Summary: The USS Texas, a historical battleship that served in both World Wars, is set to be relaunched into the Galveston Channel after undergoing extensive repairs at the Gulf Copper dry dock. The Battleship Texas Foundation has completed hull maintenance, including patching and painting, in preparation for the ship's move to a new location for continued restoration. Efforts to restore the vessel to its 1945 condition include replacing steel plates and applying protective coatings. The ship, once berthed near the San Jacinto Battleground Memorial, will eventually be relocated to Pier 21 in Galveston to serve as a floating museum.

USS Texas Battleship Set for Historic Relaunch After Extensive Repairs

The only surviving battleship to see service in both World Wars will be back in the water on Tuesday. The USS Texas has been undergoing repairs at the Gulf Copper dry dock in Galveston since last year, and the ship's hull was recently patched and painted.

Thanks to favorable weather and tide forecasts – and with all the welding work done to make sure the museum vessel is truly shipshape – the Battleship Texas Foundation announced that the historic ship will slide out of dry dock and into Galveston Channel just as voters in the Lone Star State head to the polls for primary elections. 

According to a report from The Houston Chronicle, tugboats will pull the ship into the channel and position it for a short trip to a nearby pier. From there, and then eventually at another dock, work will continue on the USS Texas’ (BB-35) $75 million restoration efforts. Upcoming renovations will focus on the deck, interior rooms, and superstructures, including the radar and bridge towers.

The move to the temporary home will not be on view to the public. 

Returning USS Texas to Her Former Glory

Restoration of the centenarian warship has actually been focused on making the battleship appear as it did in 1945, at the end of the Second World War. Repairs have included replacing an estimated 700 tons of steel plate above and below the warship's waterline, as well as painting the hull to its 1945 appearance.

As previously reported, above the boot top – the black band on the hull – the ship has been painted Navy Blue 5-N. That color was matched from existing examples found both internally and externally on the vessel.

The USS Texas would have also been painted that color during most, but not all, of her service. The ship was painted in the Measure 21 camouflage scheme prior to deploying to the Pacific Theater during World War II. That measure was used extensively in the western and southern Pacific from mid-1942 through 1945 to minimize detection and identification by enemy aircraft.

The battleship's hull has also been coated with PPG Sigmashield 880 GF, which should offer protection from the elements for decades to come. While historically the ship would be treated with a red antifouling coat, such coating is no longer needed as the ship is not in service.

New Home?

After being retired following the Second World War, the USS Texas became the nation's first battleship to be turned into a floating museum. Since April 21, 1948, the gallant warship was located in the Houston Ship Channel near the San Jacinto Battleground Memorial – the location where Texian troops led by Gen. Sam Houston surprised and quickly defeated the Mexican Army in 1836.

It was considered a fitting location for what became the honorary flagship of the Texas Navy.

All those decades in the water took their toll on the old battle wagon, and in June 2017, a six-by-eight-inch hole about 15 feet below the waterline opened and caused the USS Texas to list six degrees. It was kept afloat by pumps as the vessel took on 2,000 gallons of water a minute.

The situation was so dire that there were concerns the ship could sink. Fortunately, work has been taken to ensure the warship won't be lost to the elements.

The USS Texas will not return to her former home following repairs. According to the Battleship Texas Foundation, it had only seen 80,000 to 90,000 visitors a year at the San Jacinto Monument, located approximately 25 miles east of Houston.

That was far below what is needed for it to be self-sustaining. Several suitable locations were considered for the future home of the historic vessel. In September 2023, it was announced that the Battleship Texas Foundation signed an agreement to keep the ship at Pier 21, near the Galveston Historic Seaport, which is also home to the 1877 Tall Ship ELISSA.

Foundation officials said they aim to keep the ship in Galveston, near other attractions, as a floating museum. Wherever the retired battle wagon ends up, the recent restoration will ensure she honors those who served aboard her in peace and during wartime.

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu 

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].