During the first quarter of the 20th century, the major naval powers
of the world built hundreds of Dreadnought-style battleships. Today
there is only one.
The battleship Texas was for a time the most powerful weapon
on earth. When it was commissioned in 1914, the 14-inch guns
were the largest in the world. This technological marvel of the
time served with the British Grand Fleet in World War I and was the
flagship of the entire U.S. Navy between the two World Wars.
During the Second World War, an older Texas, past its prime,
supported amphibious invasions in North Africa, Normandy,
Southern France, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. The ship and her crew
were preparing for the invasion of Japan when the war ended and the
Texas came home.
No longer needed to defend her country, the Texas was saved
from the scrap yard to become our nation's first historic ship
museum in 1948. Now lying peacefully in her berth at the San
Jacinto State Park near Houston, the battleship Texas is still
serving her country—teaching instead of fighting.
The Texas is the only battleship remaining in the world today
that served in World War I and the only ship remaining of any
type that served in both World Wars. This is the story of the
battleship Texas and the brave men who walked its decks.
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JOHN C. FERGUSON is the director of the San Jacinto Battleground
State Historic Site where Battleship Texas is located. He is the
author of Texas Myths and Legends (McWhiney Foundation Press,
2003) and Hellcats (State House Press, 2004).
Number Four: Military History of Texas Series
Other Histories about Texas Travel Destinations
