On the Cutting Edge
Two prominent features of the USS Texas are her assortment of bristling, large-caliber gun turrets and the incredibly thick belt of armor protecting her hull. Designed in an era where ships were met to dish out punishment as well as take it, the “Mighty T” was more than capable of representing America’s interests abroad. As time progressed, however, so did the methods and means to wage war. The Texas was at the forefront of these technological innovations, including the use of sophisticated new devices, such as complex fire-control systems and an early form of modern radar.
Modern fire-control systems incorporate many features, including computers, directors, and radar, to improve the accuracy of weapon systems and the overall chances of striking hostile targets. In naval gunnery, fire-control systems typically work in tandem with AA weapons, large-bore cannons, torpedoes, or guided missiles. During the 1920s, when the Texas received the first of several upgrades, fire-control systems were slightly less sophisticated, relying on complex analog devices instead of computers and digitally-enhanced systems. Nevertheless, the USS Texas was the first battleship to incorporate some of the initial fire controls available to the U.S. Navy, which allowed her crew to deliver accurate and powerful fire over unprecedented distances.
Enhancing the Texas’s tactical capabilities was the introduction of an early form of radar, known as CXAM (an acronym denoting the merging of two earlier, prototype radar technologies). This forerunner to modern naval threat-detection systems was tested extensively just prior to America’s official entrance into WWII. The USS Texas was one of fourteen vessels to receive a production version of this system, the CXAM-1. Outfitted on the ship in 1941, this improved model could detect enemy threats at ranges up to 100 miles. The CXAM-1 gave the USS Texas a decisive advantage at sea, while facing Japanese forces that lacked any comparable technology.
The USS Texas proved a force to be reckoned with during WWII, capitalizing upon her upgraded fire-control system, radar, and recent breakthroughs in naval aviation. During Operation Torch, the Texas utilized its CXAM-1 radar and OS2U Kingfisher spotter planes to perform valuable reconnaissance while off the coast of Northern Africa. Later, during the Battle of Normandy, the Texas participated in the pre-landing bombardment of Omaha Beach, later providing direct and indirect on-call fire support for troops that made it ashore. The “Mighty T” additionally pounded Iwo Jima and Okinawa, raining thousands of shells down upon Imperial Japanese forces, while defending her battlegroup against desperate kamikaze attacks.
