'He was begotten in the galley and born under a gun. Every hair was a rope yarn, every finger a fish-hook, every tooth a marline-spike, and his blood right good Stockholm tar.'
Old naval epitaph
A work detail takes a break on board the USS Texas , the first American battleship, to pose for the photographer around 1898. The view looking aft on the port side features one of the Texas ' two 12-inch/35-caliber guns. Both turrets were placed en echelon off the ship's centerline, the port being slightly forward of amidships, the starboard slightly aft. In theory, this gave both guns end-on fire fore and aft.
