The USS Wisconsin (BB-64), an Iowa-class battleship, served on and off with the US Navy from 1944 to 1991. Commissioned as the last ship of its class, it was one of the last battleships built by the United States. Fondly known as “Wisky,” Wisconsin earned six battle stars and a Navy Unit Commendation for her distinguished service. Her important contributions included involvement in the Second World War, Korea, and the Gulf War.
Construction of the USS Wisconsin (BB-64)
The blueprints for the USS Wisconsin were drafted in 1938 by the Preliminary Design Branch of the Bureau of Construction and Repair. Construction began on January 25, 1941, at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, making her the third of four “fast” battleships in the Iowa class.
Launched on December 7, 1943, Wisconsin was commissioned the following year. After undergoing initial testing in Chesapeake Bay, the ship left Norfolk, Virginia, for her shakedown cruise in the British West Indies. Subsequently, she navigated through the Panama Canal to enter the Pacific.
USS Wisconsin (BB-64) specs
The USS Wisconsin‘s primary armament featured nine 16-inch/50 cal. Mk 7 guns distributed across three turrets, which could launch 2,700-pound armor-piercing shells over a distance of up to 20 miles. Complementing this firepower were twenty 5-inch/38 cal. guns housed in 10 turrets, along with forty-nine Oerlikon 20 mm cannons and eighty Bofors 40 mm anti-aircraft guns.
In the 1980s, Wisconsin underwent modifications that included the replacement of her anti-aircraft guns with Phalanx close-in weapon system (CIWS) mounts. Additionally, her five-inch/38 cal. gun count was reduced to 12, and she received armored box launchers for Tomahawk missiles, as well as quad cell launchers capable of firing Harpoon missiles.
Distinguishing both her and the USS Missouri (BB-63) from their sister ships, the USS Iowa (BB-61) and New Jersey (BB-62), were 14.5-inch-thick bulkheads, surpassing the latter’s 11.3-inch thickness. That being said, the remaining armor on Wisconsin remained identical to that of other Iowa-class battleships.
During the Second World War, Wisconsin carried floatplanes, like her sister ships. In the early Cold War era, a helicopter pad was added to the stern. As their service life approached its conclusion, each vessel in the class had the capacity to accommodate up to five unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
Making waves in the Pacific during World War II
Departing the West Coast for Hawaii and the Caroline Islands, the USS Wisconsin joined Adm. William Halsey‘s Third Fleet on December 9, 1944. While she missed most of the Second World War, the battleship quickly entered combat shortly after joining the conflict.
In anticipation of the US invasion of Mindoro, Wisconsin became part of the Fast Carrier Task Force (TF-38) and was tasked with softening Japanese defenses ahead of American ground forces. During her initial operation, the task force encountered Typhoon Cobra, resulting in the sinking of three destroyers and damage to several ships, with hundreds of sailors killed, missing or injured. Somehow, Wisconsin emerged unscathed, reporting only two injured crewmen.
Subsequently, Wisconsin contributed to the occupation of Luzon, serving as a carrier escort and safeguarding vessels from air attacks. In February 1945, she joined the Fifth Fleet’s Task Force 58 (TF-58), advancing north to Japan. During this period, the battleship provided support and participated in troop landings on Iwo Jima. Additionally, she engaged shore-based targets in Hachinohe, Okinawa and Tokyo.
Wisconsin weathered another typhoon on June 4, emerging unharmed once again. On September 5, she sailed into Tokyo Bay, just three days after the formal surrender was signed aboard her sister ship, the USS Missouri.
Throughout her brief service in the Second World War, Wisconsin covered 105,831 nautical miles. After the conflict, she participated in Operation Magic Carpet, before being placed into the inactive Atlantic Reserve Fleet.
‘TEMPER TEMPER’
At the outset of the Korean War, the USS Wisconsin was recommissioned. Following a shakedown and two midshipmen training cruises, she commenced her voyage to the Pacific, departing from Norfolk on October 25, 1951.
After once more traversing the Panama Canal, Wisconsin arrived in Japan on November 21, assuming the position of Vice Adm. H.M. Martin’s flagship for the Seventh Fleet, relieving the USS New Jersey. Just five days later, she departed for Korea, joining Task Force 77 (TF-77) and receiving orders for shore bombardment.
On March 15, 1952, during a shelling operation against enemy positions in Songjin, Wisconsin encountered a moment of provocation. Approaching dangerously close to the shore, North Korean forces returned fire, with their 155 mm shells hitting the vessel. Fortunately, the damage was minimal, with only three sailors sustaining injuries.
In response, Wisconsin directed her formidable firepower against the enemy, executing a devastating broadside that obliterated the North Korean artillery. In a light-hearted exchange, the USS Buck (DD-761), its escort, signaled, “TEMPER TEMPER.” While this incident lacks extensive corroborative evidence, it remains a compelling anecdote from Wisconsin’s wartime service.
The USS Wisconsin (BB-64) returns to the United States
On April 1, 1952, the USS Iowa assumed responsibilities from the USS Wisconsin. After the Korean War, the Wisconsin shifted to serving as a training ship and flagship, participating in a variety of exercises.
On May 6, 1956, a major incident occurred when the Wisconsin collided with the USS Eaton (DD-510) in thick fog. The battleship sustained serious damage to her bow and proceeded to Norfolk Naval Shipyard for necessary repairs. A replacement bow was quickly acquired from the incomplete USS Kentucky (BB-66) and installed within days.
By June 28, the Wisconsin was fully restored and ready to set sail again. Nonetheless, she did not resume active duty until March 8, 1958, when she rejoined the US Navy’s Reserve.
Gulf War
On August 1, 1986, the USS Wisconsin was reactivated as part of President Ronald Reagan and Navy Secretary John F. Lehman’s attempt to create a “600-ship Navy.” During the late ’80s, she underwent modernization and was recommissioned.
Following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, US naval forces were deployed as part of Operation Desert Shield. When Operation Desert Storm began, Wisconsin and the USS Missouri launched Tomahawk strikes against Iraq. They were some of the first ships to use cruise missiles during the Gulf War, with Wisconsin serving as the Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM) strike commander. The conflict also saw the battleship, for the first time since 1952, provide gunfire support.
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Over the course of the war, both Wisconsin and Missouri fired more than one million pounds of ordnance on Iraqi targets. With the end of the conflict, all four Iowa-class battleships were decommissioned.