The Mighty Mo

[ √ ] USS Missouri Memorial

On Tuesday Oct 18th, while Rob was still enjoying his last couple days of leave, we went and toured the USS Missouri Memorial

On our way to the shuttle, we saw the Polaris missiles

These are especially exciting for Rob because his father was on the submarine, the USS George Washington, that shot the very first Polaris missile!  

Here we are on the shuttle!  Don't mind the old man behind us lol

Here it is!  The Mighty Mo!  The USS Missouri!

USS Missouri (BB-63)

Class: Iowa-class battleship

Length: 887 feet

Height: 209 feet from keel to mast

Beam: 108 feet

Weight: 58,000 tons (full load); 45,000 tons (unloaded)

Speed: In excess of 30 knots (35 mph)

The nine, 16-inch, guns are the Mighty Mo’s trademark feature. 

Each gun barrel is to approximately 67 feet long, weighs an incredible 116 tons, and can fire a 2,700-pound shell 23 miles in 50 seconds

From the top we can see the USS Arizona

Here Rob is teaching this kid how you use this gun.  It's actually still used on ships today!

The Missouri was launched on Jan. 29, 1944, and commissioned on June 11, 1944. She was assigned to the Pacific Third Fleet and steamed into Pearl Harbor on Christmas Eve, 1944.

The USS Missouri was part of the force that carried out bombing raids over Tokyo and provided firepower in the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. During the war’s final month, the “Mighty Mo” served as Admiral William “Bull” Halsey’s flagship for the Pacific Third Fleet.

Here's an infamous picture of a Kamikaze pilot.  You can see the plane in the top left of the photo.  To the Japanese, the Kamikaze Pilot was a highly honored position.  They would use children, boys from ages 12 - 20, to pilot the aircraft.  The pilots would learn basic maneuvers, only have enough fuel for the one way trip, and actually attend their own funeral before setting out on their mission.

This picture above was taken by a baker who just happened to be on the deck and just happened to have his camera with him.  The sailors were able to shoot the plane in time, so minimal damage was done to the ship.

Rob on the Surrender Deck

Many of you know that the US entered WWII because of a Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Sunday Dec 7th, 1941.  

What's really interesting to know is that the war ended right here on the USS Missouri.

The Missouri secured its place in history as the site of Japan’s unconditional surrender to the Allied Forces on Sept. 2, 1945, ending World War II. The ceremony for the signing of the Formal Instrument of Surrender was conducted by Supreme Allied Commander, General Douglas A. MacArthur.

This is a copy of the document that was signed

This seal is mounted in the deck over the very spot where it happened. It says, 

"USS Missouri

-----------------------

Over this spot

on 2 September 1945

the instrument

of formal surrender

of Japan to the Allied Powers

was signed

thus bringing to a close

the Second World War.

-----------------------

The ship at that time

was at anchor

in Tokyo Bay

-----------------------

Latitude 35' 21' 17'' North

Longitude 139' 45' 36'' East."

1955: The ship was decommissioned. 

1986: The ship was recommissioned after extensive refurbishments and modernizations

1991: The Mighty Mo was deployed to the Persian Gulf where it fired its 16-inch guns and launched Tomahawk missiles against Iraqi positions during Operation Desert Storm.

We're now in the Operations room.  This map shows their battle plan during Operation Desert Storm.  People actually we schooled on how to precisely draw and write battle plans BACKWARDS!  The person would be facing us, on the other side of the glass, and continually updating this board.  Amazing!

Now we have computers to do that.

This is the system that Rob works on!

This is what the CIWS looks like.  A little white, R2D2-looking machine.

Here's the control panel in the Operations room.  Rob says it still looks just like this one!

Rob being quite important on the Bridge :)

I'm navigating!

Here is the Chief's room.  I find it very funny, and very fitting, that the Chiefs have a drawer that says "Coffee Supplies". lol  Chiefs are known to be quite the coffee drinkers!

On the mess deck, waiting for our chow ;)

Lol, "Where's my coffee?!?" Thankfully Rob doesn't like the stuff, but it's a mandatory commodity on the ships.

Oh!  Look!  The Dental Department!  Anyone up for a cleaning???

Nice!  I'm perfectly sized to fit in this bulkhead! :D

Below are some of my favorite WWII Naval Recruiting posters.  So I thought I'd share them with you!

This one was actually hanging in the Missouri

This is a photograph from the Missouri during WWII

I have this in magnet form on my fridge

Rob sent me this one, as a postcard, when he was training in Great Lakes, IL

Talk about great recruiting! Hehehe...

Hope you enjoyed your tour of the USS Missouri!  I'm very eager to go to the USS Arizona!  Hopefully we can do that soon!