The USS Missouri (BB-63) joined the battle later than her sister ships, as she was commissioned in January 1944. While she was the final battleship to enter the US fleet during World War II, her importance in American history should not be understated. Most famously, she served as the site where Japan formally surrendered in September 1945, signifying the conclusion of the six-year global conflict.
The United States wanted to counter Japan
During the 1930s, a period of peace for the United States, military leaders anticipated the possibility of conflict with Japan. In response, the Navy was assigned the task of developing a new battleship design. The goal was to create a vessel capable of challenging Japan’s Kongō-class battlecruisers.
After the First World War, global powers agreed to the Washington Naval Treaty, which imposed restrictions on the size of new ships. This was followed by the Second London Naval Treaty, which Japan declined to sign. This led to further negotiations that permitted the US to construct battleships up to 45,000 tons, an increase from the earlier limit of 36,000 tons.
Construction of the USS Missouri
Following her approval, the USS Missouri was officially commissioned in June 1940, with construction commencing the next January. By 1944, the Iowa-class battleship was fully built, attracting a crowd of 30,000 spectators as she readied for her maiden voyage.
Equipped with turbines capable of reaching speeds up to 32.5 knots, the Missouri boasted a formidable arsenal, including nine 16-inch .50-caliber Mark VII deck guns as her primary weaponry. Additionally, she featured 20 five-inch .38-caliber dual-purpose guns and 20 quadruple mounts with 40 mm Bofors guns for anti-aircraft protection. The ship also carried forty-nine 0.8-inch Oerlikon light AA autocannons.
After completing a shakedown cruise south of Chesapeake Bay, the Missouri proceeded to the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard in San Francisco, California, where she went through upgrades to serve as a fleet flagship.
The USS Missouri was the site of the Japanese surrender
After being commissioned, the USS Missouri was deployed overseas as part of Task Force 58, arriving near Tokyo in January 1945. The battleship immediately engaged in an assault on the Japanese city, using her armaments to provide anti-aircraft support. Following this, she continued to conduct strikes against Japan, including during the Battle of Iwo Jima.
Shortly before the Battle of Okinawa, Missouri and two other U.S. ships were reassigned to Task Force 59, which was responsible for bombarding the southern region of Okinawa. This mission aimed to divert Japanese forces from the anticipated invasion of the island’s western side. In April 1945, Missouri endured an attack by kamikaze aircraft, sustaining only superficial damage. A few days later, another kamikaze pilot hit the ship, resulting in injuries to two crew members.
On September 2, 1945, Missouri served as the location of the Japanese surrender. The formal ceremony was attended by Gen. Douglas McArthur and Adm. Chester Nimitz, with Minister of Foreign Affairs Mamoru Shigemitsu representing the Japanese side.
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. However, by the mid-1990s, though, the USSR had dissolved, and Russia was no longer considered a real threat. As a result, the US military aimed to cut costs, leading to the battleship being decommissioned again
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Initially, the USS Missouri returned to Puget Sound but was later stationed at Ford Island in 1998. It still remains there, anchored about 500 feet from the USS Arizona Memorial. The Missouri faces the memorial, symbolizing an eternal watch over those who perished in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941.
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