USS Maryland

USS Maryland was a United States Navy battleship that played a significant role in World War II, particularly during the Attack on Pearl Harbor alongside USS Oklahoma and USS California. The ship was named after the State of Maryland and was the second ship to bear this name, following the USS Maryland (ACR-8). Franklin D. Roosevelt, the President of the United States at the time, relied on the United States Pacific Fleet, which included the USS Maryland, to deter Imperial Japanese Navy aggression in the Pacific Ocean. The USS Maryland was also part of the Battle Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, under the command of Admiral Husband Kimmel.

● History

The USS Maryland was built at the Norfolk Navy Yard and launched on March 20, 1920, sponsored by Mrs. Joseph Benson, wife of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy. The ship was commissioned on July 21, 1921, with Captain Henry Wiley in command, and underwent a shakedown cruise to the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, visiting ports such as Guantanamo Bay and Rio de Janeiro. During the Interwar period, the USS Maryland participated in several United States Navy exercises, including the Fleet Problem I and Fleet Problem II, under the command of Admiral William Pratt. The ship also made several port visits, including stops at San Francisco, Seattle, and Honolulu, where it was berthed alongside USS Arizona and USS Tennessee.

● Characteristics

The USS Maryland was a Colorado-class battleship with a displacement of over 32,000 tons and a length of 624 feet, similar to the USS Colorado and USS West Virginia. The ship was equipped with eight 14-inch guns, twelve 5-inch guns, and two 21-inch torpedo tubes, making it a formidable opponent in naval battles, such as the Battle of Midway and the Battle of the Coral Sea. The USS Maryland had a top speed of over 21 knots and a range of over 8,000 nautical miles, allowing it to operate in the Pacific Theater alongside USS Enterprise (CV-6) and USS Yorktown (CV-5). The ship's armor was designed to withstand 14-inch shells and was equipped with a fire control system developed by Ford Instrument Company and Sperry Corporation.

● Service

The USS Maryland served in the United States Pacific Fleet during the 1920s and 1930s, participating in several fleet exercises and making port visits to Australia, New Zealand, and Japan, where it was hosted by the Imperial Japanese Navy and visited ports such as Yokosuka and Kobe. In 1940, the ship was transferred to Hawaii and was based at Pearl Harbor, where it was moored alongside USS Pennsylvania (BB-38) and USS Utah (BB-31). On December 7, 1941, the USS Maryland was attacked by Japanese aircraft during the Attack on Pearl Harbor, but suffered relatively minor damage compared to other ships, such as USS Oklahoma (BB-37) and USS California (BB-44). The ship was repaired and modernized at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and returned to service in 1942, under the command of Admiral Chester Nimitz.

● Commanding_officers

The USS Maryland had several commanding officers during its service, including Captain Henry Wiley, Captain William R. Furlong, and Captain Barton E. Doyle, who all played important roles in the ship's history, including its participation in the Battle of Tarawa and the Battle of Kwajalein. Other notable officers who served on the ship included Rear Admiral Willis Augustus Lee, who later commanded the USS Washington (BB-56), and Vice Admiral Charles A. Lockwood, who commanded the Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet. The ship's officers and crew were trained at the United States Naval Academy and the Naval War College, and many went on to serve in other notable ships, such as USS Iowa (BB-61) and USS New Jersey (BB-62).

● Battles_and_operations

The USS Maryland participated in several battles and operations during World War II, including the Attack on Pearl Harbor, the Battle of Tarawa, and the Battle of Kwajalein, where it provided gunfire support to United States Marine Corps troops, alongside USS Pennsylvania (BB-38) and USS Colorado (BB-45). The ship also participated in the Battle of Saipan and the Battle of Guam, where it supported the United States Army and United States Marine Corps during the Mariana Islands campaign. The USS Maryland earned seven battle stars for its service during World War II and was decommissioned on April 3, 1947, at the Norfolk Navy Yard, where it was eventually scrapped in 1959, along with other notable ships, such as USS South Dakota (BB-57) and USS North Carolina (BB-55). Category:United States Navy