The USS Missouri (BB-63) joined the battle later than others. Launched in January 1944, it was the final battleship to be added to the U.S. fleet during World War II. Nevertheless, its significance in American history is unparalleled, as it was the site of the Japanese surrender in September 1945, signaling the end of the six-year worldwide conflict.
The United States wanted to counter Japan
While the United States was in peacetime in the 1930s, military officials felt a war with Japan was possible. In response, the Navy was tasked with creating a new battleship design. Specifically, the Americans wanted a ship that could counter Japan’s Kongō-class battlecruisers.
Following the First World War, the world’s powers signed the Washington Naval Treaty, which placed limitations on how large newly-constructed ships could be. This was followed by the Second London Naval Treaty, which Japan refused to sign. This led to further negotiations, which allowed the US to build battleships up to 45,000 tons, as opposed to the previous limit of 36,000.
Construction of the USS Missouri
Once plans were approved, the USS Missouri was commissioned in June 1940, and construction started in January of the following year. By 1944, the Iowa-class battleship was complete, drawing a crowd of 30,000 onlookers eager to see her set sail.
Powered by turbines capable of reaching speeds of 32.5 knots, Missouri carried a formidable array of weapons, including nine 16-inch .50-caliber Mark VII deck guns as her main armament. Additionally, she was outfitted with 20 five-inch .38-caliber dual-purpose guns, as well as 20 quadruple mounts for 40 mm Bofors guns for anti-aircraft protection. She also featured forty-nine 0.8-inch Oerlikon light AA auto-cannons.
After a shakedown cruise south of the Chesapeake Bay, Missouri sailed to Hunters Point Naval Shipyard in San Francisco, California, for upgrades to become a fleet flagship.
The USS Missouri was the site of the Japanese surrender
After entering service, the USS Missouri was sent overseas as part of Task Force 58, arriving near Tokyo in January 1945. The battleship immediately took part in an attack on the Japanese city, with her armaments providing anti-aircraft support. Following this, she continued to perform strikes against Japan, including during the Battle of Iwo Jima.
Not long before the Battle of Okinawa, Missouri and two other US vessels were transferred to Task Force 59, tasked with bombarding the southern part of Okinawa. This was to distract the Japanese forces from the planned invasion of the island’s west side. In April 1945, Missouri was the victim of an attack by kamikaze aircraft, but only suffered cosmetic damages. Days later, another kamikaze pilot struck the vessel, injuring two crewmen.
On September 2, 1945, Missouri became the site of the Japanese surrender. The formal ceremony was attended by Gen. Douglas McArthur and Adm. Chester Nimitz. On the Japanese side, Minister of Foreign Affairs Mamoru Shigemitsu was present.
Service during later US-involved conflicts
The USS Missouri was, again, pressed into service in 1950, upon the outbreak of the Korean War. Initially part of the Pacific Fleet, the vessel was the first US battleship to arrive in Korean waters, and throughout the conflict bombarded shorelines and acted as a carrier escort.
In 1955, she was sent to Puget Sound for decommissioning, and over the next few decades was moored in Seattle, where she served as a popular tourist attraction. Approximately 250,000 guests visited Missouri each year.
In 1984, Ronald Reagan‘s administration looked to rebuild the Navy’s fleet, as a not-so-subtle threat to the USSR. Missouri was reactivated the same year and upgraded with the latest weapons and technology. This included the addition of four Mk 141 quad cell launchers for RGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles, a quartet of Phalanx 0.8-inch .76-caliber Close In Weapon System rotary cannons and eight Mk 143 Armored Box Launcher mounts for Tomahawk missiles.
Three years later, Missouri was sent to Kuwait as part of Operation Earnest Will, having been outfitted with 25 mm chain guns and 40 mm grenade launchers. In January 1991, she arrived in the waters off the Persian Gulf in support of America’s efforts during Operation Desert Storm, tasked with destroying sea mines and providing fire support.
The USS Missouri‘s retirement and legacy
Ronald Reagan reactivated the USS Missouri as a deterrent against the Soviet Union. By the mid-1990s, though, the USSR had dissolved, and Russia was no longer considered a real threat. Consequently, the US military sought to reduce expenses, leading to the battleship being decommissioned once more.
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Initially, the USS Missouri made its way back to Puget Sound, and then it was stationed at Ford Island in 1998. It remains there today, anchored approximately 500 feet from the USS Arizona Memorial. The Missouri faces the memorial, symbolizing an eternal vigil over those who perished in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941.