USS Iowa (BB-61)

USS Iowa (BB-61) was the lead ship of her class of fast battleships built for the United States Navy during World War II. Commissioned in 1943, she served with distinction in both the Pacific and Atlantic Theaters, later seeing action during the Korean War and being reactivated in the 1980s as part of President Ronald Reagan's 600-ship Navy. The ship is now preserved as a museum ship in San Pedro, Los Angeles.

Design and description

The design of the Iowa-class battleship emerged from the Second London Naval Treaty's "escalator clause," which allowed an increase in main battery caliber. Naval architects, including the Bureau of Construction and Repair, created a vessel balancing formidable firepower, high speed, and improved protection. Displacing over 45,000 tons, her main armament consisted of nine 16-inch/50 caliber Mark 7 guns in three turrets, capable of firing 2,700-pound projectiles over 20 nautical miles. Secondary armament included twenty 5-inch/38 caliber guns in twin mounts, and her propulsive power from four General Electric steam turbines driving four screws enabled a top speed exceeding 33 knots, making her the world's fastest battleship. Her armor belt was 12.1 inches thick, designed to withstand fire from contemporary battleships like the Japanese battleship Yamato.

Construction and commissioning

The contract for BB-61 was awarded to the New York Naval Shipyard in Brooklyn on 1 July 1939. Her keel was laid on 27 June 1940, and she was launched on 27 August 1942, sponsored by Ilo Browne Wallace, wife of Vice President Henry A. Wallace. Following fitting-out, the battleship was commissioned into the United States Atlantic Fleet on 22 February 1943, under the command of Captain John L. McCrea. Initial shakedown and training exercises were conducted in the Chesapeake Bay and the North Atlantic before she was dispatched on her first mission, transporting President Franklin D. Roosevelt to the Tehran Conference in late 1943.

Service history

After transporting President Roosevelt, *Iowa* was transferred to the Pacific Fleet in early 1944. She joined Task Force 58 under Admiral Marc Mitscher, providing heavy gunfire support and anti-aircraft screening for fast carrier task forces during major campaigns. Her combat engagements included the Battle of the Philippine Sea, the Battle of Leyte Gulf—where she served as the flagship for Vice Admiral William F. Halsey Jr.—and the invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. During the latter, she engaged Japanese shore batteries and repelled attacks by Kamikaze aircraft. Following the Surrender of Japan, she was present in Tokyo Bay for the formal signing of the Japanese Instrument of Surrender. Reactivated for the Korean War, she conducted Naval gunfire support missions along the coast of North Korea, shelling targets at Wonsan and Songjin. After a second decommissioning, she was modernized and recommissioned in 1984 under the Reagan Administration, receiving new RGM-84 Harpoon and BGM-109 Tomahawk missiles. Her final active service included deployments to the Persian Gulf during the Iran–Iraq War.

Decommissioning and museum ship

Following the end of the Cold War and the reduction in naval forces, *Iowa* was decommissioned for the final time on 26 October 1990 at Naval Station Norfolk. She was initially placed in the Reserve Fleet in Suisun Bay, California. After a lengthy preservation effort led by the Pacific Battleship Center, the ship was donated to the non-profit organization. She was towed to the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro in 2012, undergoing extensive restoration. She opened to the public as the **USS Iowa Museum** on 7 July 2012, and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2023, joining other preserved battleships like USS Missouri (BB-63) and USS Alabama (BB-60).

Awards and legacy

Over her long career, *Iowa* earned eleven Battle stars for her World War II and Korean War service. She also received the Navy Occupation Service Medal, the China Service Medal, and the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal for later Cold War operations. The ship's legacy is multifaceted: as a technological marvel of American industrial might, a veteran of pivotal battles from the Marshall Islands to the Korean Peninsula, and a symbol of naval power during the Reagan-era buildup. Her preservation ensures that the history of the American battleship and the stories of the thousands of sailors, like those of her crew during the Typhoon Cobra, who served aboard her are accessible to future generations.

Category:Iowa-class battleships Category:Museum ships in California Category:National Historic Landmarks in California