Naval Research Book III: Operation AZUR LANE

Bio #7: U.S.S. Texas (BB-35)

Ship Bio #1: Class and Service

U.S.S. Texas (BB-35) is the 2nd sister ship of the New York-class battleships. Like her older sister, she was built around the 1910s and entered service during World War 1. She was also built to carry the 14-inch (356 mm)/45-caliber gun. 

U.S.S. Texas (BB-35) was also known to be a technological testbed, this is because she was the first battleship to mount anti-aircraft guns, the first US warship to control gunfire with directors and range-keepers, the first US battleship to launch an aircraft, and one of the first US Navy warships to receive production radar.

Upon her return to active duty with the fleet, Texas resumed a schedule alternating between training operations along the New England coast and off the Virginia Capes and winter fleet tactical and gunnery drills in the West Indies. That routine lasted just over two years until the February-to-March crisis over unrestricted submarine warfare catapulted the US into World War I in April 1917. The April 6 declaration of war found Texas riding at anchor in the mouth of the York River with the other Atlantic Fleet battleships. She remained in the Virginia Capes–Hampton Roads vicinity until mid-August, conducting exercises and training Naval Armed Guard gun crews for service onboard merchant ships.

She is the most advanced superdreadnought or battleship at that time. To intimidate it more, the U.S.S. Texas was the first US Navy battleship to incorporate marines in its crew. Which means that, battle hardened soldiers took control of the largest and advanced battleship at that time.

In WW1, unlike U.S.S. New York, enemy ships from the Central Powers didn't dare to attack the U.S.S. Texas, so, her service in WW1 isn't eventful.

When WW1 had ended, on July 26, 1919, she entered the Pacific Ocean as part of the newly formed Pacific Fleet and she would spend the next five and half years as a part of Pacific Fleet. On July 17 the following year, she was designated BB-35 under the Navy's newly adopted alpha-numeric system of hull classification symbols.

On July 31, 1925, U.S.S. Texas (BB-35) she entered Norfolk Navy Yard for a major modernization overhaul. The overhaul, which replaced both cage masts with tripod masts, replaced her 14 Babcock & Wilcox coal-fired boilers with 6 Bureau Express oil-fired boilers, added anti-torpedo bulges and upgraded her fire-control equipment, was completed on 23 November 1926.

Also, her AA armament was increased to eight 3-inch guns, and the torpedo tubes were removed. Six of the 5-inch guns were relocated to new main deck casemates at this time. Following completion of her overhaul, Texas was designated the flagship of the United States Fleet and resumed duty along the eastern seaboard.

In 1937, eight 1.1-inch (28 mm) AA guns in two quadruple mounts were added to improve the light AA armament. In December 1938, Texas received for testing the first shipborne radar designed and made by a commercial company, RCA, for the US Navy, the 385 MHz CXZ. In 1941, Texas was one of fourteen ships to receive the RCA CXAM-1 radar.

When WW2 came, the battleship was considered obsolete due to it being 3 decades old, she's no longer the most advanced battleship as compared to other ships such as the Bismarck-class, Yamato-class, and new American fast battleships.

However, her crew has brought and learned 3 decades of experience. Thus her service in the 2nd World War made her a naval legend, being the American battleship to have participated in all 5 theaters of the war.

Her most famous operation was in the D-Day landings, 1944. The U.S.S. Texas takes its position about 12,000 yards off the coastline to which she was tasked like the other warships, to do naval and shore bombardments against enemy fortifications. She fired over 255 rounds over 34 minutes before she ran out of ammo.