The old California

When the Navy commissioned the attack submarine California over the weekend, some of the remarks gave tribute to an earlier namesake, BB-44, seen here in a photo before World War II.

The battleship California was one of the ships sunk at Pearl Harbor. She was in relatively shallow water, however, and was resurrected and refurbished. Like most battleships in the latter stages of the war, she was used primarily as a gun platform, supporting American landings in the Pacific. She was scrapped a few years after the war.

The present day California packs a hell of a wallop herself, thanks to the cruise missiles that can be launched from her torpedo tubes. Her range is further, she can stay hidden for weeks and weeks, and she's faster submerged than BB-44 ever dreamed of being.

Still, you have to love the old ship. Check out those "control tower" masts above the superstructures. (Removed when the ship was refurbished after the attack.)

An interesting footnote - the new California is based on the East Coast.