USS North Carolina: This World War II Battleship is Prepared To Fight a New Enemy – Time and tide wait for no man – but it should be added that time and tide is also the enemy for old long retired warships. That is a fact noted as the United States is home to eight battleships that have been preserved as floating museums, and each has faced the wrath of the environment. Warships may be designed to operate on the waters of the world, but time will take its toll.