U.S.S. TEXAS - BB35

Communications

Good interior and exterior communications has always been absolutely necessary for any warship and this certainly included Texas.  Interior communications consisted of both regular telephone and sound powered phones for direct communications between specific points.  There were also intercoms for general communica-tions.  When the ship was first commissioned, it contained a vast maze of voice tubes that provided a means of communication.  However, this method was generally problematic because of sound level and lack of flexibility.  Therefore, the phone systems that the ship started with grew throughout its life to include practically every point on the ship and switchboards made them very flexible and efficient.

Texas was equipped with radio from its earliest days.  Needless to say, the capability was greatly expanded and enhanced over the ensuing thirty-one years.  By the time Texas retired, she contained a considerable suite of ship-to-ship and long range, low frequency radio equipment.  Because it was considered obsolete by the Navy at decommissioning, most of it was left on board and is still on the ship.

Only three of the shaded areas shown below will link you to a page showing it.  They are Main Radio, Radio Transmitter Room and Central Station.  The others were either stripped of their equipment, or are currently inaccessible.