USS Missouri
The USS Missouri (BB-63) was one of the most iconic battleships in United States naval history and the last battleship ever built by the United States. Commissioned during the height of World War II, she represented the peak of American battleship design, combining powerful armament, heavy armor, and advanced radar and fire-control systems. As a member of the Iowa-class battleships, the Missouri was designed to escort fast aircraft carrier task forces and to engage enemy ships with superior speed and firepower.
The design of the USS Missouri originated from the need for a new class of battleships that could keep pace with the fast-moving aircraft carriers of the Pacific Fleet. The Iowa-class was conceived in the late 1930s, with the Navy Bureau of Construction and Repair leading the design process in coordination with the Bureau of Ordnance. The Missouri was designed to be longer and faster than previous battleships, with a sleek hull capable of reaching speeds of up to 33 knots. The design also prioritized protection, with a sophisticated armor layout including a 12.1-inch belt, 11.3-inch turret faces, and multiple internal bulkheads to limit damage from torpedoes and shells.
Construction of the USS Missouri began at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York on January 6, 1941. She was launched on January 29, 1944, and officially commissioned on June 11, 1944, with Captain William M. Callaghan in command. The ship's overall length was 887 feet, with a beam of 108 feet and a displacement of around 58,000 tons when fully loaded.
At full strength during World War II, the Missouri carried a complement of over 2,700 officers and enlisted personnel. This large crew was necessary not only to operate the ship’s complex machinery and weaponry but also to manage the various support functions required for sustained operations at sea, such as food services, medical care, maintenance, and communication.
The Missouri’s main armament consisted of nine 16-inch (406 mm)/50 caliber Mark 7 guns, arranged in three triple turrets—two forward and one aft. Each gun could fire a shell weighing up to 2,700 pounds at targets more than 20 miles away. For secondary armament, she was equipped with twenty 5-inch (127 mm)/38 caliber dual-purpose guns in ten twin mounts, which were highly effective against both air and surface threats. In addition, she carried a powerful suite of anti-aircraft weapons, including 40 mm Bofors guns and 20 mm Oerlikon cannons, though these were gradually reduced and replaced in postwar refits as missile threats became more prominent.
The USS Missouri saw significant action during World War II in the Pacific Theater. She joined the Pacific Fleet in early 1945 and quickly became part of the fast carrier task forces supporting the invasion of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. During the Okinawa campaign, she served as both a fire-support ship and an anti-aircraft platform, helping to defend the fleet from relentless kamikaze attacks. On April 11, 1945, the Missouri was struck by a kamikaze aircraft on her starboard side, but the damage was minimal, and no serious injuries occurred. The crew honored the Japanese pilot with a military burial at sea, demonstrating a code of respect even amid brutal conflict.
The most historically significant moment in the USS Missouri's service came on September 2, 1945, when she was selected as the site of the formal Japanese surrender, ending World War II. The ceremony took place in Tokyo Bay, with representatives from the Allied powers, including General Douglas MacArthur and Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz, witnessing Japan’s official capitulation. The documents of surrender were signed on her deck, forever linking the Missouri with the close of the deadliest conflict in human history.
After World War II, the Missouri continued to serve with distinction during the Korean War, providing naval gunfire support for United Nations forces. She was decommissioned in 1955 but was later modernized and returned to service in the 1980s as part of President Ronald Reagan's 600-ship Navy plan. Equipped with Tomahawk cruise missiles, Harpoon anti-ship missiles, and Phalanx close-in weapon systems, she served during the Gulf War in 1991 before being decommissioned for the final time in 1992.
Today, the USS Missouri is preserved as a museum ship at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, where she serves as a lasting tribute to the service of the American sailors who fought aboard her and a monument to peace. Her sleek lines, massive guns, and storied past make her one of the most visited and revered naval vessels in the world.
