USS Nevada

USS Nevada was a United States Navy battleship that played a significant role in the World War I and World War II, particularly during the Attack on Pearl Harbor alongside USS Arizona, USS Oklahoma, and USS California. The ship was named after the Nevada state and was built at the Fore River Shipyard in Massachusetts. The USS Nevada was commissioned on March 11, 1916, under the command of Captain William S. Sims, a renowned United States Naval Academy graduate, and Rear Admiral William F. Fullam, who later served as the Commander-in-Chief, United States Pacific Fleet. The ship's early career involved serving as a part of the Atlantic Fleet under the command of Admiral Henry T. Mayo, participating in various exercises and training maneuvers with other ships, including the USS Utah and USS Florida.

● History

The USS Nevada had a long and storied history, with its first major action taking place during World War I, where it served as part of the British Grand Fleet under the command of Admiral David Beatty and Admiral John Jellicoe. The ship played a key role in the Battle of Jutland, although it did not engage any enemy ships, and later escorted convoys across the Atlantic Ocean with the help of USS New York and HMS Queen Mary. After the war, the USS Nevada underwent a major modernization at the New York Navy Yard under the supervision of Rear Admiral Charles P. Plunket, which included the installation of new anti-aircraft guns and improved fire control systems, similar to those used on the USS Texas and USS Mississippi. The ship then served as a part of the United States Pacific Fleet under the command of Admiral Husband E. Kimmel and participated in various exercises and training maneuvers with other ships, including the USS Enterprise and USS Yorktown.

● Design and construction

The USS Nevada was designed and built by the Fore River Shipyard in Massachusetts, with the construction process overseen by Rear Admiral Washington L. Capps, a prominent United States Navy engineer. The ship was designed to be a battleship with a displacement of over 27,000 tons and a length of over 583 feet, similar to the USS Oklahoma and USS Pennsylvania. The USS Nevada was equipped with 10-inch guns and had a top speed of over 20 knots, making it one of the fastest battleships in the United States Navy at the time, comparable to the HMS Dreadnought and SMS Friedrich der Grosse. The ship's design and construction were influenced by the Washington Naval Treaty, which limited the size and armament of battleships, and the London Naval Treaty, which further restricted the construction of new battleships, affecting ships like the USS North Carolina and USS Washington.

● Service history

The USS Nevada had a distinguished service history, serving in both World War I and World War II. During World War II, the ship was stationed at Pearl Harbor under the command of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto's opponent, Admiral Husband E. Kimmel, and was one of the first ships to be attacked during the Attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, alongside the USS Arizona and USS California. The ship suffered significant damage but was able to escape the harbor and make its way to the United States West Coast for repairs, escorted by the USS Enterprise and USS Lexington. After being repaired, the USS Nevada served as a part of the United States Pacific Fleet under the command of Admiral Chester Nimitz and participated in several key battles, including the Battle of Normandy and the Battle of Iwo Jima, with the support of the USS Iowa and USS New Jersey. The ship also provided gunfire support during the Invasion of Normandy and the Battle of Okinawa, working alongside the USS Missouri and USS South Dakota.

● Fate

The USS Nevada was eventually decommissioned on August 29, 1946, and was used as a target ship for nuclear testing during Operation Crossroads at the Bikini Atoll in 1946, along with the USS Independence and USS Saratoga. The ship was sunk on July 31, 1948, off the coast of Hawaii after being used for target practice by the United States Navy and the United States Air Force, with the participation of the USS Iowa and USS North Carolina. The wreck of the USS Nevada was discovered in 2020, lying at a depth of over 15,000 feet, and serves as a reminder of the ship's long and storied history, similar to the USS Arizona Memorial and the USS Missouri Memorial. The discovery of the wreck was made possible by the efforts of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the United States Navy, with the support of the University of Hawaii and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Category:United States Navy ships