THE amazing USS Alabama anchors this wide-ranging military park and war memorial on the shore of Mobile Bay just outside Mobile, Alabama.

 

The Alabama warship was one of the last battleships built during World War II, so it shows the latest battleship design up to that time.  It is shorter than earlier built battleships and has better protection underneath.  At 45,000 ton, the ship is 680 feet long with a 108-foot beam. Top speed was 28 knots and carried a crew of 2,500 crew members at the height of the war.

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The Alabama was completed at the Norfolk Navy Yard in 1943 and began its assignments in the Mediterranean Sea supporting the invasion of Sicily. She then moved to the North Atlantic off the southern coast of Norway in a failed attempt to lure the German battleship KMS Tirpitz out of harbor. Reassigned to the South Pacific, the Alabama first saw action off the Gilbert Islands and supported Marine and Army landings at various islands in the Pacific.  Her big guns pounded Japanese defenses on the islands while her own defense network threatened Japanese aircraft in the area.  The battleship moved to Nauru Island and served as an escort for the carriers USS Bunker Hill and USS Monterey.

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The Alabama also served during landings on New Guinea and attacks and the Marianas.  The ship later took part in the Battle of the Philippine Sea, where the Allied victory turned the tide of naval power

in their favor throughout the Pacific.  The ship also served in the bombardment at Guam, Tinian, and Saipan, and supported the Guam landings before engaging in battle at the Carolines and the Philippines and Okinawa. Then it was time to turn towards the Japanese mainland. The Japanese Empire fell in August 1945, and the USS Alabama steamed into Tokyo Bay on September 5, 1945.

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When the USS Alabama was removed from the Naval Register in 1962, the ship was destined to be scrapped.  But supporters in Alabama raised the fund to move the ship to Mobile, where today it is one of the more popular tourist attractions in the state.  

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Visitors to the park can also visit the Aircraft Pavilion and the USS Drum, a decommissioned submarine.  The pavilion includes various military aircraft, land vehicles, and other soldier artifacts from World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Cold War.  Outside the pavilion are tanks and other aircraft including a really cool super-secret spy plane, the A-12 Black Bird that is 125 feet long with a wing span of 65 feet.  The Black Bird flew missions for the CIA in 1965, flying 2,300 mph more than 93,000 feet high. 

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The USS Drum served during World War II and now sits on land for full viewing and inside tours.  It had a crew of 76 during World War II if you count the crew’s pet dog, Stateside. The Drum, an attack submarine, is the oldest American submarine on public display.  When in service, the Drum had a range of 11,000 nautical miles at a speed of 10 knots. It carried 24 torpedoes.  During the Drum’s tour of the South Pacific, the submarine went on 13 patrols, sinking a total of 15 ships. The grandest and most daring was the strikes the Drum made on an aircraft carrier that had a deck full of Japanese war planes. The torpedo attack caused the aircraft carrier to list so much, the deck was completely visible. During that attack the Drum was attacked by a destroyer and had to dive deeper to escape. On its way back to base, the Drum damaged a large Japanese tanker.

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Throughout the park grounds are various aircraft, including a Marine fighter plane, and several military tanks from American wars.

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Address

USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park

2703 Battleship Parkway

Mobile, AL 36602

 

Getting There

From Mobile

Take Government Street to downtown Mobile. Go through Bankhead Tunnel, turning right onto the Causeway as you exit. (Stay in left lane to get on Causeway.)  Follow the signs from the Causeway.

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From Gulf Shores or Orange Beach

Take State Highway 59 or the Foley Beach Express to I-10 west. Exit at the Downtown (Government Street) exit. Turn left at the light (don’t go through Bankhead Tunnel) and follow the signs.

 

Hours of Operation

April-September        8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

October to March      8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Every day except Christmas Day.  The ticket office closes one hour prior to closing time.

 

Admittance Fees

Adults and Children 12 and up:  $15

Children 6 to 11:  $6

Under 6: Free

Seniors 55 +:  $13

Discounts for active military and family.

Parking is $4