Iowa class battleship: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

Four battleships of the Iowa-class battleships (BB-61 through BB-64) were built in the early 1940s in the United States. Two other Iowa-class ships, Illinois and Kentucky, were scrapped prior to completion.

The Iowa class were constructed at two Navy Yards:

• Iowa (BB-61), built at the New York Navy Yard, Brooklyn, New York;
• New Jersey (BB-62), built at the Philadelphia Navy Yard;
• Missouri (BB-63), built at the New York Navy Yard; and
• Wisconsin (BB-64), built at the Philadelphia Navy Yard

All four ships were recommissioned in the 1980s, only to be decommissioned after a few short years of service.

Currently, three of the ships are on display at the following locations:

USS New Jersey
On October 14, 2001, USS New Jersey opened as a museum at Camden, New Jersey.

USS Missouri
Located 1,000 yards from USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor, Missouri was opened as a museum 29 January 1999. The museum is operated by the USS Missouri Memorial Association, a non-profit organization.

USS Wisconsin
Berthed in Norfolk, Virginia

General Characteristics (USS Iowa)

• Displacement: 45,000 tons (stand); 56,500 (mean war service)
• Length: 887'3"
• Beam: 108'2"
• Draft: 37'9"
• Speed: 33 knots
• Complement: 2,800
• Armament: Nine 16" guns; twenty 5" guns; 20 40mm quads; 47-52 20mm
• Max cruising radius:
  • 9,600 miles @ 25 knots
  • 16,600 miles @ 15 knots
• Horsepower: 212,000 (shaft)
• Drive: 4 screws; geared turbines
• Fuel: 9,033 tons oil (max)