USS Batfish

[Airhog]

I went out of town to muskogee oklahoma this weekend. I was able to see the museum dedicated to the USS Batfish, a sub that served during WW2 in the pacific.

It gave me a healthy dose of respect for these men after being able to walk through the ship. If you every get a chance to see the batfish, you wont be dissappointed. For only 5 dollars this museum was worth every penny we spent.

It was amazing how small the quarters were. I can only imagine trying to live on this sub for 2 months at a time. A few areas were so cramped you could barely even walk through them.

[sachmo71]

I felt the same way when I stepped into a B-17 at an airshow one. Tiny thing, with no cover anywhere. I could imagine how it must have felt at 20,000 feet with FW-190s coming in from all sides. Then I looked at the ball turret. *SHUDDER*

[Tigercat]

Batfish? Was it deticated to that wonderful piece of early Hollywood special affects when a shark jumps out of water to bite Batman in the air? Best... scene.... ever.

[Surtt]

I was at an air show once touring a B-29.

There happen to be a bunch of tourists from Germany.
They started talking to one of the pilots, who flew B-17s during World War II.
It turns out the pilot flew a raid over a city where they manned anti-aircraft guns.

It was really surreal listening to them reminisce
about the time they were trying to kill each other.

[Fonzie]

I was at an air show once touring a B-29.

There happen to be a bunch of tourists from Germany.
They started talking to one of the pilots, who flew B-17s during World War II.
It turns out the pilot flew a raid over a city where they manned anti-aircraft guns.

It was really surreal listening to them reminisce
about the time they were trying to kill each other.

The way you wrote that is very poetic.

[Surtt]

I'll try and brush up on my haiku.

Is that 5-7-5?

[Fritz]

I have mentioned this before...
You can book a flight on a B17 (a few places do this) and other planes of the past.

[sachmo71]

I believe that the Confederate Air Force offers such flights, but I don't have the money for such frivolity, or so my wife says. :(

[Surtt]

I believe that the Confederate Air Force offers such flights, but I don't have the money for such frivolity, or so my wife says. :(


When they were Fargo, you could take a ride in a B-24 for a $450 "donation."

[WussGawd]

I too saw the Batfish, last summer in Muskogee. Great experience, second sub I've ever seen (I toured one of the Russian Tango class diesel-electrics out at Long Beach a few years ago).

Very interesting experience. Even dragged the wife along and she came away very impressed by it.

[WussGawd]

dola. Truthfully, if I'd had to choose between serving on the Batfish and the Tango, I'd have picked the Batfish. The Batfish looked like it was designed with the knowledge that lack of space was a necessary evil. The Tango? It was larger, but crew space wasn't even a consideration.

To look inside the Batfish, and realize that submarines very much like it won the war in the Pacific, was to stand in awe of our forebears.

[sachmo71]

Tango is a diesel sub, right?

[WussGawd]

Tango is a diesel sub, right?

Right, diesel-electric. A late 50's, early 60's design, IIRC?

[sachmo71]

That must have been cool to see.

[WussGawd]

That must have been cool to see.

It was. It was actually displayed alongside Queen Mary (which dwarfed it naturally).