Level 4: The Second Platform

The fourth and final level of the ship is known as the second platform. Here, one can find a complex, yet intriguing system of sonar equipment that was added to the ship during the 1950s in order to increase its power and ability to travel long distances. Visitors of this level can also find two of the ship’s generator systems and its three-cylinder engine. These are arguably the most significant parts of the ship. This complex system of sonar equipment is the source which has given the ship all of its power, and the ship relied on these generators if anything were to go wrong with its systems. At first, these systems might appear boring to visitors because they consist of many gray parts which are all connected to one another to form one large gadget. However, these are the parts of the ship which arguably have the largest impact upon visitors.  This is because this level of the ship held the responsibility of keeping the ship up and running through the years in which it was inhabited and used in battle. The viewing of these complex and necessary devices allows visitors to see the harsh realities of how difficult the duties of these crew members could be. Their presence within the ship depicts the harsh realities of being in battle while on a ship and just how complex of a ship the USS Kidd truly is. This in turn builds visitors’ appreciation for both the ship as a whole and all those who have been in charge of the ship or played a role in its use or its post-battle preservation.