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A World War II aircraft carrier converted into a museum and berthed on the west side of New York City for the past 24 years is to close at the end of the month and be towed away for renovations.
The USS Intrepid, which was commissioned in 1943 and saw action in one of history's biggest naval battles at Leyte Gulf off the Philippines a year later, is undergoing a complete revamp and is due to reopen in May 2008.
As many as eight tugs will be needed to tow the 275-meter (900-foot) ship to dry dock in New Jersey, where the carrier will be repainted. The rest of its renovations will be carried out on Staten Island.
The ship survived seven bomb attacks, one torpedo hit and five Kamikaze strikes during World War II before serving three tours during Vietnam. Known as "The Fighting I," it was decommissioned in 1974 and opened as a museum in 1982.
The renovations are to include new exhibits based on personal stories of the people who served on the ship, while parts of the carrier that have previously been closed to the public are to be opened for the first time.
Exhibitions director Chris Malanson said the refit aimed to show the human dimension of the carrier and give "a better glimpse of what it was like to live on the ship."
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US-tourism-military-museum-WWII
AFP 142044 GMT 09 06
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