Here she broke the flag of Admiral William F. Halsey Jr.,[12] 24 August, becoming flagship of the United States Third Fleet. President Harry S. Truman was caught off guard when the invasion struck,[15] but quickly ordered U.S. [8], As the crisis eased, New Jersey was released to continue her interrupted voyage. She also engaged an enemy gun emplacement with her five-inch (127mm) gun mounts, which New Jersey successfully destroyed. Vietnam War-Stories.com: Battleship USS New Jersey: Dreadnought vs [5] [6] [7] New Jersey ' s construction reached pressure hull completion in February 2021. "[44][45] The inaccuracy is believed to have resulted because the ship's main gunpowder had been remixed by the Navy, under the direction of Captain Joseph Dominick Miceli at the Naval Weapons Support Center, and rebagged. RETURN OF THE BATTLESHIP - The New York Times Following her decommissioning New Jersey was towed to Bremerton, Washington, where she remained in reserve until struck from the Naval Vessel Register in January 1995. What Happened to the USS New Jersey Battleship? Battleship USS New Jersey, Dreadnought, fired-upon sailing off SVN. By USS New Jersey (BB-16) - Wikipedia Bunkers destroyed 59 Between 19 July 1952 and 5 September, she sailed as flagship for Rear Admiral H. R. Thurber, who commanded the NROTC midshipman training cruise to Cherbourg, Lisbon, and the Caribbean. 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. [11], New Jersey completed fitting out and trained her initial crew in the Western Atlantic and Caribbean Sea. This attack was coordinated with the assault on Kwajalein, and effectively interdicted the Japanese naval retaliation to the conquest of the Marshalls. She arrived at Puget Sound Navy Yard on May 4, 1945, commenced unloading ammunition, and the crew began leave. Brief stays at Manila and Okinawa preceded her arrival in Tokyo Bay 17 September, where she served as flagship for the successive commanders of Naval Forces in Japanese waters until relieved 28 January 1946 by Iowa (BB-61). Follow up assaults on 30 October destroyed a Communist resupply area and an anti-aircraft site. The journey, ordered by President Theodore Roosevelt, was to showcase American goodwill and to demonstrate both at home and on the world stage that the United States had become a major sea power. New Jersey was decommissioned for the last time in 1991 (after serving a total of 21 years in the active fleet), having 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. New Jersey smashed radar control positions and bridges at Kojo 13 July, and was once more on the east coast bombline 2224 July to support South Korean troops near Kosong. USS New Jersey (BB-62) - Military Factory New Jersey encounters the French battleship Richelieu (left) when both ships anchored in Hampton Roads on 7 September 1943, following Richelieu 's defection to the Allies and refit in New York. She returned to Norfolk 7 January 1956 for the spring program of training operations. Songjin provided targets 23 April. 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 G. F. Kosco, a graduate of the aerology course at Massachusetts Institute of Technology who had also studied hurricanes in the West Indies; despite this, none of these individuals or staffs were able to give Third Fleet due warning of the impending typhoon. 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. This was first time that New Jersey had operational control of her own group of escorts since the Korean War, and she cruised from Hawaii to Thailand in 1986, freeing up U.S. aircraft carriers for other missions and in the process becoming the only major U.S. naval presence in the region from May to October. U.S.S. On 28 Novemberafter 23 October 1983 Beirut barracks bombingthe U.S. government announced that New Jersey would be retained off Beirut although her crew would be rotated. USS New Jersey (BB-62) is the most decorated battleship in Navy history, earning distinction in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, and conflicts in the Middle East. [8], Shaping her course via the Panama Canal, Long Beach, and Hawaii, New Jersey reached Yokosuka 5 April, and next day relieved Missouri as flagship of Vice Admiral Joseph H. Clark, Commander 7th Fleet. Battleship New Jersey (BB-62) | World War II Database - WW2DB Military: Vietnam War: View of USS New Jersey (BB-62) Iowa-class battleship firing shell from the Gulf of Tonkin. [54], 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. The last observed mission was fired on the evening of 31 March against an enemy bunker complex three-and-one-half miles northeast of Con Thien. On 30 August New Jersey set sail from Pearl Harbor, and for the next eight months was based at Ulithi to lend support to Allied forces operating in the Philippines. During the next two days, Okinawa was attacked from the air by the same striking force. As part of the ongoing Operation Magic Carpet New Jersey took aboard nearly a thousand homeward-bound troops, with whom she arrived at San Francisco 10 February. On her first mission, she completely destroyed two gun positions, an observation post, and their supporting trenches, then stood by on call for further aid. [60] This cleared New Jersey for placement on the National Register of Historic Places, a list to which New Jersey was officially added in 2004. Alpha Company 4 / 3 11th Light Infantry Brigade 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. Why the U.S. Navy Sent this World War II Battleship to Vietnam Supplemental artillery support was provided through some twenty 5" Mark 12 series cannons and air-defense accomplished through 80 x 40mm guns and an additional 49 x 20mm guns. When reactivated in 1967 New Jersey had her 20mm Oerlikon and 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns removed, and received improved electronic warfare capabilities. New Jersey shot down a plane diving on Cabot and hit another plane which smashed into Cabot's port bow. Did the USS New Jersey sunk an island? - rebellionresearch.com ex-USS New Jersey | Monitor National Marine Sanctuary [35] After this attack the Marines began returning fire. 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. She accounted for six bunkers, a supply truck and an anti-aircraft site that day; additionally, she helped rescue the crew of a Marine spotting plane forced down at sea by anti-aircraft fire. Secondary explosions 46 [8], Between 23 and 27 May and again 30 May 1951, New Jersey pounded targets near Yangyang and Kansong, dispersing troop concentrations, dropping a bridge span, and destroying three large ammunition dumps. In December 1945, four months after the official surrender of the Japanese, he was promoted to the rank of, Persistent rumors have suggested that the real reason that, Thompson, p. 140, 165. [10] Unlike the other Iowa-class battleships, New Jersey was named by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to repay a political debt, to then-New Jersey Governor Charles Edison. Aided by spotter aircraft from the aircraft carrier USSAmerica, New Jersey engaged enemy targets, setting several enemy positions on fire and sealing one cave. Panama Canal Zone 6/4/1968. The original, BB-9, was decommissioned in 1920 after more than two decades of service. Declassified 23 April 1980. [35] United States Navy warships shelled Druze positions and helped the Lebanese Army hold the town of Suk El Gharb until a cease-fire was declared on 25 September, on which day the battleship New Jersey arrived on the scene. 10 to 2 pm. The next day, Halsey shaped his course north after the decoy force had been spotted. 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. 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 5inch gun mounts to make room for the Armored Box Launchers. At Ulithi 27 January Admiral Halsey lowered his flag in New Jersey, but it was replaced two days later by that of Rear Admiral Oscar C. Badger II commanding Battleship Division 7. [13] The carriers had just completed three days of heavy raids against Japanese airfields, suppressing enemy aircraft during the American amphibious operations against Mindoro in the Philippines. Now New Jersey prepared and trained for her second Korean tour, for which she sailed from Norfolk 5 March 1953. Bunkers destroyed 596 New Jersey's modernization was unique in that she was to be the only reactivated Iowa-class battleship to lose a gun turret. [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. Camden, New Jersey, USA - June 14, 2015: Battleship New Jersey (also know as :USS New Jersey, BB-62; "Big J" or "Black Dragon) is an Iowa-class battleship that served during World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War and Lebanese Civil War. [7] She was christened at her launching by Carolyn Edison, wife of Governor Charles Edison of New Jersey, himself a former Secretary of the Navy; and commissioned at Philadelphia 23 May 1943, Captain Carl F. Holden in command. Carrying on a tradition he had begun in World War II of spending Christmas with U.S. forces overseas, Bob Hope and his troupe of entertainers gave a show on board the New Jersey on 24 December 1983. Enemy movement was restricted by the fire of her big guns. [14] On 18 December, the small but violent typhoon overtook the Task Force while many of the ships were attempting to refuel. On 28 December 1982 New Jersey was formally recommissioned at Long Beach, California, her new homeport. In August 1983 militiamen began to bombard United States Marines positions near Beirut International Airport with mortar and rocket fire as the Lebanese Army fought Druze and Shia forces in the southern suburbs of Beirut. WWII - Battleship New Jersey [8] On 1 October 1951, General Omar Bradley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and General Matthew B. Ridgeway, Commander in Chief Far East, came on board to confer with Admiral Martin. 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. [8], New Jersey was directly engaged in the conquest of Okinawa from 14 March until 16 April. Mortar sites silenced 6 Meet the USS Missouri: The Deadliest Battleship in History 41ft 0in (12.50m) aft, 39ft 0in (11.89m) forward (1968), 4 x 53,000 hp turbines powered by 8 x 650 psi m type boilers, 49,657 long tons (50,454t) standard (1943), 58,132 long tons (59,065t) full load (1943), 60,000 long tons (61,000t) full load (1968), Deck for up to 4 helicopters but replaced with 1, This page was last edited on 19 March 2023, at 04:39. The battleships are seen as especially valuable offensive platforms in a nonnuclear conflict with the Soviet Union because of their extraordinary 32-knot speed, 1,500-mile range and exceptional. 10 to 2 pm EVENING ENGINE ROOM GUIDED TOUR Descend into the armored citadel of the ship for a 90-minute, family friendly, guided, walking tour of the most powerful engineering plant ever installed on a battleship. 2 gun turret, U.S. National Register of Historic Places, List of broadsides of major World War II ships, "An Act providing for the issuance of Battleship U.S.S. New Jersey responded by closing on the formation, and succeeded in sinking eleven of the craft before they could beach. Board of Trustees - Battleship New Jersey For the next two days the battleship concentrated her fire at Viet Cong storage areas near Qung Ngi, destroying 182structures and 54bunkers, inflicting heavy damage to 93structures, and demolishing several tunnel complexes before departing for Point Betsy near Hue 27 November to support the 101st Airborne Division. [64] Among other awards, she received the Navy Unit Commendation for Vietnam service, the Presidential Unit Citation from the Republic of the Philippines, and the Presidential Unit Citation from the Republic of Korea. Get personalized pricing by telling us when, where, and how you want to . CREATIVE. The road from Philadelphia to Vietnam had not been an easy one. USS New Jersey BB-62 - Historycentral View of USS New Jersey Iowa-class battleship firing shell from the She also hit a target that flamed spectacularly: either a fuel storage area or an ammunition dump. Visitors marvel at the 16" guns. [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. [8] During the final months of the war, New Jersey was overhauled at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, from which she sailed 4 July for San Pedro, Pearl Harbor, and Eniwetok bound for Guam. 99 Long Beach Naval Shipyard Premium High Res Photos - Getty Images New Jersey took up station off Tiger Island 1 October and fired at targets north of the DMZ before moving south that afternoon to engage Viet Cong targets. Archive photo of a tomahawk missile launch. On 28 July off Wonsan the battleship was again taken under fire by shore batteries. 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 BGM-109 Tomahawk missiles, and a quartet of the United States Navy's Phalanx Close in Weapon System (CIWS) Gatling guns for defense against enemy anti-ship missiles and enemy aircraft. She struck at bridges, road, and rail installations at Wonsan, Hungnam, Tanchon, Iowon, Songjin, and Chongjin, leaving four bridges destroyed, others badly damaged, two marshaling yards badly torn up, and many feet of track destroyed. Vietnam War 1969, USS New Jersey 250125-08 | Footage Farm 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 blazing. [8] Between 7 June and 26 August, New Jersey formed part of the first training squadron to cruise Northern European waters since the beginning of World War II. In direct support to United Nations troops; or in preparation for ground actions, in interdicting Communist supply and communication routes, or in destroying supplies and troop positions, New Jersey used her 16-inch guns to fire far beyond the capacity of land artillery, moved rapidly and free from major attack from one target to another, and at the same time could be immediately available to guard aircraft carriers should they require her protection. 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. Uss New Jersey Pictures, Images and Stock Photos New Jersey screened the aircraft carriers from Japanese attack as planes from Task Group 58.2 flew strikes against Kwajalein and Eniwetok 29 January 2 February, softening up the latter for its invasion and supporting the troops who landed on 31 January. [8] New Jersey returned to the key task of direct support to troops at Kosong 7 June. As the carriers prepared for the invasion with strikes there and on Honsh, New Jersey fought off air raids, used her seaplanes to rescue downed pilots, defended the carriers from suicide planes, shooting down at least three and assisting in the destruction of others. April 6 - Navy Enemy killed in action (probable) 17 Structures destroyed 439 USS New Jersey (BB-62) is an Iowa-class battleship, and was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named after the US state of New Jersey. [17] New Jersey took up station off Tiger Island 1 October and fired at targets north of the DMZ before moving south that afternoon to engage Viet Cong targets. New Jersey destroyed a trawler and, with other ships, sank the destroyer Maikaze. Her 16-inch salvos pounded Ponape 1 May, destroying fuel tanks, badly damaging the airfield, and demolishing a headquarters building. 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. Near the 17th parallel on 30 September, the battleship fired her first shots in battle in over sixteen years, expending a total of 29 sixteen inch rounds against People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) targets in and near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) at the 17th parallel. She also received hostile fire when North Vietnamese gunners attempted to strike at New Jersey with artillery positioned near Cap Lay. On the evening of 7 October New Jersey received reports that a number of waterborne logistics craft were moving south near the mouth of the Song Giang River. Its plan for the Battle of Leyte Gulf included a feint by a northern force of planeless heavy attack carriers to draw away the battleships, cruisers and fast carriers with which Admiral Halsey was protecting the landings. - YouTube 0:00 / 13:31 Battleship NJ Sinks an Island! On 12 April New Jersey returned to action by shelling Chongjin; in seven minutes she scored seven direct hits, blowing away half the main communications building there. [8] New Jersey fired on coastal batteries and buildings at Kojo 16 April; on railway track and tunnels near Hungnam 18 April; and on gun emplacements around Wonsan Harbor 20 April, silencing them in five areas after she had herself taken several near misses. The Continental Navy Squadron, commanded by Commodore Esek Hopkins, is attacked by the British frigate HMS Glasgow and her tender while entering Long Island Sound. [8], 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 New York Naval Shipyard. New Jersey was one of the Iowa-class "fast battleship" designs planned in 1938 by the Preliminary Design Branch at the Bureau of Construction and Repair. 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. 1968 - USS New Jersey (BB 62) is recommissioned for shore bombardment duty at Vietnam. On the 22nd she arrived once more at Yokosuka, and immediately put to sea in readiness for what might befall. [17], On 25 November New Jersey launched the most destructive shore bombardment of her Vietnam tour. As the Republic of Korea's First Division hurled itself on the enemy, shore fire control observers saw New Jersey's salvos hit directly on enemy mortar emplacements, supply and ammunition dumps, and personnel concentrations. She was the scene of official receptions at Oslo, where King Haakon VII of Norway inspected the crew 2 July, and at Portsmouth, England. UPDATE! May 8, 1945 welcomes in VE Day, "Today the war in Europe came to an end!" SECONDARY BATTERY Upon his return to Majuro, Admiral Spruance transferred his flag to Indianapolis. [53] 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. [28], 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"). New Jersey remained in the Persian Gulf for the rest of the year, returning to the United States in February 1990. An additional 50 rounds of main battery and 815 rounds of secondary battery were fired unobserved that night., This brought the total ordnance expended to nearly 12,000,000 pounds total rounds expended were 5,866 16-Inch, and 14,891 five inch. Foul weather prevented spotter aircraft from flying until 20 October; however, New Jersey quickly made up for lost time on the gun line by destroying a Viet Cong command post and nine bunkers in support of the 173rd Airborne Brigade, who were operating about 50 miles (80km) north of Nha Trang. In addition to these losses, Allied forces succeeded in damaging two Japanese carriers and a battleship. During the Korean War, she was involved in raids up and down the North Korean coast, after which she was decommissioned into the United States Navy reserve fleets, better known as the "mothball fleet". Email: info@battleshipnewjersey.org. Panama Canal Zone 6/4/1968 CREDIT: Neil Leifer. For the next three days New Jersey pounded the area with her 16in shells in an effort to eliminate the Viet Cong presence in the region. Adm. William "Bull" Halsey took Missouri as flagship of the Third Fleet in May. One of her men was killed and two severely wounded when she took a hit from a shore battery on her number one turret and received a near miss aft to port. Like her sister ships, the USS New Jersey was an awe-inspiring site in 1943 with her 9 x 16 inch Mark 7 series main guns. [8], Between 1 and 6 October New Jersey was in action daily at Kansong, Hamhung, Hungnam, Tanchon, and Songjin. In an effort to stop the violence in the region a Multinational Force of peacekeepers composed largely of U.S., Italian and French armed service members was created and sent to the region to attempt a restoration of order. We appreciate the support of everyone who sponsored and bought a ticket to this event. On 11 November New Jersey departed Vietnamese waters to replenish; she returned to the gunline 23 November and relieved USSGalveston, taking up position in support of the U.S. Army's Americal Division. New Jersey duty was probably the least hazardous duty in Vietnam. In 1983, she participated in US operations during the Lebanese Civil War. In this span of the Pacific War, fast carrier task forces ranged the waters off the Philippines, Okinawa, and Formosa, making repeated strikes at airfields, shipping, shore bases, and invasion beaches. The footage in this. Fires occurred in three carriers when planes broke loose in their hangars, and some 146 planes on various ships were lost or damaged beyond economical repair by fires, impact damage, or by being swept overboard. The maneuver, according to the command history, "marked the first time a U.S. battleship had operated in the Soviet Navy's backyard. [8] New Jersey's tenth birthday, 23 May 1953, was celebrated at Incheon with President and Madame Rhee, Lieutenant General Maxwell D. Taylor, and other dignitaries on board. 2 gun turret; fallout from the incident led U.S. On This Day. When reactivated in 1982, New Jersey had four twin 5"/38 caliber DP mounts removed. The USS New Jersey (BB-62) was an Iowa-class battleship that entered service in 1943 and saw combat in World War II and later fought in Korea and Vietnam. Early in October raids to destroy enemy air power based on Okinawa and Formosa were begun in preparation for the Leyte landings of 20 October 1944. Historical Naval Ships Association (HNSA) Digital Collections, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=USS_New_Jersey_(BB-62)&oldid=1145439104, Most decorated battleship in the history of the US Navy, 37ft 9in (11.51m) (full load) New Jersey's big guns went to work on the complex, firing 16inch shells into tunnels and bunkers to aid the ground troops. (Article courtesy of The Jerseyman). New Jersey continued to lend firepower support on the 17th until departing to lend her gunfire to the First Field Force. Structures damaged 259 Planes from his carriers sank four of the Japanese carriers, as well as a destroyer and a cruiser, while New Jersey steamed south at flank speed to meet the newly developed threat of the Center force. That afternoon an aerial observer located an enemy artillery position on a hilltop southwest of Cap Lay. Secretary of the Navy Richard Danzig made the announcement on 20 January 2000,[55] and on 15 October of that year New Jersey arrived at her final resting place on the Camden Waterfront. On 10 February the battleship left to reinforce the Korean 2nd Marine Brigade operating near Da Nang. [14] As with the other battleships of TF 38, skillful seamanship brought New Jersey through the storm largely unscathed. Learn how steam , Thank you sponsors and ticket buyers! She returned to Ulithi on Christmas Eve to be met by Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz. This five-hour bombardment leveled ten artillery positions, and in smashing trenches and bunkers inflicted some 500 enemy casualties. 3 16in gun turret (located aft of the superstructure). [28][29][30] New Jersey also received eight RQ-2 Pioneer Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, which are remotely controlled drones that replaced the helicopters previously used to spot for her nine 16"/50 Mark 7 guns. The helicopter crew was able to reach friendly territory and were later returned to their ship. Are The 16in Gun Turrets Welded in Place? Laid down in 1940 the USS New Jersey BB-62 was launched on December 7 1942 just a year after the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor. Big J's Volunteers were awarded the 2003. [8] Another highly satisfactory day was 16 October, when the spotter over the Kansong area reported "beautiful shooting every shot on target-most beautiful shooting I have seen in five years." 3 gun turret during her 1980s career. [8], On 18 December 1944 the ships of Task Force 38 unexpectedly found themselves in a fight for their lives when Typhoon Cobra overtook the forceseven fleet and six light carriers, eight battleships, 15 cruisers, and about 50 destroyersduring their attempt to refuel at sea. "Big Wisky" - 12 Amazing Facts About the Battleship USS Wisconsin