14inch/45caliber

Shell and Powder Magazines -  1st Platform 

1914 Description
In 1914, the magazines bulkheads were lined with cork.  They also had an early form of mechanical air conditioning. Each grouping of magazines (forward-turrets1 & 2, middle-turret3, and aft-turrets 4 & 5) had a "cooler box" fitted with pipe coils.  CO2 would circulate through the coils, supplied by one of two refrigerating plants. Forced air (from electric blowers) passing over the coils in the boxes would cool the air before entering the magazines.  Do not know when the cork and mechanical cooling systems were removed.

SHELLS - in red
1914:  1,130 (max), 1,000 (allowed).  - "General Information USS TEXAS finished plans 37 & 38".
1945:  1,255 (max), 1,200 (allowed).  "Max"  counting of locations by Wesley Grace, 4 Nov 2001.  "Allowed"  letter BB35/S78-3, Serial 091, dated 13 July 1944; Subject: Ammunition Storage -- Capacities aboard U.S.S. TEXAS", provided by Ed Morrison obtained from the National Archives.
Shells were stored nose-down.  The storage racks were modified 23 January - 25 February 1944 Boston Navy Yard to accommodate the Mark 19 HC and Mark 20 AP shells.  If the storage racks were modified prior to 1944 is unknown.  Horizontal Shell Storage?  In 1914, magazine storage position was horizontal, per "General Information USS TEXAS finished plans 37 & 38".  

OTHER LOCATIONS (max)

Barbette - Lower (all 5)

  • 1914:130 (26 per turret)
  • 1945:150 (30 per turret)

Barbette- Upper (Turret 1 and 2) 

  • 1914:  none listed
  • 1945: 122 -  #2 - 81, #4 - 41

 

Turret Gun House 

  • 1914:  184  - 40 each in1,3,5 and 32 each in 2, 4
  • 1945:  none
Shells Stored in the Gun House?.  Construction drawings of 1911 - 1912 show shells stored in the turret gun house.  "General Information USS TEXAS finished plans 37 & 38" lists 20 reserve shells in each gun house.  The means are present to lift and store the shells here.  Do not know if such storage ever occurred.  How could the shell be picked up rom the deck?  To lift the shell required a pad-eye being attached to the base of the shell, but the shell is sitting on it's base.  

POWDER BAGS - in gray
1914 -  4,072 (in 2,018 tanks) "General Information USS TEXAS finished plans 37 & 38".  Allowed:  4,000 (in 2,000 tanks).  1914 thru July 1944.  Do not know if an allowed change occurred after July 1944.
1945  4,224 (in 2,112 tanks) - March 2003 counting of tank locations (6 high - 2 bags per tank), by volunteer Wesley Grace.
Powder bags were stored in galvanized tanks (2 bags  per tank) and stacked 6 tanks high.