Battleship Row: Maritime marvels in Poplar Bluff

The Poplar Bluff Museum tells many unknown tales of our community. I want to tell you some of those hidden tales found within the museum walls.

Terry Ferguson built 72 model airplanes for the Kanell Hall veteran’s exhibit. Not to be outdone, I built nine ship models for the veteran’s exhibit. They are in a display case labeled “Battleship Row.” The ship models represent the history of the world’s most famous battleships.

Included in the display case is a model of the American battleship U.S.S. Olympia. It was Commadore Dewey’s flagship during the Spanish American War. The Olympia is now a floating museum in Philadelphia.

The I.R.N. Potemkin is a Russian battleship. In 1905, its crew mutinied against Czar Nicolas and fired on Imperial troops as part of the Russian revolution.

The British H.M.S. Dreadnaught was the lead ship in a new class of modern battleships in World War I.

The K.M.S. Graf Spee was Hitler’s attempt at building a “pocket battleship.” It was designed to meet the strict requirements set by the Treaty of Versailles. The Graf Spee was hunted down by the Royal Navy and sunk.

After the loss of the Graf Spee, Hitler disregarded the treaty and built the giant battleship K.M.S. Bismarck. On its maiden voyage, the Bismarck sunk the H.M.S. Hood, only to be later sunk by the Royal Navy. The H.M.S. Hood was the pride of the British fleet. In 1941, it set out to sink the battleship Bismarck but in turn was sunk. The H.M.S. Rodney was one of the British ships that sank the Bismarck.

The Japanese battleship I.N.S. Yamato was the largest battleship ever built. It was sunk at the end of World War II by American carrier planes during the battle of Okinawa.

The U.S.S. Missouri fought in the Pacific war and sailed into Tokyo Bay. On her deck, the Empire of Japan surrendered, ending World War II. It is now a floating museum in Pearl Harbor.

Besides my battleships, Terry Ferguson built a ship model, too. It is a British Corvette ship named the U.S.S. Saucy. The Saucy chased German U-Boats in the North Atlantic. The model is three feet long, allowing for great detail. It is Terry’s best work.

Be sure to visit Kanell Hall to see the historic ships when you visit the museum. The museum is open free of charge and handicap accessible. It is open 1-4 p.m. Sunday at 1010 N. Main St. Tell them Mike sent you.