# Chicago's very own battleship \[incl column by Cecil\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 16, 2010, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicagos-very-own-battleship-incl-column-by-cecil/532657 "2010-03-16T15:18:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2010, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicagos-very-own-battleship-incl-column-by-cecil/532657/1 "2010-03-16T15:18:48Z")
Whodathunkit?: [Battleship Illinois (replica) - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battleship_Illinois_(replica)) ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2010, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicagos-very-own-battleship-incl-column-by-cecil/532657/2 "2010-03-16T23:18:30Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Whodathunkit?: [Battleship Illinois (replica) - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battleship_Illinois_(replica)) Unimpressive, semi-non link, dude. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicagos-very-own-battleship-incl-column-by-cecil/532657/3 "2010-03-17T15:01:17Z")
Maybe you meant this: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battleship\_Illinois\_(replica)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battleship_Illinois_(replica)) ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicagos-very-own-battleship-incl-column-by-cecil/532657/4 "2010-03-17T18:14:34Z")
There it is - thank you, **TubaDiva**. Looks like I was missing the closing parenthesis. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicagos-very-own-battleship-incl-column-by-cecil/532657/5 "2010-03-17T21:42:03Z")
Well, we **did** have not one, but **two** aircradt carriers operating out of Chicago during WW@. Steam-powered, paddle-wheelers, to boot. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicagos-very-own-battleship-incl-column-by-cecil/532657/6 "2010-03-18T00:09:10Z")
Right you are: > **[USS Wolverine (IX-64)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Wolverine_%28IX-64%29)** > > USS Wolverine (IX-64) was a training ship used by the United States Navy during World War II. She was originally named Seeandbee and was built as a Great Lakes luxury side-wheel steamer cruise ship for the Cleveland and Buffalo Transit Company. Seeandbee was launched on 9 November 1912 and was normally used on the Cleveland, Ohio, to Buffalo, New York, route with special cruises to other ports. After the original owners went bankrupt in 1939 Seeandbee was purchased by Chicago-based C & B Trans > **[USS Sable](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Sable_%28IX-81%29)** > > USS Sable (IX-81) was a United States Navy training ship during World War II, originally built as the passenger ship Greater Buffalo, a sidewheel excursion steamboat. She was purchased by the Navy in 1942 and converted to a training aircraft carrier to be used on the Great Lakes. She lacked a hangar deck, elevators, or armament and was not a true warship, but she provided advanced training of naval aviators in carrier takeoffs and landings. > On her first day of service, 59 pilots became qualif... ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2010, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicagos-very-own-battleship-incl-column-by-cecil/532657/7 "2010-04-23T13:17:51Z")
Congrats, **Elendil’s Heir** , Cecil has taken this up his very own self: [http://chicago.straightdope.com/sdc20100422.php](http://chicago.straightdope.com/sdc20100422.php)