Using a Battleship As An Icebreaker

In this episode we're talking about icebreakers!

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The views and opinions expressed in this video are those of the content creator only and may not reflect the views and opinions of the Battleship New Jersey Museum & Memorial, the Home Port Alliance for the USS New Jersey, Inc., its staff, crew, or others. The research presented herein represents the most up-to-date scholarship available to us at the time of filming, but our understanding of the past is constantly evolving. This video is made for entertainment purposes only.

[derekm]

Not designed to be museum, but doing a great job!

[Joseph]

If I'm using an Iowa to break ice - you'd better believe I'm using the 5" guns, not the hull

[HalSchirmer]

Reminds me of April 2020, Venezuelan Coast Guard patrol boat 'Naiguata' sank itself by ramming the bow of the Portuguese flagged cruise ship 'Resolute'. Turns out Resolute was Swedish built to 'A1 icebreaker' standards.
Resolute suffered some scraped paint, but Naiguata folded in her bow, took on water and sank.

[DrGeorgePBurdell-USN-]

The footage used from 1:17 - 2:18 was from the USCGC Polar Star during ODF17, when I was on board. Imagine living in an earthquake for a month. That's an icebreaker.

Also, as far as shooting the guns to break ice, in 2017 there was 74 miles of ice that we had to break. Took 2 weeks. Thinner ice was 3-7 ft thick, thicker ice was 7-18 ft. And, Antarctic ice is different from Arctic ice because the weight of the ice compresses it onto the land before it gets to the sea, whereas the Arctic has no land to compress the ice: Antarctic ice thus is much more solid, and much harder to break.

Btw, i was watching from the main deck when the PR Chief got that shot of the icebreaker headed straight for the camera (2:01). Small team was off the ship, had a line tied to the tripod, yanked it clear about 20 feet from impact.

Was a fun trip overall.

[Doctors_TARDIS]

I clicked on this thinking "Absolutely no way"
The battleship is engineered basically the exact opposite of everything you want in an icebreaker.

[dougermouse]

That footage of the screws reminds me that the USS Iowa shirt I have has an error on it. It has 4 4 blade screws listed on the back, but as this footage shows, the inner ones are 5 bladed. Make sure to give your peers on the Iowa a bad time about printing a shirt with the wrong screws on it. Great job, it always makes me smile to have a view in the video that is one that I just had as well. Doubles how real it is.

[hackerjohnt]

The British HMS Jupiter a pre-dreadnaught built in 1899 spent time in 1915 as a temporary icebreaker around Arkhangelsk and did a pretty good job. But she also came away with significant damage to her bow.

[Milleneum]

Next time you are at a party remember these facts. They could be just the ice breaker you need to get to know that special person. ❄ ❄

[DrGeorgePBurdell-USN-]

Having been a Navy chaplain who was assigned briefly to a USCG icebreaker in the Antarctic, I am very intrigued! Caught my attention alright!!

[klsc]

Ryan, here in Michigan we do have an icebreaker museum ship. The retired Coast Guard Icebreaker Mackinaw She is located at the very northern part of the lower peninsula in Mackinaw City, Michigan. Very near the southern end of our Mighty Mackinaw Bridge.

[Knight]

The Russian Navy did this as in March 1918, the USSR had a problem because Finland had become independent and under the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, the Soviets were required to leave the base at Helsinki or be interned.

However, there is 1 big problem, the Gulf of Finland would freeze over between late November to late April, trapping any ships in port. Instead of negotiating with Finland to allow the staying of the Soviet ships in Helsinki until the ice thawed in May, SN Sevastopol and her Gangut class battleship sisters led the 1st group of ships out on a perilous 5-day voyage from Helsinki to Kronstadt through the ice-covered Baltic.

The fleet departed on March 12th 1918.

Fortunately, their luck held, and the 1st group made it to Kronstadt on March 17th 1918 even though the ice voyage could end in disaster if anything went wrong

[ReclinedPhysicist]

You could use a battleship as an emergency generator during a power blackout

[fullsalvo]

16 inch HE for the win against ice!!! Great video! Thanks for the explanation, sir

[justtube]

In many real life situations where icebreakers are used to assist other vessels they need excellent maneuverability. They need to cut other ships free from solid ice, tugg them through ice fileds with packed ice.
Requirements can include the ability to turn 180 degrees in 3 minutes within two ship's lengths in heavy ice conditions. All this can be achieved by a power and propulsion system, which offer fast flexibel precision and the ability to direct propulsion freely. Better maneuverability than a fixed propeller and rudder system can offer are often needed.

[charlesmaurer]

Could see repurposing some Cordite and using a chopper to bomb the Ice just ahead after shelling a track in a pinch, or if it is thick enough send some seals on the Ice with said cordite and det cord to demo a path. One bag every 100 ft in a shoveled hole in two parallel lines ought to blast a channel. My first thought was one you pointed out was the thin armor on the forecastle and one you failed to mention, an Icebreaker is not just armored in the bow but normally has a double layered bow that adds to the reinforcement plus protects against crack caused leaks. They also often are set up with steam cannons for making ice runways, aid in breaking tough bits or clearing their own hull.

[pa]

I honestly didn't expect the NJ to be so thin up front. Thanks!

[patrickm]

Ive been aboard the USCGC Mackinaw WAGB 83. She is moored in Mackinaw City, Michigan as a museum. I highly recommend a visit if your in the area. She's 290 feet in length and a beam of 74 feet. Active from 1944 to 2006 so she had a good run. From what I understand from my visit she was getting costly to to operate and the Coast Guard went to a more efficient and of course modern combination icebreaker and buoy tender.

[emmabird]

Hi Ryan. Ice breakers are short for another reaso. When their bows rrise up onto the ice they produce a "sagging" bending moment in the hull which on a battleship would severely buckle the plating on the upper hull admidships. After that the battleship would be only good for scrap. Not a sensible thing to do.
Also the rails around the stern of other warships is part of the torpedo defense, not emergency fenders (which in any case would puncture the plating of a ship along side).
Otherwise you are right on the money.
PS, when Graf Spee was in Montievideo, I'm sure her guns acted as an (other sort of) "ice-breaker" with the Uraguay government.

[jedironin]

As you discussed in the video, I know some people don't understand how an icebreaker ship works. It doesn't "ram" the ice to break it, it rides up on top of the ice, then shifts ballast weight forward and crushes the ice. Thanks for including the details, as always!

[krtwood]

The battleship would be excellent for the cannon fire in the 1812 overture.