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Atlantic Operations
1 January 1943 to 31 March 1944

The Operations

Sailed about 50,000 Miles as of 31 March 1944 and about 423,000 total miles.

1943 to 31 March 1944 continued as 1942 with 5 convoy escorts across the Atlantic.

Upgrades also continued with more extensive and significant changes to guns and electronics.


Casablanca: January - February (upgrades February - March)
Casablanca: May (upgrades June - August)
Gibraltar: August - September (upgrades September - October)
Belfast: October - November
Scotland: December 1943 - January 1944
 (upgrades January - February 1944)

1 April 1944. - Leaves for Scotland
 


Navigation Office, Signal Bridge
*** Bunks: The area also doubled as quarters for enlisted with bunk against the bulkhead (wall) forward and to the right.

*** Airplane photo process table - foreground-left. Reconnaissance photographs taken by the ship's airplanes were processed here. In the back area of the space was a desk where cameras were worked on

*** Coke syrup bottle: At the left edge of the photo



The 16 April 1944 arrival in "Tail-O-The-Bank", near Greenock, Scotland was her last Atlantic convoy escort. BB35 operations shifted to final preparation for her second WWII combat, the invasion of Normandy, in northern France, on 6 June 1944.
 

1st or 4 Upgrades 
23 February to 15 March 1943 - Norfolk Navy Yard
 
Paint Scheme: 3rd of 5
  From: Graded System - Measure 12
Applied March or April- May 1942, Norfolk Navy Yard.


To: Graded System - Measure 22


Next change: 14 September - 14 October 1944, New York Navy Yard.
 

Radar:  3rd of 4 types installed

First of two SG -1

By Raython with the curved shaped antenna located below fire control tower on the foremast. The radar operates using microwaves, which was a British development.  The antenna was later relocated atop the foremast when the SC-1 was removed.
SC-1

Still aboard (installed August 1942) with the antenna at the top of the foremast.  SC-1 removed in January-February 1944.

 

Both photos are after 15 March 1943 and before 1 June because no 40mm guns are aboard (installed 1-30 June, Boston Navy Yard



2nd of 4 Upgrades 
1 to 30 June, Boston Navy Yard
     

 92 of 94 Anti-Aircraft guns now aboard:

. Total Superstructure Main Deck Main Mast Sig Bridge Turret
2		 Turret
4		 Clip
Rm		 Flag
Bridge		 Crane
5inch 6 0 6              
3inch 10 8 to 6 2 to 4              
20mm 40 to 42 2 to 0 24 6 to 2   6 6 4 2 to 0 2 to 0
1.1inch 32 to 0 0 0   0          
40mm 40 16 16   8          

3rd of 4 Upgrades 
Summer-Fall, New York Navy Yard
*** SK radar being the fourth and final operational type with the antenna located on the mainmast
** A second SG radar, with the antenna located on the mainmast below the SK antenna  
*** 1mc-2mc: A public address system made by RCA installed  
         


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  4th of 4 Upgrades
23 January to 25 February 1944- Boston Navy Yard		  
     
  CIC  Equipment upgraded (no specifics - BB35 "War Diary")

14inch Shell hoists Modified to accommodate new ammunition (probably the Mark 19 High Capacity and the Mark 20 Armor Piercing)

Radar:  Removal SC-1 and relocation of the foremast SG-1 antenna atop the foremast. 

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Started 11 May 1999 Chuck Moore, FTV (1st Texas Volunteers) BB35 volunteer group