USS New Jersey (BB-62)
USS New Jersey underway in January 1985
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History | |
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United States | |
Namesake | State of New Jersey |
Ordered | 1 July 1939 |
Builder | Philadelphia Naval Shipyard |
Laid down | 16 September 1940 |
Launched | 7 December 1942 |
Sponsored by | Carolyn Edison |
Commissioned | 23 May 1943 |
Decommissioned | 30 June 1948 |
Recommissioned | 21 November 1950 |
Decommissioned | 21 August 1957 |
Recommissioned | 6 April 1968 |
Decommissioned | 17 December 1969 |
Recommissioned | 28 December 1982 |
Decommissioned | 8 February 1991 |
Stricken | 4 January 1999 |
Motto | "Firepower for Freedom"[1][3] |
Nickname(s) | "Big J"[1] "Black Dragon"[2] |
Honors and awards | 19 battle stars |
Status | Currently Dry docked |
Notes | Most decorated battleship in the history of the US Navy |
Badge | |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Iowa-class battleship |
Displacement | |
Length | 887 ft 7 in (270.54 m) |
Beam | 108 ft 1.375 in (32.95333 m) |
Draft | 37 ft 9 in (11.51 m) (full load) 41 ft 0 in (12.50 m) aft, 39 ft 0 in (11.89 m) forward (1968)[5] |
Propulsion | 4 x 53,000 hp turbines powered by 8 x 650 psi m type boilers |
Speed | 33 knots (61 km/h) |
Complement | 1,921 officers and men |
Sensors and processing systems | |
Electronic warfare & decoys |
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Armament |
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Armor | |
Aircraft carried |
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USS New Jersey (BB-62) is an
During
New Jersey was decommissioned for the last time in 1991 after having served a total of 21 years in the active fleet. During her career she earned a Navy Unit Commendation for service in Vietnam, and 19 battle and campaign stars for combat operations during World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Lebanese Civil War, and service in the Persian Gulf. After a brief retention in the mothball fleet, she was donated to the Home Port Alliance in Camden, New Jersey, and has served as a museum ship there since 15 October 2001.
Construction
New Jersey was one of the
New Jersey's main battery consisted of nine
The main deck was 53,000 square feet of
World War II (1943–1945)
Shakedown and service with the 5th Fleet, Admiral Spruance
New Jersey completed fitting out and trained her initial crew in the Western
New Jersey began her career as a
Between 17 March and 10 April, New Jersey first sailed with
After rehearsing in the Marshalls for the invasion of the Marianas, New Jersey put to sea 6 June in the screening and bombardment group of Admiral Mitscher's Task Force. On the second day of preinvasion air strikes, 12 June, New Jersey shot down an enemy torpedo bomber, and during the next two days her heavy guns battered Saipan and Tinian, in advance of the marine landings on 15 June.[8] The Japanese response to the Marianas operation was an order to its main surface fleet to destroy the American invasion force. Shadowing American submarines tracked the Japanese fleet into the Philippine Sea as Admiral Spruance joined his task force with Admiral Mitscher's to meet the enemy. New Jersey took station in the protective screen around the carriers on 19 June 1944 as American and Japanese pilots dueled in the Battle of the Philippine Sea. That day and the next would cripple Japanese naval aviation; in what would become known as the "Marianas Turkey Shoot", the Japanese lost some 400 planes for less than two dozen American aircraft in return. This loss of trained pilots and aircraft was equaled in disaster by the sinking of the Japanese aircraft carriers Taihō and Shōkaku by the submarines Albacore and Cavalla, respectively, and the loss of Hiyō to aircraft launched from the light aircraft carrier Belleau Wood. In addition to these losses, Allied forces succeeded in damaging two Japanese carriers and a battleship. The anti-aircraft fire of New Jersey and the other screening ships proved virtually impenetrable; two American ships were slightly damaged during the battle. Only 17 American planes were lost in combat.[8]
Service with the 3rd Fleet, Admiral Halsey
New Jersey's final contribution to the conquest of the Marianas was in strikes on Guam and the Palaus from which she sailed for
In September the targets were in the
New Jersey rejoined her fast carriers near San Bernardino 27 October 1944 for strikes on central and southern Luzon. Two days later, the force came under kamikaze attack. New Jersey shot down a plane whose pilot maneuvered it into the port gun galleries of Intrepid, while machine gun fire from Intrepid wounded three of New Jersey's men. During a similar action on 25 November, three Japanese planes were shot down by the combined fire of the force, part of one flaming onto the flight deck of Hancock. Intrepid was again attacked; she shot down one would-be kamikaze aircraft, but was hit by another despite hits scored on the attacker by New Jersey gunners. New Jersey shot down a plane diving on Cabot and hit another plane which smashed into Cabot's port bow.[8]
On 18 December 1944, the ships of
Although the sea had been growing rougher all day, the nearby cyclonic disturbance gave relatively little warning of its approach. Each of the carriers in the Third Fleet had a weatherman aboard, and as the fleet flagship New Jersey had a highly experienced weatherman: Commander
Service with Battleship Division Seven, Admiral Badger
From 30 December 1944 to 25 January 1945, New Jersey conducted her last cruise as Admiral Halsey's flagship. She guarded the carriers in their strikes on Formosa, Okinawa, and Luzon, on the coast of
New Jersey was directly engaged in the invasion of Okinawa from 14 March until 16 April. As the carriers prepared for the invasion with strikes there and on
Post World War II (1946–1950)
After west coast operations and a normal overhaul at Puget Sound, New Jersey came home to
After serving at New York as flagship for Rear Admiral Heber H. McLean, Commander, Battleship Division 1, 12 September – 18 October, New Jersey was inactivated at the
The Korean War (1950–1953)
In 1950 North Korea invaded South Korea, prompting the United States to intervene in the name of the United Nations. President Harry S. Truman was caught off guard when the invasion struck,[15] but quickly ordered U.S. Forces stationed in Japan into South Korea. Truman also sent U.S. based troops, tanks, fighter and bomber aircraft, and a strong naval force to Korea to support the Republic of Korea. As part of the naval mobilization New Jersey was recalled from the mothball fleet to provide seaborne artillery support for U.N. and South Korean troops. New Jersey was recommissioned at Bayonne on 21 November 1950, Captain David M. Tyree in command, and proceeded to the Caribbean. She sailed from Norfolk, Virginia 16 April 1951 and arrived from Japan off the east coast of Korea 17 May. Vice Admiral Harold M. Martin, commanding the United States Seventh Fleet, placed his flag in New Jersey for the next six months.[8]
New Jersey's guns opened the first shore bombardment of her Korean career at
Between 23 and 27 May and again 30 May 1951, New Jersey pounded targets near
With Admiral
New Jersey sailed to the aid of troops of the Republic of Korea once more on 17 August, returning to the Kansong area where for four days she provided harassing fire by night, and broke up counterattacks by day, inflicting a heavy toll on enemy troops. She returned to this general area yet again 29 August, when she fired in an amphibious demonstration staged behind enemy lines to ease pressure on the Republic of Korea's troops. The next day she started a three-day saturation of the Changjon area, with one of her own helicopters spotting the results: four buildings destroyed, road junctions smashed, railroad marshaling yards afire, tracks cut and uprooted, coal stocks scattered, and many buildings and warehouses set on fire.[8]
Aside from a brief break in firing 23 September to take aboard wounded from the
Between 1 and 6 October New Jersey was in action daily at Kansong,
New Jersey dashed up the North Korean coast raiding transportation facilities from 1 to 6 November. She struck at bridges, road, and rail installations at Wonsan, Hungnam, Tanchon,
Shaping her course via the Panama Canal, Long Beach, and Hawaii, New Jersey reached Yokosuka 5 April, and next day relieved
New Jersey provided artillery support for a major air and surface strike on Wonsan 1 May, as 7th Fleet planes both attacked the enemy and spotted for the battleship. She knocked out eleven Communist shore guns that day, and four days later destroyed the key observation post on the island of
The battleship was under fire at Wonsan 27–29 May, but her five-inch (127 mm) guns silenced the counter-fire, and her 16-inch shells destroyed five gun emplacements and four gun caves. She also hit a target that flamed spectacularly: either a
At Wonsan 11–12 July, New Jersey fired one of the most concentrated bombardments of her Korean duty. For nine hours the first day, and for seven the second, her guns opened fire on gun positions and bunkers on Hodo Pando and the mainland with telling effect. At least ten enemy guns were destroyed, many damaged, and a number of caves and tunnels sealed. New Jersey smashed radar control positions and bridges at Kojo 13 July, and was once more on the east coast bombline 22–24 July to support South Korean troops near Kosong. These days found her gunners at their most accurate: A large cave, housing an important enemy observation post was closed, the end of a month-long United Nations effort, and a great many bunkers, artillery areas, observation posts, trenches, tanks and other weapons were destroyed.[8]
At sunrise on 25 July 1953 New Jersey was off the key port, rail and communications center of Hungnam, pounding coastal guns, bridges, a factory area, and oil storage tanks. She sailed north that afternoon, firing at rail lines and railroad tunnels as she made for Tanchon, where she launched a whaleboat in an attempt to spot a train known to run nightly along the coast. Her big guns were trained on two tunnels between which she hoped to catch the train, but in the darkness she could not see the results of her six-gun salvo.[8]
Post Korean War (1953–1967)
New Jersey's mission at Wonsan, the next day, was her last. Here she destroyed large-caliber guns, bunkers, caves and trenches. Two days later, she learned of the truce. Her crew celebrated during a seven-day visit at Hong Kong, where she anchored on 20 August. Operations around Japan and off Formosa were carried out for the remainder of her tour, which was highlighted by a visit to Pusan. Here president Rhee came aboard on 16 September to present the
Relieved as flagship at Yokosuka by Wisconsin 14 October, New Jersey was homeward bound the next day, reaching Norfolk on 14 November. During the next two summers she crossed the Atlantic with
The Vietnam War (1967–1969)
Due to heavy loss rates of U.S. aircraft (commencing with Operation Rolling Thunder in 1965), studies were conducted on ways of alleviating those air losses while at the same time delivering the ordnance payloads required by the escalation of the war. On 31 May 1967 the Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara authorized a study aimed at determining what would be required to get New Jersey reactivated in her present condition, and when the results of the submitted study proved favorable toward the reactivation he took action.[16] In August 1967 the Secretary of Defense made the decision to recommission a battleship "for employment in the Pacific Fleet to augment the naval gunfire support force in Southeast Asia".[17] New Jersey was selected for this task because she was in better material condition than her sisters, having received an extensive overhaul prior to decommissioning. Upon her reactivation she underwent a period of modernization during which the 20 mm and 40 mm anti-aircraft guns on the battleship were removed, and she received improved electronic warfare systems and improvements to her radar. Armed as such New Jersey was formally recommissioned 6 April 1968 at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, Captain J. Edward Snyder in command.[8] During sea trials following her modernization, New Jersey set the battleship world speed record by achieving a speed of 35.2 knots (65.2 km/h; 40.5 mph), maintaining this speed for six hours.[18]
New Jersey, then the world's only active battleship, departed Philadelphia 16 May, calling at Norfolk and transiting the Panama Canal 4 June before arriving at her new home port of Long Beach, California, 11 June. Further training off Southern California followed. On 24 July New Jersey received 16 inch shells and powder tanks from Mount Katmai by conventional highline transfer and by helicopter lift, the first time heavy battleship ammunition had been transferred by helicopter at sea (now known as vertical replenishment).[8]
Departing Long Beach on 2 September, New Jersey touched at Pearl Harbor and
On 11 October New Jersey engaged a coastal installation with her guns; however, she shifted her fire when a recon plane spotting for the battleship reported an enemy truck concentration north of Nha Ky. New Jersey gunners quickly retrained the battleship's big guns and managed to inflict heavy damage on six of the vehicles.[17] Early on the morning of 12 October New Jersey trained her guns in anticipation of shelling the heavily fortified and well protected Vinh caves. For the next three days New Jersey pounded the area with her 16 in shells in an effort to eliminate the Viet Cong presence in the region. Aided by spotter aircraft from the aircraft carrier USS America, New Jersey engaged enemy targets, setting several enemy positions on fire and sealing one cave. On 14 October New Jersey shifted her gunfire to the coastal artillery sites on Hon Matt Island, destroying one battery on the island.[17]
On 16 October New Jersey took up station in support of the
On the night of 23 October New Jersey steamed north to rearm before taking up position in support of the 3rd Marine Division 25 October. That day she shelled enemy troops located by a spotter plane. The next day New Jersey engaged targets of opportunity, destroying 11 structures, seven bunkers, a concrete observation tower, and an enemy trench line. She also received hostile fire when North Vietnamese gunners attempted to strike at New Jersey with artillery positioned near Cap Lay. Some ten to twelve rounds were launched at New Jersey; however, the rounds fired landed well short of the battleship. Aerial spotters were called in to look at the suspected gun position; they reported no artillery present but fresh tire tracks leading to a concealed area, suggesting that there had been artillery there earlier. Armed with this information New Jersey fired five 16 inch shells at the site, but in the darkness spotters were unable to confirm any hits.[17]
On 28 October New Jersey steamed south to engage Communist targets. During the shelling aircraft spotting for the battleship reported taking heavy anti-aircraft fire to the extreme north of the target zone; subsequently, New Jersey altered her fire to silence the site with her big guns. The next day New Jersey leveled 30 structures, destroyed three underground bunkers, and shelled a Viet Cong trench line. That afternoon an aerial observer located an enemy artillery position on a hilltop southwest of Cap Lay. New Jersey responded by firing six 16 inch rounds at the site, destroying it. Follow up assaults on 30 October destroyed a Communist resupply area and an anti-aircraft site.[17] The official PAVN history claims that on 28 October their 25th Battery, 21st Artillery Battalion using 130mm guns hit the New Jersey setting it ablaze.[20]
Upon completion of this mission New Jersey steamed south, taking a position off
On 25 November New Jersey launched the most destructive shore bombardment of her Vietnam tour. For the next two days the battleship concentrated her fire at Viet Cong storage areas near
Throughout January and into February New Jersey operated in support of the Marines. On 10 February the battleship left to reinforce the
For the remainder of February and into March New Jersey shelled targets along the DMZ. On 13 March the battleship departed the gunline bound for Subic Bay. She returned to action on 20 March, operating near
Post Vietnam War (1969–1982)
Her first Vietnam combat tour completed, New Jersey departed Subic Bay 3 April 1969 for Japan. She arrived at Yokosuka for a two-day visit, sailing for the United States 9 April. Her homecoming, however, was to be delayed. On the 15th, while New Jersey was still at sea, North Korean jet fighters
As the crisis eased, New Jersey was released to continue her interrupted voyage. She anchored at Long Beach 5 May 1969, her first visit to her home port in eight months. Through the summer months, New Jersey's crew toiled to make her ready for another deployment, and deficiencies discovered on the gun line were remedied. According to official reports, though, reasons of economy were to dictate otherwise: on 22 August 1969 the United States Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird released a list of names of ships to be inactivated; at the top of the list was New Jersey.[23] Five days later, Captain Snyder was relieved of command by Captain Robert C. Peniston.[8]
Assuming command of a ship already earmarked for the "mothball fleet", Captain Peniston and his crew prepared for their task. New Jersey got underway on the voyage 6 September, departing Long Beach for Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. She arrived on the 8th, and began preinactivation overhaul to ready herself for decommissioning. On 17 December 1969 New Jersey's colors were hauled down and she entered the inactive fleet, following the words of her last commanding officer: "Rest well, yet sleep lightly; and hear the call, if again sounded, to provide fire power for freedom."[8]
Reactivation (1982)
As part of president Ronald Reagan's and Navy Secretary John Lehman's effort to create a 600-ship Navy, New Jersey was selected for reactivation in the spring of 1981, and she was towed from Puget Sound Naval Shipyard to Long Beach Naval Shipyard at the end of July 1981 for modernization/reactivation.[24]
At the time of the reactivation the Navy envisioned using New Jersey and her sister ship Iowa to meet sustained global requirements and relieve the strain on the Navy created by an increase in U.S. commitments to the Indian Ocean and Caribbean Sea regions. During this time the Navy developed several proposals to update their battleships to carry cruise missiles and anti-ship missiles, as well as point defense system mounts. Preliminary modernizations schemes included the removal of four of the ten 5 inch gun mounts on New Jersey to make room for the armored box launchers that would be required to carry and launch the BGM-109 Tomahawk missiles.
On 28 December 1982 New Jersey was formally recommissioned at Long Beach, California, her new homeport. The recommissioning of New Jersey marked a return of the world's last battleships after a 13-year absence from the world's oceans. New Jersey, decommissioned in 1969, then was the first to be recommissioned under the 600-ship Navy program.
New Jersey's modernization was unique in that she was to be the only reactivated Iowa-class battleship to lose a gun turret. At the time the Navy made the announcement plans were underway to remove New Jersey's No. 3 16 in gun turret (located aft of the superstructure). In its place the Navy planned to install one of two systems: a
Over the next several months the ship was upgraded with the most advanced weaponry available; among the new weapons systems installed were four MK 141 quad cell launchers for 16 RGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles, eight Armored Box Launcher (ABL) mounts for 32
Because New Jersey had been recalled for service in the Vietnam War her modernization differed from her sisters for a number of reasons. When reactivated in 1967 New Jersey had her 20 mm Oerlikon and 40 mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns removed, and received improved electronic warfare capabilities. This alteration helped reduce the time it took to get New Jersey recommissioned: since she was not in her World War II format, the only major physical alteration to New Jersey involved the removal of four of her ten 5 inch gun mounts to make room for the Armored Box Launchers.[28][32] In addition to saving time, this also made New Jersey cheaper to reactivate since the cost needed to modernize the battleship only included the addition of missile and gun system mounts, electronic warfare suites, and improved radar and gun spotter technology.[25][33]
Since the Tomahawk missile system had not yet been adopted for use during New Jersey's original update, the Navy announced plans to divert assets from two of their
Lebanese Civil War (1983–1984)
In 1983, a bloody
On 18 April 1983
On 16 September 1983 Druze forces massed on the threshold of
On 28 November—after 23 October
This shelling was in response to attacks on U.S. reconnaissance planes by Syrian/Druze antiaircraft batteries.[38]
Carrying on a tradition he had begun in World War II of spending Christmas with U.S. forces overseas,
Although New Jersey performed her job expertly during the intervention in Lebanon some have criticized the decision to have New Jersey shell Druze and Syrian forces. Members of this camp allege that this action forced a shift in the previously neutral U.S. forces by convincing local Lebanese Muslims that the United States had taken the Christian side;[40][41] New Jersey's shells had killed hundreds of people, mostly Shiites and Druze.[42] In his memoir, General Colin Powell (at the time an assistant to Caspar Weinberger) noted that "When the shells started falling on the Shiites, they assumed the American 'referee' had taken sides."[43]
The accuracy of New Jersey's guns was also called into question. An investigation into New Jersey's gunfire effectiveness in Lebanon, led by
Post-Lebanese deployment (1984–1990)
In 1986 New Jersey began her next deployment, this time operating as part of the Pacific Fleet and as the centerpiece of her own
According to a declassified command history for the nuclear-armed battleship New Jersey, during her transit through the Sea of Okhotsk on 27–28 September 1986, "close passes" were made by Soviet
In April 1989, as New Jersey was preparing for her last operational cruise, sister ship Iowa suffered a catastrophic explosion in her No. 2 gun turret. Fallout from the incident led U.S. Naval officials to freeze live fire exercises with the guns until the investigation into the explosion was concluded. Eventually, the ban was lifted and New Jersey was allowed to use her big guns again.[48] New Jersey's final cruise began in 1989 as part of Pacific Exercise '89. Upon completion of the exercise, New Jersey sailed through the Indian Ocean and into the Persian Gulf, in the process becoming the centerpiece for various battle groups and surface action groups. New Jersey remained in the Persian Gulf for the rest of the year, returning to the United States in February 1990.[48]
Reserve fleet and museum ship (1991–present)
USS New Jersey (BB-62) | |
Location | 62 Battleship Place Camden, New Jersey |
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Coordinates | 39°56′21″N 75°7′58″W / 39.93917°N 75.13278°W |
Built | 1942 |
Architect | U.S. Navy |
NRHP reference No. | 04000980 |
Added to NRHP | 17 September 2004[51] |
With the
Section 1011 of the National Defense Authorization Act of 1996 required the United States Navy to reinstate to the Naval Vessel Register two of the Iowa-class battleships that had been struck by the Navy in 1995; these ships were to be maintained in the United States Navy reserve fleets (or "mothball fleet"). The Navy was to ensure that both of the reinstated battleships were in good condition and could be reactivated for use in the Marine Corps' amphibious operations.[52] Due to Iowa's damaged Turret 2 the Navy selected New Jersey for placement into the mothball fleet, even though it was claimed that the training mechanisms on New Jersey's 16-in guns had been welded down (when in fact it was only the turret locking pins).[53] The cost to fix New Jersey was considered less than the cost to fix Iowa;[28] as a result, New Jersey and Wisconsin were reinstated to the Naval Vessel Register and placed back in the reserve fleet.[52]
New Jersey remained in mothball fleet until the Strom Thurmond National Defense Authorization Act of 1999 passed through the United States Congress 18 October 1998. Section 1011 required the United States Secretary of the Navy to list and maintain Iowa and Wisconsin on the Naval Vessel Register, while Section 1012 required the Secretary of the Navy to strike New Jersey from the Naval Vessel Register and transfer the battleship to a not-for-profit entity in accordance with section 7306 of Title 10, United States Code. Section 1012 also required the transferee to locate the battleship in New Jersey.[54] The Navy made the switch in January 1999, and on 12 September, New Jersey was towed by the tug Sea Victory from Bremerton, Washington to Philadelphia, for restoration work in the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard in advance of her planned donation for use as a museum.[55]
Two competing requests for the battleships were filed, one by the USS New Jersey Battleship Commission of Bayonne, New Jersey, and one by the Home Port Alliance of Camden, New Jersey. Both teams submitted plans to operate and maintain the battleship as a museum. After a review of both plans, the Navy selected the Home Port Alliance as the battleship's final resting place. Secretary of the Navy Richard Danzig made the announcement on 20 January 2000,[56] and on 15 October of that year New Jersey arrived at her final resting place on the Camden Waterfront.[57]
Opened to the public
Shortly after her arrival New Jersey was opened to the public, officially beginning her new career as a museum ship with the name Battleship New Jersey Museum and Memorial. Self-guided tours, guided group tours, and overnight encampments are offered on the floating museum.[58] Overnight encampments, typically for the benefit of Scouting organizations, offer the opportunity to sleep and eat in the original berths and mess decks.[59]
New Jersey has been placed on several historic registers. In 1997, while the ship was still in the mothball fleet, the New Jersey State Review Board for Historic Sites recommended that it "be listed in the New Jersey Register of Historic Places, contingent upon the transfer of the battleship to New Jersey waters."[60] In 2004, the State of New Jersey officially designated the battleship as an historical place.[61] This cleared New Jersey for placement on the National Register of Historic Places, a list to which New Jersey was officially added in 2004.[51]
In 2012 there was another nonprofit - the USS New Jersey Battleship Foundation, Inc. - which advocated that New Jersey should be moved to Liberty State Park.[62][63] Ultimately, nothing came from that effort and the ship remains in Camden. One of USS New Jersey's original gun barrels from 1943 to 1954 now sits on the northwest corner of the Marine Parade Grounds alongside Broad Street and Intrepid Avenue in Philadelphia. Another original gun barrel is located in Camden, next to USS New Jersey, and a third is on display in Basking Ridge, New Jersey. A propeller is on display in front of Naval Weapons Station Earle, in Colts Neck, New Jersey. The museum also operates a YouTube channel where curators educate viewers on various historical details, facts, and the service history of the ship.[64]
On 21 March 2024 New Jersey underwent a dead weight tow to Paulsboro, New Jersey to prepare her to be dry docked at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. The purpose of this move will be to conduct crucial preservation work on the ship costing around 10 million dollars. New Jersey has not gone into dry dock since her decommissioning.[65]
Awards
New Jersey earned nine battle stars for her World War II service, four for the Korean War, three for the Vietnam War, and three for action in Lebanon and the Persian Gulf region.
star
|
Navy Unit Commendation with 1 star |
Battle Es
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Navy Expeditionary Medal |
China Service Medal | American Campaign Medal | battle stars
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World War II Victory Medal
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Navy Occupation Service Medal with "ASIA" clasp |
National Defense Service Medal with 2 stars |
battle stars
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Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with 1 star |
Vietnam Service Medal with 3 stars |
Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon with 3 stars |
Philippine Presidential Unit Citation | Korean Presidential Unit Citation
|
Vietnam Cross of Gallantry
|
Philippine Liberation Medal with 2 stars |
United Nations Korea Medal
|
Vietnam Campaign Medal |
See also
Notes
- ^ a b "An Act providing for the issuance of Battleship U.S.S. New Jersey license plates ..." (PDF). NJ state library. 12 September 1995.
- ^ "USS New Jersey (BB 62) of the US Navy - American Battleship of the Iowa class - Allied Warships of WWII - uboat.net". uboat.net. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
- ^ "Battleship New Jersey: Frequently Asked Questions". Battleship New Jersey. Battleship New Jersey Museum and Memorial. 28 October 2014. Archived from the original on 29 October 2014. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
- ^ Garzke and Dunlin pp. 145–148
- ^ a b RADM Joseph Snyder Jr, USN (ret) p. 2, Retrieved 10 June 2019
- ^ Ruch, Walter (8 December 1942). "Dreadnought Tops 26 Ship Launches". The New York Times. p. 1.
- ^ "Naval Vessel Register". United States Navy. Retrieved 16 March 2007.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au "USS New Jersey (BB 62) History". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. United States Navy. Retrieved 16 March 2007.
- ISBN 0-7522-6188-6.
- ^ Willard, Jack (3 November 2016). "Own a Piece of History!". Battleship New Jersey. Archived from the original on 7 September 2021. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
- ^ Comegno, Carol. "Historian details the role politics played in battleship's creation" Archived 28 September 2020 at the Wayback Machine, Courier-Post, 6 January 2000. Retrieved 27 May 2007.
- Fleet Admiral and awarded his fifth star. "Fleet Admiral William Frederick Halsey, Jr". Naval Historical Center. 2 June 1996. Archived from the originalon 7 December 2006. Retrieved 8 June 2007.
- ^ a b "Typhoons and Hurricanes: Pacific Typhoon, 18 December 1944". Department of the Navy – Navy Historical Center. 10 April 2001. Archived from the original on 3 January 2009. Retrieved 8 January 2006.
- ^ a b c Samuel Eliot Morison. "Third Fleet in Typhoon Cobra, December 1944". History of US Naval Operations in World War II. Dave James' homepage. Archived from the original on 18 October 2005. Retrieved 8 January 2006.
- ^ American Secretary of State Dean Acheson had told Congress on 20 June that no war was likely.
- ^ Frick, Martin P. (1991). "The Big Guns: America's Century Long Romance with the Battleship". In Lightbody, Andy; Blaine, Taylor (eds.). Battleships at War: America's Century Long Romance with the Big Guns of the Fleet. Canoga Park, CA: Challenge Publications, Inc. pp. 64, 65, 86–89.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Narrative 1968 History of USS New Jersey (BB-62)". USS New Jersey Veteran's, INC. Retrieved 26 May 2005.
- ^ Fastest speed recorded for a battleship | Guinness World Records
- ^ a b Polmar, p. 129
- ISBN 0-7006-1175-4.
- ^ a b "1969 Narrative History of USS New Jersey (BB-62)". USS New Jersey Veteran's, INC. Retrieved 31 May 2005.
- ^ Page, Tim and Pimlott. NAM The Vietnam Experience 1965–75 Volume 11, p. 338, Orbis, 1986
- Paris Peace Talks, some source suggest that the Vietnamese would not meet with U.S. representatives unless New Jersey was removed from the gunline, other sources suggest that the Vietnamese offered to meet with representatives of the United States if New Jersey was returned to the states. No compelling evidence exists to support or refute these claims.
- ^ "New Jersey starts new life". The Bulletin. (Bend, Oregon). United Press International. 27 July 1981. p. A1.
- ^ a b c d e "Update of the Issues Concerning the Proposed Reactivation of the Iowa class battleships and the Aircraft Carrier Oriskany" (PDF). United States General Accounting Office. 20 April 1981. pp. 3–18. Retrieved 25 May 2005.
- ^ At the time New Jersey was scheduled to undergo modernization the Tomahawk missile system had not yet been introduced for use in the field; however, the Navy announced plans to include the updates that would be needed for New Jersey to use the Tomahawk system while undergoing her modernization. "Update of the Issues Concerning the Proposed Reactivation of the Iowa Class Battleships and the Aircraft Carrier Oriskany" (PDF). United States General Accounting Office. 20 April 1981. Retrieved 8 June 2007.
- ^ Statement by Admiral Rowden in the Department of Defense Appropriations for Fiscal Year 1982.
- ^ a b c d e "BB-61 IOWA-class (Specifications)". Federation of American Scientists. Retrieved 26 November 2006.
- ISBN 0-7522-6188-6.
- ^ "Aircraft: RQ-2 Pioneer". The Warfighter's Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 15 July 2007. Retrieved 8 June 2007.
- ^ By comparison Iowa, Missouri, and Wisconsin had to be stripped of their 20 mm Oerlikon and 40 mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns, in addition to the removal of four of their ten 5 in guns.
- ^ The estimated cost of reactivating New Jersey with her gun turrets intact was $326 million, vs the estimated $392 million to reactivate Iowa. "Update of the Issues Concerning the Proposed Reactivation of the Iowa Class Battleships and the Aircraft Carrier Oriskany" (PDF). United States General Accounting Office. 20 April 1981. Retrieved 8 June 2007.
- ^ Levins, Hoag (18 October 2001). "Launch your own missile from Battleship New Jersey: Warship Museum Prepares New 'Interactive' Combat Control Center". HistoricCamdenCounty.com. Retrieved 21 May 2007.
- ^ a b c "The Lebanese War, Lebanese Civil War (subsection:The Israeli Defense Forces Withdrawal and the Mountain War)". cederland.org. Archived from the original on 23 May 2007. Retrieved 25 May 2007.
- ^ Roberto Suro; Kenneth W. Banta (26 September 1983). "Listening for That Whistle". Time. Archived from the original on 3 February 2009. Retrieved 9 October 2008.
- ^ LCCN 87-619851. Library of Congress Card No. 87-619851. Archived from the original(PDF) on 12 August 2014.
- ^ Barry Hillenbrand, William E. Smith and Dean Brelis (26 December 1983). "Familiar Fingerprints". Time. Archived from the original on 22 December 2008. Retrieved 5 October 2008.
- ^ "At Sea/Lebanon: USS New Jersey Shells Beirut Hills/Amal Fighters Take Over West Beirut". ITN. Reuters. 8 February 1984.
- ^ a b Nicholas Blanford (4 March 2008). "U.S. warship stirs Lebanese fear of war". The Christian Science Monitor.
- ^ U.S. Library of Congress. "Lebanon – United States". Retrieved 25 May 2007.
- ^ Glass, Charles (July 2006). "Lebanon Agonistes". CounterPunch. Archived from the original on 5 January 2009. Retrieved 17 October 2009.
- ISBN 0-345-40728-8
- ISBN 0-393-04714-8.
- ISBN 0-7603-0594-3.
- ^ Thompson, p. 140, 165. Miceli later led the technical investigation into the USS Iowa turret explosion in spite of the presumable conflict of interest with finding fault with powder that had been mixed and bagged under his direction. Richard Milligan, captain of New Jersey in February 1984, led the first investigation into the Iowa explosion and whose findings were subsequently discredited and discarded.
- ^ "Command Operation Reports: Thach FFG-43" (PDF). history.navy.mil. 27 February 1987. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
- ^ a b c d Mooney, James L. "History of the USS New Jersey, BB-62". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, Vol. V. United States Navy. pp. 60–63. Retrieved 1 June 2007.
- ^ "Thach (FFG 43)". 9 April 2014. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
- ^ "Nuclear Notebook". Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. 5 (7): 63. September 1988. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 15 April 2008.
- ^ a b "National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 1996 (Subtitle B-Naval Vessels and Shipyards)" (PDF). National Institute of Standards and Technology. 10 February 1996. p. 422. Retrieved 26 May 2005.
- YouTube
- ^ "Strom Thurmond National Defense Authorization Act of 1999 (Subtitle B-Naval Vessels and Shipyards)" (PDF). 105th Congress, United States Senate and House of Representatives. pp. 200–201. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 June 2007. Retrieved 12 March 2007.
- ^ "Battleship New Jersey". Battleship New Jersey Museum and Memorial. Archived from the original on 19 March 2016. Retrieved 26 May 2005.
- ^ "SECNAV announces the Battleship New Jersey donation" (Press release). Office of Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs). 20 January 2000. Retrieved 26 May 2005.
- ^ a b "USS New Jersey Veterans Inc". USS New Jersey Veterans, Inc. Retrieved 26 May 2005.
- ^ "Visit". Battleship New Jersey. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
- ^ "Overnights". Battleship New Jersey. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
- ^ Dorothy P. Guzzo, Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer (9 July 1997). "Letter to the USS New Jersey Battleship Commission". State of New Jersey, Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Parks and Forestry, Historic Preservation Office. Archived from the original on 3 March 2012.
On March 26, 1997, The New Jersey State Review Board for Historic Sites favorably recommended that the Battleship U.S.S. New Jersey be listed in the New Jersey Register of Historic Places, contingent upon the transfer of the battleship to New Jersey waters from its current location in Washington State. Once the transfer is complete, the Historic Preservation Office will expedite processing of the application for Registration.
- ^ "Historic Preservation Bulletin" (PDF). The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection: Historic Preservation Office. 2004. p. 3. Retrieved 26 May 2005.
- The Navy Times. Associated Press.
- NJ Spotlight News.
- YouTube
- ^ Keller, Jared (3 April 2024). "This Navy Battleship Just Flew Its 'WETSU' Battle Flag for the First Time in 30 Years". Military.com. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
- ^ "Battle Record of the USS New Jersey". USS New Jersey Veterans, Inc. Retrieved 19 April 2015.
References
- George Francis Kosco. Halsey's Typhoons: A Firsthand Account of How Two Typhoons, More Powerful than the Japanese, Dealt Death and Destruction to Admiral Halsey's Third Fleet. New York: Crown Publishers, 1967.
- Calhoun, C. Raymond. Typhoon, The Other Enemy: The Third Fleet and the Pacific Storm of December 1944, 1981.
- Comegno, Carol. The Battleship USS New Jersey: From Birth to Berth. Pediment Pub, 2001. ISBN 1-891395-76-9
- Garzke, William; Dunlin, Robert (1995). Battleships: United States Battleships 1935–1992. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-0-87021-099-0.
- Gibbs, Jay (2017). "Question 36/51: Japanese 14-in Sub-Caliber Shells". Warship International. LIV (4): 289–290. ISSN 0043-0374.
- Hoyt, Edwin Palmer. The Typhoon that Stopped a War. New York: D. McKay Co., 1968.
- Naval Historical Foundation. The Navy. Hugh Lauter Levin Associates. ISBN 0-88363-100-8
- Paul Chan, Ian and McAuley, Rob. The Battleships. Channel 4 Books, London ISBN 0-7522-6188-6
- Polmar, Norman. The Naval Institute Guide to the Ships and Aircraft of the U.S. Fleet. 2001 Naval Institute Press ISBN 1-55750-656-6
- This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
External links
- Official website
- Battleship New Jersey YouTube page
- Battleship New Jersey Amateur Radio Station
- USS New Jersey (BB-62) at Historic Naval Ships Association
- Photo gallery of USS New Jersey at NavSource Naval History
- 1984 Book of General Plans for the U.S.S. New Jersey (BB-62), Iowa Class, hosted by the Historical Naval Ships Association (HNSA) Digital Collections