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Battleship USS MISSOURI
BB-63
The
Iowa-class USS Missouri is considered by many the most
famous battleship ever built. She combated
in three wars, receiving three battle stars in World War
II, five in the Korean War, as well as two Combat Action
Ribbons and several commendations and medals for the
Gulf War.
Laid
down in January 1941, the USS Missouri, Nicknamed
"Mighty Mo", carried nine massive 16-inch guns, 20
five-inch guns, 80 40mm anti-aircraft guns, and 49 20mm
anti-aircraft guns. Her 16" guns could deliver
1,900 and 2,700 pound projectiles at 24 miles away.
The tremendous fire force pushed the guns back four
feet, with the blast pressure pushing the water
outwards, creating the illusion that the ship was moving
sideways.
During World War II, Missouri joined the fast
battleships of TF 58 in bombarding the southeast coast
of Okinawa 24 March 1945, an action intended to draw
enemy strength from the west coast beaches that would be
the actual site of invasion landings.
Missouri rejoined the carriers as Marine and Army units
stormed the shores of Okinawa on the morning of 1 April.
Planes from the carriers shattered a special Japanese
attacking force led by battleship Yamato 7 April.
Yamato, the world's largest battleship, was sunk,
together with a cruiser and a destroyer. Three
other enemy destroyers were heavily damaged and
scuttled. During the Okinawa campaign she
shot down five enemy planes, assisted in the destruction
of six others, and scored one probable kill. She
helped repel 12 daylight attacks of enemy raiders and
fought off four night attacks on her carrier task group.
Her shore bombardment destroyed several gun emplacements
and many other military, governmental, and industrial
structures.
About
23:05 on 17 April 1945, Missouri detected an enemy
submarine 12 miles from her formation. That set
off a hunter-killer operation which sank Japanese
submarine I-56. Missouri was detached from the carrier
task force off Okinawa on 5 May and sailed for Ulithi.
She
arrived San Pedro, Leyte, 13 June 1945, after almost
three months of continuous operations in support of the
Okinawa campaign. Here lead
the 3d Fleet in strikes at the heart of Japan from
within its home waters. The mighty fleet set a
northerly course on 8 July to approach the Japanese
mainland. Raids took Tokyo by surprise on 10 July,
followed by more devastation at the juncture of Honshu
and Hokkaido 13 and 14 July. For the first time, a naval
gunfire force wrought destruction on a major
installation within the home islands
when Missouri closed the shore to join in a bombardment
on 15 July that rained destruction on the Nihon Steel
Co. and the Wanishi Ironworks at Muroran, Hokkaido.
During
the night of 17-18 July Missouri bombarded industrial
targets in the Hichiti area, Honshu. Inland Sea
aerial strikes continued through 25 July 1945,
and Missouri guarded the carriers as they struck hard
blows at the Japanese capital.
As July ended the Japanese no
longer had any home waters. Missouri had led her fleet
to gain control of the air and sea approaches to the
very shores of Japan.
Adm.
Sir Bruce Fraser, RN (Commander, British Pacific Fleet)
boarded Missouri 16 August. Missouri then transferred a
landing party of 200 officers and men to
battleship Iowa for temporary duty with the initial
occupation force for Tokyo 21 August. Missouri herself
entered Tokyo Bay early 29 August for the surrender
ceremony.
On 9
April, 1946 Missouri departed Istanbul and entered
Phaleron Bay, Piracus, Greece, the following day.
There were ominous Russian overtures and activities in
the entire Balkan area. Greece had become the
scene of a Communist-inspired civil war. Demands
were made that Turkey grant the Soviets a sea base in
the Dodecanese Islands and joint control of the Turkish
Straits leading from the Black Sea into the
Mediterranean. The voyage of Missouri to the
eastern Mediterranean gave comfort to both Greece and
Turkey.
Missouri arrived Inchon 19 September, and on 10 October,
1950, became flagship of Rear Adm. J. M. Higgins,
Cruiser Division 5. She arrived Sasebo on 14 October,
where she became flagship of Vice Adm. A. D. Struble,
Commander, 7th Fleet. After screening carrier Valley
Forge along the east coast of Korea, she conducted
bombardment missions 12 to 26 October in the Chonjin and
Tanchon areas, and at Wonsan. After again
screening carriers eastward of Wonsan she moved into
Hungnam 23 December to provide gunfire support about the
Hunguam defense perimeter until the last U.N. troops,
the U.S. 3d Infantry Division, were evacuated by way of
the sea on Christmas Eve 1950.
Missouri conducted additional operations with carriers
and systematic shore bombardments off the east coast of
Korea until 19 March 1951. She arrived Yokosuka 24
March, and 4 days later was relieved of duty in the Far
East. She departed Yokosuka 28 March, and upon
arrival Norfolk 27 April became flagship of Rear Adm. J.
L. Holloway, Jr., commander, Cruiser Force, Atlantic
Fleet.
The
last gunstrike mission by Missouri was against the Kojo
area 25 March. She sustained a grievous casualty 6 March
1953, when her commanding officer Capt. Warner R. Edsall
suffered a fatal heart attack while conning her through
the submarine net at Sasebo.
The
ship left for one final mission the day after
Thanksgiving 1991 to Pearl Harbor. From there, she
cruised back to the U.S. mainland to off-load over 1,000
16-inch projectiles, more than 6,000 5- inch
projectiles, 16 Harpoon missile canisters and all
remaining Tomahawk cruise missiles to prepare for the
ship's imminent decommissioning.
Missouri was decommissioned for the final time on 31
March 1992 at Long Beach, California.
This primarily wood model of the USS
Missouri battleship model is 1/200 scale. 54" long x 15" tall x 7"
wide $8,450
Shipping and insurance in
the
contiguous US
included. Other places: $500 flat rate.
Model comes with a small base. The large base is $400
extra.
This is,
by wide margin, the best commercial USS Missouri model ship ever
constructed. The hull is the most important and this
hull curves are difficult enough that so far none other
makers have done it right. With a
plank-on-frame hull
and hollow superstructure, the model weighs no
more than 30 lbs. A solid hull of this size would be
around 90 lbs, out of range for many standard table
rating which is 70 lbs.
This model
is built per commission only. We require
only a small deposit (not full amount, not even
half) to start the process. The
remaining balance won't be due until the model is
completed.
Click here for
lead time.
30.5" long,
please click here:
smaller Missouri model
For the
USS
Missouri model Korean War
version,
please click here:
Korean War
Missouri model.
To
construct this accurate model, we visited the USS
Iowa many times. She is about 30 minute drive from
us. Here are some photos of it:
USS IOWA.
If you are looking for a historic ship from the US Navy
to display with this Missouri model, click here:
USS Constitution.
.jpg)
Learn more about the USS
Missouri here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Missouri_(BB-63) |
