Iowa class battleship
Encyclopedia
The Iowa-class battleships were a class
of fast battleship
s ordered by the United States Navy
in 1939 and 1940 to escort the Fast Carrier Task Force
s which would operate in the Pacific Theater
of World War II
. Six were ordered during the course of World War II, but only four were completed in time to see service in the Pacific Theater. The last two had been laid down, but as a result of the postwar drawdown of the armed forces they were canceled prior to completion and eventually scrapped. Like other third-generation American battleships, the Iowa class followed the design pattern set forth in the preceding North Carolina- and South Dakota-
class battleships, which placed great emphasis on speed as well as on the secondary and anti-aircraft batteries.
Between the mid-1940s and the early 1990s the Iowa-class battleships were involved in four major wars fought by the United States. In World War II, they defended aircraft carrier
s and shelled Japanese positions. During the Korean War
, the battleships provided seaborne artillery support for United Nations
forces fighting against North Korea
, and in 1968 New Jersey shelled Viet Cong and Vietnam People's Army
military forces in the Vietnam War
. All four were reactivated and armed with missiles during the 1980s as part of the 600-ship Navy
initiative; in 1991 Missouri and Wisconsin fired missiles and 16 inches (406 mm) guns at Iraq
i targets during the First Gulf War
. Citing the impending end of the Cold War
and the sizable operating expense, the United States Navy decommissioned all four battleships in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Initially, all four battleships were removed from the Naval Vessel Register
; however, the United States Congress
compelled the Navy to reinstate two of the four battleships on the grounds that existing naval gunfire support
would be inadequate for amphibious operations
. This resulted in a lengthy debate
over whether battleships should have a role in the modern navy. Meanwhile, the battleships struck from the Naval Vessel Register were slated to be donated to not-for-profit organizations. Three of the four battleships have officially been transferred to private groups and operate as part of their associated maritime museum
s, while the fourth (Iowa
) is currently off limits to the public pending an official transfer to an eligible not-for-profit for use as a museum ship
.
, head of the General Board
. It was an expanded South Dakota, carrying either twelve 16-inch/45
caliber Mark 6 guns or nine 18-inch (460 mm) guns—the latter armament being dropped after the 31 March agreement—with more armor and a power plant large enough to drive the larger ship through the water at the same speed as the South Dakotas, 27 knots (14.7 m/s). These studies had no further impact on the design of the Iowa class, but development of this design continued and eventually evolved into the design for the .
Another design, pursued by the Design Division section of the Bureau of Construction and Repair
, was a "cruiser-killer." Beginning on 17 January 1938 under Captain A.J. Chantry, the group drew up plans for ships with twelve 16-inch and twenty 5-inch guns, Panamax
capability but otherwise unlimited displacement, a top speed of 35 knots (19.1 m/s) and a range of 20000 nautical miles (37,040 km) when traveling at the more economical speed of 15 knots (8.2 m/s). Their plan fulfilled these requirements with a ship of 50940 long tons (51,757.6 t), but Chantry believed that more could be done if the ship were to be this large; with a displacement greater than that of most battleships, its armor would only have protected it against the 8-inch (203 mm) weapons carried by heavy cruiser
s.
Three improved plans—"A", "B", and "C"—were designed at the end of January. An increase in draft
, vast additions to the armor, and the substitution of twelve 6 inches (152.4 mm) guns in the secondary battery was common between the three designs. "A" was the largest, at 59060 long tons (60,007.9 t), and was the only one to still carry the twelve 16-inch guns in four triple turrets. It required 277,000 shaft horsepower (shp) to make 32.5 knots (17.7 m/s). "B" was the smallest at 52707 long tons (53,552.9 t); like "A" it had a top speed of 32.5 knots, but "B" only required 225,000 shp to make this speed. It also carried only nine 16-inch guns, in three triple turrets. "C" was similar but it added 75,000 shp (for a total of 300,000 shp), to make the original requirement of 35 knots. The weight required for this and a longer belt—512 feet (156.1 m), compared with 496 feet (151.2 m) for "B"—meant that the ship was 55771 long tons (56,666.1 t).
In March 1938, the General Board followed the recommendations of the Battleship Design Advisory Board, which was composed of the naval architect William Francis Gibbs
, William Hovgaard (then president of New York Shipbuilding
), John Metten, Joseph W. Powell, and the long-retired Admiral and former Chief of the Bureau of Ordnance
Joseph Strauss
. The board requested an entirely new design study, focusing on increasing the size of the 35,000 ton South Dakota class. The first plans made for this indicated that 30 kn (36.5 mph; 58.8 km/h) was possible on a displacement of about 37600 long tons (38,203.5 t). 33 kn (40.2 mph; 64.7 km/h) could be bought with 220,000 shaft horsepower and a displacement of around 39230 long tons (39,859.6 t), which was well below the treaty's maximum limit of 45000 long tons (45,722.3 t).
These designs were able to convince the General Board that a reasonably well-designed and balanced 33 knots (64.7 km/h) battleship was possible within the terms of the "escalator clause". However, further studies revealed major problems with the estimates. The speed of the ships meant that more freeboard
would be needed both fore and amidships, the latter requiring an additional foot of armored freeboard. Along with this came the associated weight in supporting these new strains: the structure of the ship had to be reinforced and the power plant enlarged to avoid a drop in speed. In all, about 2400 long tons (2,438.5 t) had to be added, and the large margin the navy designers had previously thought they had—roughly 5000 long tons (5,080.3 t)—was suddenly vanishing.
With the additional displacement, the General Board was incredulous that a tonnage increase of 10000 long tons (10,160.5 t) would only allow the addition of 6 knots (3.3 m/s)s over the South Dakotas. Rather than retaining the 16"/45 caliber Mark 6 gun
used in the South Dakotas, they ordered that future studies would have to include the more powerful (but heavier) 16"/50 caliber Mark 2 gun
s left over from the canceled s and South Dakota-class battleships
of the early 1920s. It also allowed the draft of the ships to be increased, meaning that the ships could be shortened (lowering weight) and the power reduced (since a narrower beam
reduces drag
).
The 50-caliber gun weighed some 400 long tons (406.4 t) more than the 45 caliber did; the barbette
size also had to be increased so the total weight gain was about 2000 long tons (2,032.1 t), putting the ship at a total of 46551 long tons (47,298.1 t)—well over the 45,000 long ton limit. An apparent savior appeared in a Bureau of Ordnance preliminary design for a turret that could carry the 50 caliber guns in a smaller barbette. This breakthrough was shown to the General Board as part of a series of designs on 2 June 1938.
However, the Bureau of Ordnance continued working on a larger barbette design, while the Bureau of Construction and Repair
utilized the smaller barbettes in the final planning of the new battleships. As the bureaus were independent of one another, they did not realize that the two plans could not go together until November 1938, when the design was in the final stages of refinement. By this time, the ships could not use the larger barbette, as it would require massive alterations to the design and would result in substantial weight penalties. The General Board was astounded; one member asked the head of the Bureau of Ordnance if it had occurred to him that Construction and Repair would have wanted to know what turret his subordinates were working on "as a matter of common sense". A complete scrapping of plans was only avoided when designers within the Bureau of Ordnance were able to design a new 50-caliber gun, the Mark 7, that was both lighter and smaller in outside diameter; this allowed it to be placed in a turret that would fit in the smaller barbette. The redesigned 3-gun turret, equipped as it was with the Mark 7 naval gun, provided an overall weight saving of nearly 850 long tons (863.6 t) to the overall design of the Iowa class.
In May 1938 the United States Congress passed the Second Vinson Act
which "mandated a 20% increase in strength of the United States Navy
". The act was sponsored by Carl Vinson
, a Democratic
Congressman
from Georgia
who was
Chairman of the House Naval Affairs and Armed Services Committee. The Second Vinson Act updated the provisions of the Vinson-Trammell Act of 1934 and the Naval Act (1936), which had "authorized the construction of the first American battleships in 17 years", based on the provisions of the London Naval Treaty
of 1930; this act provided the funding to build the Iowa class.
As 1938 drew to a close the design of the Iowas was nearly complete, but it would continuously evolve as the battleships were under construction. These revisions included changing the design of the foremast, replacing the original 1.1"/75-caliber guns that were to be used for anti-aircraft work with 20 mm and 40 mm guns, and moving the combat information center into the armored hull. Additionally, in November 1939 the New York Navy Yard greatly modified the internal subdivision of the machinery rooms, as tests had shown the underwater protection in these rooms to be inadequate. The result of this was clearly beneficial: "The prospective effect of flooding was roughly halved and the number of uptakes and hence of openings in the third deck greatly reduced." Although the changes meant extra weight and added 1 foot (0.3048 m) to the beam, this was no longer a major issue; the United Kingdom and France had renounced the Second London Naval Treaty soon after the beginning of the Second World War
.
Like all battleships, the Iowas carried heavy armor protection against shellfire and bombs with significant underwater protection against torpedoes. The Iowas armor scheme was modeled on that of the preceding South Dakota class, and designed to give a zone of immunity
against fire from 16-inch/45-caliber guns between 18000 and 30000 yd (16,459.2 and 27,432 m) away. The magazines and engine rooms were protected by an armored belt 12.2 inches (31 cm) thick, which sloped to give an effective vertical thickness of 13.5 inches (34.3 cm). Their armor was not sufficient to protect against guns equivalent to their own 16-inch/50-caliber guns; increasing the armor would have increased weight and reduced speed. Missouri and Wisconsin incorporated the most significant change in armor from the South Dakota class: the increase from 11.3 inches (28.7 cm) to 14.5 inches (36.8 cm) of the vertical armor on the forward armored bulkhead, the conning tower, and the turret barbettes. The extra armor provided protection from fire directly ahead, which was considered more likely given the high speed of the Iowa class. The installation of armor on the Iowa-class battleships also differed from those of earlier battleships in that the armor was installed while the ships were still "on the way" rather than after the ships had been launched.
The Iowa class torpedo defense was virtually the same as the South Dakotas. Each side of the ship was protected below the waterline by two tanks mounted outside the belt armor
, and separated by a bulkhead. These tanks were initially planned to be empty, but in practice were filled with water or fuel oil. The armored belt tapered to a thickness of 4 inches (10.2 cm) below the waterline. Behind the armored belt there was a void, and then another bulkhead. The outer hull was intended to detonate a torpedo, with the outer two compartments absorbing the shock and with any splinters or debris being stopped by the armored belt and the empty compartment behind it. In 1939 the Navy discovered that this system was considerably less effective than earlier torpedo defense systems, but by then it was too late to change the design. Based on hard-learned lessons in the Pacific theater concerns were also raised over the ability of the armor on these battleships to withstand the effects of aerial bombing, but at the time these concerns surfaced nothing could be done to adequately address the problem.
to muzzle). About 43 feet (13.1 m) protrudes from the gun house. Each gun weighs about 239,000 pounds (108,000 kg) without the breech, or 267900 pounds (121,517.4 kg) with the breech. They fire projectiles weighing from 1,900 to 2,700 pounds (850 to 1,200 kg) at a maximum speed of 2,960 ft/s (820 m/s
up to 20 miles (32 km). At maximum range, the projectile spends almost 1½ minutes in flight. The maximum firing rate for each gun is two rounds per minute.
Each gun rests within an armored turret, but only the top of the turret protrudes above the main deck. The turret extends either four decks (Turrets 1 and 3) or five decks (Turret 2) down. The lower spaces contain rooms for handling the projectiles and storing the powder bags used to fire them. Each turret required a crew of between 85 and 110 men to operate. The turrets are not actually attached to the ship but sit on rollers, although they do have retaining clips. The original cost for each turret was US$1.4 million, but this figure does not take into account the cost of the guns themselves. The turrets are "three-gun", not "triple" because each barrel can be elevated independently; they can also be fired independently. The ship could fire any combination of its guns, including a broadside
of all nine.
The large-caliber guns were designed to fire two different conventional 16 inches (406 mm) shells: the armor-piercing Mk. 8 round for anti-ship and anti-structure work, and the Mk. 13 high-explosive round designed for use against unarmored targets and shore bombardment. Interestingly, when firing the same conventional shell, the 16"/45 caliber Mark 6 gun
used by the fast battleships of the and had a slight advantage over the 16"/50 caliber Mark 7 gun when hitting deck armor—a shell from a 45 cal gun would be slower, meaning that it would have a steeper trajectory as it descended. At 35000 yd (19.9 mi; 32 km), a shell from a 45 cal would strike a ship at an angle of 45.2 degrees, as opposed to 36 degrees with the 50 cal.
In the 1950s, the W23, an adaptation of the W19 nuclear artillery shell was developed specifically for the 16 inches (406 mm) guns. The shell had an estimated yield of 15 ktonTNT, and its introduction made the Iowa-class battleship's 16 in guns the world's largest nuclear artillery
, and made these four battleships the only U.S. Navy ships ever to have nuclear shells for naval guns.
The Iowas carried ten twin enclosed base ring mounts supporting 5 in/38 caliber Mark 28 Mod 0 guns. Originally designed to be mounted upon destroyers built in the 1930s, these guns were so successful that they were added to a myriad of American ships during the Second World War, including every major ship type
and many smaller warships constructed between 1934 and 1945. They were considered to be "highly reliable, robust and accurate" by the Navy's Bureau of Ordnance
.
Each 5 in/38 weighed almost 4000 pounds (1,814.4 kg) without the breech; the entire mount weighed 156295 pounds (70,894.2 kg). It was 223.8 inches (5,684.5 mm) long overall, had a bore length of 190 inches (4,826 mm) and a rifling length of 157.2 inches (3,992.9 mm). The gun could fire shells at about 2,500–2,600 ft/s (762–792 m/s); about 4,600 could be fired before the barrel needed to be replaced. Minimum and maximum elevations were −15 and 85 degrees respectively. The guns' elevation could be raised or lowered at about 15 degrees per second. The mounts closest to the bow and stern could aim from −150 to 150 degrees; the others were restricted to −80 to 80 degrees. They could be turned at about 25 degrees per second.
The 5 in/38 functioned as a dual purpose gun
; that is, it was able to fire at both surface and air targets with a reasonable degree of success. However, this did not mean that it possessed inferior anti-air abilities. As proven during 1941 gunnery tests conducted aboard the gun could consistently shoot down aircraft flying at 12000 –, twice the effective range of the earlier single purpose 5"/25 caliber anti-air gun. As Japanese airplanes became faster, the gun lost some of its effectiveness in the anti-aircraft role; however, toward the end of the war its usefulness as an anti-aircraft weapon increased again because of an upgrade to the Mark 37 Fire Control System and proximity-fused 5 inches (127 mm) shells.
The 5 in/38 gun would remain on the battleships for the ships' entire service life; however, the total number of guns and gun mounts was reduced from 20 guns in ten mounts to 12 guns in 6 mounts during the 1980s' modernization of the four Iowas. The removal of four of the gun mounts was required for the battleships to be outfitted with the armored box launchers needed to carry and fire Tomahawk missiles. At the time of the 1991 Gulf War, these guns had been largely relegated to littoral defense for the battleships. Since each battleship carried a small detachment of Marines
aboard, the Marines would man one of the 5 in gun mounts.
At the time of the their commissioning, all four of the Iowa-class battleships were equipped with 20 quad 40 mm mounts and 49 single 20 mm mounts.
The Oerlikon 20 mm anti-aircraft gun
, one of the most heavily produced anti-aircraft gun
s of the Second World War, entered service in 1941 and replaced the 0.50"/90 (12.7 mm) M2 Browning MG on a one-for-one basis. Between December 1941 and September 1944, 32% of all Japanese aircraft downed were credited to this weapon, with the high point being 48.3% for the second half of 1942; however, the 20 mm guns were found to be ineffective against the Japanese Kamikaze
attacks used during the latter half of World War II and were subsequently phased out in favor of the heavier 40 mm Bofors AA guns.
When the Iowa-class battleships were commissioned in 1943 and 1944 they carried twenty quad Bofors 40 mm anti-aircraft gun mounts, which they used for defense against enemy aircraft. These heavy guns were also employed in the protection of allied aircraft carriers operating in the Pacific Theater of World War II
, and accounted for roughly half of all Japanese aircraft shot down between 1 October 1944 and 1 February 1945. Although successful in this role, the guns were stripped from the battleships—initially from New Jersey when reactivated in the 1960s and later from Iowa, Missouri, and Wisconsin when they were reactivated for service in the 1980s.
was passed by the United States Congress
in 1938, the U.S. Navy moved quickly to develop a 45,000-ton battleship that would pass through the 110 ft (34 m) wide Panama Canal
. Drawing on a 1935 empirical formula
for predicting a ship's maximum speed based on scale-model studies in flumes of various hull
forms and propeller
s and a newly developed empirical theorem that related waterline length
to maximum beam
, the Navy drafted plans for a battleship class with a maximum beam of 108 ft (33 m) which, when multiplied by 7.96, produced a waterline length of 860 ft (262 m)—permitting a maximum speed of 34.9 knots (68.4 km/h). The Navy also called for the class to have a lengthened forecastle
and amidship, which would increase speed, and a bulbous bow
. The Iowas were to be outfitted with four screws: the outer pair consisting of two four-bladed propellers roughly 18 feet (5.5 m) in diameter and the outboard screws that have five blades and are roughly 17.5 feet (5.3 m) in diameter. The propeller designs were adopted after earlier testing had determined that propeller cavitation
caused a drop in efficiency at speeds over 30 knots (56 km/h). The engineering plant on Iowa and Missouri consisted of four General Electric
cross-compound steam turbine
engines, each driving a single shaft that turns one of the screws. The equivalent machinery on New Jersey and Wisconsin was provided by Westinghouse
.
Four fire room
s contained eight Babcock & Wilcox M-Type boiler
s operated at 600 pound per square inch with a maximum superheater outlet temperature of 875 °F (468.3 °C). Steam was normally transmitted to four engine room
s. Each room was numbered from 1 to 4; each engine room was aft of its associated fire room.
In normal steaming four boilers were operated; this was sufficient to power the ships at speeds up to 27 knots (52.9 km/h). For higher speeds, all eight boilers were lit. Each operating boiler required a minimum of four trained operators on watch: a boiler supervisor (BTOW), a superheater
burnerman and saturated burnerman to control the steam temperature and pressure and a checkman, who monitored and controlled the water level in the steam drum
. In addition, there was a fireroom messenger and a lower level pumpman on duty whenever the fireroom was steaming.
Electricity drove many systems aboard ship, including rotating the turrets and elevating the guns. Each of the four engine rooms had a pair of Ship's Service Turbine Generators (SSTGs) manufactured by Westinghouse
. Each SSTG generated 1.25 MW for a total of 10 MW of electricity. The SSTGs were powered by steam from the same boilers that fed the engines. To allow battle-damaged electrical circuits to be repaired or bypassed, the lower decks of the ship had a Casualty Power System whose large three-wire cables and wall outlets (called "biscuits") could be used to re-route power.
s. Initially, the Iowas carried the Vought
OS2U Kingfisher and Curtiss
SC Seahawk, both of which were employed to spot for the battleship's main gun batteries—and, in a secondary capacity, perform search-and-rescue missions. By the time of the Korean War, helicopters had replaced floatplanes and the Sikorsky HO3S-1
helicopter; in time, the newer UH-1 Iroquois, SH-2 Seasprites, CH-46 Sea Knight, CH-53 Sea Stallion and the LAMPS III SH-60B Seahawk would serve aboard the battleships. In addition, New Jersey made use of the Gyrodyne QH-50 DASH drone for her Vietnam war deployment in 1968-1969.
Initially, the Iowa class was to consist of only four battleships: Iowa, New Jersey, Missouri, and Wisconsin. However, changing priorities during World War II resulted in the battleships Montana and Ohio being reordered as Illinois and Kentucky respectively. At the time these two battleships were to be built a proposal was put forth to have them constructed as aircraft carriers rather than fast battleships. The plan called for the ships to be rebuilt to include a flight deck and an armament suite similar to that placed aboard the s that were at the time under construction in the United States. Ultimately, nothing came of the design proposal to rebuild these two ships as aircraft carriers and they were cleared for construction as fast battleships to conform to the Iowa class design, though they differ from the earlier four that were built. Eventually, the light cruiser
s were selected for the aircraft-carrier conversion. Nine of these light cruisers would be rebuilt as Independence-class
light aircraft carriers
.
After the surrender of the Empire of Japan
, construction on Illinois and Kentucky stopped. Illinois was eventually scrapped, but Kentuckys construction had advanced enough that several plans were proposed to complete Kentucky as a guided missile battleship (BBG) by removing the aft turret and installing a missile system. A similar conversion had already been performed on the battleship (BB-41/AG-128) to test the RIM-2 Terrier missile
after World War II, and construction on Kentucky was far enough along that proposals were made to remove the aft gun turret and install a pair of terrier missile launchers. One such proposal came from Rear Admiral W. K. Mendenhall, Chairman of the Ship[s] Characteristics Board (SCB); Mendehall proposed a plan that called for $15–$30 million to be spent to allow Kentucky to be completed as a guided-missile battleship (BBG) carrying eight SSM-N-8 Regulus II
guided missiles with a range of 1000 nmi (1,150.8 mi; 1,852 km). He also suggested Terrier or RIM-8 Talos
launchers to supplement the AA guns and proposed nuclear (instead of conventional) shells for the 16-inch guns. This never materialized, and Kentucky was ultimately sold for scrap in 1958.
In 1954 the Long Range Objectives Group of the United States Navy suggested converting the Iowa-class ships to BBGs. In 1958 the Bureau of Ships offered a proposal based on this idea. This replaced the 5-inch and 16-inch gun batteries with "two Talos twin missile systems, two RIM-24 Tartar
twin missile systems, an RUR-5 ASROC antisubmarine missile launcher, and a Regulus II installation with four missiles", as well as flagship facilities, sonar, helicopters, and fire-control systems for the Talos and Tartar missiles. In addition to these upgrades, 8,600 additional [long] tons of fuel oil was also suggested to serve in part as ballast for the battleships and for use in refueling destroyers and cruisers. Due to the estimated cost of the overhaul ($178–$193 million) this proposal was rejected as too expensive; instead, the SCB suggested a design with one Talus, one Tartar, one ASROC and two Regulus launchers and changes to the superstructure, at a cost of up to $85 million. This design was later revised to accommodate the Polaris Fleet Ballistic Missile, which in turn resulted in a study of two schemes by the SCB. In the end, none of these proposed conversions for the battleships were ever authorized. Interest in converting the Iowa-class battleships into guided-missile battleships began to deteriorate in 1960, because the hulls were considered too old and the conversion costs too high. Nonetheless, additional conversion proposals—including one to install the AN/SPY-1
Aegis Combat System
radar on the battleships—were suggested in 1962, 1974 and 1977 but as before, these proposals failed to gain the needed authorization. This was due, in part, to the fact that sensitive electronics within 200 ft of any 16-inch gun muzzle were likely to be damaged.
's plan to rebuild the U.S. military and create a 600-ship Navy
—which would counter the new Soviet Kirov-class battlecruisers
—all four of the battleships were reactivated and modernized under the 600-ship Navy program. During this reactivation, several concepts entailing removal of the aft 16 turret were considered by the Navy, including Martin Marietta
s proposal to replace the turret with servicing facilities for 12 AV-8B Harrier STOVL jumpjets, Charles Myers' proposal for replacement of the turret with vertical launch systems
for missiles and a flight deck for Marine helicopters. Naval Institute Proceedings proposed a canted flight deck (complete with a steam catapult) and arrestor wires to operate F/A-18 Hornet fighters. Plans for these conversions were dropped in 1984, but each battleship was overhauled to burn navy distillate fuel and modernized to carry electronic warfare
suites, close-in weapon system
s (CIWS) for self-defense, and missiles. After recommissioning, the modernized battleships operated as centerpieces of their own battleship battle groups (BBBGs), consisting of one , one or , one , three s and one support ship, such as a fleet oiler.
mounts, two of which sat just behind the bridge and two which were next to the after ship's funnel. , , and were equipped with the Block 0 version of the Phalanx, while received the first operational Block 1 version in 1988. The Phalanx system is intended to serve as a last line of defense against enemy missiles and aircraft, and when activated can engage a target with a 20 mm (0.78740157480315 in)
M61 Vulcan
6-barreled Gatling cannon at a distance of approximately 3.6 km (2.2 mi).
As part of their modernization in the 1980s, each of the Iowa-class battleships received a complement of Armored Box Launcher
s and "shock hardened" Mk. 141 quad cell launchers. The former was used by the battleships to carry and fire the BGM-109 Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles (TLAMs) for use against enemy targets on land, while the latter system enabled the ships to carry a complement of RGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles for use against enemy ships. With an estimated range of 675 nautical miles (1,250.1 km) to 1500 nautical miles (2,778 km) for the Tomahawk missile and 64.5 nautical miles (119.5 km) to 85.5 nautical miles (158.3 km) for the Harpoon missile system, these two missile systems displaced the sixteen-inch guns and their maximum range of 42345 yards (38,720.3 m) (42345 yards (24.06 mi)) to become the longest-ranged weapons on the battleships during the 1980s. It has been alleged by some that the battleships carried the TLAM-A (also cited, incorrectly, as the TLAM-N)—a Tomahawk missile with a W80 nuclear warhead—during their 1980s service with the United States Navy, but owing to the United States Navy's policy of refusing to confirm or deny the presence of nuclear weaponry aboard its ships, these claims can not be conclusively proved.
Owing to the original 1938 design of the battleships, the Tomahawk missiles could not be fitted to the Iowa-class unless the battleships were physically rebuilt in such a way as to accommodate the missile mounts that would be needed to store and launch the Tomahawks. This realization prompted the removal of the anti-aircraft guns previously installed on the Iowas and the removal of four of each of the battleships' ten 5"/38 DP mounts. The mid and aft end of the battleships were then rebuilt to accommodate the missile magazines. At one point, the NATO Sea Sparrow
was to be installed on the reactivated battleships; however, it was determined that the system could not withstand the overpressure effects from firing the main battery. To supplement the anti-aircraft capabilities of the Iowas, five FIM-92 Stinger
surface-to-air missile
firing positions were installed. These secured the shoulder-launched weapons and their rounds for ready use by the crew.
radar set (which also augmented the existing navigation capabilities on the battleships), and the AN/SPS-8 ground-search radar set was replaced by the AN/SPS-67
search radar.
In addition to these search and navigational radars, the Iowa class were also outfitted with a variety of fire control systems for their gun systems, and later for their missile systems. Beginning with their commissioning, the battleships made use of a trio of Mk 38 gun fire control systems to direct the 16 in guns and a quartet of Mk 37 gun fire control systems to direct the 5 in gun batteries. These systems were upgraded over time, but remained the cornerstones of the combat radar systems on the Iowa class during their careers. The range estimation of these gunfire control systems provided a significant accuracy advantage over earlier ships with optical rangefinders; this was demonstrated off Truk Atoll
on 16 February 1944 when Iowa engaged the at a range of 35700 yards (32.6 km) and straddled her, setting the record for the longest-ranged straddle in history.
Initially, the battleships made use of a mass collection of 20 mm and 40 mm guns for anti-aircraft (AA) operations; these guns were respectively augmented with the Mk 14 range sight and Mk 51 fire control system to improve accuracy. By the Korean War, jet engines had replaced propellers on aircraft, which severely limited the ability of the AA batteries and their gun systems to track and shoot down enemy planes. Consequently, the AA guns and their associated fire-control systems were removed when reactivated. New Jersey received this treatment in 1967, and the others followed in their 1980s modernizations. In the 1980s, each ship also received a quartet of Phalanx Close In Weapon System
(CIWS) mounts which made use of a radar system to locate incoming enemy projectiles and destroy them with a 20 mm gatling gun before they could strike the ship.
With the added missile capacity of the battleships in the 1980s came additional fire-support systems to launch and guide the ordnance. To fire the Harpoon anti-ship missiles, the battleships were equipped with the SWG-1 fire-control system, and to fire the Tomahawk missiles the battleships used either the SWG-2 or SWG-3 fire-control system. In addition to these offensive-weapon systems, the battleships were outfitted with the AN/SLQ-25 Nixie
to be used as a lure against enemy torpedoes, an SLQ-32 electronic warfare system that can detect, jam, and deceive an opponent's radar and a Mark 36 SRBOC
system to fire chaff
rockets intended to confuse enemy missiles.
Aside from the electronics added for weaponry control, all four battleships were outfitted with a communications suite used by both cruisers and guided missile cruisers in service at the time. This communication suite included the OE-82 antenna for satellite communications, but did not include the Naval Tactical Data System
.
During the 1980s these battleships made use of the RQ-2 Pioneer, an unmanned aerial vehicle employed in spotting for the guns. Launched from the fantail using a rocket-assist booster that was discarded shortly after takeoff, the Pioneer carried a video camera in a pod under the belly of the aircraft which transmitted live video to the ship so operators could observe enemy actions or fall of shot during naval gunnery. To land the UAV a large net was deployed at the back of the ship the aircraft was flown into it. Missouri and Wisconsin both used the Pioneer UAVs successfully during Operation Desert Storm, and in one particularly memorable incident, a Pioneer UAV operated by Wisconsin received the surrender of Iraqi troops during combat operations. This particular Pioneer was later donated to the Smithsonian Institution
, and is now on public display. In addition to the Pioneer UAVs, the recommissioned Iowas could support six types of helicopters: the Sikorsky HO3S-1
, UH-1 Iroquois, SH-2 Seasprites, CH-46 Sea Knight, CH-53 Sea Stallion and the LAMPS III SH-60B Seahawk.
and the subsequent Dissolution of the Soviet Union
, the United States Navy began to decommission and mothball many of the ships it had brought out of its reserve fleet in the drive to attain a 600-ship Navy
. At the height of Navy Secretary John F. Lehman's 600-ship Navy plan, nearly 600 ships of all types were active within the Navy. This included fifteen aircraft carriers, four battleships and over 100 submarines, along with various other types of ships the overall plan specified. When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 the Navy sought to return to its traditional, 313-ship composition. While reducing the fleet created under the 600-ship Navy program, the decision was made to deactivate the four recommissioned Iowa-class battleships and return them to the reserve fleet.
In 1995, the decommissioned battleships were removed from the Naval Vessel Register (NVR) after it was determined by ranking US Navy officials that there was no place for a battleship in the modern navy. In response to the striking of the battleships from the Naval Vessel Register a movement began to reinstate the battleships, on the grounds that these vessels had superior firepower over the then-existing 5 in guns found on the s, s, s, and s. Citing concern over the lack of available gunfire to support amphibious operations, Congress demanded that the United States Navy reinstate two battleships to the naval vessel register and maintain them with the mothball fleet, until the Navy could certify it had gunfire support within the current fleet that would meet or exceed the battleship's capability.
The debate over battleships in the modern navy continued until 2006, when the two reinstated battleships were stricken after naval officials submitted a two-part plan that calls for the near-term goal of increasing the range of the guns currently in use on the Flight I Arleigh Burke-class destroyers with specially designed ammunition intended to allow a five-inch projectile fired from these guns to travel an estimated 40 nautical miles (74.1 km) inland. The long-term goal calls for the replacement of the two battleships with vessels of the as-yet-unconstructed of guided-missile destroyers. These ships are to be outfitted with an advanced gun system (AGS) that will fire specially developed 6 in Long Range Land Attack Projectile
s for shore bombardment; however, the long-term goal for the Zumwalt class is to have the ships mount railgun
s or free-electron lasers.
and missile firepower. Although all have been officially struck from the Naval Vessel Register
they have been spared scrapping and were either donated or have been slated for donation for use as museum ships.
Their service records have added to their fame, ranging from their work as carrier escorts in World War II to their shore bombardment duties in North Korea
, North Vietnam
, and Iraq
, as well as their service in the Cold War against the expanded Soviet Navy. Their reputation combined with the stories told concerning the firepower of these battleships' 16 inch guns are such that when they were brought out of retirement in the 1980s in response to increased Soviet Naval activity—and in particular, in response to the commissioning of the s—the United States Navy was inundated with requests from former sailors pleading for a recall to active duty so they could serve aboard one of the battleships.
In part because of the service length and record of the class, members have made numerous appearances in television shows, video games, movies, and other media oriented mediums, including appearances in the anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion, the History Channel documentary series Battle 360: USS Enterprise
, the Discovery Channel
documentary The Top 10 Fighting Ships, the stealth action game Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
, the Real Time Tactics game World in Conflict
, the book turned movie A Glimpse of Hell
, and the 1992 movie Under Siege
, among other appearances.
. By this point in the war, aircraft carrier
s had displaced battleships as the primary striking arm of both the United States Navy
and the Imperial Japanese Navy
. As a result of this shift in tactics, U.S. fast battleships of all classes were relegated to the secondary role of carrier escorts and assigned to the Fast Carrier Task Force
to provide anti-aircraft screening for U.S. aircraft carriers and perform shore bombardment. They were recalled in 1950 with the outbreak of the Korean War
, and provided naval artillery support for U.N. forces for the entire duration of the war before being returned to mothballs in 1955 after hostilities ceased. In 1968, to help alleviate U.S. air losses over North Vietnam
New Jersey was summoned to Vietnam, but was decommissioned a year after arriving. All four returned in the 1980s during the drive for a 600-ship Navy
to counter the new Soviet s, only to be retired after the collapse of the Soviet Union on the grounds that they were too expensive to maintain.
was ordered 1 July 1939, laid down 27 June 1940, launched 27 August 1942, and commissioned
22 February 1943. She conducted a shakedown cruise
in Chesapeake Bay
before sailing to Naval Station Argentia
, Newfoundland
, to be ready in case the German battleship Tirpitz
entered the Atlantic. Transferred to the Pacific Fleet
in 1944, Iowa made her combat debut in February and participated in the campaign for the Marshall Islands
. The ship later escorted U.S. aircraft carriers conducting air raids in the Marianas campaign
, and then was present at the Battle of Leyte Gulf
. During the Korean War, Iowa bombarded enemy targets at Songjin
, Hŭngnam
, and Kojo, North Korea
. Iowa returned to the U.S. for operational and training exercises before being decommissioned
on 24 February 1958. Reactivated in the early 1980s, Iowa operated in the Atlantic Fleet, cruising in North American and European waters for most of the decade and participating in joint military exercises with European ships. On 19 April 1989, 47 sailors were killed following an explosion in her No. 2 turret
. In 1990, Iowa was decommissioned for the last time and placed in the mothball fleet. She was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register
on 17 March 2006. Iowa is currently anchored as part of the National Defense Reserve Fleet
in Suisun Bay
, California and is available for donation as a museum and memorial.
was ordered 4 July 1939, laid down 16 September 1940, launched 7 December 1942, and commissioned 23 May 1943. New Jersey completed fitting out and trained her initial crew in the Western Atlantic and Caribbean
before transferring to the Pacific Theatre
in advance of the planned assault
on the Marshall Islands, where she screened the U.S. fleet of aircraft carriers from enemy air raids. At the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the ship protected carriers with her anti-aircraft guns. New Jersey then bombarded Iwo Jima
and Okinawa
. During the Korean War, the ship pounded targets at Wonsan
, Yangyang, and Kansong. Following the Armistice, New Jersey conducted training and operation cruises until she was decommissioned. Recalled to duty in 1968, New Jersey reported to the gunline off the Vietnamese coast, and shelled North Vietnamese targets before departing the line in December 1968. She was decommissioned the following year. Reactivated in 1982 under the 600-ship Navy program, New Jersey was sent to Lebanon
to protect U.S. interests and U.S. Marines, firing her main guns at Druze
and Syria
n positions in the Beqaa Valley
east of Beirut
. Decommissioned for the last time 8 February 1991, New Jersey was briefly retained on the Naval Vessel Register
before being donated to the Home Port Alliance of Camden, New Jersey
for use as a museum ship in October 2001.
The was the last of the four Iowa-class battleships to be built. She was ordered 12 June 1940, laid down 6 January 1941, launched 29 January 1944, and commissioned 11 June 1944. Missouri conducted her trials off New York with shakedown and battle practice in Chesapeake Bay before transferring to the Pacific Fleet, where she screened U.S. aircraft carriers involved in offensive operations against the Japanese before reporting to Okinawa to shell the island in advance of the planned landings. Following the bombardment of Okinawa, Missouri turned her attention to the Japanese homeland islands of Honshu
and Hokkaido
, performing shore bombardment and screening U.S. carriers involved in combat operations. She became a symbol of the U.S. Navy's victory in the Pacific when representatives of the Empire of Japan boarded the battleship to sign the documents of unconditional surrender
to the Allied powers in September 1945. After World War II, Missouri conducted largely uneventful training and operational cruises until suffering a grounding accident. In 1950 she was dispatched to Korea in response to the outbreak of the Korean War. Missouri served two tours of duty in Korea providing shore bombardment. She was decommissioned in 1956. Reactivated twenty-eight years later in 1984 as part of the 600-ship Navy plan, Missouri was sent on operational cruises until being assigned to Operation Earnest Will
in 1988. In 1991, Missouri participated in Operation Desert Storm
, firing 28 Tomahawk Missiles and 759 sixteen-inch (406 mm) shells at Iraqi targets along the coast. Decommissioned for the last time in 1992, Missouri was donated to the USS Missouri Memorial Association of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, for use as a museum ship in 1999.
_launching_tomahawk.jpg)
was ordered 12 June 1940, laid down 25 January 1942, launched 7 December 1943, and commissioned 16 April 1944. After trials and initial training in Chesapeake Bay, she transferred to the Pacific Fleet in 1944 and was assigned to protect the U.S. fleet of aircraft carriers involved in operations in the Philippines until summoned to Iwo Jima to bombard the island in advance of the Marine landings. Afterward, she proceeded to Okinawa, bombarding the island in advance of the allied amphibious assault. In mid-1945 Wisconsin turned her attention to bombarding the Japanese home islands until the surrender of Japan in August. Reactivated in 1950 for the Korean War, Wisconsin served two tours of duty, assisting South Korean and UN forces by providing call fire support and shelling targets. In 1956, the bow of the uncompleted USS Kentucky was removed and grafted on Wisconsin, which had collided with the destroyer USS Eaton
. Decommissioned in 1958, Wisconsin was placed in the reserve fleet at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard
until reactivated in 1986 as part of the 600-ship Navy plan. In 1991, Wisconsin participated in Operation Desert Storm
, firing 24 Tomahawk Missiles at Iraqi targets, and expending 319 16 inches (406 mm) shells at Iraqi troop formations along the coast. Decommissioned for the last time 30 September 1991, Wisconsin was placed in the reserve fleet until struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 17 March 2006 so she could be transferred for use as a museum ship. Wisconsin is currently berthed at the Nauticus maritime museum in Norfolk, Virginia
.
Hulls BB-65 and BB-66 were originally to be and , the first and second ships of the of battleships; however, passage of an emergency war building program on 19 July 1940 resulted in both hulls being reordered as Iowa-class battleships to save time on construction.
was ordered on 9 September 1940 and laid down on 15 January 1945. Construction was canceled on 11 August 1945, when Illinois was judged to be about-one quarter completed; she was sold for scrap in September 1958. was ordered on 9 September 1940 and laid down on 6 December 1944. Construction was suspended on 17 February 1947, when Kentucky was judged to be approximately three-quarters completed. She was informally launched on 20 January 1950 to clear a dry-dock for repairs to Missouri, which had run aground. In 1956, Kentuckys bow was removed and shipped in one piece across Hampton Roads
, where it was grafted onto the Wisconsin, which had collided with the destroyer . In 1958, Kentuckys engines were salvaged and installed on the fast combat support ship
s and .
Initially, proposals were made to complete these two battleships as aircraft carriers, similar in design to the s under construction at the time in the United States, however nothing came of this idea. When construction on the ships was halted at the end of World War II proposals were made to rebuild Kentucky as a guided missile battleship
(changing the hull number to BBG-1) but again these plans were never realized. Ultimately, Kentucky was sold for scrap on 31 October 1958.
Ship class
A ship class is a group of ships of a similar design. This is distinct from a ship-type, which might reflect a similarity of tonnage or intended use. For example, the is a nuclear aircraft carrier of the Nimitz class....
of fast battleship
Fast battleship
Historically, a fast battleship was a battleship which emphasized speed without - in concept - undo compromise of either armor or armament. The term is especially appropriate when applied to a design which was not only faster than the preceding battleship class, but faster than subsequent classes...
s ordered by the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
in 1939 and 1940 to escort the Fast Carrier Task Force
Fast Carrier Task Force
The Fast Carrier Task Force was the main striking force of the United States Navy in the Pacific Ocean theatre of World War II.The Fast Carrier Task Force was known under two designations. The Navy made use of two sets of upper command structures for planning the upcoming operations...
s which would operate in the Pacific Theater
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Six were ordered during the course of World War II, but only four were completed in time to see service in the Pacific Theater. The last two had been laid down, but as a result of the postwar drawdown of the armed forces they were canceled prior to completion and eventually scrapped. Like other third-generation American battleships, the Iowa class followed the design pattern set forth in the preceding North Carolina- and South Dakota-
South Dakota class battleship (1939)
The South Dakota-class was a group of four fast battleships built by the United States Navy. They were the second class of battleships to be named after the 40th State; the first class was designed in the 1920s and canceled under the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty. The class comprised four...
class battleships, which placed great emphasis on speed as well as on the secondary and anti-aircraft batteries.
Between the mid-1940s and the early 1990s the Iowa-class battleships were involved in four major wars fought by the United States. In World War II, they defended aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
s and shelled Japanese positions. During the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, the battleships provided seaborne artillery support for United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
forces fighting against North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
, and in 1968 New Jersey shelled Viet Cong and Vietnam People's Army
Vietnam People's Army
The Vietnam People's Army is the armed forces of Vietnam. The VPA includes: the Vietnamese People's Ground Forces , the Vietnam People's Navy , the Vietnam People's Air Force, and the Vietnam Marine Police.During the French Indochina War , the VPA was often referred to as the Việt...
military forces in the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. All four were reactivated and armed with missiles during the 1980s as part of the 600-ship Navy
600-ship Navy
The 600 Ship Navy was a strategic plan of the United States Navy during the 1980s to rebuild its fleet after cutbacks that followed the end of the Vietnam War...
initiative; in 1991 Missouri and Wisconsin fired missiles and 16 inches (406 mm) guns at Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
i targets during the First Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
. Citing the impending end of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
and the sizable operating expense, the United States Navy decommissioned all four battleships in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Initially, all four battleships were removed from the Naval Vessel Register
Naval Vessel Register
The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...
; however, the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
compelled the Navy to reinstate two of the four battleships on the grounds that existing naval gunfire support
Naval gunfire support
Naval gunfire support is the use of naval artillery to provide fire support for amphibious assault and other troops operating within their range. NGFS is one of a number of disciplines encompassed by the term Naval Fires...
would be inadequate for amphibious operations
Amphibious warfare
Amphibious warfare is the use of naval firepower, logistics and strategy to project military power ashore. In previous eras it stood as the primary method of delivering troops to non-contiguous enemy-held terrain...
. This resulted in a lengthy debate
United States Naval Gunfire Support debate
The United States Naval Gunfire Support debate is an ongoing debate between the Navy, Marine Corps, Congress, and independent groups like the United States Naval Gunfire Support Association on the issue of what role Naval Gunfire Support / Naval Surface Fire Support should play within the Navy...
over whether battleships should have a role in the modern navy. Meanwhile, the battleships struck from the Naval Vessel Register were slated to be donated to not-for-profit organizations. Three of the four battleships have officially been transferred to private groups and operate as part of their associated maritime museum
Maritime museum
A maritime museum is a museum specializing in the display of objects relating to ships and travel on large bodies of water...
s, while the fourth (Iowa
USS Iowa (BB-61)
USS Iowa was the lead ship of her class of battleship and the fourth in the United States Navy to be named in honor of the 29th state...
) is currently off limits to the public pending an official transfer to an eligible not-for-profit for use as a museum ship
Museum ship
A museum ship, or sometimes memorial ship, is a ship that has been preserved and converted into a museum open to the public, for educational or memorial purposes...
.
Background
Work on what would eventually become the Iowa-class battleships began on the first study in early 1938 at the direction of Admiral Thomas C. HartThomas C. Hart
Thomas Charles Hart was an admiral of the United States Navy, whose service extended from the Spanish-American War through World War II. Following his retirement from the Navy, he served briefly as a United States Senator from Connecticut.-Life and career:Hart was born in Genesee County, Michigan...
, head of the General Board
General Board of the United States Navy
The General Board of the United States Navy was an advisory body of the United States Navy, effectively a naval general staff. The General Board was established by general order 544, issued on March 13, 1900 by John Davis Long. The order was officially recognized by Congress in 1916...
. It was an expanded South Dakota, carrying either twelve 16-inch/45
16"/45 caliber Mark 6 gun
The 16"/45 caliber Mark 6 gun was a naval gun designed in 1936 by the United States Navy for their Treaty battleships. It was first introduced in 1941 aboard their North Carolina-class battleships, replacing the originally intended 14"/50 caliber Mark B guns and was also used for the followup South...
caliber Mark 6 guns or nine 18-inch (460 mm) guns—the latter armament being dropped after the 31 March agreement—with more armor and a power plant large enough to drive the larger ship through the water at the same speed as the South Dakotas, 27 knots (14.7 m/s). These studies had no further impact on the design of the Iowa class, but development of this design continued and eventually evolved into the design for the .
Another design, pursued by the Design Division section of the Bureau of Construction and Repair
Bureau of Construction and Repair
The Bureau of Construction and Repair was the part of the United States Navy which from 1862 to 1940 was responsible for supervising the design, construction, conversion, procurement, maintenance, and repair of ships and other craft for the Navy...
, was a "cruiser-killer." Beginning on 17 January 1938 under Captain A.J. Chantry, the group drew up plans for ships with twelve 16-inch and twenty 5-inch guns, Panamax
Panamax
Panamax and New Panamax are popular terms for the size limits for ships traveling through the Panama Canal. Formally, the limits and requirements are published by the Panama Canal Authority titled "Vessel Requirements"...
capability but otherwise unlimited displacement, a top speed of 35 knots (19.1 m/s) and a range of 20000 nautical miles (37,040 km) when traveling at the more economical speed of 15 knots (8.2 m/s). Their plan fulfilled these requirements with a ship of 50940 long tons (51,757.6 t), but Chantry believed that more could be done if the ship were to be this large; with a displacement greater than that of most battleships, its armor would only have protected it against the 8-inch (203 mm) weapons carried by heavy cruiser
Heavy cruiser
The heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range, high speed and an armament of naval guns roughly 203mm calibre . The heavy cruiser can be seen as a lineage of ship design from 1915 until 1945, although the term 'heavy cruiser' only came into formal use in 1930...
s.
Three improved plans—"A", "B", and "C"—were designed at the end of January. An increase in draft
Draft (hull)
The draft of a ship's hull is the vertical distance between the waterline and the bottom of the hull , with the thickness of the hull included; in the case of not being included the draft outline would be obtained...
, vast additions to the armor, and the substitution of twelve 6 inches (152.4 mm) guns in the secondary battery was common between the three designs. "A" was the largest, at 59060 long tons (60,007.9 t), and was the only one to still carry the twelve 16-inch guns in four triple turrets. It required 277,000 shaft horsepower (shp) to make 32.5 knots (17.7 m/s). "B" was the smallest at 52707 long tons (53,552.9 t); like "A" it had a top speed of 32.5 knots, but "B" only required 225,000 shp to make this speed. It also carried only nine 16-inch guns, in three triple turrets. "C" was similar but it added 75,000 shp (for a total of 300,000 shp), to make the original requirement of 35 knots. The weight required for this and a longer belt—512 feet (156.1 m), compared with 496 feet (151.2 m) for "B"—meant that the ship was 55771 long tons (56,666.1 t).
In March 1938, the General Board followed the recommendations of the Battleship Design Advisory Board, which was composed of the naval architect William Francis Gibbs
William Francis Gibbs
William Francis Gibbs was a renowned naval architect who directed the mass production of cargo ships for the United States during World War II, including the famous Liberty ships, of which 2,751 were built...
, William Hovgaard (then president of New York Shipbuilding
New York Shipbuilding
The New York Shipbuilding Corporation was founded in 1899 and opened its first shipyard in 1900. Located in Camden, New Jersey on the east shore of the Delaware River, New York Ship built more than 500 vessels for the U.S...
), John Metten, Joseph W. Powell, and the long-retired Admiral and former Chief of the Bureau of Ordnance
Bureau of Ordnance
The Bureau of Ordnance was the U.S. Navy's organization responsible for the procurement, storage, and deployment of all naval ordnance, between the years 1862 and 1959.-History:...
Joseph Strauss
Joseph Strauss (admiral)
Admiral Joseph Strauss was an officer of the United States Navy, who served in World War I, and later commanded the Asiatic Fleet.-Biography:...
. The board requested an entirely new design study, focusing on increasing the size of the 35,000 ton South Dakota class. The first plans made for this indicated that 30 kn (36.5 mph; 58.8 km/h) was possible on a displacement of about 37600 long tons (38,203.5 t). 33 kn (40.2 mph; 64.7 km/h) could be bought with 220,000 shaft horsepower and a displacement of around 39230 long tons (39,859.6 t), which was well below the treaty's maximum limit of 45000 long tons (45,722.3 t).
These designs were able to convince the General Board that a reasonably well-designed and balanced 33 knots (64.7 km/h) battleship was possible within the terms of the "escalator clause". However, further studies revealed major problems with the estimates. The speed of the ships meant that more freeboard
Freeboard (nautical)
In sailing and boating, freeboardmeans the distance from the waterline to the upper deck level, measured at the lowest point of sheer where water can enter the boat or ship...
would be needed both fore and amidships, the latter requiring an additional foot of armored freeboard. Along with this came the associated weight in supporting these new strains: the structure of the ship had to be reinforced and the power plant enlarged to avoid a drop in speed. In all, about 2400 long tons (2,438.5 t) had to be added, and the large margin the navy designers had previously thought they had—roughly 5000 long tons (5,080.3 t)—was suddenly vanishing.
With the additional displacement, the General Board was incredulous that a tonnage increase of 10000 long tons (10,160.5 t) would only allow the addition of 6 knots (3.3 m/s)s over the South Dakotas. Rather than retaining the 16"/45 caliber Mark 6 gun
16"/45 caliber Mark 6 gun
The 16"/45 caliber Mark 6 gun was a naval gun designed in 1936 by the United States Navy for their Treaty battleships. It was first introduced in 1941 aboard their North Carolina-class battleships, replacing the originally intended 14"/50 caliber Mark B guns and was also used for the followup South...
used in the South Dakotas, they ordered that future studies would have to include the more powerful (but heavier) 16"/50 caliber Mark 2 gun
16"/50 caliber Mark 2 gun
The 16"/50 caliber Mark 2 – United States Naval Gun was a gun originally designed and built as the main armament for the South Dakota-class battleships and Lexington-class battlecruisers, neither of which was completed...
s left over from the canceled s and South Dakota-class battleships
South Dakota class battleship (1920)
The first South Dakota class was a class of six battleships, laid down in 1920 but never completed. These battleships would have been the last dreadnoughts to be commissioned, if the Washington Naval Treaty not caused their cancellation one-third of the way through their construction, they would...
of the early 1920s. It also allowed the draft of the ships to be increased, meaning that the ships could be shortened (lowering weight) and the power reduced (since a narrower beam
Beam (nautical)
The beam of a ship is its width at the widest point. Generally speaking, the wider the beam of a ship , the more initial stability it has, at expense of reserve stability in the event of a capsize, where more energy is required to right the vessel from its inverted position...
reduces drag
Drag (physics)
In fluid dynamics, drag refers to forces which act on a solid object in the direction of the relative fluid flow velocity...
).
The 50-caliber gun weighed some 400 long tons (406.4 t) more than the 45 caliber did; the barbette
Barbette
A barbette is a protective circular armour feature around a cannon or heavy artillery gun. The name comes from the French phrase en barbette referring to the practice of firing a field gun over a parapet rather than through an opening . The former gives better angles of fire but less protection...
size also had to be increased so the total weight gain was about 2000 long tons (2,032.1 t), putting the ship at a total of 46551 long tons (47,298.1 t)—well over the 45,000 long ton limit. An apparent savior appeared in a Bureau of Ordnance preliminary design for a turret that could carry the 50 caliber guns in a smaller barbette. This breakthrough was shown to the General Board as part of a series of designs on 2 June 1938.
However, the Bureau of Ordnance continued working on a larger barbette design, while the Bureau of Construction and Repair
Bureau of Construction and Repair
The Bureau of Construction and Repair was the part of the United States Navy which from 1862 to 1940 was responsible for supervising the design, construction, conversion, procurement, maintenance, and repair of ships and other craft for the Navy...
utilized the smaller barbettes in the final planning of the new battleships. As the bureaus were independent of one another, they did not realize that the two plans could not go together until November 1938, when the design was in the final stages of refinement. By this time, the ships could not use the larger barbette, as it would require massive alterations to the design and would result in substantial weight penalties. The General Board was astounded; one member asked the head of the Bureau of Ordnance if it had occurred to him that Construction and Repair would have wanted to know what turret his subordinates were working on "as a matter of common sense". A complete scrapping of plans was only avoided when designers within the Bureau of Ordnance were able to design a new 50-caliber gun, the Mark 7, that was both lighter and smaller in outside diameter; this allowed it to be placed in a turret that would fit in the smaller barbette. The redesigned 3-gun turret, equipped as it was with the Mark 7 naval gun, provided an overall weight saving of nearly 850 long tons (863.6 t) to the overall design of the Iowa class.
In May 1938 the United States Congress passed the Second Vinson Act
Second Vinson Act
The Second Vinson Act was an Act of Congress, passed in May 1938, which "mandated a 20% increase in strength of the United States Navy". The act was sponsored by Carl Vinson, a Democratic Congressman from Georgia who was...
which "mandated a 20% increase in strength of the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
". The act was sponsored by Carl Vinson
Carl Vinson
Carl Vinson was a United States Representative from Georgia. He was a Democrat and the first person to serve for more than 50 years in the United States House of Representatives...
, a Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Congressman
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
from Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
who was
Chairman of the House Naval Affairs and Armed Services Committee. The Second Vinson Act updated the provisions of the Vinson-Trammell Act of 1934 and the Naval Act (1936), which had "authorized the construction of the first American battleships in 17 years", based on the provisions of the London Naval Treaty
London Naval Treaty
The London Naval Treaty was an agreement between the United Kingdom, the Empire of Japan, France, Italy and the United States, signed on April 22, 1930, which regulated submarine warfare and limited naval shipbuilding. Ratifications were exchanged in London on October 27, 1930, and the treaty went...
of 1930; this act provided the funding to build the Iowa class.
As 1938 drew to a close the design of the Iowas was nearly complete, but it would continuously evolve as the battleships were under construction. These revisions included changing the design of the foremast, replacing the original 1.1"/75-caliber guns that were to be used for anti-aircraft work with 20 mm and 40 mm guns, and moving the combat information center into the armored hull. Additionally, in November 1939 the New York Navy Yard greatly modified the internal subdivision of the machinery rooms, as tests had shown the underwater protection in these rooms to be inadequate. The result of this was clearly beneficial: "The prospective effect of flooding was roughly halved and the number of uptakes and hence of openings in the third deck greatly reduced." Although the changes meant extra weight and added 1 foot (0.3048 m) to the beam, this was no longer a major issue; the United Kingdom and France had renounced the Second London Naval Treaty soon after the beginning of the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Armor
Zone of immunity
The zone of immunity around a warship is an area from which both plunging fire and direct enemy fire is less effective.The concept was a factor in battleship design and in tactics during engagements....
against fire from 16-inch/45-caliber guns between 18000 and 30000 yd (16,459.2 and 27,432 m) away. The magazines and engine rooms were protected by an armored belt 12.2 inches (31 cm) thick, which sloped to give an effective vertical thickness of 13.5 inches (34.3 cm). Their armor was not sufficient to protect against guns equivalent to their own 16-inch/50-caliber guns; increasing the armor would have increased weight and reduced speed. Missouri and Wisconsin incorporated the most significant change in armor from the South Dakota class: the increase from 11.3 inches (28.7 cm) to 14.5 inches (36.8 cm) of the vertical armor on the forward armored bulkhead, the conning tower, and the turret barbettes. The extra armor provided protection from fire directly ahead, which was considered more likely given the high speed of the Iowa class. The installation of armor on the Iowa-class battleships also differed from those of earlier battleships in that the armor was installed while the ships were still "on the way" rather than after the ships had been launched.
The Iowa class torpedo defense was virtually the same as the South Dakotas. Each side of the ship was protected below the waterline by two tanks mounted outside the belt armor
Belt armor
Belt armor is a layer of heavy metal armor plated on to or within outer hulls of warships, typically on battleships, battlecruisers and cruisers, and on aircraft carriers converted from those types of ships....
, and separated by a bulkhead. These tanks were initially planned to be empty, but in practice were filled with water or fuel oil. The armored belt tapered to a thickness of 4 inches (10.2 cm) below the waterline. Behind the armored belt there was a void, and then another bulkhead. The outer hull was intended to detonate a torpedo, with the outer two compartments absorbing the shock and with any splinters or debris being stopped by the armored belt and the empty compartment behind it. In 1939 the Navy discovered that this system was considerably less effective than earlier torpedo defense systems, but by then it was too late to change the design. Based on hard-learned lessons in the Pacific theater concerns were also raised over the ability of the armor on these battleships to withstand the effects of aerial bombing, but at the time these concerns surfaced nothing could be done to adequately address the problem.
Armament
The primary guns used on these battleships are the nine 16 inches (406 mm) / 50-caliber Mark 7 naval guns, a compromise design developed to fit inside the barbettes. These guns fire explosive– and armor-piercing shells, and can fire a 16 inches (406.4 mm) shell approximately 23.4 nautical miles (43.3 km). The guns are housed in three 3-gun turrets: two forward and one aft, in a configuration known as "2-A-1". The guns are 66 feet (20.1 m) long (50 times their 16 inches (406.4 mm) bore, or 50 calibers from breechfaceBreechface
In firearms the breech face, also breechface, is the surface of the bolt or slide that locks against the rear of the chamber so that one can fire a cartridge....
to muzzle). About 43 feet (13.1 m) protrudes from the gun house. Each gun weighs about 239,000 pounds (108,000 kg) without the breech, or 267900 pounds (121,517.4 kg) with the breech. They fire projectiles weighing from 1,900 to 2,700 pounds (850 to 1,200 kg) at a maximum speed of 2,960 ft/s (820 m/s
Metre per second
Metre per second is an SI derived unit of both speed and velocity , defined by distance in metres divided by time in seconds....
up to 20 miles (32 km). At maximum range, the projectile spends almost 1½ minutes in flight. The maximum firing rate for each gun is two rounds per minute.
Each gun rests within an armored turret, but only the top of the turret protrudes above the main deck. The turret extends either four decks (Turrets 1 and 3) or five decks (Turret 2) down. The lower spaces contain rooms for handling the projectiles and storing the powder bags used to fire them. Each turret required a crew of between 85 and 110 men to operate. The turrets are not actually attached to the ship but sit on rollers, although they do have retaining clips. The original cost for each turret was US$1.4 million, but this figure does not take into account the cost of the guns themselves. The turrets are "three-gun", not "triple" because each barrel can be elevated independently; they can also be fired independently. The ship could fire any combination of its guns, including a broadside
Broadside
A broadside is the side of a ship; the battery of cannon on one side of a warship; or their simultaneous fire in naval warfare.-Age of Sail:...
of all nine.
The large-caliber guns were designed to fire two different conventional 16 inches (406 mm) shells: the armor-piercing Mk. 8 round for anti-ship and anti-structure work, and the Mk. 13 high-explosive round designed for use against unarmored targets and shore bombardment. Interestingly, when firing the same conventional shell, the 16"/45 caliber Mark 6 gun
16"/45 caliber Mark 6 gun
The 16"/45 caliber Mark 6 gun was a naval gun designed in 1936 by the United States Navy for their Treaty battleships. It was first introduced in 1941 aboard their North Carolina-class battleships, replacing the originally intended 14"/50 caliber Mark B guns and was also used for the followup South...
used by the fast battleships of the and had a slight advantage over the 16"/50 caliber Mark 7 gun when hitting deck armor—a shell from a 45 cal gun would be slower, meaning that it would have a steeper trajectory as it descended. At 35000 yd (19.9 mi; 32 km), a shell from a 45 cal would strike a ship at an angle of 45.2 degrees, as opposed to 36 degrees with the 50 cal.
In the 1950s, the W23, an adaptation of the W19 nuclear artillery shell was developed specifically for the 16 inches (406 mm) guns. The shell had an estimated yield of 15 ktonTNT, and its introduction made the Iowa-class battleship's 16 in guns the world's largest nuclear artillery
Nuclear artillery
Nuclear artillery is a subset of limited-yield tactical nuclear weapons, in particular those weapons that are launched from the ground at battlefield targets...
, and made these four battleships the only U.S. Navy ships ever to have nuclear shells for naval guns.
Classification society
A classification society is a non-governmental organization that establishes and maintains technical standards for the construction and operation of ships and offshore structures...
and many smaller warships constructed between 1934 and 1945. They were considered to be "highly reliable, robust and accurate" by the Navy's Bureau of Ordnance
Bureau of Ordnance
The Bureau of Ordnance was the U.S. Navy's organization responsible for the procurement, storage, and deployment of all naval ordnance, between the years 1862 and 1959.-History:...
.
Each 5 in/38 weighed almost 4000 pounds (1,814.4 kg) without the breech; the entire mount weighed 156295 pounds (70,894.2 kg). It was 223.8 inches (5,684.5 mm) long overall, had a bore length of 190 inches (4,826 mm) and a rifling length of 157.2 inches (3,992.9 mm). The gun could fire shells at about 2,500–2,600 ft/s (762–792 m/s); about 4,600 could be fired before the barrel needed to be replaced. Minimum and maximum elevations were −15 and 85 degrees respectively. The guns' elevation could be raised or lowered at about 15 degrees per second. The mounts closest to the bow and stern could aim from −150 to 150 degrees; the others were restricted to −80 to 80 degrees. They could be turned at about 25 degrees per second.
The 5 in/38 functioned as a dual purpose gun
Dual purpose gun
A dual purpose gun is a naval artillery mounting designed to engage both surface and air targets.-Description:Second World War-era capital ships had four classes of artillery: the heavy main battery, intended to engage opposing battleships and cruisers ; a secondary battery for use against enemy...
; that is, it was able to fire at both surface and air targets with a reasonable degree of success. However, this did not mean that it possessed inferior anti-air abilities. As proven during 1941 gunnery tests conducted aboard the gun could consistently shoot down aircraft flying at 12000 –, twice the effective range of the earlier single purpose 5"/25 caliber anti-air gun. As Japanese airplanes became faster, the gun lost some of its effectiveness in the anti-aircraft role; however, toward the end of the war its usefulness as an anti-aircraft weapon increased again because of an upgrade to the Mark 37 Fire Control System and proximity-fused 5 inches (127 mm) shells.
The 5 in/38 gun would remain on the battleships for the ships' entire service life; however, the total number of guns and gun mounts was reduced from 20 guns in ten mounts to 12 guns in 6 mounts during the 1980s' modernization of the four Iowas. The removal of four of the gun mounts was required for the battleships to be outfitted with the armored box launchers needed to carry and fire Tomahawk missiles. At the time of the 1991 Gulf War, these guns had been largely relegated to littoral defense for the battleships. Since each battleship carried a small detachment of Marines
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
aboard, the Marines would man one of the 5 in gun mounts.
At the time of the their commissioning, all four of the Iowa-class battleships were equipped with 20 quad 40 mm mounts and 49 single 20 mm mounts.
The Oerlikon 20 mm anti-aircraft gun
Oerlikon 20 mm cannon
The Oerlikon 20 mm cannon is a series of autocannons, based on an original design by Reinhold Becker of Germany, very early in World War I, and widely produced by Oerlikon Contraves and others...
, one of the most heavily produced anti-aircraft gun
Anti-aircraft warfare
NATO defines air defence as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action." They include ground and air based weapon systems, associated sensor systems, command and control arrangements and passive measures. It may be to protect naval, ground and air forces...
s of the Second World War, entered service in 1941 and replaced the 0.50"/90 (12.7 mm) M2 Browning MG on a one-for-one basis. Between December 1941 and September 1944, 32% of all Japanese aircraft downed were credited to this weapon, with the high point being 48.3% for the second half of 1942; however, the 20 mm guns were found to be ineffective against the Japanese Kamikaze
Kamikaze
The were suicide attacks by military aviators from the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, designed to destroy as many warships as possible....
attacks used during the latter half of World War II and were subsequently phased out in favor of the heavier 40 mm Bofors AA guns.
When the Iowa-class battleships were commissioned in 1943 and 1944 they carried twenty quad Bofors 40 mm anti-aircraft gun mounts, which they used for defense against enemy aircraft. These heavy guns were also employed in the protection of allied aircraft carriers operating in the Pacific Theater of World War II
Pacific Theater of Operations
The Pacific Theater of Operations was the World War II area of military activity in the Pacific Ocean and the countries bordering it, a geographic scope that reflected the operational and administrative command structures of the American forces during that period...
, and accounted for roughly half of all Japanese aircraft shot down between 1 October 1944 and 1 February 1945. Although successful in this role, the guns were stripped from the battleships—initially from New Jersey when reactivated in the 1960s and later from Iowa, Missouri, and Wisconsin when they were reactivated for service in the 1980s.
Propulsion
When the Second Vinson ActSecond Vinson Act
The Second Vinson Act was an Act of Congress, passed in May 1938, which "mandated a 20% increase in strength of the United States Navy". The act was sponsored by Carl Vinson, a Democratic Congressman from Georgia who was...
was passed by the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
in 1938, the U.S. Navy moved quickly to develop a 45,000-ton battleship that would pass through the 110 ft (34 m) wide Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
. Drawing on a 1935 empirical formula
Empirical relationship
In science, an empirical relationship is one based solely on observation rather than theory. An empirical relationship requires only confirmatory data irrespective of theoretical basis. Sometimes theoretical explanations for what were initially empirical relationships are found, in which case the...
for predicting a ship's maximum speed based on scale-model studies in flumes of various hull
Hull (watercraft)
A hull is the watertight body of a ship or boat. Above the hull is the superstructure and/or deckhouse, where present. The line where the hull meets the water surface is called the waterline.The structure of the hull varies depending on the vessel type...
forms and propeller
Propeller
A propeller is a type of fan that transmits power by converting rotational motion into thrust. A pressure difference is produced between the forward and rear surfaces of the airfoil-shaped blade, and a fluid is accelerated behind the blade. Propeller dynamics can be modeled by both Bernoulli's...
s and a newly developed empirical theorem that related waterline length
Waterline length
The Waterline length is a measurement of ships and boats. The term denotes the length of the vessel at the point where it sits in the water. It excludes the total length of the boat, such as features that are out of the water...
to maximum beam
Beam (nautical)
The beam of a ship is its width at the widest point. Generally speaking, the wider the beam of a ship , the more initial stability it has, at expense of reserve stability in the event of a capsize, where more energy is required to right the vessel from its inverted position...
, the Navy drafted plans for a battleship class with a maximum beam of 108 ft (33 m) which, when multiplied by 7.96, produced a waterline length of 860 ft (262 m)—permitting a maximum speed of 34.9 knots (68.4 km/h). The Navy also called for the class to have a lengthened forecastle
Forecastle
Forecastle refers to the upper deck of a sailing ship forward of the foremast, or the forward part of a ship with the sailors' living quarters...
and amidship, which would increase speed, and a bulbous bow
Bulbous bow
A bulbous bow is a protruding bulb at the bow of a ship just below the waterline. The bulb modifies the way the water flows around the hull, reducing drag and thus increasing speed, range, fuel efficiency, and stability...
. The Iowas were to be outfitted with four screws: the outer pair consisting of two four-bladed propellers roughly 18 feet (5.5 m) in diameter and the outboard screws that have five blades and are roughly 17.5 feet (5.3 m) in diameter. The propeller designs were adopted after earlier testing had determined that propeller cavitation
Cavitation
Cavitation is the formation and then immediate implosion of cavities in a liquidi.e. small liquid-free zones that are the consequence of forces acting upon the liquid...
caused a drop in efficiency at speeds over 30 knots (56 km/h). The engineering plant on Iowa and Missouri consisted of four General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
cross-compound steam turbine
Steam turbine
A steam turbine is a mechanical device that extracts thermal energy from pressurized steam, and converts it into rotary motion. Its modern manifestation was invented by Sir Charles Parsons in 1884....
engines, each driving a single shaft that turns one of the screws. The equivalent machinery on New Jersey and Wisconsin was provided by Westinghouse
Westinghouse Electric (1886)
Westinghouse Electric was an American manufacturing company. It was founded in 1886 as Westinghouse Electric Company and later renamed Westinghouse Electric Corporation by George Westinghouse. The company purchased CBS in 1995 and became CBS Corporation in 1997...
.
Four fire room
Fire room
On a ship, the fire room, or FR or boiler room or stokehold, referred to the space of a vessel where water was brought to a boil. The steam was then transmitted to a separate engine room, located immediately aft, where it was utilized to power the vessel...
s contained eight Babcock & Wilcox M-Type boiler
Boiler
A boiler is a closed vessel in which water or other fluid is heated. The heated or vaporized fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications.-Materials:...
s operated at 600 pound per square inch with a maximum superheater outlet temperature of 875 °F (468.3 °C). Steam was normally transmitted to four engine room
Engine room
On a ship, the engine room, or ER, commonly refers to the machinery spaces of a vessel. To increase the safety and damage survivability of a vessel, the machinery necessary for operations may be segregated into various spaces, the engine room is one of these spaces, and is generally the largest...
s. Each room was numbered from 1 to 4; each engine room was aft of its associated fire room.
In normal steaming four boilers were operated; this was sufficient to power the ships at speeds up to 27 knots (52.9 km/h). For higher speeds, all eight boilers were lit. Each operating boiler required a minimum of four trained operators on watch: a boiler supervisor (BTOW), a superheater
Superheater
A superheater is a device used to convert saturated steam or wet steam into dry steam used for power generation or processes. There are three types of superheaters namely: radiant, convection, and separately fired...
burnerman and saturated burnerman to control the steam temperature and pressure and a checkman, who monitored and controlled the water level in the steam drum
Steam drum
A steam drum is a standard feature of a water-tube boiler. It is a reservoir of water/steam at the top end of the water tubes. The drum stores the steam generated in the water tubes and acts as a phase-separator for the steam/water mixture...
. In addition, there was a fireroom messenger and a lower level pumpman on duty whenever the fireroom was steaming.
Electricity drove many systems aboard ship, including rotating the turrets and elevating the guns. Each of the four engine rooms had a pair of Ship's Service Turbine Generators (SSTGs) manufactured by Westinghouse
Westinghouse Electric (1886)
Westinghouse Electric was an American manufacturing company. It was founded in 1886 as Westinghouse Electric Company and later renamed Westinghouse Electric Corporation by George Westinghouse. The company purchased CBS in 1995 and became CBS Corporation in 1997...
. Each SSTG generated 1.25 MW for a total of 10 MW of electricity. The SSTGs were powered by steam from the same boilers that fed the engines. To allow battle-damaged electrical circuits to be repaired or bypassed, the lower decks of the ship had a Casualty Power System whose large three-wire cables and wall outlets (called "biscuits") could be used to re-route power.
Aircraft (1943-1969)
When they were commissioned during World War II, the Iowa-class battleships came equipped with two aircraft catapults designed to launch floatplaneFloatplane
A floatplane is a type of seaplane, with slender pontoons mounted under the fuselage; only the floats of a floatplane normally come into contact with water, with the fuselage remaining above water...
s. Initially, the Iowas carried the Vought
Vought
Vought is the name of several related aerospace firms. These have included, in the past, Lewis and Vought Corporation, Chance Vought, Vought Sikorsky, LTV Aerospace , Vought Aircraft Companies, and the current Vought Aircraft Industries. The first incarnation of Vought was established by Chance M...
OS2U Kingfisher and Curtiss
Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company
Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company was an American aircraft manufacturer that went public in 1916 with Glenn Hammond Curtiss as president. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, the company was the largest aircraft manufacturer in the United States...
SC Seahawk, both of which were employed to spot for the battleship's main gun batteries—and, in a secondary capacity, perform search-and-rescue missions. By the time of the Korean War, helicopters had replaced floatplanes and the Sikorsky HO3S-1
Sikorsky R-6
-External links:http://www.aerofiles.com/_sik.html Data and image of R-6...
helicopter; in time, the newer UH-1 Iroquois, SH-2 Seasprites, CH-46 Sea Knight, CH-53 Sea Stallion and the LAMPS III SH-60B Seahawk would serve aboard the battleships. In addition, New Jersey made use of the Gyrodyne QH-50 DASH drone for her Vietnam war deployment in 1968-1969.
Conversion proposals
The Iowa class were the only battleships with the speed required for post-war operations based around fast aircraft carrier task forces. There were a number of proposals in the early Cold War to convert the class to take into account changes in technology and doctrine. These included plans to equip the class with nuclear missiles, add aircraft capability and—in the case of Illinois and Kentucky—a proposal to rebuild both as aircraft carriers instead of battleships.Initially, the Iowa class was to consist of only four battleships: Iowa, New Jersey, Missouri, and Wisconsin. However, changing priorities during World War II resulted in the battleships Montana and Ohio being reordered as Illinois and Kentucky respectively. At the time these two battleships were to be built a proposal was put forth to have them constructed as aircraft carriers rather than fast battleships. The plan called for the ships to be rebuilt to include a flight deck and an armament suite similar to that placed aboard the s that were at the time under construction in the United States. Ultimately, nothing came of the design proposal to rebuild these two ships as aircraft carriers and they were cleared for construction as fast battleships to conform to the Iowa class design, though they differ from the earlier four that were built. Eventually, the light cruiser
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
s were selected for the aircraft-carrier conversion. Nine of these light cruisers would be rebuilt as Independence-class
Independence class aircraft carrier
The Independence class aircraft carriers were a class of light carriers built for the United States Navy that served during World War II.This class were a result of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's interest in Navy shipbuilding plans...
light aircraft carriers
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
.
After the surrender of the Empire of Japan
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
, construction on Illinois and Kentucky stopped. Illinois was eventually scrapped, but Kentuckys construction had advanced enough that several plans were proposed to complete Kentucky as a guided missile battleship (BBG) by removing the aft turret and installing a missile system. A similar conversion had already been performed on the battleship (BB-41/AG-128) to test the RIM-2 Terrier missile
RIM-2 Terrier
The Convair RIM-2 Terrier was a two-stage medium-range naval surface-to-air missile , and was among the earliest surface-to-air missiles to equip United States Navy ships. Originally, the Terrier had a launch thrust of 23 kN , and weight of 1392 kg...
after World War II, and construction on Kentucky was far enough along that proposals were made to remove the aft gun turret and install a pair of terrier missile launchers. One such proposal came from Rear Admiral W. K. Mendenhall, Chairman of the Ship[s] Characteristics Board (SCB); Mendehall proposed a plan that called for $15–$30 million to be spent to allow Kentucky to be completed as a guided-missile battleship (BBG) carrying eight SSM-N-8 Regulus II
SSM-N-8 Regulus
The SSM-N-8A Regulus was a ship and submarine launched, nuclear armed cruise missile deployed by the United States Navy from 1955 to 1964.-Design and development:...
guided missiles with a range of 1000 nmi (1,150.8 mi; 1,852 km). He also suggested Terrier or RIM-8 Talos
RIM-8 Talos
The Bendix RIM-8 Talos was a long-range naval surface-to-air missile, and was among the earliest surface-to-air missiles to equip United States Navy ships. The Talos used radar beam riding for guidance to the vicinity of its target, and semiactive radar homing for terminal guidance...
launchers to supplement the AA guns and proposed nuclear (instead of conventional) shells for the 16-inch guns. This never materialized, and Kentucky was ultimately sold for scrap in 1958.
In 1954 the Long Range Objectives Group of the United States Navy suggested converting the Iowa-class ships to BBGs. In 1958 the Bureau of Ships offered a proposal based on this idea. This replaced the 5-inch and 16-inch gun batteries with "two Talos twin missile systems, two RIM-24 Tartar
RIM-24 Tartar
The General Dynamics RIM-24 Tartar was a medium-range naval surface-to-air missile , and was among the earliest surface-to-air missiles to equip United States Navy ships...
twin missile systems, an RUR-5 ASROC antisubmarine missile launcher, and a Regulus II installation with four missiles", as well as flagship facilities, sonar, helicopters, and fire-control systems for the Talos and Tartar missiles. In addition to these upgrades, 8,600 additional [long] tons of fuel oil was also suggested to serve in part as ballast for the battleships and for use in refueling destroyers and cruisers. Due to the estimated cost of the overhaul ($178–$193 million) this proposal was rejected as too expensive; instead, the SCB suggested a design with one Talus, one Tartar, one ASROC and two Regulus launchers and changes to the superstructure, at a cost of up to $85 million. This design was later revised to accommodate the Polaris Fleet Ballistic Missile, which in turn resulted in a study of two schemes by the SCB. In the end, none of these proposed conversions for the battleships were ever authorized. Interest in converting the Iowa-class battleships into guided-missile battleships began to deteriorate in 1960, because the hulls were considered too old and the conversion costs too high. Nonetheless, additional conversion proposals—including one to install the AN/SPY-1
AN/SPY-1
The AN/SPY-1 is a US naval radar system manufactured by Lockheed Martin. The array is a passive electronically scanned system and is a key component of the Aegis Combat System. The system is computer controlled, using four complementary antennas to provide 360 degree coverage...
Aegis Combat System
Aegis combat system
The Aegis Combat System is an integrated naval weapons system developed by the Missile and Surface Radar Division of RCA, and now produced by Lockheed Martin...
radar on the battleships—were suggested in 1962, 1974 and 1977 but as before, these proposals failed to gain the needed authorization. This was due, in part, to the fact that sensitive electronics within 200 ft of any 16-inch gun muzzle were likely to be damaged.
1980s refit
In the 1980s, as part of President Ronald ReaganRonald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
's plan to rebuild the U.S. military and create a 600-ship Navy
600-ship Navy
The 600 Ship Navy was a strategic plan of the United States Navy during the 1980s to rebuild its fleet after cutbacks that followed the end of the Vietnam War...
—which would counter the new Soviet Kirov-class battlecruisers
Kirov class battlecruiser
The Kirov-class battlecruiser is a class of nuclear-powered military ships of the Russian Navy, the largest and heaviest surface combatant warships currently in active operation in the world. The Russian designation is heavy nuclear-powered guided missile cruiser...
—all four of the battleships were reactivated and modernized under the 600-ship Navy program. During this reactivation, several concepts entailing removal of the aft 16 turret were considered by the Navy, including Martin Marietta
Martin Marietta
Martin Marietta Corporation was an American company founded in 1961 through the merger of The Martin Company and American-Marietta Corporation. The combined company became a leader in chemicals, aerospace, and electronics. In 1995, it merged with Lockheed Corporation to form Lockheed Martin. The...
s proposal to replace the turret with servicing facilities for 12 AV-8B Harrier STOVL jumpjets, Charles Myers' proposal for replacement of the turret with vertical launch systems
Vertical Launching System
A vertical launching system is a system for holding and firing missiles on surface ships and submarines used by many navies around the world. Each VLS system consists of a number of cells, which can hold one or more missiles ready for firing...
for missiles and a flight deck for Marine helicopters. Naval Institute Proceedings proposed a canted flight deck (complete with a steam catapult) and arrestor wires to operate F/A-18 Hornet fighters. Plans for these conversions were dropped in 1984, but each battleship was overhauled to burn navy distillate fuel and modernized to carry electronic warfare
Electronic warfare
Electronic warfare refers to any action involving the use of the electromagnetic spectrum or directed energy to control the spectrum, attack an enemy, or impede enemy assaults via the spectrum. The purpose of electronic warfare is to deny the opponent the advantage of, and ensure friendly...
suites, close-in weapon system
Close-in weapon system
A close-in weapon system , often pronounced sea-whiz, is a naval shipboard point-defense weapon for detecting and destroying at short range incoming anti-ship missiles and enemy aircraft which have penetrated the outer defenses....
s (CIWS) for self-defense, and missiles. After recommissioning, the modernized battleships operated as centerpieces of their own battleship battle groups (BBBGs), consisting of one , one or , one , three s and one support ship, such as a fleet oiler.
Armament
During their modernization in the 1980s each Iowa-class battleship was equipped with four of the US Navy's Phalanx CIWSPhalanx CIWS
The Phalanx CIWS is an anti-ship missile defense system. It is a close-in weapon system and was designed and manufactured by the General Dynamics Corporation, Pomona Division...
mounts, two of which sat just behind the bridge and two which were next to the after ship's funnel. , , and were equipped with the Block 0 version of the Phalanx, while received the first operational Block 1 version in 1988. The Phalanx system is intended to serve as a last line of defense against enemy missiles and aircraft, and when activated can engage a target with a 20 mm (0.78740157480315 in)
20 mm caliber
The 20 mm caliber is a specific size of cannon or autocannon ammunition, commonly the smallest caliber which is unambiguously a cannon and not a heavy machine gun....
M61 Vulcan
M61 Vulcan
The M61 Vulcan is a hydraulically or pneumatically driven, six-barreled, air-cooled, electrically fired Gatling-style rotary cannon which fires 20 mm rounds at an extremely high rate. The M61 and its derivatives have been the principal cannon armament of United States military fixed-wing aircraft...
6-barreled Gatling cannon at a distance of approximately 3.6 km (2.2 mi).
Armored Box Launcher
The Armored Box Launcher is a four-round protected launch container for the BGM-109 Tomahawk Cruise Missile.Fitted to the Iowa-class battleships following their 1980s recommissioning upgrade, each ABL contains four ready-to-fire Tomahawks...
s and "shock hardened" Mk. 141 quad cell launchers. The former was used by the battleships to carry and fire the BGM-109 Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles (TLAMs) for use against enemy targets on land, while the latter system enabled the ships to carry a complement of RGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles for use against enemy ships. With an estimated range of 675 nautical miles (1,250.1 km) to 1500 nautical miles (2,778 km) for the Tomahawk missile and 64.5 nautical miles (119.5 km) to 85.5 nautical miles (158.3 km) for the Harpoon missile system, these two missile systems displaced the sixteen-inch guns and their maximum range of 42345 yards (38,720.3 m) (42345 yards (24.06 mi)) to become the longest-ranged weapons on the battleships during the 1980s. It has been alleged by some that the battleships carried the TLAM-A (also cited, incorrectly, as the TLAM-N)—a Tomahawk missile with a W80 nuclear warhead—during their 1980s service with the United States Navy, but owing to the United States Navy's policy of refusing to confirm or deny the presence of nuclear weaponry aboard its ships, these claims can not be conclusively proved.
Owing to the original 1938 design of the battleships, the Tomahawk missiles could not be fitted to the Iowa-class unless the battleships were physically rebuilt in such a way as to accommodate the missile mounts that would be needed to store and launch the Tomahawks. This realization prompted the removal of the anti-aircraft guns previously installed on the Iowas and the removal of four of each of the battleships' ten 5"/38 DP mounts. The mid and aft end of the battleships were then rebuilt to accommodate the missile magazines. At one point, the NATO Sea Sparrow
RIM-7 Sea Sparrow
RIM-7 Sea Sparrow is a US ship-borne short-range anti-aircraft and anti-missile weapon system, primarily intended for defense against anti-ship missiles...
was to be installed on the reactivated battleships; however, it was determined that the system could not withstand the overpressure effects from firing the main battery. To supplement the anti-aircraft capabilities of the Iowas, five FIM-92 Stinger
FIM-92 Stinger
The FIM-92 Stinger is a personal portable infrared homing surface-to-air missile , which can be adapted to fire from ground vehicles and helicopters , developed in the United States and entered into service in 1981. Used by the militaries of the U.S...
surface-to-air missile
Surface-to-air missile
A surface-to-air missile or ground-to-air missile is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles...
firing positions were installed. These secured the shoulder-launched weapons and their rounds for ready use by the crew.
Electronics
The earliest search radars installed were the SK air-search radar and SG surface-search radar during World War II. They were located on the mainmast and forward fire-control tower of the battleships, respectively. As the war drew to a close, the United States introduced the SK-2 air-search radar and SG surface-search radar; the Iowa class was updated to make use of these systems between 1945 and 1952. At the same time, the ships' radar systems were augmented with the installation of the SP height finder on the main mast. In 1952, AN/SPS-10 surface-search radar and AN/SPS-6 air-search radar replaced the SK and SG radar systems, respectively, which were formally used by the Iowa class for surface and air search. Two years later the SP height finder was replaced by the AN/SPS-8 height finder, which was installed on the main mast of the battleships. During their brief period of activity under the 600-ship Navy program, the battleships' radar systems were again upgraded. The AN/SPS-6 air-search radar system was replaced with the AN/SPS-49AN/SPS-49
The AN/SPS-49 is a United States Navy two-dimensional, long range air search radar built by Raytheon that can provide contact bearing and range. It is a primary air-search radar for numerous ships in the U.S...
radar set (which also augmented the existing navigation capabilities on the battleships), and the AN/SPS-8 ground-search radar set was replaced by the AN/SPS-67
AN/SPS-67
The AN/SPS-67 is a short-range, two-dimensional, surface-search/navigation radar system that provides highly accurate surface and limited low-flyer detection and tracking capabilities.-History:...
search radar.
In addition to these search and navigational radars, the Iowa class were also outfitted with a variety of fire control systems for their gun systems, and later for their missile systems. Beginning with their commissioning, the battleships made use of a trio of Mk 38 gun fire control systems to direct the 16 in guns and a quartet of Mk 37 gun fire control systems to direct the 5 in gun batteries. These systems were upgraded over time, but remained the cornerstones of the combat radar systems on the Iowa class during their careers. The range estimation of these gunfire control systems provided a significant accuracy advantage over earlier ships with optical rangefinders; this was demonstrated off Truk Atoll
Chuuk
Chuuk — formerly Truk, Ruk, Hogoleu, Torres, Ugulat, and Lugulus — is an island group in the south western part of the Pacific Ocean. It comprises one of the four states of the Federated States of Micronesia , along with Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap. Chuuk is the most populous of the FSM's...
on 16 February 1944 when Iowa engaged the at a range of 35700 yards (32.6 km) and straddled her, setting the record for the longest-ranged straddle in history.
Initially, the battleships made use of a mass collection of 20 mm and 40 mm guns for anti-aircraft (AA) operations; these guns were respectively augmented with the Mk 14 range sight and Mk 51 fire control system to improve accuracy. By the Korean War, jet engines had replaced propellers on aircraft, which severely limited the ability of the AA batteries and their gun systems to track and shoot down enemy planes. Consequently, the AA guns and their associated fire-control systems were removed when reactivated. New Jersey received this treatment in 1967, and the others followed in their 1980s modernizations. In the 1980s, each ship also received a quartet of Phalanx Close In Weapon System
Phalanx CIWS
The Phalanx CIWS is an anti-ship missile defense system. It is a close-in weapon system and was designed and manufactured by the General Dynamics Corporation, Pomona Division...
(CIWS) mounts which made use of a radar system to locate incoming enemy projectiles and destroy them with a 20 mm gatling gun before they could strike the ship.
With the added missile capacity of the battleships in the 1980s came additional fire-support systems to launch and guide the ordnance. To fire the Harpoon anti-ship missiles, the battleships were equipped with the SWG-1 fire-control system, and to fire the Tomahawk missiles the battleships used either the SWG-2 or SWG-3 fire-control system. In addition to these offensive-weapon systems, the battleships were outfitted with the AN/SLQ-25 Nixie
AN/SLQ-25 Nixie
The AN/SLQ-25 Nixie and its variants are towed torpedo decoys used on US and allied warships. It consists of a towed decoy device and a shipboard signal generator...
to be used as a lure against enemy torpedoes, an SLQ-32 electronic warfare system that can detect, jam, and deceive an opponent's radar and a Mark 36 SRBOC
Mark 36 SRBOC
The BAE Systems Mark 36 Super Rapid Blooming Offboard Chaff is a short-range mortar that launches chaff or infrared decoys from naval vessels to foil anti-ship missiles...
system to fire chaff
Chaff
Chaff is the dry, scaly protective casings of the seeds of cereal grain, or similar fine, dry, scaly plant material such as scaly parts of flowers, or finely chopped straw...
rockets intended to confuse enemy missiles.
Aside from the electronics added for weaponry control, all four battleships were outfitted with a communications suite used by both cruisers and guided missile cruisers in service at the time. This communication suite included the OE-82 antenna for satellite communications, but did not include the Naval Tactical Data System
Naval Tactical Data System
Naval Tactical Data System, commonly NTDS, refers to a computerized information processing system developed by the United States Navy in the 1950s and first deployed in the early 1960s for use in combat ships.- Reason for development :...
.
Aircraft (1982-1992)
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
, and is now on public display. In addition to the Pioneer UAVs, the recommissioned Iowas could support six types of helicopters: the Sikorsky HO3S-1
Sikorsky R-6
-External links:http://www.aerofiles.com/_sik.html Data and image of R-6...
, UH-1 Iroquois, SH-2 Seasprites, CH-46 Sea Knight, CH-53 Sea Stallion and the LAMPS III SH-60B Seahawk.
Gunfire support role
Following the 1991 Gulf WarGulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
and the subsequent Dissolution of the Soviet Union
Dissolution of the Soviet Union
The dissolution of the Soviet Union was the disintegration of the federal political structures and central government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , resulting in the independence of all fifteen republics of the Soviet Union between March 11, 1990 and December 25, 1991...
, the United States Navy began to decommission and mothball many of the ships it had brought out of its reserve fleet in the drive to attain a 600-ship Navy
600-ship Navy
The 600 Ship Navy was a strategic plan of the United States Navy during the 1980s to rebuild its fleet after cutbacks that followed the end of the Vietnam War...
. At the height of Navy Secretary John F. Lehman's 600-ship Navy plan, nearly 600 ships of all types were active within the Navy. This included fifteen aircraft carriers, four battleships and over 100 submarines, along with various other types of ships the overall plan specified. When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 the Navy sought to return to its traditional, 313-ship composition. While reducing the fleet created under the 600-ship Navy program, the decision was made to deactivate the four recommissioned Iowa-class battleships and return them to the reserve fleet.
In 1995, the decommissioned battleships were removed from the Naval Vessel Register (NVR) after it was determined by ranking US Navy officials that there was no place for a battleship in the modern navy. In response to the striking of the battleships from the Naval Vessel Register a movement began to reinstate the battleships, on the grounds that these vessels had superior firepower over the then-existing 5 in guns found on the s, s, s, and s. Citing concern over the lack of available gunfire to support amphibious operations, Congress demanded that the United States Navy reinstate two battleships to the naval vessel register and maintain them with the mothball fleet, until the Navy could certify it had gunfire support within the current fleet that would meet or exceed the battleship's capability.
The debate over battleships in the modern navy continued until 2006, when the two reinstated battleships were stricken after naval officials submitted a two-part plan that calls for the near-term goal of increasing the range of the guns currently in use on the Flight I Arleigh Burke-class destroyers with specially designed ammunition intended to allow a five-inch projectile fired from these guns to travel an estimated 40 nautical miles (74.1 km) inland. The long-term goal calls for the replacement of the two battleships with vessels of the as-yet-unconstructed of guided-missile destroyers. These ships are to be outfitted with an advanced gun system (AGS) that will fire specially developed 6 in Long Range Land Attack Projectile
Long Range Land Attack Projectile
The Long Range Land Attack Projectile is a developmental program to produce a precision guided 155 mm naval artillery shell for the U.S. Navy...
s for shore bombardment; however, the long-term goal for the Zumwalt class is to have the ships mount railgun
Railgun
A railgun is an entirely electrical gun that accelerates a conductive projectile along a pair of metal rails using the same principles as the homopolar motor. Railguns use two sliding or rolling contacts that permit a large electric current to pass through the projectile. This current interacts...
s or free-electron lasers.
Cultural significance
The Iowa class has become culturally symbolic in the United States in many different ways, to the point where certain elements of the American public—such as the United States Naval Fire Support Association—are unwilling to part with the battleships despite their apparent obsolescence in the face of modern naval combat doctrine that places great emphasis on air supremacyAir supremacy
Air supremacy is the complete dominance of the air power of one side's air forces over the other side's, during a military campaign. It is the most favorable state of control of the air...
and missile firepower. Although all have been officially struck from the Naval Vessel Register
Naval Vessel Register
The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...
they have been spared scrapping and were either donated or have been slated for donation for use as museum ships.
Their service records have added to their fame, ranging from their work as carrier escorts in World War II to their shore bombardment duties in North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
, North Vietnam
North Vietnam
The Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...
, and Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, as well as their service in the Cold War against the expanded Soviet Navy. Their reputation combined with the stories told concerning the firepower of these battleships' 16 inch guns are such that when they were brought out of retirement in the 1980s in response to increased Soviet Naval activity—and in particular, in response to the commissioning of the s—the United States Navy was inundated with requests from former sailors pleading for a recall to active duty so they could serve aboard one of the battleships.
In part because of the service length and record of the class, members have made numerous appearances in television shows, video games, movies, and other media oriented mediums, including appearances in the anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion, the History Channel documentary series Battle 360: USS Enterprise
Battle 360°
Battle 360°, also written as Battle 360, was an American documentary television series that originally aired from February 29 to May 2, 2008 on History. The program focused on the World War II-era aircraft carrier . The show was produced by Flight 33 Productions.Battle 360° made extensive use of...
, the Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
documentary The Top 10 Fighting Ships, the stealth action game Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
is a video game developed by Kojima Productions for the PlayStation 3 console. The game was directed by Hideo Kojima and made its worldwide release on June 12, 2008, ten years after the release of Metal Gear Solid and twenty years after the North American release of Metal Gear.Guns of the Patriots...
, the Real Time Tactics game World in Conflict
World in Conflict
World in Conflict, or WiC, is a real-time tactical video game developed by the Swedish video game company Massive Entertainment and published by Ubisoft for Microsoft Windows. The game was released in September 2007...
, the book turned movie A Glimpse of Hell
A Glimpse of Hell (book)
A Glimpse of Hell: The Explosion on the USS Iowa and Its Cover-Up is a nonfiction book of investigative journalism, written by Charles C. Thompson II and published in 1999. The book describes the USS Iowa turret explosion that took place on April 19, 1989 and the subsequent investigations that...
, and the 1992 movie Under Siege
Under Siege
Under Siege is a 1992 American action film directed by Andrew Davis and starring Steven Seagal as a former Navy SEAL who must stop a group of mercenaries, led by Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Busey, on a U.S. Navy battleship...
, among other appearances.
Ships
When brought into service during the final years of World War II, the Iowa-class battleships were assigned to operate in the Pacific Theatre of World War IIPacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
. By this point in the war, aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
s had displaced battleships as the primary striking arm of both the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
and the Imperial Japanese Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
. As a result of this shift in tactics, U.S. fast battleships of all classes were relegated to the secondary role of carrier escorts and assigned to the Fast Carrier Task Force
Fast Carrier Task Force
The Fast Carrier Task Force was the main striking force of the United States Navy in the Pacific Ocean theatre of World War II.The Fast Carrier Task Force was known under two designations. The Navy made use of two sets of upper command structures for planning the upcoming operations...
to provide anti-aircraft screening for U.S. aircraft carriers and perform shore bombardment. They were recalled in 1950 with the outbreak of the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, and provided naval artillery support for U.N. forces for the entire duration of the war before being returned to mothballs in 1955 after hostilities ceased. In 1968, to help alleviate U.S. air losses over North Vietnam
North Vietnam
The Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...
New Jersey was summoned to Vietnam, but was decommissioned a year after arriving. All four returned in the 1980s during the drive for a 600-ship Navy
600-ship Navy
The 600 Ship Navy was a strategic plan of the United States Navy during the 1980s to rebuild its fleet after cutbacks that followed the end of the Vietnam War...
to counter the new Soviet s, only to be retired after the collapse of the Soviet Union on the grounds that they were too expensive to maintain.
USS Iowa (BB-61)
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
22 February 1943. She conducted a shakedown cruise
Shakedown cruise
Shakedown cruise is a nautical term in which the performance of a ship is tested. Shakedown cruises are also used to familiarize the ship's crew with operation of the craft....
in Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
before sailing to Naval Station Argentia
Naval Station Argentia
Naval Station Argentia is a former base of the United States Navy that operated from 1941-1994. It was established in the community of Argentia in what was then the Dominion of Newfoundland, which later became the tenth Canadian province .-Construction:Established under the British-U.S...
, Newfoundland
Dominion of Newfoundland
The Dominion of Newfoundland was a British Dominion from 1907 to 1949 . The Dominion of Newfoundland was situated in northeastern North America along the Atlantic coast and comprised the island of Newfoundland and Labrador on the continental mainland...
, to be ready in case the German battleship Tirpitz
German battleship Tirpitz
Tirpitz was the second of two s built for the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. Named after Grand Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz, the architect of the Imperial Navy, the ship was laid down at the Kriegsmarinewerft in Wilhelmshaven in November 1936 and launched two and a half years later in April...
entered the Atlantic. Transferred to the Pacific Fleet
United States Pacific Fleet
The United States Pacific Fleet is a Pacific Ocean theater-level component command of the United States Navy that provides naval resources under the operational control of the United States Pacific Command. Its home port is at Pearl Harbor Naval Base, Hawaii. It is commanded by Admiral Patrick M...
in 1944, Iowa made her combat debut in February and participated in the campaign for the Marshall Islands
Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign
In the Pacific Theater of World War II, the Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign, from November 1943 through February 1944, were key strategic operations of the United States Pacific Fleet and Marine Corps in the Central Pacific. The campaign was preceded by a raid on Makin Island by U.S...
. The ship later escorted U.S. aircraft carriers conducting air raids in the Marianas campaign
Mariana and Palau Islands campaign
The Mariana and Palau Islands campaign, also known as Operation Forager, was an offensive launched by United States forces against Imperial Japanese forces in the Mariana Islands and Palau in the Pacific Ocean between June and November, 1944 during the Pacific War...
, and then was present at the Battle of Leyte Gulf
Battle of Leyte Gulf
The Battle of Leyte Gulf, also called the "Battles for Leyte Gulf", and formerly known as the "Second Battle of the Philippine Sea", is generally considered to be the largest naval battle of World War II and, by some criteria, possibly the largest naval battle in history.It was fought in waters...
. During the Korean War, Iowa bombarded enemy targets at Songjin
Kimchaek
Kimch'aek, formerly Sŏngjin , is a city in North Hamgyong Province, North Korea. It has a population of 196,000...
, Hŭngnam
Hungnam
Hŭngnam was the third largest city in North Korea.It is a port city on the eastern coast, in South Hamgyong Province, on the Sea of Japan . The city covers an area of 250 square kilometers...
, and Kojo, North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
. Iowa returned to the U.S. for operational and training exercises before being decommissioned
Ship decommissioning
To decommission a ship is to terminate her career in service in the armed forces of her nation. A somber occasion, it has little of the elaborate ceremony of ship commissioning, but carries significant tradition....
on 24 February 1958. Reactivated in the early 1980s, Iowa operated in the Atlantic Fleet, cruising in North American and European waters for most of the decade and participating in joint military exercises with European ships. On 19 April 1989, 47 sailors were killed following an explosion in her No. 2 turret
USS Iowa turret explosion
The USS Iowa turret explosion occurred in the Number Two 16-inch gun turret of the United States Navy battleship USS Iowa on April 19, 1989. The explosion in the center gun room killed 47 of the turret's crewmen and severely damaged the gun turret itself...
. In 1990, Iowa was decommissioned for the last time and placed in the mothball fleet. She was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register
Naval Vessel Register
The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...
on 17 March 2006. Iowa is currently anchored as part of the National Defense Reserve Fleet
National Defense Reserve Fleet
The National Defense Reserve Fleet consists of "mothballed" ships, mostly merchant vessels, that can be activated within 20 to 120 days to provide shipping for the United States of America during national emergencies, either military or non-military, such as commercial shipping crises.The NDRF is...
in Suisun Bay
Suisun Bay
Suisun Bay is a shallow tidal estuary at in northern California, USA. It lies at the confluence of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers, forming the entrance to the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, an inverted river delta...
, California and is available for donation as a museum and memorial.
USS New Jersey (BB-62)
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
before transferring to the Pacific Theatre
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
in advance of the planned assault
Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign
In the Pacific Theater of World War II, the Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign, from November 1943 through February 1944, were key strategic operations of the United States Pacific Fleet and Marine Corps in the Central Pacific. The campaign was preceded by a raid on Makin Island by U.S...
on the Marshall Islands, where she screened the U.S. fleet of aircraft carriers from enemy air raids. At the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the ship protected carriers with her anti-aircraft guns. New Jersey then bombarded Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima, officially , is an island of the Japanese Volcano Islands chain, which lie south of the Ogasawara Islands and together with them form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The island is located south of mainland Tokyo and administered as part of Ogasawara, one of eight villages of Tokyo...
and Okinawa
Okinawa Prefecture
is one of Japan's southern prefectures. It consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over long, which extends southwest from Kyūshū to Taiwan. Okinawa's capital, Naha, is located in the southern part of Okinawa Island...
. During the Korean War, the ship pounded targets at Wonsan
Wonsan
Wŏnsan is a port city and naval base in southeastern North Korea. It is the capital of Kangwŏn Province. The population of the city is estimated to have been 331,000 in 2000. Notable people from Wŏnsan include Kim Ki Nam, diplomat and Secretary of the Workers' Party.- History :The original name of...
, Yangyang, and Kansong. Following the Armistice, New Jersey conducted training and operation cruises until she was decommissioned. Recalled to duty in 1968, New Jersey reported to the gunline off the Vietnamese coast, and shelled North Vietnamese targets before departing the line in December 1968. She was decommissioned the following year. Reactivated in 1982 under the 600-ship Navy program, New Jersey was sent to Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
to protect U.S. interests and U.S. Marines, firing her main guns at Druze
Druze
The Druze are an esoteric, monotheistic religious community, found primarily in Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan, which emerged during the 11th century from Ismailism. The Druze have an eclectic set of beliefs that incorporate several elements from Abrahamic religions, Gnosticism, Neoplatonism...
and Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
n positions in the Beqaa Valley
Beqaa Valley
The Beqaa Valley is a fertile valley in east Lebanon. For the Romans, the Beqaa Valley was a major agricultural source, and today it remains Lebanon’s most important farming region...
east of Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
. Decommissioned for the last time 8 February 1991, New Jersey was briefly retained on the Naval Vessel Register
Naval Vessel Register
The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...
before being donated to the Home Port Alliance of Camden, New Jersey
Camden, New Jersey
The city of Camden is the county seat of Camden County, New Jersey. It is located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 77,344...
for use as a museum ship in October 2001.
USS Missouri (BB-63)
Honshu
is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...
and Hokkaido
Hokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
, performing shore bombardment and screening U.S. carriers involved in combat operations. She became a symbol of the U.S. Navy's victory in the Pacific when representatives of the Empire of Japan boarded the battleship to sign the documents of unconditional surrender
Japanese Instrument of Surrender
The Japanese Instrument of Surrender was the written agreement that enabled the Surrender of Japan, marking the end of World War II. It was signed by representatives from the Empire of Japan, the United States of America, the Republic of China, the United Kingdom, the Union of Soviet Socialist...
to the Allied powers in September 1945. After World War II, Missouri conducted largely uneventful training and operational cruises until suffering a grounding accident. In 1950 she was dispatched to Korea in response to the outbreak of the Korean War. Missouri served two tours of duty in Korea providing shore bombardment. She was decommissioned in 1956. Reactivated twenty-eight years later in 1984 as part of the 600-ship Navy plan, Missouri was sent on operational cruises until being assigned to Operation Earnest Will
Operation Earnest Will
Operation Earnest Will was the U.S. military protection of Kuwaiti owned tankers from Iranian attacks in 1987 and 1988, three years into the Tanker War phase of the Iran–Iraq War. It was the largest naval convoy operation since World War II.The U.S. Navy warships that escorted the tankers, part of...
in 1988. In 1991, Missouri participated in Operation Desert Storm
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
, firing 28 Tomahawk Missiles and 759 sixteen-inch (406 mm) shells at Iraqi targets along the coast. Decommissioned for the last time in 1992, Missouri was donated to the USS Missouri Memorial Association of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, for use as a museum ship in 1999.
USS Wisconsin (BB-64)
USS Eaton (DD-510)
USS Eaton was a Fletcher-class destroyer in the service of the United States Navy, named after William Eaton , an American soldier involved in the First Barbary War....
. Decommissioned in 1958, Wisconsin was placed in the reserve fleet at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard
Philadelphia Naval Shipyard
The Philadelphia Naval Business Center, formerly known as the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and Philadelphia Navy Yard, was the first naval shipyard of the United States. The U.S. Navy reduced its activities there in the 1990s, and ended most of them on September 30, 1995...
until reactivated in 1986 as part of the 600-ship Navy plan. In 1991, Wisconsin participated in Operation Desert Storm
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
, firing 24 Tomahawk Missiles at Iraqi targets, and expending 319 16 inches (406 mm) shells at Iraqi troop formations along the coast. Decommissioned for the last time 30 September 1991, Wisconsin was placed in the reserve fleet until struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 17 March 2006 so she could be transferred for use as a museum ship. Wisconsin is currently berthed at the Nauticus maritime museum in Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
.
Illinois and Kentucky
was ordered on 9 September 1940 and laid down on 15 January 1945. Construction was canceled on 11 August 1945, when Illinois was judged to be about-one quarter completed; she was sold for scrap in September 1958. was ordered on 9 September 1940 and laid down on 6 December 1944. Construction was suspended on 17 February 1947, when Kentucky was judged to be approximately three-quarters completed. She was informally launched on 20 January 1950 to clear a dry-dock for repairs to Missouri, which had run aground. In 1956, Kentuckys bow was removed and shipped in one piece across Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States...
, where it was grafted onto the Wisconsin, which had collided with the destroyer . In 1958, Kentuckys engines were salvaged and installed on the fast combat support ship
Fast combat support ship
The fast combat support ship is the United States Navy's largest combat logistics ship, designed as an oiler, ammunition and supply ship. All fast combat support ships currently in service are operated by Military Sealift Command . The AOE has the speed and armament to keep up with carrier battle...
s and .
Initially, proposals were made to complete these two battleships as aircraft carriers, similar in design to the s under construction at the time in the United States, however nothing came of this idea. When construction on the ships was halted at the end of World War II proposals were made to rebuild Kentucky as a guided missile battleship
Arsenal ship
An arsenal ship is a concept for a floating missile platform intended to have as many as five hundred vertical launch bays for mid-sized missiles, most likely cruise missiles...
(changing the hull number to BBG-1) but again these plans were never realized. Ultimately, Kentucky was sold for scrap on 31 October 1958.