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singbowl1 t1_j7fng55 wrote

camped out on that thing with the boy scouts many moons ago

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repo_code t1_j7gdvgy wrote

Me too. Oh to be young and subject to mild childhood pro-military propaganda again.

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vtjohnhurt t1_j7gfi26 wrote

Looking back on my boy scout days, I realize that in a different place and time, I would have been a stand-out in Hitler Youth. Since then I've outgrown my fascist tendencies, but the appeal of fascism is a clear developmental phase for many boys. Fascism spoke to my pubescent derangement.

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bjanas t1_j7giez8 wrote

You caught at least one downvote for this (not from me) but there's absolutely truth to what you said. I really enjoyed my Boy Scout days but in a slightly alternate timeline they would definitely have been some kind of youth corps.

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onomonothwip t1_j7gwpob wrote

You guys took some really, really - REALLY weird shit away from Boyscouts, or were in a really, really - REALLY shitty troop.

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bjanas t1_j7gzipk wrote

I'm not dumping on the scouts, I think you're whooshing here.

In a different environment, a quasi militaristic group for children like that, with ranks and camaraderie and such, would absolutely be a utilized and weaponized by bad actors.

I had a good experience in the scouts. Would do again. But if you can't recognize what we're talking about here I'd read a couple of history books. No hate on the scouts.

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onomonothwip t1_j7h3jjb wrote

Ah yeah, history, good point. Because Nazi's existed, all organizations are precursors to Hitler Youth. Thanks for pointing me to all that subtle nuance, bud.

​

Youth organizations go back at least to the Greek times, Historian.

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bjanas t1_j7h3y38 wrote

...still kind of missing the point. Yeah, there have always been youth organizations. And they've often been used as politicized youth corps/policing/etc by groups over the years.

Nobody's calling the Boy Scouts Hitler Youth. Because it's just an entirely different environment. If you can't wrap your head around the idea that a fascist state or other authoritarian regime in power would ABSOLUTELY utilize a group like that in a similar way, that's fine.

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onomonothwip t1_j7h5m41 wrote

I don't know why you are suggesting that I 'can't wrap my head around it' - especially when I pointed out the specific historical example you were dancing around. Of course I 'get' it, but I think it's a pointless thing to bring up.

I also find it stupid to specify 'fascism' when we're really talking about extremism, which has historically taken root in countless different corners and pockets of marginalized society.

I dunno, boy scouts had a ton of issues, and I always despised the broader organization, but other than kids in uniforms being taught discipline and pride as positive concepts (How dare they!), there's simply no deeper or meaningful connection.

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bjanas t1_j7h680x wrote

Ok, on the F word, you brought up the Nazis, so sorry if that feels like a stretch. And I went out of my way to say "or other authoritarian regime in power"; you're unfairly characterizing what I said as only including fascism.

All this conversation started from was a couple of people saying "you know, being in the Boy Scouts I can understand the appeal of those types of youth groups" and you rolled in to basically say "nuh uh, the boy scounts aren't the Hitler Youth!"

You're not refuting our point, you're just going out of your way to defend the Boy Scouts when they're not even being attacked.

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Demptastical t1_j7fozvi wrote

Same, very fun

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VMProductionsGPK t1_j7fv1gk wrote

We went with my brother’s troop one winter…big. mistake. The heaters, were not quiet, neither were the 3-4 other boy scout troops who we were sharing the bunk space with, on top of the whole space smelling pungently of diesel. Suffice it to say, while touring the ship was entertaining, the experience of sleeping (or trying to sleep) on this behemoth in the winter - would not recommend. (-5/10)

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ScribingWhips t1_j7gecfe wrote

It's a warship not a hotel

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VMProductionsGPK t1_j7gezad wrote

See, I was confused by it being bolted to the dock, decommissioned, and full of rowdy kids at three o’clock in the morning. There being no room service really should have tipped me off that it was in fact a battle ship, and not a hotel. Thank you for clarifying for me!

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ScribingWhips t1_j7ghn7l wrote

I could tell by your complaining you were a little confused. Always happy to help.

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DarthT15 t1_j7hx2gt wrote

You could have probably called the French Hoche a hotel.

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[deleted] t1_j7hpd7y wrote

Managed to weasel that camp out and the submarine one before leaving the scouts.

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3720-To-One t1_j7ftl9l wrote

Has the distinction of firing the first and last 16” shells of the war.

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BostonDodgeGuy t1_j7gwfc6 wrote

Also has the distinction of never losing a man. Despite coming under fire from submarines, destroyers, another battleship, shore installations, kamikaze attacks, and sailing through the heart of a typhoon.

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blamatron t1_j7gkjxw wrote

She had a really impressive career for a WWII battleship.

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georgecostanza37 t1_j7g5a7d wrote

Battleship cove is the world’s largest collection of Naval Vessels. It’s not as big as that title, but pretty cool it’s right in Fall River

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bfa_y t1_j7ivys1 wrote

lol got a source on that one?

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TAway69420666 t1_j7jwjcr wrote

Wikipedia claims it is the largest collection of WWII vessels but doesn't have a citation. But yeah, for sure like... San Diego definitely has more naval vessels..

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noodle-face t1_j7ftpqk wrote

The volunteers there do a great job of maintaining this and the other ships there. My boys always have so much fun when we go.

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somegridplayer t1_j7g2v6q wrote

She's in tough shape and running out of money last I heard. Was there when they blew up the stacks in Somerset and she could have used some love.

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noodle-face t1_j7g6nv4 wrote

We went last year and it looked good to us, but with kids we were zipping everywhere. They were doing renovations when we were there

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somegridplayer t1_j7g8k96 wrote

They had about a million and a quarter but they need more. In the next couple years she needs a real hull inspection. She's getting rough below the waterline.

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BrockVegas t1_j7g9xx6 wrote

Does she even float anymore?

I though she was permanently attached to that mooring on the bottom left.

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BostonDodgeGuy t1_j7gwqhv wrote

"Permanently" moored with rope and chain. She's still free to move with the tides and is floating.

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DeadassBdeadassB t1_j7hvb0e wrote

If she’s in the water, she’s floating. You can just have it sitting on the bottom😂

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stametsprime t1_j7i7rm3 wrote

USS Intrepid is sitting on the bottom of the Hudson River.

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triplefreshpandabear t1_j7iald3 wrote

Really, didn't know that, the Intrepid was one of the best museum experiences I've had, as someone who loves naval history, aviation and spaceflight history it ticked all my boxes, I was a kid in a candy shop.

Edit My wife said to add to this that she is not a battleship person but that she loved the intrepid, and to tell y'all if you want to do a military history thing but still something the wife and kids will enjoy the intrepid is good, so much cool stuff.

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stametsprime t1_j7iaz34 wrote

I agree, it’s a fantastic museum. Officially it’s supposed to be floating, but it will often be settled in the muck at the bottom of the river…unlike the USS Kidd, which is out of the water completely due to the level of the Mississippi River.

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GraphiteGru t1_j7fxlhs wrote

Until I was in my 40's and went there as a parent escort for a Scout Trip I always thought that those huge turrets with the large 16 inch guns just sort of "sat on top of the deck". I thought they sat on a kind of turntable and they brought the ammo and powder to them as needed.

Never realized that they were large multi deck structures that go deep into the hull and that the whole thing rotates. You cannot even see most of what rotates as it is inside the ship. Still amazed how they got the shells and the bags of gunpowder from the magazine (where you certainly dont want them to explode) up to the guns.

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bjanas t1_j7gixw3 wrote

If I'm not mistaken, your turntable analogy is more apt than you may have meant. I believe that they're not even technically "secured" to the ship. As in, if a Titan were to pick up the ship and turn it upside down, the guns would just fall out of their mounts.

Obviously they're not going to go anywhere in the real world, I can't imagine how much they weigh, but I always thought that was cool.

Somebody with more knowledge, please correct me if I'm wrong!

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blamatron t1_j7gk5wd wrote

It happens when ships like this sink in deep water. They tumble on the way down and the turrets slip out. Thats why the wreck of the Bismarck has no guns.

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bjanas t1_j7gkea5 wrote

Ah yes I forgot about that bit! Pretty wild to think about.

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Evening_Storage_6424 t1_j7gexmt wrote

I live in Fall River! It’s such a weird mix of ghetto and historic beauty.

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onomonothwip t1_j7gvxiq wrote

Anyone who hasn't visited this ship - do so, and plan a whole day for it. There's a submarine and some Russky PT boats to visit as well. EAT A BIG BREAKFAST - food on the ship isn't great, and you don't want to explore the local area.

I spent roughly 1 dozen nights sleeping on this ship with Boyscouts, and good god did I get into trouble. My favorite memory was bringing in a screwdriver, removing the plexi glass behind the shells in the barbett, and leading my buddies inside the main guns.

Inside is a substantial coat of creosote, and it instantly smells of history. There's not too much to see until you climb all the ladders to the bottom of the ship - and you have to be careful and time it right because you climb through a 'fish tank' area where other patrons can see you inside climbing past a plexi-wall. At the bottom, heavy oil all over, ancient lightbulbs with filaments the size of a noodle and putting out a surprisingly dim but warm glow, and a danker, mustier smell that just... warms you, somehow. Down here is the breach of the main gun, but it's huge and not dummy proofed. There was an ancient news paper laying there half rotted away - an antique, but of no consequential date.

​

I honestly hope they've secured those panels better these days, I recognize it wasn't ideal I went down there, but I was a mischievous kid. I'm glad I did, and I did so with the utmost respect for the history of that ship. I've recently visited the USS Midway Aircraft Carrier in San Diego - and I can say unequivocally - the Battleship Massachusetts is a far less advanced, and far superior experience. No shade to the Midway, but damn the Massachusetts has moxy.

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BostonDodgeGuy t1_j7gzliv wrote

> Russky PT boats to visit as well

No such thing. The PT boats are US boats including Motor torpedo boat PT-617, also known as Big Red Cock and Dragon Lady, is the sole surviving 80' Elco type PT boat and represents the United States's most heavily used, highly favored, and combat-tested PT boat type in World War II. PT-617 is a PT-103-class Elco motor torpedo boat of the same type as the famous PT-109 commanded by future President, John F. Kennedy.

Motor torpedo boat PT-796, was laid down on 3 May 1945, launched on 23 June, and completed after the end of the war on 26 October as a 78-foot PT boat built by Higgins Industries of New Orleans, LA. The last of her type to be constructed, she was nicknamed Tail Ender.

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onomonothwip t1_j7h3pfi wrote

What was Russian, there? I thought it was the PT boats?!

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BostonDodgeGuy t1_j7h56o9 wrote

The East German ship Hiddensee is a Tarantul I class corvette built at the Petrovsky Shipyard, located near the Soviet city of St. Petersburg (formerly Leningrad). The world's only exhibited example of a Soviet-built missile corvette.

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onomonothwip t1_j7h79ya wrote

I very badly want to yell "CLOSE ENOUGH!"

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BostonDodgeGuy t1_j7h82zn wrote

Comparing a 80foot 57 ton boat to a 184 foot 549 ton boat friend. And the bigger boat is faster.

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onomonothwip t1_j7hbiue wrote

I was talking about East German produced in Russia vs Russia :)

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BostonDodgeGuy t1_j7hj23p wrote

Ah, deepest apologies. It's my day off so I basically woke up stoned.

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monotoonz t1_j7kbn1k wrote

When was the last time you went? Because the local area has BANGING restaurants. The Cove, Tipsy Toboggan, Tipsy Seagull, Sagres... All places with great food and drink.

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onomonothwip t1_j7mr96p wrote

The majority of visits were 20-25 years ago, and I did visit about 6-8 years ago.

I honestly am reacting to the IMMEDIATE area of Battleship cove. The walk to the Maritime Museum.

I just google street mapped it and WOW. WHAT A CHANGE. Under the overpass was nothing but abandoned cars with trash, that area was SCUMMY.

​

Huge improvement - glad to find out about that! Thanks!

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triplefreshpandabear t1_j7idxxu wrote

I've commented about this before both here and on YouTube, I am 100% biased about the Battleship Massachusetts, because I am a bay stater, a Masshole if you will, but I genuinely think that while there may be bigger, more impressive battleships (though not many), out there, they aren't "better" ships. Big Mammie did all the things battleships are meant to do, completely crushed it in those roles, saw combat in the Atlantic and Pacific, took hits as she dished them out, dodged torpedoes, and yet never lost a soul to enemy action. She rained hell on her foes again and again, first and last 16" shots of the war for America, and still she brought her boys home safe, that makes Massachusetts better in my opinion. The Iowa class ships are beautiful, Texas is old and storied, the North Carolina was a carrier's best friend with the AA she would throw up (making her allies think she caught fire because she was guns blazing) but Big Mammie got her hands dirty in scraps all over the world, from flagship in operation torch duking it out with shore battery's and the disadvantaged but still very dangerous Jean Bart, to the last big guns firing on Kamashi hitting industry on the Japanese Home islands before the end of the war. She earned her rest as a museum, she has stories to tell, I'm glad we've given her a second role in retirement to tell them.

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DarthT15 t1_j7issee wrote

It sucks that a lot of interesting ships were sunk or scrapped, would’ve loved to have seen ships like the Yamato or Bismarck preserved as well. Some of the Italian and French BBs would’ve been great as well.

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triplefreshpandabear t1_j7ixruz wrote

Agreed, so many ships I wish were preserved, USS Enterprise, HMS Warspite, a four stacker destroyer and a standard type battleship. Some of the cool unique stuff from the polish destroyers or the Australian scrap iron flotilla. Japanese cruisers are interesting, the pazershif (not sure on the spelling) pocket battleships, there's just so many cool ships from the battleship era

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stevenl1219 t1_j7g25of wrote

I have family that live nearby and they get a nice view of that from their bedroom window and driveway.

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Tombstone_Shadow t1_j7g509q wrote

I was just down in Battleship Cove last night, first time in at least 40 years. This is very timely post, thanks for sharing.

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Zaius1968 t1_j7hu480 wrote

This is one of the best naval exhibits around in my opinion. Audio your is awesome and you have access to a large portion of the ship.

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Bmkrocky t1_j7gx645 wrote

Loved bringing my kids there! Went a bunch of times and always learn and see new things.

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[deleted] t1_j7fq9fx wrote

I need to bring my son to see that big boy while playing Sabaton - Dreadnought on the way even if it isn't technically one.

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USS_Massachusetts t1_j7fqewi wrote

I went to it and never knew it was the Mass.

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bjanas t1_j7gj136 wrote

I'm trying to wrap my head around how you managed that?

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USS_Massachusetts t1_j7gua0p wrote

I was not very intelligent back then and didn’t even know what the place was called

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FAHQRudy t1_j7hdmpa wrote

Recently featured in the film Don’t Look Up.

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DarthT15 t1_j7hwdop wrote

I like how they did her in Azur lane too.

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bws155 t1_j7i44mg wrote

I can smell this picture

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kickstand t1_j7iyhzd wrote

It’s not so fast anymore.

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Spin_Me t1_j7l0bq2 wrote

I visited here as a young boy, and it was the BEST field trip ever

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jacobjivanov t1_j7h29n5 wrote

CT here, I much prefer the USS Connecticut. Seawolf-class Hunter Killer Submarine.

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triplefreshpandabear t1_j7ibm2a wrote

Yeah but you can't just visit an ssn like you can a lot of battleships the older USS Connecticut was a pretty storied BB, it was flagship of the great white fleet which was the best peacetime paint scheme for warships ever it was a good looking ship.

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jacobjivanov t1_j7ilq71 wrote

I was just trying to stir up some inter-state rivalry. The USS Massachusetts is pretty damn cool.

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triplefreshpandabear t1_j7iozps wrote

The USS Connecticut sub is probably cooler than they'll let us know for a long time, the seawolf subs are legit crazy impressive

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