USS West Virginia (BB-48)

USS West Virginia (BB-48)
Name	USS West Virginia ship = BB-48 image = USS West Virginia (BB-48).jpg caption = USS West Virginia (BB-48) class = Colorado-class battleship builder = Fore River Shipyard laid_down = 12 April 1920 launched = 19 March 1921 commissioned = 1 December 1923 fate = Sunk 7 December 1941

USS West Virginia (BB-48) was a Colorado-class battleship built by the United States Navy in the 1920s. As a member of the Colorado class, she was one of the most advanced battleships in the world at the time of her completion. The battleship was named in honor of West Virginia, the 35th state of the United States. The ship was built at the Fore River Shipyard in Quincy, Massachusetts, and was commissioned on 1 December 1923.

Design and description

The Colorado class was a group of four battleships designed by the United States Navy. The USS West Virginia (BB-48) was 624 feet (190 m) long overall and had a beam of 97 feet (30 m) and a draft of 30 feet (9.1 m). The ship was powered by 12 Babcock & Wilcox boilers, which produced 90,000 shaft horsepower and propelled the ship at a top speed of 21 knots (39 km/h). The battleship had a crew of 1,190 officers and enlisted men.

The main armament of the USS West Virginia (BB-48) consisted of eight 16-inch (406 mm) /45-caliber guns, which were mounted in four turrets. The secondary armament consisted of 14 5-inch (127 mm) /51-caliber guns, which were used for anti-aircraft warfare and surface warfare. The ship also had several anti-aircraft guns, including four 3-inch (76 mm) /50-caliber guns.

Construction and career

The USS West Virginia (BB-48) was laid down on 12 April 1920 at the Fore River Shipyard in Quincy, Massachusetts. The ship was launched on 19 March 1921 and was sponsored by Margaret "Peggy" Hollister McLean (Mrs. John Preston McLean, a member of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy's family. The battleship was commissioned on 1 December 1923 under the command of Rear Admiral Samuel F. Chandler.

After her commissioning, the USS West Virginia (BB-48) conducted shakedown cruises and sea trials in the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. In 1924, the battleship visited Europe and made port calls at England, France, and Italy. The ship also participated in several fleet exercises and maneuvers in the Pacific Ocean.

Attack on Pearl Harbor

On 7 December 1941, the USS West Virginia (BB-48) was moored at Ford Island in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, along with several other battleships. At 7:55 a.m., Japanese aircraft launched a surprise attack on the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor. The battleship was hit by at least five torpedoes and several bombs, causing extensive damage and flooding.

The USS West Virginia (BB-48) quickly capsized and sank, resulting in the loss of 1,020 crew members, including 35 officers. The ship's sinking was one of the most significant losses of the attack on Pearl Harbor, and it had a profound impact on the United States Navy and the United States.

Modernization and later service

The wreckage of the USS West Virginia (BB-48) was salvaged in 1942 and refloated on 25 September 1942. The battleship was then towed to the Puget Sound Navy Yard in Bremerton, Washington, where it underwent a major modernization and repair. The ship was recommissioned on 26 June 1944 and was assigned to the Pacific Fleet.

The USS West Virginia (BB-48) participated in several amphibious landings and naval battles in the Pacific Theater, including the Battle of Iwo Jima and the Battle of Okinawa. The battleship also provided naval gunfire support for several island hopping campaigns.

Fate

The USS West Virginia (BB-48) was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 March 1959 and was subsequently broken up for scrap at the Lipsett Corporation in New York. The ship's bell is now on display at the West Virginia State Capitol in Charleston, West Virginia, and its legacy lives on as one of the most decorated and storied battleships in United States Navy history.