The ultimate fate that befalls a US Navy ship when she is decommissioned may be prolonged by transfer to a foreign navy or use as a museum. However, the vast majority will sit in a Reserve Fleet or Navy Yard for many years but ultimately they will be sold to private contractors as scrap.  The end is not glamorous and certainly devoid of sentiment. Those magnificent fighting ships we knew will be reduced to piles of scrap.  We hope that NavSource will help keep those memories alive a while longer.
Ed Zajkowski, whose idea this page is, has donated images from his personal collection for which we are eternally grateful. If you have photographs displaying any phase of the scrapping of a US Navy ship, no matter what hull type we would be pleased to add them to this story.
We also sincerely encourage you to consider volunteering any amount of time aboard one of the historic ships. They need YOU, everyone has something to contribute. We hope this series of photos shows what goes on, how material is used and the friendliness of the volunteer personnel. 
Ed Zajkowski - USS Keppler DD-765

North American Smelting Inc., Bordentown, NJ The following 16 pictures were taken by me at North American Smelting Inc., at Bordentown, NJ, circa 1977-78. This yard scrapped many smaller ships including the USS DALY and USS BROWNSON. My purpose for going to this yard was for spare parts for a GM 268-A diesel engine that the volunteers were rebuilding on DD-850 way back then. I also got much paperwork, those were the days!!! Also scrapped here were 3 USCG cutters, ANDROSCOGGIN, WINONA, MENDOTA. These pictures represent the middle area of the scrap process. Parts waiting for further cutting, resale, etc. descriptions;
Right out of a DD storeroom, diesel parts, compressor parts, wood box for inside mics, gaskets, etc.	A "mothball hut" from a DD gun, used to house saleable items.	Stateroom furniture, messdecks tables, sinks, lockers, toolboxes.	Even a whaleboat	Parts, heat exchangers, motors, piping
Endless motors, vent fans. I'd kill to go thru that pile now.	Clearly visible with magnification--"boiler stop valve" 519 or 868???	Valve heaven--in the grass, waiting for a buyer.	A forgotten WT door--1-107-1	In the office, souveniers of DD-519, Eng org board and name board
A broken 12" signallight, sign holder, galley pan, etc.	Overgrown field of sootblowers, most certainly from 519 + 868.	Part of the yard	Blocks and tackle for sale, all sizes	Partial door with tag
Miscellaneous scrap--quarter of a thru deck hatch still dogged, vent fan, tank parts.
International Shipbreaking in Brownsville, TX
		International Shipbreaking in Brownsville, TX in Oct 1999. We have no idea what ships are shown, however it shows how they remove as much weight as possible at the pier. When the ship is no longer rising, then they drag it's nose up on shore with the winch. These photos thanks to Rich Pekelney.
		USS Des Moines being scrapped in Brownsville, Texas
Philadelphia Navy Yard
The very bottom of a ship, visible is the skeg and bottom voids circa 2001	Circa 2001	USS Biddle, May 2001, module 2 on pier from upper decks--notice the missile rails mbehind the module burned in pieces. The water tight door and dogs were just removed  by me and are in my truck along with stateroom furniture.	USS Biddle--March 2001	Notice the gun mount with burned off barrel.

USS Biddle--March 2001 missile launcher and FC radar on pier	Early in the scrap process, possibly an FF.	USS Barney at Philly Yard, drydock 2, decks of the ship clearly visible, in the foreground are modules sitting on the floor of the drydock ready to be lifted out and placed on barges to go to a scrap yard in Camden, NJ for final shredding.	USS Barney at Philly yard, drydock 2, decks of the ship clearly visible, in the foreground are modules sitting on the floor of the drydock ready to be lifted out and placed on barges to go to a scrap yard in Camden, NJ for final shredding. notice the ships sonar dome on the left under a blue tarp, to be reused.	USS Barney at Philly yard, drydock 2, decks of the ship clearly visible, in the foreground are modules sitting on the floor of the drydock ready to be lifted out and placed on barges to go to a scrap yard in Camden, NJ for final shredding. closer view of the modules, taken from the top of the drydock gate.
USS Barney at Philly yard, drydock 2, burned off struts, props and shafts.	USS Barney at Philly yard, drydock 2, starb'd side, aft view, all struts visible.	USS Barney at Philly yard, drydock 2, starb'd side	USS Barney at Philly yard, drydock 2, starb'd side, looking fwd--notice the bow on it's side, the missing sonar dome. all the square holes are for ventilation and to get rid of scrap. Lower left, notice the fork lift with scrap bin, small metal gets tossed out the openings into the bin.	Philly, drydock 3--last section of a ship being scrapped, May 2005
		Note USS Conolly and USNS Humphreys T-AO-188 in background.
The pier in the distance is lined with modules of scrapped ships waiting to be loaded on a barge going to Camden, NJ for final disposition	2004--the bridge and other modules from a once proud US Navy ship waiting for the shredding process at Camden.	Another view of one of the bridges at Camden. Notice the ships awards still visible.	Another ship's bridge at Camden --partially dismantled	The bottom line at Camden -- Once a Navy ship, now 2" x 6" pieces, ready to be loaded onto a ship going to China or somewhere to be recycled.
	Getting rid of gun barrels. First, they have to be de-militarized. USS Newport news, early 90's		The scrapping process, burn them in pieces.
Two more views of scrapped modules at a Camden Scrapyard.		These ladders and doors at the scrapyard were pulled off modules and sent on their way to be reused on both USS Slater (DE-766) and USS Joseph P. Kennedy Jr (DD-850)
These photos show one path of the scrap process, stuff that got saved and reused on memorial ships. Everything in these pictures ended up on DD-850 in Mass. to be used in her restoration and maintenance. In total there were 17 pick up truck loads. We rented a 5 ton truck and took the stuff to Kennedy.
Battle lanterns, fuses, switch boxes, signs, fuse boxes, fans, etc.		All this stuff is from the Spring of 2001.	Almost all of it came from USS Harry Yarnell and USS Biddle	"THE" pickup truck with another load.
Notice valve wheels, lights, dressers.	Scuttlebutt, sinks, casualty power cable, lights, etc.		Half doors, full doors	Interior office doors
	14 May 2001, loading the truck in Pa. with salvaged scrap material	Offloading in Massachusetts onto DD-850, 17 May 2001.
		All the material taken from USS Biddle and Yarnall at metro Machine while scrapping finally on the fantail of USS Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. ( DD-850, 2001

The USS VOGE (DE-1047) scrapped at the Metro Machine Corporation facility at the old Philadelphia Navy Yard, this process took place from May 2000 to January 2001 in old drydock #2. (Photos courtesy of Metro Machine Corporation)

The USS BLAKELY (FF-1072) scrapped at the Metro Machine Corporation facility at the old Philadelphia Navy Yard, this process took place during 1999 in drydock #3. (Photos courtesy of Metro Machine Corporation)

The USS HENRY B. WILSON (DDG-7) was partially scrapped as seen below. The hull and machinery were converted to a floating power plant. The company that was to use this power source went bankrupt and the remaining parts of the ship were used as a target and sunk.
(Photos courtesy of Michael Donegan)

   

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