USS Texas (BB-35): The Last American Dreadnought

Commissioned in 1914, the USS Texas is a New York-class dreadnought — the first American battleship to mount 14-inch guns and the first to launch an aircraft from a turret catapult. She served in the Atlantic during WWI, was modernized between the wars, and by 1944 was the oldest capital ship still in American frontline service.

On D-Day, June 6, 1944, she anchored 12,000 yards off Omaha Beach and put over 250 fourteen-inch shells into German positions at Pointe du Hoc, supporting the Rangers who scaled the cliffs. Her gunnery officer that morning was Commander Frank Kelly, whose written battle plans and range cards are part of what the Bravo Zulu team used as source material for the graphic novel.

She kept fighting — Cherbourg, Southern France, Iwo Jima, Okinawa. She survived a near miss from a kamikaze off Okinawa and a shore-battery hit at Cherbourg that killed 11 sailors. When Japan surrendered in September 1945, USS Texas was the only surviving American dreadnought.

Texas was decommissioned in 1948 and turned over to the state of Texas as a memorial — the first battleship museum ship in the world. For 74 years she sat at San Jacinto, slowly losing the fight against Galveston Bay saltwater. In 2022 she was towed to a drydock in Galveston for a $75 million restoration led by the Battleship Texas Foundation. The work is ongoing. Her return berth has not yet been announced.

Standing next to her in drydock, you can see the rivets from 1914 alongside the plating patches from every era she survived. There are exactly 44 people alive today who served on her. This is not just history — it is the last generation who can still tell it firsthand.

Come On, Texas is a full-length graphic novel that follows the USS Texas from her keel-laying in 1911 through her D-Day bombardment to the modern restoration effort. It is not a survey history — it is drawn from ship's logs, oral histories from surviving crew, and after-action reports.

The book is being made in the Bravo Zulu naval-history imprint under MOZUMA, the same team behind the Naval Legends: Cruisers art book with World of Warships. The art lead is a former World of Warships concept artist. Reference photography and drydock access were provided by the Battleship Texas Foundation.

Chapters cover: the 1914 commissioning, the WWI Atlantic patrols, the 1927 modernization, the D-Day fire mission, the Cherbourg hit, Iwo Jima and Okinawa, the 1948 conversion to a museum ship, and the 2022–2026 drydock restoration.

The book launches on Kickstarter in September 2026. Two ways to get on the list today:

Free wishlist — Sign up at toontube.co/petition/texas-come-on. Free USS Texas collectible card at launch. You get the Kickstarter link the moment the campaign opens.

$1 VIP — Lock in the Early Bird price 24 hours before public launch, plus a folded D-Day gun map, exclusive TEXAS patch, and foil bookmark ($40 in physical items for $1). Refundable any time before the campaign ends. Sign up at toontube.co/petition/vip-texas-come-on.

What is the oldest surviving battleship in the world?

The USS Texas (BB-35), commissioned in 1914, is the oldest surviving battleship still afloat and the last American dreadnought. She is the only warship in existence that fought in both World War I and World War II.

Which US battleship fired at Pointe du Hoc on D-Day?

The USS Texas fired over 250 fourteen-inch shells at Pointe du Hoc on June 6, 1944, in support of the US Army Rangers scaling the cliffs. She was anchored approximately 12,000 yards off Omaha Beach.

Is the USS Texas still afloat?

Yes. As of 2026 she is in drydock in Galveston undergoing a $75 million restoration led by the Battleship Texas Foundation. She will return to a permanent berth at Pier 15 in Galveston when the restoration is complete.

When will the Battleship Texas reopen?

The Battleship Texas Foundation announced Pier 15 in Galveston as her permanent home in July 2025. Public reopening is planned for 2026 — the exact date will be confirmed by the Foundation as restoration completes.

What is the difference between a dreadnought and a battleship?

A dreadnought is a specific type of battleship pioneered by HMS Dreadnought in 1906 — characterized by uniform large-caliber main guns and steam-turbine propulsion. All dreadnoughts are battleships, but not all battleships are dreadnoughts. The USS Texas is a New York-class dreadnought.

What battles did the USS Texas fight in?

WWI Atlantic patrols and Grand Fleet operations, then WWII: Operation Torch (North Africa 1942), D-Day (Normandy 1944), Cherbourg (1944 — took a shore-battery hit), Southern France (Operation Dragoon 1944), Iwo Jima (1945), Okinawa (1945 — near-missed by a kamikaze).

How much did the USS Texas restoration cost?

The current restoration is a $75 million project led by the Battleship Texas Foundation, funded through Texas state appropriations, private donations, and foundation fundraising. Work began in 2022 with the tow to Galveston drydock.

What is the last American dreadnought?

The USS Texas (BB-35) is the last surviving American dreadnought. Commissioned in 1914 as part of the New York-class, she was one of the first US battleships to mount 14-inch guns.

USS Texas (BB-35) on Wikipedia · primary reference for the ship's specifications, service history, and current status.

Battleship Texas Foundation · the nonprofit leading the current restoration. Tickets to visit her in drydock and information on the return berth are on their site.

D-Day (Normandy landings) · context for the June 6, 1944 bombardment where Texas fired on Pointe du Hoc.