The legendary battleship that pioneered the future of naval warfare

Cultures · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: She was the first to launch an aircraft, the first to use advanced fire-control directors, and the only Allied battleship to participate in all four of these major amphibious landings. Discover the remarkable history of the USS Texas, a vessel that served as a technological laboratory for the modern Navy.

Launched in May 1912, the USS Texas (BB-35) was far more than a heavy hitter in the New York-class fleet. While her 14-inch guns could hurl 1,400 lb shells over 13 miles, her true legacy lies in her role as a maritime testbed. She was the first American battleship to feature anti-aircraft weaponry and the first to utilize sophisticated range-keepers and directors to control gunfire. These early mechanical systems were the essential ancestors of the computerized targeting used in modern combat.

Her service record spanned the most turbulent decades of the 20th century. During World War I, she patrolled the North Sea as part of the British Grand Fleet and even participated in the first American shots of the war against a German U-boat. In World War II, her versatility was unmatched; she escorted Atlantic convoys and provided vital shore bombardment during the North African, Normandy, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa landings. This feat made her the sole Allied battleship to serve in all four of these pivotal amphibious operations.

Beyond combat, the Texas was a pioneer of naval aviation. In 1919, she became the first U.S. battleship to launch an airplane, a Sopwith Camel, from her deck. Subsequent experiments proved that aircraft-based spotting could increase gunfire accuracy by as much as 200 percent, fundamentally changing how battleships engaged targets. Today, the ship remains a vital piece of history, undergoing a massive $60 million restoration project to ensure her survival as a museum ship in Galveston.

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