USS Missouri (BB-11)

USS Missouri (BB-11) was the second of three Maine-class battleships built for the United States Navy in the early 20th century. Named for the State of Missouri, she served as an active unit of the Atlantic Fleet and later the Asiatic Fleet, participating in the Great White Fleet's historic circumnavigation of the globe. The battleship was decommissioned after World War I and subsequently sold for scrap.

Design and description

The design of Missouri followed the general pattern of the preceding Illinois-class battleship, featuring a main battery of four 12-inch guns mounted in two twin gun turrets. Her secondary armament was substantial, comprising sixteen 6-inch guns intended to defeat enemy torpedo boats. Protection was provided by a Harvey steel belt armor up to 11 inches thick and a 3-inch thick armored deck. Propulsion came from two vertical triple-expansion steam engines, fed by twelve Babcock & Wilcox boilers, driving the ship at a designed speed of 18 knots. Her overall design reflected the transitional pre-dreadnought era, balancing firepower, armor, and speed before the revolutionary advent of the HMS Dreadnought.

Construction and commissioning

Authorization for the battleship came with the Naval Act of 1898, and her keel was laid down on 7 February 1900 at the Newport News Shipbuilding yard in Virginia. She was launched on 28 December 1901, sponsored by Miss M. E. Scruggs, daughter of Congressman John M. Scruggs. Following fitting-out and builder's trials, Missouri was placed in commission on 1 December 1903 at the Norfolk Navy Yard, under the command of Captain William S. Cowles.

Service history

After shakedown and initial service with the North Atlantic Squadron, Missouri joined the Great White Fleet for its famed 1907–1909 circumnavigation of the globe, intended to demonstrate American naval power. Departing from Hampton Roads in December 1907, the fleet made port calls worldwide, including in Trinidad, Rio de Janeiro, Punta Arenas, San Francisco, Auckland, Sydney, Manila, Yokohama, and Suez, before returning in February 1909. Following the cruise, Missouri was transferred to the Asiatic Fleet, operating in the Philippines and along the China Coast. During World War I, she served as a training ship for naval gunfire support crews and engine room personnel along the East Coast of the United States, based primarily at the Virginia Capes and the Chesapeake Bay.

Decommissioning and fate

With the war's conclusion and the obsolescence of pre-dreadnought battleships, Missouri was decommissioned at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard on 8 September 1919. She was placed in reserve and remained on the Naval Vessel Register until being struck from the Navy List on 26 October 1921. In accordance with the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty, which limited naval armaments, the battleship was sold for scrap on 26 January 1922 to J. G. Hitner and W. F. Cutler of Philadelphia.

Category:Maine-class battleships Category:Ships built in Newport News, Virginia Category:1901 ships Category:World War I battleships of the United States