Exploring Battleship Cove
USS Massachusetts and other museum ships
By: Evan Lee
Oct. 22, 2023 |
Adventures
Battleship USS Massachusetts (BB-59)
My best friend Leighah recently moved to the South Coast, so we decided to get together to explore one of the area’s landmark attractions - Battleship Cove in Fall River.
Founded by original crew members of the USS Massachusetts, who wanted to save their World War II era battleship from being sold for scrap, this memorial and museum has expanded to include several more ships, aircraft and a submarine since it opened in 1965.
Leighah in front of USS Joseph P. Kennedy Jr., followed by
I’ve been to the Cove before, but my last trip was well over a decade ago. And as for Leighah, this was her first time ever here. So, our trip last Thursday was a fresh one for both of us.
The fact that it was the only non-rainy day of the week helped too.
Sunflower on a sunny day, USS Massachusetts seen from a nearby park.
Sadly, the submarine USS Lionfish was under repair and blocked off when we visited. And one of the smaller ships, a former East German corvette named Hiddensee, had been scrapped earlier this month due to the deterioration of its hull, according to the Fall River Reporter.
But we were still able to board the battleship itself as well as the cold-war era destroyer USS Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.
There’s also a fully restored PT Boat on display inside a building along with the preserved remains of PT-59, which was once commanded by future President John F. Kennedy during WWII. Another building houses two Vietnam era Bell UH-1 Huey helicopters.
What I was most excited to see though is actually the smallest vessel in the Cove’s fleet, a Higgins landing craft beached right beside the entrance.
Higgins Landing Craft, Mechanized (LCM)
It’s the same type of boat my grandfather, Edward D. Lee, commanded during the Pacific Theater of WWII. He was a Technical Sergeant for Company A of the 544th Engineer Brigade and Shoreline Regiment.
My first trip here was with him and my Dad when I was around 10 or so, sometime in the late 2000’s. I remember being absolutely astonished by all the huge ships docked in front of me and wanting to hurry right over the big battleship. But Grandpa was drawn to the little boat on the side, his old landing craft.
Boarding it again for the first time in 60 years, I remember seeing the memories pour back into him as he pointed out every little aspect of the boat and how he and his crew lived on it throughout the war.
They built a canopy over the cargo hold and stored food inside its ballast tanks for safekeeping on their many treks to different islands across the sea. LCM crews like his delivered essential supplies and manpower to keep the Allied fight going.
Speaking of the creator behind these landing crafts, “Andrew Higgins is the man who won the war for us,” said General Dwight D. Eisenhower.
In 2023, the one on display at Battleship Cove is no longer boardable. It seems to have been converted into a theater with benches and a screen now installed inside it. But nothing was playing when Leighah and I visited, so we could only see it from behind a gate.
Courtesy Leighah, her camera is better than mine.
Moving on to “Big Mamie,” the nickname for Battleship Massachusetts, we were able to freely explore much of the 680 ft boat’s upper and lower decks. Jumping through raised oval-shaped doorways and trying not to hit our heads on steep narrow staircases, we reached both the highest and lowest points visitable by the public.
It’s pretty surprising just how much of the ship is available to explore. We found ourselves in engine rooms, officer’s quarters, gunpowder loading areas, and even a post office among other places.
A radar room aboard USS Massachusetts.
I can’t even count the rows upon rows of sleeping cots we passed along the way. Truly, what was most essential to the ship were all the sailors and personnel needed to operate it at sea.
Certain preserved rooms are decorated with period artifacts and uniformed mannequins, viewable from behind clear plexiglass. Other areas have been converted into museums displaying historical pieces from several different wars.
Memorials dedicated to those lost during their service also take a prominent place in the ship.
There are arrow markers and signs posted frequently to help guests find their way around, it’d be easy to get lost otherwise.
One of them pointed down at a small crevice entryway we never would have spotted on our own. Crawling through that, we wound up in a cramped room I believe was used to calibrate the trajectory of shells.
Bombs away, trying to see through the periscope.
The other big ship, USS Joseph P. Kennedy Jr., took us less time to explore fully as it’s a smaller destroyer. But like the battleship, many of its levels and rooms are open to the public too.
We took a break in one of its cafeteras, sitting at a table where officers once ate and relaxed. There was a bookshelf behind us and another table had a backgammon board painted on it.
From the destroyer, visitors used to be able to reach the submarine, USS Lionfish. It’s a more unique vessel to explore with narrow halls and compact rooms designed around deep sea voyages. We spotted workers doing repairs on it, so hopefully it will open back up again soon.
The submarine seen from the destroyer.
The now scrapped Hiddensee was also once reached from the submarine. I remember bridges connecting the three vessels together the first time I visited. But for now, only the destroyer and battleship are boardable.
After exploring everything, you can grab a bite to eat right aboard the battleship in its officer’s cafetera. There’s burgers and hotdogs among other snacks served from 11am to 2pm.
Though, I guess we explored a little too much because it was closed by the time we got there around 3pm.
Since it’s October, a recurring theme during our visit was Halloween. We spotted skeletons attacking uniformed mannequins and witches brewing up something sinister in the battleship’s kitchen.
Spooky, scary, skeletons all around the ship.
Noticing flyers for the Boy Scout’s “Nautical Nights Overnight Camping” trip posted near the sleeping quarters, we imagined these decorations were set up as a fun surprise for them.
Leighah’s cousin actually did the trip once as a scout, getting to sleep over on one of the many cots we saw. I tried one out too, but it wasn’t something I’d want to spend the night on.
Finally on our way out, I noticed something odd - another restored PT Boat that was formally on display is currently in storage under a tarp. We spotted it from the dock and I recognized its iconic shark mouth paint scheme from the last time I visited.
Along with the Hiddensee’s recent scraping, perhaps it’s a sign the museum is struggling financially or was hit hard during the COVID-19 pandemic when it had to shut down.
Overall though, Battleship Cove makes for a fun day trip on the coastline, allowing guests to walk through the same corridors that sailors once did and learn the history of their service.
Tickets cost us $25 each as adults, and there are discounts for active military, veterans, seniors, and children. It’s open seven days a week from 9am to 4pm.
Squinting because I didn’t bring sunglasses / Courtesy Leighah