The USS Missouri (BB-63), fondly nicknamed the “Mighty Mo,” was commissioned in January 1944 and entered the war effort after her sister ships. As the last battleship to join the U.S. fleet during World War II, her place in history is undeniable. Most famously, she was the site of Japan’s formal surrender in September 1945, bringing the six-year global conflict to an official close.
Wanting 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 (BB-63)
After receiving authorization, the USS Missouri was officially commissioned in June 1940, with construction beginning the following January. By 1944, the Iowa-class battleship was completed, attracting a crowd of 30,000 spectators as she readied for her maiden voyage.
Powered by turbines that allowed speeds of up to 32.5 knots, the Missouri featured an impressive arsenal. Her main weaponry consisted of nine 16-inch .50-caliber Mark VII deck guns, supported by 20 five-inch .38-caliber dual-purpose guns and 20 quadruple-mounted 40 mm Bofors guns for anti-aircraft protection. Additionally, she was equipped with forty-nine 0.8-inch Oerlikon light AA autocannons.
After a shakedown cruise off the Chesapeake Bay, the Missouri made her way to the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard in San Francisco, California, where she underwent enhancements to fulfill her role as a fleet flagship.
Site of the Japanese surrender
After its commissioning, the USS Missouri was deployed overseas as part of Task Force 58, reaching the waters near Tokyo in January 1945. The battleship quickly joined an assault on the Japanese city, employing her armaments to deliver anti-aircraft support. Subsequently, she continued carrying out strikes against Japan, including operations 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, tasked with bombarding Okinawa’s southern region. This mission aimed to distract Japanese forces from the expected invasion on the island’s western side. In April 1945, Missouri was struck by a kamikaze aircraft, sustaining only minor damage. A few days later, another kamikaze pilot targeted the ship, causing injuries to two crew members.
On September 2, 1945, Missouri hosted the Japanese surrender ceremony. The formal event was attended by Gen. Douglas McArthur and Adm. Chester Nimitz, with Japanese Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu representing Japan.
Service during later US-involved conflicts
The USS Missouri was called back into service in 1950 with the outbreak of the Korean War. Initially assigned to the Pacific Fleet, she became the first American battleship to arrive in Korean waters, where she carried out shoreline bombardments and served as an escort for aircraft carriers throughout the conflict.
In 1955, Missouri was decommissioned and sent to Puget Sound. She remained moored in Seattle for several decades, becoming a popular tourist destination – at the height of her time there, she attracted approximately 250,000 visitors annually.
In 1984, under the Reagan administration, Missouri was reactivated as part of a fleet expansion aimed at countering the Soviet Union. She was modernized with cutting-edge weapons and technology, including four Mk 141 quad cell launchers for RGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles and four Phalanx 0.8-inch .76-caliber Close-In Weapon Systems. Also, eight Mk 143 Armored Box Launcher mounts for Tomahawk missiles were installed.
Three years later, Missouri was deployed to Kuwait as part of Operation Earnest Will, outfitted with additional 25 mm chain guns and 40 mm grenade launchers. In January 1991, she arrived in the Persian Gulf, in support of Operation Desert Storm, where her mission involved clearing sea mines and providing naval gunfire support.
USS Missouri‘s (BB-63) 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.