In reply to your question(s)...in early 1942 the original 8inch guns were replaced with the more familiar twin 5 inch DP mounts. With these 8 inch guns surplused, the Army's Coast Artillary constructed Battery Wilridge(4 batteries of two guns each), four miles west of Diamond Head in Hawaii. Despite the fact that the Army had no experience with this type of turreted fortification their engineers had these guns operational in less than a year...while on the subject, the two aft turrets from the Arizona were removed and converted to Army use in much the same way, on the Island of Oahu. Named Battery Arizona and Battery Pennsylvania, they guarded the approaches to Kaneohe Bay. Its a shame the Arizonas guns weren't saved, they were scrapped at war's end along with the carriers 8 inch batteries.
Blast bags were usually canvas shrouds that covered the gun tub section that entered the gun house to keep out the weather.
100 yards of shore line?? When you locate some also procure some relative bearing grease and for the navigator and some left handed adjustable cresents for the snipes. And by the way, have Charlie Noble piped to the galley.
Oh, the carrier is beautiful, a top notch job, pretty fly for a Rhode Island guy.
Semper Paratus!