Battleship Texas Foundation

Battleship Texas Foundation The official page of the Battleship Texas Foundation. For more information on Battleship Texas, please visit: BATTLESHIPTEXAS.ORG

, June 7, 1944, the USS TEXAS (BB-35) receives information from the USS HARDING (DD-625) that the Ranger forces at Poin...
06/07/2026

, June 7, 1944, the USS TEXAS (BB-35) receives information from the USS HARDING (DD-625) that the Ranger forces at Pointe Du Hoc were requesting small arms ammunition, food, and that a number of the wounded were badly in need of medical attention. TEXAS obtained two LCVPs, provided food, water, and ammunition, and dispatched the landing craft to the beach below Pointe Du Hoc.

In the afternoon, the LCVPs returned with thirty-five wounded from the 2nd Ranger Battalion, twenty-seven prisoners of war, and one deceased member of the United States Coast Guard. Those who were able would climb aboard while others were hoisted using the ship's cranes. The entire medical staff of TEXAS tended to the wounded, working steadily throughout the night. One Ranger, Staff Sergeant Leon H. Otto, F Co., 2nd Ranger Battalion, died on the ship's operating table from wounds he sustained while fighting at Pointe Du Hoc.

📷: U.S. Navy hospital corpsmen carry wounded American Rangers down the main deck of the battleship USS Texas, after bringing them from the French coast. 7 June 1944.

Throughout the day on June 6, 1944, the USS TEXAS (BB-35) continued to fire on targets of opportunity, such as machine g...
06/07/2026

Throughout the day on June 6, 1944, the USS TEXAS (BB-35) continued to fire on targets of opportunity, such as machine gun and mortar positions, field batteries, troop emplacements, and ammunition depots. The last fire mission against enemy vehicles occurred at 8:45 pm and lasted until 9:09 pm, resulting in effective fire and several hits.

Just under seven hundred projectiles were fired into northern France, leading to a successful shore bombardment, allowing Allied forces to make headway in the liberation of Europe. Eighty-two years later, the Battleship TEXAS, the last remaining battleship to participate in the landings at Normandy, reminds us of the great sacrifices made by those who took part in the largest amphibious invasion of Europe.

📷: United States Marines aboard the battleship U.S.S. TEXAS, man a 40mm. antiaircaft gun at a position just off the coast of France. The leathernecks are having a dull time due to the absence of the German Luftwaffe. 6 June 1944

On June 6, 1944, Cecil Carnes, a War Correspondent reporting for the Saturday Evening Post, found himself among the crew...
06/06/2026

On June 6, 1944, Cecil Carnes, a War Correspondent reporting for the Saturday Evening Post, found himself among the crew of the USS TEXAS (BB-35), watching as Allied soldiers stormed ashore at Omaha Beach. He recalls accompanying Rear Admiral Carleton F. Bryant, the commander of the force providing gunfire support during the Normandy invasion.

"Out on the deck again, I encountered Rear Admiral Carleton F. Bryant, the highly competent officer who was running this whole show. Bryant was the man who, in charge of convoy problems, brought hundreds of soldiers safely across the Atlantic. If the bottom of the ocean from America to England is paved with N**i submarines, it was chiefly Bryant who laid them there.

He invited me to accompany him to his lofty battle station on the flag bridge. As I climbed the companion way behind him, we passed two seamen who were talking with their backs to us. Said one loud: "My dough is on the little Admiral." Bryant, who is short and slight, half turned his head to see if I had heard. He smiled and went on, probably well pleased by a sailor's tribute." - Cecil Carnes, War Correspondent, Saturday Evening Post.

📷: Photograph of Admiral Bryant looking through binoculars on U.S.S. Texas. Courtesy of Texas Parks & Wildlife Department and The Portal to Texas History.

By 6:30 am on June 6, 1944, all bombardment fire had ceased as thousands of soldiers were to land on the beaches of Norm...
06/06/2026

By 6:30 am on June 6, 1944, all bombardment fire had ceased as thousands of soldiers were to land on the beaches of Normandy. Off the coast, the USS TEXAS (BB-35) and crew could only watch and wait as the largest amphibious European invasion was happening before them.

"About the time of the landings, the word was passed to secure Turret 1 and Turret 2 and to shoot from Turrets 3 and 5, I think it was. If the turret crews wanted to go to the head, they could. Of course, we had a bucket down in the handling rooms. I went on deck and went to the lifelines to see what the hell was going on. I could see those Rangers close enough to hear them talking. They were puking in those rough seas. They went ashore and got chopped up. It was a hell of a mess." - John F. Frederick, USS TEXAS (BB-35)

The first fire support mission would come at 7:42 am, as TEXAS trained her main battery and fired eleven armor-piercing 14"/45 cal. rounds at machinegun nests and pillboxes located by spotter planes.

📷: Marines from the USS TEXAS (BB-35) watch as soldiers land on the beaches of Normandy, France. June 6, 1944. Courtesy of Texas Parks & Wildlife Department.

06/06/2026

, June 6, 1944, at 5:50 am, the Battleship TEXAS commences bombardment fire at its assigned target, Pointe Du Hoc.

Two hundred and fifty-five 14"/45 caliber shells were fired at multiple ground installations, including casemates, gun emplacements, pillboxes, and underground tunnels, in just thirty-four minutes. The ship's bombardment had effectively neutralized the area, and reports state that not one square yard of ground was unturned. The invasion of Normandy, better known as "D-Day," had begun.

🎥: "D" DAY OFF COAST OF FRANCE. BOMBARDMENT OF COAST. Courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration.

Starting June 6, all steel and wood products will be 20% off! Now's your chance to grab that silhouette, paperweight, gr...
06/05/2026

Starting June 6, all steel and wood products will be 20% off!
Now's your chance to grab that silhouette, paperweight, grips, or deck plank you've been looking at. Heads up, our website has a new look. All steel and wood are located under the Dreadnought Collection!

🔗store.battleshiptexas.org/pages/dreadnought-collection
🔗store.battleshiptexas.org/pages/normandy

, June 5, 1944, the USS TEXAS (BB-35) alters course and enters a German minefield in swept channel #3. The ship's rada...
06/05/2026

, June 5, 1944, the USS TEXAS (BB-35) alters course and enters a German minefield in swept channel #3. The ship's radar is turned on to pick up allied minesweepers. The ship and its crew are preparing for the Allied invasion of Normandy, scheduled for the following day.

📷: The crew of the USS TEXAS (BB-35) studies the Normandy coastline in preparation for Operation Neptune.

, June 3, 1944, the USS TEXAS (BB-35) departed Belfast Lough, Northern Ireland, with the USS ARKANSAS (BB-33) and USS N...
06/03/2026

, June 3, 1944, the USS TEXAS (BB-35) departed Belfast Lough, Northern Ireland, with the USS ARKANSAS (BB-33) and USS NEVADA (BB-36), proceeding through British war channels destined for Baie de la Seine, France.

📷: USS TEXAS (BB-35) underway in March 1944.

Don’t miss Battleship TEXAS’ night of patriotic sparkle and fun as she lights up the sky to honor our nation’s history. ...
06/03/2026

Don’t miss Battleship TEXAS’ night of patriotic sparkle and fun as she lights up the sky to honor our nation’s history. The legendary Battleship TEXAS will launch the Island’s America 250 festivities, Friday, July 3rd with a dazzling drone display, gun turret salutes and fireworks show from the Port of Galveston. This event is FREE to the public.

Mark your calendars!
Friday, July 3, 2026
6:30 PM – 9:30 PM

Public viewing will be at Pier 21 (2100 Harborside Dr., Galveston TX 77550) or anywhere along the wharf.

Have you visited the Battleship TEXAS online store recently? Check out the new look and scout out your next purchase for...
06/03/2026

Have you visited the Battleship TEXAS online store recently? Check out the new look and scout out your next purchase for the upcoming Normandy Sale starting June 6, 2026.

🔗: store.battleshiptexas.org

Address

One Riverway Suite 2200
Houston, TX
77056

Telephone

+18328413500

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Battleship Texas Foundation posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Battleship Texas Foundation:

Shortcuts

Share

Category