USN
Iowa Class Battleship
Dimensions
887'3" | 108'3" | 38'
Armament
9 x 16" batteries
12 x 5" batteries
September 2, 1945
Justin Taylan 2004
Ship History
Commissioned on June 11, 1944.
Wartime History
Originally commissioned with the 'Dazzel'
paint scheme, designed to confuse German U-Boats targeting ships. She
was later painted in overall gray scheme for operations in the Pacific.
Seahawk Loss On First Patrol
The Missouri
lost an SC-1 Seahawk float
plane on her first combat patrol, after it was catapulted on February
10, 1945, the aircraft developed engine trouble and crashed into
the sea. Before
he could
be rescued by the USS Lewis Hancock, the pilot, Lt. Everett N. Frothingham
was lost.
Official Surrender of Japan
The ship where WWII officially ended
- the instrument of surrender signed on her deck in Toyko
Harbor on September 2, 1945.
Postwar
Decommissioned in 1955 and returned to service. Again decommissioned in 1991. In 1996 she was towed to Pearl
Harbor for permanent display.
USS Missouri Museum
Open to visitors with paid admission
thru the USS Missouri Memorial Museum. The ship forms the bookend
of WWII Naval history, permanently
moored
at Battleship
Row,
to the side of
the USS
Arizona Memorial.
Flying Bridge
Although the battleship was modernized during the 1980's the
flying bridge controls are the same as those used in WWII.
