USS MISSOURI - BB-63
Before I take you on a tour of this truly spectacular Battleship, I'd like to present some information that I have found about the USS Missouri, the Iowa Class battleships and some of the 'vitals' on this grand lady. For anyone interested in tons more information about our naval fleets, commissioned and decommissioned ships, I strongly recommend visiting the U.S. Navy: Welcome Aboard page on the Internet. Just about anything you want to find about the United States Navy can be located through this web site. It is excellent.
The discussions had been ongoing for several years as to the location of the final port of call for the USS Missouri. Finally, on 4 May 1998, the Secretary of the Navy, John H. Dalton, signed the 'USS Missouri (BB-63) Donation Agreement' to send one of the most famous ships in American naval history to Pearl Harbor. Besides Hawaii, Bremerton, Long Beach, and San Francisco had competed for the honor of her final residence. However, the "Mighty MO" was donated to the 'USS Missouri Memorial Association' in Honolulu, Hawaii. She will be permanently docked along Battleship Row in Pearl Harbor near the USS Arizona Memorial. From a press information release on the above mentioned US Navy web site, I quote the following paragraph: "The importance of her role as peacekeeper was highlighted by her last operational mission when she visited Pearl Harbor in honor of the 50th year remembrance of those who died on December 7, 1941. It was a rare sight to see the Arizona Memorial and Missouri, the symbols of the "beginning and the end" of U.S. involvement in World War II, in the same port."
This grand lady of the sea will be best remembered as a symbol of peace, for it was on her decks that the final end to World War II came to pass with the signing of the "Instrument of Surrender" on 2 September 1945. To stand in Pearl Harbor along side those who gave everything, is a fitting and proper salute for the lady that represents peace. We have the Statue of Liberty that represents our freedom, and now we will have the Arizona and Missouri standing side by side, to represent our sacrifices in defense of our freedom.
This picture was taken by Gleason and Fern Long of Chinook, Washington, on Sunday, 31 May 1998, at Astoria, Oregon.
I believe one of the most trying times in the life of any man's mother is the fear of her son having to go off to war. This may possibly be the biggest fear a mother has to live with. I only hope that should I serve in the defense of my country, I will serve her with pride and dignity. Maybe the relationship between a mother and her son is why our country and these ships are referred to as 'her' and 'she'. Both of my grandfathers saw service to their country in two totally different ways during World War II. My paternal grandfather was a part of the Pacific Fleet having served aboard the USS Cowpens, which was one of the smaller aircraft carriers that escorted the USS Missouri into Tokyo Bay. My other grandfather saw civil service in World War II having been employed at the time by Pratt & Whitney in Kansas City, Missouri. For those unfamiliar with Pratt & Whitney, they built the engines for the Navy airplanes.
The 'war' stories and service conversations we heard while standing in line to board the USS Missouri were themselves each unique, whether they had been in service during World War II, peacetime service, or more recently in the Desert Storm/Desert Shield deployment. It was interesting listening to them as they told their own personal story to complete strangers.
The Iowa Class Battleships
Every person in our country has been affected by the service of our military, especially in times of war, World War II in particular. The very freedoms that we voluntarily defend had been threatened, and because of the rumors of a Japanese super battleship, the development and deployment of the Iowa class battleships began in 1938. Six ships of this class had been ordered, but only four became reality -- the Iowa, New Jersey, Wisconsin and Missouri. Their original design was intended to lead special strike forces of battleships escorted by carriers and destroyers. With the naval air war in the Pacific, the battleship supported the carriers as part of a fast carrier strike force. Even though the naval strategy changed, the battleship still carried out its main purpose of shore bombardments.
The Iowa Class battleships represented the culmination of centuries of warship development. Their design was achieved with the optimum balance of speed, firepower, and protection, while they would function to reinforce the battle line. Their top speeds of over 33 knots would make them the most feared and respected warship ever to set sail.
How Big is the Missouri
Just imagine three football fields put end to end. The length of those three football fields is only twelve feet nine inches longer than the overall length of the USS Missouri. If you've ever been to the Panama Canal and seen the length of the locks, then you will know that these battleships can just barely make it through. Not only are the Panama Canal locks just long enough, the Missouri only has a one foot clearance on both sides. She is 108 feet two inches wide and 887 feet three inches long. Her total height from keel to mast top is 209 feet eight inches. She could reach speeds in excess of 33 knots. When fully loaded, she weighed 58,000 tons and 45,000 tons unloaded.
During World War II, it took 2,500 men to perform all of the duties of the operation of this ship. Desert Storm/Desert Shield action saw the number drop to 1,500-1,900 personnel to maintain and operate her. (This photo was also taken by Gleason and Fern.)
The mechanical operations of the Missouri are as follows: Boilers - 8 - 600 p.s.i. Babcock & Wilcox boilers; Main Engines - 4 geared General Electric; Horsepower - 212,000 shaft horsepower; Propellers - two five-bladed 17 foot 5 inch inboard and two four-bladed 18 foot 3 inch outboard; Rudders - two; Tank Capacity - 2.5 million gallons of fuel oil, 30,000 gallons of aviation fuel and 239,000 gallons of fresh water.
The main armor of the hull is 13.5 inches, tapering to 1.62 inches. The Second deck armor is six inches and the Conning tower is 17.3 inches. The armor on the Turrets is: faces - seventeen inches; tops - 7.25 inches; backs - twelve inches; and sides - 9.25 inches.
The Gun Batteries are as follows. The Main Gun Battery consists of Nine 16-inch/50-caliber guns with a 23 mile range with armor piercing rounds. I might note here that on display at the Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria, Oregon is one of these rounds. It weighs over 2,000 pounds. The Secondary Gun Battery originally had twenty 5-inch/38-caliber guns which was reduced to twelve in 1986; eighty 40-mm guns with all of these having been removed in 1986; and forty-nine 20-mm guns which were all removed in 1955.
During the modernization of the Missouri from 1984 to 1986, four Vulcan/Phalanx 20-mm Gatling guns were added, as well as four quadruple Harpoon missile launchers and eight quadruple Tomahawk cruise missile launchers. The addition of the Tomahawk and Harpoon missiles along with the World War II weaponry provided the Missouri with some of the most advanced weapons technology known today.
NOW, on with your guided tour of the USS MISSOURI as seen through the lens of my camera on 30 May 1998 at Astoria, Oregon. Return to Home Page