IOWA (BB-61)

Length Overall: 887'3"
Extreme Beam: 108'2"
Standard Displacement: Tons: 45,000; Mean Draft 28'11"
Designed Complement: Off.: 117
Enl.: 1804
Armament:
Main:
(9) 16"/50
Secondary:
(20) 5"/38
(15) quad 40 mm.
(60) 20 mm.
Torpedo Tubes: None
1983
Main:
(9) 16"/50
Secondary:
(12) 5"/38
(32) Tomahawk SSM
(16) Harpoon SSM
Catapults: (2) aft
Armor : Belt: 12 1/8"
Turrets: 17"
Deck:
Main: 1 1/2"
2nd (armor) deck: 6"
3rd (splinter) deck: 5/8"
Conning Tower: 17 1/4"
Designed Speed: 33
Designed Shaft Horsepower: 212,000
Engines: Manufacturer: GE
Type: Turbine, geared drive
Screws: 4
Boilers: Manufacturer: BW
No.: 8
Fuel (oil): Tons: 7073
Drive: TRD
class. IOWA


The third IOWA (BB-61) was laid down at New York Navy Yard, 27 June 1940; launched 27 August 1942; sponsored by Mrs. Henry A. Wallace, wife of Vice President Wallace, and commissioned 22 February 1943, Capt. John L. McCrea in command.

On 24 February, IOWA put to sea for shakedown in Chesapeake Bay and along the Atlantic coast. She got underway, 27 August for Argentia, Newfoundland to neutralize the threat of German Battleship Tirpitz which was reportedly operating In Norwegian waters.

In the fall, IOWA carried President Franklin D. Roosevelt to Casablanca, French Morocco on the first leg of the journey to the Teheran Conference in November. After the conference she returned the President to the United States.

As Flagship of Battleship Division 7, IOWA departed the United States 2 January 1944 for the Pacific Theatre and her combat debut In the campaign for the Marshalls. From 29 January to 3 February, she supported carrier air strikes made by Rear Admiral Frederick C. Sherman's task group against Kwajalein and Eniwetok Atolls in the Marshall Islands. Her next assignment was to support air strikes against the Japanese Naval base at Truk, Caroline Islands. IOWA, in company with other ships was detached from the support group 16 February, 1944 to conduct an anti-shipping sweep around Truk to destroy enemy naval vessels escaping to the north. n 21 February, she was underway with Fast Carrier Task Force 58 while it conducted the first strikes against Saipan, Tinian, Rota, and Guam in the Marianas.

On 18 March, IOWA, flying the flag of Vice Admiral Willis A. Lee, Commander Battleships, Pacific, joined in the bombardment of Mili Atoll in the Marshall Islands Although struck by two Japanese 4.7 " projectiles during the action, IOWA suffered negligible damage. She then rejoined Task Force 58, 30 March, and supported air strikes against the Palau Islands and Woleai of the Carolines which continued for several days.

From 22 to 28 April 1944, IOWA supported air raids on Hollandia, Aitape, and Wakde Islands to support Army forces on Aitape, Tanahmerah Bay, and Humbolt Bay in New Guinea. She then joined the Task Force's second strike on Truk, 00 April, and bombarded Japanese facilities on Ponape in the Carolines, 1 May.

In the opening phases of the Marianas campaign, IOWA protected the flattops during air strikes on the islands of Saipan, Tinian, Guam, Rota, and Pagan, 12 June. IOWA was then detached to bombard enemy installations on Saipan and Tinian, 13-14 June. On 19 June, in an engagement known as the Battle of the Philippine Sea, IOWA, as part of the battle line of Fast Carrier Task Force 58, helped repel four massive air raids launched by the Japanese Middle Fleet. This resulted in the almost complete destruction of Japanese carrier-based aircraft. IOWA then joined In the pursuit of the fleeing enemy Fleet, shooting down one torpedo plane and assisting in splashing another.

Throughout July, IOWA remained off the Marianas supporting air strikes on the Palaus and landings on Guam. After a month's rest, IOWA sortied from Eniwetok as part of the 3d Fleet, and helped support the landings on Peleliu, 17 September. She then protected the carriers during air strikes against the Central Philippines to neutralize enemy air power for the long awaited invasion of the Philippines. On 10 October, IOWA arrived off Okinawa for a series of air strikes on the Ryukyus and Formosa. She then supported air strikes against Luzon, 18 October and continued this vital duty during General MacArthur's landing on Leyte 20 October.

In a last ditch attempt to halt the United States campaign to recapture the Philippines, the Japanese Navy struck back with a three-pronged attack aimed at the destruction of American amphibious forces in Leyte Gulf. IOWA accompanied TF-38 during attacks against the Japanese Central Force as it steamed through the Sibuyan Sea toward San Bernardino Strait. The reported results of these attacks and the apparent retreat of the Japanese Central Force led Admiral Halsey to believe that this force had been ruined as an effective fighting group. IOWA, with Task Force 38, steamed after the Japanese Northern Force off Cape Engano, Luzon. On 25 October 1944, when the ships of the Northern Force were almost within range of IOWA's guns, word arrived that the Japanese Central Force was attacking a group of American escort carriers off Samar. This threat to the American beachheads forced her to reverse course and steam to support the vulnerable "baby carriers." However, the valiant fight put up by the escort carriers and their screen had already caused the Japanese to retire and IOWA was denied a surface action. Following the Battle for Leyte Gulf, IOWA remained in the waters off the Philippines screening carriers during strikes against Luzon and Formosa. She sailed for the West Coast late in December 1944.

IOWA arrived San Francisco, 15 January 1945, for overhaul. She sailed 19 March 1945 for Okinawa, arriving 15 April 1945. Commencing 24 April 1945, IOWA supported carrier operations which assured American troops vital air superiority during their struggle for that bitterly contested Island. She then supported air strikes off southern Kyushu from 25 May to 13 June 1945. IOWA participated in strikes on the Japanese homeland 14-15 July and bombarded Muroian, Hokkaido, destroying steel mills and other targets. The city of Hitachi on Honshu was given the same treatment on the night of 17-18 July 1945. IOWA continued to support fast carrier strikes until the cessation of hostilities, 15 August 1945.

IOWA entered Tokyo Bay with the occupation forces, 29 August 1945. After serving as Admiral William F. Halsey's flagship for the surrender ceremony, 2 September 1945, IOWA departed Tokyo Bay 20 September 1945 for the United States.

Arriving Seattle, Wash., 15 October 1945, IOWA returned to Japanese waters in January 1946 and became flagship of the 5th Fleet. She continued this role until she sailed or the United States 25 March 1946. From that time on, until September 1948, IOWA operated from West Coast ports, on Naval Reserve and at sea training and drills and maneuvers with the Fleet. IOWA decommissioned 24 March 1949. After Communist aggression in Korea necessitated an expansion of the active fleet, IOWA recommissioned 25 August 1951, Captain William R. Smedberg III in command. She operated off the West Coast until March 1952, when she sailed for the Far East. On 1 April 1952, IOWA became the flagship of Vice Admiral Robert T, Briscoe, Commander, 7th Fleet, and departed Yokosuka, Japan to support United Nations Forces in Korea. From 8 April to 16 October 1952, IOWA was involved in combat operations off the East Coast of Korea. Her primary mission was to aid ground troops, by bombarding enemy targets at Songjin, Hungnam, and Kojo, North Korea. During this time, Admiral Briscoe was relieved as Commander, 7th Fleet. Vice Admiral J. J. Clark, the new commander, continued to use IOWA as his flagship until 17 October 1952. IOWA departed Yokosuka, Japan 19 October 1952 for overhaul at Norfolk and training operations in the Caribbean Sea.

IOWA embarked midshipmen for at sea training to Northern Europe, July 1953, and immediately after took part in Operation "Mariner," a major NATO exercise, serving as flagship of Vice Admiral E. T. Woolfidge, commanding the 2d Fleet. Upon completion of this exercise, until the fall of 1954, IOWA operated in the Virginia Capes area. In September 1954, she became the flagship of Rear Admiral R. E. Libby, Commander, Battleship Cruiser Force, U. S. Atlantic Fleet.

From January to April 1955, IOWA made an extended cruise to the Mediterranean as the first battleship regularly assigned to Commander, 6th Fleet. IOWA departed on a midshipman training cruise 1 June 1955 and upon her return, she entered Norfolk for a 4-mouth overhaul. Following refit, IOWA continued intermittent training cruises and operational exercises, until 4 January 1957 when she departed Norfolk for duty with the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean. Upon completion of this deployment, IOWA embarked midshipmen for a South American training cruise and joined in the International Naval Review off Hampton Roads, Va., 13 June 1957.

On 3 September 1957, IOWA sailed for Scotland for NATO Operation "Strikeback." She returned to Norfolk, 28 September 1957 and departed Hampton Roads for the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, 22 October 1957. She decommissioned 24 February 1958 and entered the Atlantic Reserve Fleet at Philadelphia, where she remains. (This is from the 1968 version of the "Dictionary". I'll track down the latest version and update this file when possible. LWJ)

IOWA earned nine battle stars for World War II service and two for Korean service.

-- end quoted material --
The above quoted material does not take into account Iowa's third and final commisioning. The following is the history of the Iowa in the 80's (Some of which is taken from "Battleships", US Naval Institute Press, (C)1995, Anapolis Maryland)

On 28 April 1984 the USS Iowa was recommisioned. She was to be part of a "New Navy" that the Regan administration was building, centered around Carrier battlegroups, and for the first time in almost 30 years, Battleship Battlegroups (BBBG)

The battleship operated in Latin American waters for several months. In early August 1984 President Jose Napoleon Duarte of El Salvador visited the Iowa while she was cruising along the Pacific coast of Central America. In August 1984 the Iowa conducted some long-range gunnery exercises at the Vieques gunnery range where, using the D846 propellant, she demonstrated excellent accuracy at 35,000 yd, a performance that saved the funding for the reactivation of the Missouri. In October 1984 she made a special visit to New York City, which was to have been her home port.

The Iowa departed Norfolk in February 1985 to test some rebagged powder charges at Vieques and then to conduct a high-visibility mission off the Central American coast. Returning to Norfolk, she underwent a post-shakedown overhaul. Included in this shipyard period was work on sea valves, shaft seals, ordnance, and interior-communications equipment. Some work was done on the boilers and turbines, but most of the shipyard effort concentrated on realigning the pedestal bearings. At speeds near full power, there had been much vibration and noise in the CPOs' mess room, which was above the inboard propellers on the skeg shafts. The deck shook so much that the chiefs had difficulty standing, and the noise made the mess room untenable. Once the pedestal bearings had been aligned, the vibration and noise were reduced, but not eliminated at full power. In July she was awarded the Battenburg Cup as the best ship in the Atlantic Fleet.

She took part in BALTOPS '85, a NATO fleet exercise, returning to Norfolk in early November 1985. Gunnery exercises off the Virginia Capes in early 1986 were held to improve the accuracy of the 16-in guns. Secretary Lehman and Congress were concerned about the 16-in gunnery inaccuracy that the New Jersey had displayed off Beirut in 1982. There had been too much dispersion in the gunfire that silenced Syrian artillery. Lehman wanted to improve 16-in gun accuracy and shell expenditure so that targets could be engaged quickly a nd accurately. Naval Sea Systems Command; Naval Ordnance Station, Indian Head; and Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren, became involved in a cooperative venture to improve the guns' accuracy.

The Iowa steamed to New York to be the flagship of the Naval Review for the centennial celebration of the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor on 4 July 1986. With President and Mrs. Reagan on board, the Iowa steamed down the Hudson River and took the naval salutes from a number of visiting warships in an impressive ceremony. She then proceeded to the Gulf of Mexico, where she continued her 16-in-gunnery exercises and successfully launched a Tomahawk cruise missile. In August she left for a NATO fleet exercise

In December 1986 the Iowa, with remotely piloted vehicles (RPVs) strapped to her stem, left for special exercises in the Atlantic Ocean. An evaluation was to be made of these craft in gunfire spotting. Though the tests produced no conclusive results, an important lesson was learned-RPVs had to be sheltered from 16-in-gun blast.

In January 1987 tests continued on the RPVs in the Caribbean, with mixed results. Although they performed well in spotting the fall of the Iowa's 16-in shells, four of the six RPVs were lost. One hit the ship during recovery, another was lost at sea, and two hit helicopter safety-net stanchions during their landing approaches. In July 1987 a second set of tests was conducted that achieved far more successful results, and new recovery procedures were instituted. Using an RPV made the 16-in gun a very formidable weapon-only three salvos were necessary to straddle a 4 x 120 6-yd sled at 40,000 yd.

In September 1987 the Iowa deployed to the Mediterranean Sea. Testing continued on 1 6-in-gunnery accuracy, and the weapons department decided to review the proof-range gun nery tests done at Dahlgren in 1939-40, using on-board computers. FCCM(SW) Stephen Skelley played an important role in this investigation, which led to the development of a table of multipliers to account for gun-barrel erosion corrections in gun elevation. Master Chief Charles Hill worked on the crew-training aspects and gunnery reliability. Commander Gene Kosmich, the weapons officer, and Captain Larry Seaquist, the skipper of the Iowa, coordinated these efforts. Safety and reliability were stressed so that finally a "Battleship 16"/50 Caliber Gunnery Handbook" was written, to be used by all the reactivated battleships. By the time the Iowa had reached the Mediteranian, procedures for stowing, launching, and recovering RPVs had been perfected. These drones resurected the concept of long-range fire.

On 25 November, 1987 the Iowa was directed to proceed to the Straight of Hormuz to relieve the the Missouri. The Iowa continued exercises with her 16-in guns, including a drill to quickly strike Iranian Silkworm missile locations. The Mk 8 rangekeepers were to be used in the generated mode (indirect} against these missile sites. She remained on station in the Arabian Sea through February 1988.

In April 1988 she spent five days in New York City for Fleet Week. On her way to New York, she demonstrated her new gunnery techniques, including long-range firings of her 16-in guns with the use of RPVs, which allowed the ship to turn off her radars so that she could move within range of the 16-in guns and stay within a foe's radar dead space. The video camera on the RPVs could track a target ship, and then gunfire would quickly disable it.

In early 1989 the Iowa conducted special firing trials with her 16-in guns. Rangefinders, RPVs, and velocimeters helped two of six 16-in shells to strike a target from a range of 46,800 yd. The velocimeters measured the initial velocity of the projectile as it left the barrel, and with better means of controlling the powder inventory, greater accuracy at,longer ranges was possible. The new computers kept track of the powder inventory as well as generating the ballistic computations fed to the rangekeepers and computing the initial velocities from the velocimeters

.
By 1988 the Iowa was considered the best shooting battleship ever. When Captain Fred Moosally relieved Captain Larry Seaquist that year, the Iowa's gunnery department had completed the task set by Secretary Lehman-the Iowas, and the Iowa in particular, had deadly accuracy at any range with little shell dispersion.

In April 1989 the Iowa was engaged in FLEETEX 3-89 in the Caribbean. Captain Moosally had relieved Captain Sequest, and much of the emphasis on gunnery was lost in the transition. It was on this morning, during gunnery exercises off Vieques ,that an explosion ripped through Turret Two killing 47 Sailors.

Before Steaming back to Norfolk, the Iowa stopped briefly in Puerto Rico to land the remains of the crew members who perished. A memorial service was conducted at Norfolk Naval Station upon her return, with President and Mrs. George Bush attending.

After the Ammunition was off-loaded, Iowa underwent a limited ship repair at Norfolk Naval Shipyard. Turret two was trained, and the guns leveled using the its own motors and gearing (a tribute to the turrets rugged construction) Rangefinders, and other turret machinery was removed from turret two for reconditioning. The turret was then sealed.

On 7 June, 1989 the Iowa departed Norfolk on her scheduled six month deployment to the Mediterranean and Europe. She became flagship of the Sixth fleet, and continued in that role until relieved by the Belknap. She returned to Norfolk in December of 1989 to commence final repairs to turret two. Although these repairs were fully funded, and the equipment was refurbished, they were never completed.

The Iowa was decommissioned on 26 October, 1990. Her third commissioning was impressive though short. She fired 2873 shells, the most of any peacetime battleship; earned four consecutive "Battle 'E'" awards, and was designated the to receive the Arizona trophy for gunnery excellence.