setup with a helo pad that handle air reps and arrival and departure of personal for various reasons. Not withstanding radar and in house medical facilities that can handle small emergencies.
The bigger the cities the more ships. The biggest cities can have non nuclear aircraft carriers that can handle large numbers of helicopter operations simultaneously. Plus having onboard repair shops.

[charlespeyersen]

I served on the America and Independence between 1977-1980. I know the America sits 262 miles due east of Cape Hattersa of the N.C. shore. Just found out the Indy is in Bremerton, great ships and better memories!!!

[MichaelNiemiec-ftyv]

I lived in Bayonne, NJ and the naval base there had a few carriers mothballed there. The USS LEYTE, the YORKTOWN were stored in the drydock there. I made my way to the drydock during the armed forces day and was able to get to the bottom of the dry dock and see the Leyte looming above me. An experience I will never forget. Also in Kearney, NJ there was a naval scrap yard there where I watched many destroyers and support carriers cut up for scrap. The USS Wasp, the USS Franklin D Roosevelt, the USS Lake Champlain were some of the ships scrapped there. My dad served on two carriers the Kearsarge and Phillipine Sea so when carriers came in to be scrapped, he would take me to see them by the roadside.

[BuggsOgden]

I served on the Ranger in 1970-71, I believe it was her 4th West-Pac during the Vietnam War. Years later we tried, unsuccessfully to have her saved as a museum ship but she ended up being towed to Brownsville TX. and scrapped. It would have been nice if at least one Forrestall class Super Carrier could have been saved.

[ryanS]

Was on the USS Hayler DD997 from 2000-03. Was a Spruance class destroyer. I’m not as much worried about the size of the navy but more worried about the training needed. I think 350 though would be a good number. Oh Hayler was sunk a few years after I transferred. There’s a video of the sinkex online somewhere. Never had the heart to watch it. That was home to me for 3 years

[greg-nelsonlambert-vaca]

I served on the Coast Guard Cutter WHEC-716 USCGC Dallas, commissioned in 1967 . She was decommissioned in 2012. The vessel was then transferred to the Philippine Navy and renamed BRP Ramon Alcaraz (FF-16). There are some Coast Guard ships that are in some of the storage areas that you spoke about in your video. I know there is one Ice Breaker and I think at least 1 Buoy Tender

[puirYorick]

Just mustering the personnel to serve on those ships right now would be a challenge. Then there's the extra complexity of finding ways to train them on non-current technical systems when the ones who used them in the past are no longer around to teach. Younger generations seem to rely on Googling everything at the last second. Nobody seems to have ready knowledge anymore.

[flyboya]

I was an E-2C pilot and served mostly on the USS Kennedy. I also has a few weeks on the Kitty Hawk. Both of those ships are now decommissioned. Last I heard was that the Kennedy was already sold off for scrap which does not sit well with me since I went to war on that ship and have most of my memories of service from that time frame. As for the size of a Navy that we need to properly do the job we are tasked with we will most likely never have enough ships to properly carry out those tasks due to budgets constraints.