Nonetheless, befitting a ship that survived so many crises, the New Jersey opened as a museum and memorial on October 14. Between 1939 and 1946, full-time employment at the Navy Yard rose from 4,500 to 47,000 civilians, with many more part-time civilians and subcontractors passing through her gates every day. From USS New Jersey, Halsey led the Third Fleets fast carriers, fast battleships, and other frontline combatant ships. Halseys carrier strikes surprised Okinawa and the Ryukyus Islands. The New Jersey also received a Naval Unit Commendation for her service in Vietnam, and Presidential Unit Citations from the Republic of the Philippines and the Republic of Korea. Spruance used the New Jersey as his flagship until April 10. The radio telegram led both Nimitz and Kinkaid to assume Halsey was forming Task Force 34 and leaving it to cover San Bernardino Strait. Like the spotter planes of old, these unmanned aircraft could be launched and recovered from the ship, perform surveillance, acquire targets for the ships guns, and assess damage. USS New Jersey BB-62, by Steve Wiper, @ 2018, Published by Classic Warships Publishing, Tuscon, AZ. Middletown, New Jersey 07748-0062 The fueling gear dangled crazy free from the battleships main deck. When Captain Queeg refuses to diverge from the fleet course set by Halsey, the fictional mutiny occurs to save the Caine from foundering like a capsized destroyer it encounters. Stop by the @battleshipnj booth to win a free family membership, a coupon for a free tour with the purchase of a tour and information on upcoming events and programs. Taffy 3s few destroyers and destroyer escorts exhausted their torpedoes in desperate charges and then closed to point-blank range to use their 5-inch guns against the impenetrable armor of the powerful Japanese ships. On January 18, 1946, the New Jersey became the flagship of Admiral Frederick C. Sherman, who had commanded carriers in battles from Coral Sea to Leyte Gulf. ft. deck is covered by 2 inches of teak on top of 1.5 inches of STS. USS New Jersey (BB-62) was initially painted in dark single-color Camouflage Measure 21 and remained in this scheme for about two years. The Iowa-class ships were the last class of American battleships built, and the last battleships in service in the world. In September 1986, armed with nuclear cruise missiles, the New Jerseys battle group transited the Sea of Okhotsk, north of Japan but otherwise surrounded by Soviet territory. Reagan opened by saying: I find myself developing a great respect for the leading lady in these ceremonies. G-2 The Best Turret ( just kidding) Battleship Gunners mates are the best, i loved being on the jersey though i hated my job and some people went out of their way too make my life miserablei loved the ship and enjoyed the travel i think of my time on the jersey almost every day please email me guys at stealthywizard@hotmai. This is the Navy, here, the real Navy.. After joining the Third Fleet for wargames, USS New Jersey departed Long Beach on June 9, 1983, for what was scheduled to be a three-and-a-half-month deployment to the Far East. For six months, USS New Jersey steamed just offshore to deter further conflict with her intimidating presence. The Soviets withdrew from Afghanistan, the Berlin Wall was torn down, and democracies replaced the Communist governments in Eastern Europe. Crew: 1,921: Armament: 3x3x16in(406mm)/50cal Mark 7 guns, 10x2x5in(127mm)/38cal Mark 12 guns, 80x40mm/56cal Bofors AA guns, 49x20mm/70cal Oerlikon AA guns: . Years in Service: 1952. Kuritas flagship Yamato, the heaviest battleship afloat, weighed more than Taffy 3s thirteen small ships combined. On February 4, 1944, at the newly seized base on Majuro, USS New Jersey became the flagship of Admiral Raymond A. Spruance. The U.S. commander in Vietnam, General Creighton Abrams, tried to extend USS New Jerseys tour because of the valuable contribution she was making to the war effort. Halseys attacks devastated Japanese airpower on Luzon and stemmed the tide of kamikazes, which had sunk 24 ships and damaged 67 others in the Seventh Fleet carrying MacArthurs Army. This database contains an index to U.S. Marine Corps muster rolls from 1798-1958. P.O. Beginning in mid-October 1968, USS New Jersey moved south to support Marine, Army, South Vietnamese, and Korean troops in the I Corps area of South Vietnam. In World War II, the New Jersey led the Pacific Fleet under Admirals Spruance and Halsey and fought in the two largest naval battles in history. Her 55,000 sq. To avoid the weather, Halsey moved the fueling rendezvous south. After reactivation and training in the Caribbean, USS New Jersey sailed through the Panama Canal on April 20, 1951, passing the homeward-bound Missouri. 15 Nov 1945 : Captain Edmund Wooldridge stepped down as the commanding officer of USS New Jersey. As a member of the Decommissioning crew in 1991 I lost contact with a lot of good men from the crew. Please send any Comments or Questions regarding this site to the webmaster. Her 16- and 5-inch guns destroyed enemy bridges, tunnels, road and rail junctions, railroad yards, trains, bunkers, trenches, troops, mortar pits, artillery positions, shore batteries, supply dumps, ammo dumps, a dam, and an oil refinery. She bombarded Communist supply dumps and gun positions in the so-called Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating North and South Vietnam. Her internal piping system can handle up to 125,000 gallons of fresh water per minute, while the salt-water distilling plan can produce 100,000 gallons of fresh water daily. The Chinese then launched a major offensive against General Almonds X Corps near the east coast. These missile batteries gave the New Jersey long-range strike capability against naval and land targets. Visiting the @acboatshow this weekend? USS New Jersey remained in commission until June 30, 1948. From only 60 miles off the Japanese coast, Fifth Fleets planes blasted airfields and aircraft plants. This required a greater displacement of over 45,000 tons, the adoption of a lighter turret design, and the use of special treatment steel (STS), a high tensile steel with armor properties comparable to heavier Class B armor, to replace armor and structural steel in some areas. On June 6, 1944, the New Jersey, Iowa, and the 642 smaller ships of Admiral Spruances Fifth Fleet sailed from Majuro for the Marianas. Both plane designs required a catapult assisted launch to get airborne. USS South Dakota was built by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation at the Camden, NJ dock works and launched on June 7, 1941 - the very site of the modern day museum dock for the battleship USS New Jersey. By the late 1990s two distinct groups had emerged as potential stewards of the historic warship. These cruises involved removing some of the ships own crew and bringing on board Naval Academy midshipmen to rotate through various departments of the ship and learn various jobs. As in other navies, they were the pride of the fleet. And she did so without losing a man in combat. During her deployment, she had steamed from the westernmost arm of the Pacific to the easternmost arm of the Atlantic and served with all four of Americas active Fleets. These line of battle ships or battleships were the mainstays of their fleets and decided the fate of empires. at 0048, US submarine USS SEAHORSE (SS-304, Lt. Cdr. The Navy accepted the Home Port Alliances application on January 20, 2000. This database contains U.S. Navy muster rolls and associated reports of changes for U.S. Navy enlisted personnel who served on U.S. Navy ships or in other naval activities between 31 January 1938 and 31 December 1949. To save money, only a minimum amount of work was performed. It was a serious blow to Japanese morale, and a boost to American spirits approaching that of the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo. The barbettes are 17.3 inches armor above 1.5 inches STS tapering as they descend deeper into the ship. Worked as Weapons Dept YN and then in the Captain's Office during the damned Decomm. On October 6, 1944, using a typhoon as cover, Admiral Halsey in USS New Jersey led five other battleships, nine fleet carriers, eight light carriers, fourteen cruisers, and fifty-eight destroyers straight into Japans inner line of defenses to clear the way for the Leyte landings. Even before Dreadnought was built, the United States had started building all-big-gun battleships, with the first one commissioned in Camden in 1908. However, they still had limited speed (21 knots) and displacement (32,600 tons), and in World War II were used primarily for shore bombardment. Fear of another expensive naval arms race led to the 1922 Washington Naval Treaty. In October, the New Jersey participated in Pacific Exercise 89, the largest gathering of American and allied warships since World War II. While preparing for a second Vietnam tour, she was ordered inactivated and decommissioned in December 1969. These suicide attacks, and the fanatical resistance by Japanese soldiers on Okinawa until June 22, helped convince new President Harry Truman that invasion of Japan itself would be exceedingly bloody and that use of the atomic bomb was a better alternative. Volume XIV, Victory in the Pacific, 1945, @ 1960 Samuel Eliot Morison. In addition to strengthening USS New Jerseys offense, the refit revamped her defense a need highlighted when Argentinas planes used Exocet missiles to sink a British destroyer in the 1982 Falklands War. The New Jersey was the first ship to operate the Tomahawk, and carried more than any warship then afloat. Naval Institute Proceedings, May 1952. The Korean War brought New Jersey back into commission in November 1950. They sank the light carrier Princeton, the sole American fast carrier sunk after 1942. She hosted a Christmas show for crew and troops by actress Ann-Margret and comedian Bob Hope, who joked the New Jersey was so big she was Wake Island with a rudder.. In October and November, she ranged far north up the North Korean coast, bombarding Hungnam, Hamhung, Iwon, Tanchon, Songjin, and Chongjin, almost within 16-inch range of Siberia. Moreover, Iowa had suffered a catastrophic explosion while firing its 16-inch guns in April 1989. The crew practiced transferring 16-inch shells from an ammunition ship at sea by highline and for the first time by helicopter. Nimitzs orders to Halsey required the New Jersey and the Third Fleet to cover and support MacArthurs invasion of Leyte and to destroy enemy naval and air forces in or threatening the Philippines area. But Halsey got the orders amended to add: In case opportunity for destruction of major portions of the enemy fleet is offered or can be created, such destruction becomes the primary task. Halsey invoked that loophole at the Battle for Leyte Gulf. Chevalier. As seen from the side, the turret's 0.75" STS backing plates are installed. On February 16-17, to prevent kamikazes from interfering with the landings, the New Jersey escorted the first major carrier strike against Japan. Thus, the Leyte landing occurred before Imperial Japan could train enough naval pilots and reunite its fleet. A battleship could have knocked out the Thanh Hoa bridge that I was bombing at the time I was shot down [in 1965]. Visitors can visit (and sleep overnight in) crew berthing spaces, and tour exhibits in other, converted berthing spaces. Once again Wonson shore batteries fired and were silenced by the New Jersey. HullNumber.com's mission is to provide a means for shipmates to keep in touch with one another. The tonnages of the ships involved and of the ships sunk were greater than in any other naval battle, and it was fought over an area larger than the Northeast United States. My father, James Robert Cheatham (1934-1997), served as an ETN3 on the Battleship USS Iowa during the Korean Conflict. What was scheduled to be a three-and-a-half-month deployment had turned out to be an eleven-month deployment, the longest deployment of any Navy ship since World War II. SAAF, Courtland P, SEA2, 6000770, USNR, from New York, USS Juneau, location Solomon Islands, missing, date of loss November 13, 1942 (pm) + SAAF, Courtland P, Seaman . At 1701, Admiral Halsey ordered the fastest part of Task Force 34 USS New Jersey, Iowa, three light cruisers, and eight destroyers to race ahead at almost 30 knots to catch Admiral Kuritas force in a night action. USS New Jersey has an overall length of 887 feet, 7 inches, with a waterline length of 860 feet. After a refit, USS New Jersey was once again the flagship of a midshipmens summer cruise, this time to San Francisco, Tacoma, San Diego, and Hawaii, where her crew listened as man first walked on the moon. USS New Jersey sailed back to the Philadelphia Naval Yard and received four more quadruple 40mm guns to augment her anti-aircraft protection. They were alphabetical listings of enlisted personnel who were subject to significant status changes during the month. Admiral Spruance and USS New Jersey arrived in Tokyo Bay on September 17, 1945. As Halsey put it: Instead of the stagecoach system of keeping the drivers and changing the horses, we changed drivers and kept the horses. It facilitated planning and confused Japanese Intelligence, but [i]t was hard on the horses, including the New Jersey, the only ship to serve as flagship for both Spruance and Halsey. She shelled coastal artillery on Hon Matt Island, blasting part of the island into the sea, prompting the newspaper headline: The New Jersey Sinks an Island. North Vietnamese artillery fired back but fell short, and the New Jersey ranged freely along the North Vietnamese coast. 1989 signaled the victorious conclusion of the Cold War. Her battle group sailed to Thailand and was the only Navy presence in the Western Pacific. The Battle for Leyte Gulf, by William F. Halsey, Jr., in U.S. Now, he shifted his flag to USS New Jersey because he was leading Operation Hailstone, a bold attack on the Japanese Combined Fleet base at Truk atoll in the Caroline Islands. The New Jersey first stopped in Spain to cement a new pact which allowed the United States to use bases in that diplomatically isolated country. After receiving several of Kinkaids delayed messages, Halsey replied from the New Jersey at 0927: I AM STILL ENGAGING ENEMY CARRIERS. At 1000, Kinkaid sent another uncoded plea to the New Jersey: WHERE IS LEE? The Battleship USS New Jersey, From Birth to Berth, by Carol Comegno, @ 2001, Published by Pediment Publishing, Canada. In summer 1956, she conducted the midshipman cruise to Norway, Great Britain, and Cuba, returning July 31. She also conducted fleet exercises with the Seventh Fleet. On November 25, the New Jersey shot down six kamikazes and damaged several others, but some still struck four carriers. USS New Jersey also saw more combat in World War II than any other Iowa-class battleship. In this episode we're talking. In his wildly successful 1984 debut novel The Hunt for Red October, the Soviet fleet pursues its newest submarine whose officers are sailing to America to defect. Commissioned in May 1943, she spent the rest of that year in the western Atlantic and Caribbean area. Both the Harpoon and the Tomahawk launch using a rocket booster and then achieved their long ranges using a jet engine. USS New Jerseys presence was required off Lebanon until April 3, 1984, when she finally left for home. With an eye to the worsening situation in Europe, the United States authorized expansion to a "two ocean Navy" in July 1940, which led to rapid and massive increases in numbers of ships and personnel. These were the first shells fired by the New Jersey in the Vietnamese war. The gunnery department also prepared to receive W-23 nuclear 16-inch shells. At the bottom of every email sent by HullNumber is an UNSUBSCRIBE link. The following websites post reunion notices and provide resources for locating veterans: Hullnumber.com (Navy ships and air squadrons), United States Naval Academy Alumni Association. The three-turret layout for the main battery remained the same but the size of the main guns was increased from 16-inch/45 caliber to 16-inch/50-caliber, meaning the guns were 80 inches longer and their shells would travel almost a mile further. A carrier airstrike was launched against the Syrian anti-aircraft batteries, but two planes were shot down. They made the bold decision to tow the two crippled cruisers and use them as bait to lure out the Japanese fleet. Consider doing this if your retired. USS New Jersey had played a part by demonstrating American strength and resolve repeatedly during the Cold War. Spruance was an admirals admiral, Halsey a sailors admiral. Just as the majestic power of the New Jersey inspired Spruance to take the risk of personally commanding a surface action, Halseys desire to lead the speedy and powerful New Jersey into battle led him to his most controversial decisions. They sank a heavy cruiser, two light cruisers, several destroyers, and many transports bearing reinforcements. EN RU CN DE ES. For several years more than her three sisters combined she was the worlds only operational battleship. It was the only battle where ships were sunk by submarines, aircraft, and other ships, using all types of guns, torpedoes, bombs, rockets, and mines. USS NEW JERSEY (BB-62) Crew Roster. Moreover, the destruction of all major hostile surface navies, the coming of peace, and the advent of nuclear weapons reduced the need to maintain the largest fleet in history. Wives and children of Navy personnel, as well as civilians, can be found among passengers as well. A group of Soviet surface ships, led by Kirov, heads for the East Coast but is confronted by a battle group led by the New Jersey. In August 1985, USS New Jersey headlined San Franciscos celebration of the 40th anniversary of V-J Day, renamed Peace in the Pacific, which the New Jersey had helped secure. This was the New Jerseys third recommissioning still a Navy record. The United States was still recovering from the Great Depression. The New Jersey bombarded Japanese bases and escorted carriers attacking Japanese forces on Pacific islands and the Philippines, Taiwan, China, Indochina, and Japan, including the first major carrier raid on Tokyo. At 0215, USS TRIGGER attacks the convoy again, fires three torpedoes and all hit and sink DELAGOA MARU near Tanegashima. In the early part of 1951, U.N. forces again had liberated Seoul and pushed back above the 38th Parallel. USS New Jersey (BB-62), From World War II, Korea, and Vietnam to Museum Ship, by David Doyle, @ 2019 David Doyle, Published by Schiffer Publishing, Ltd., Altgen, PA. USS New Jersey (BB-62), The Big J Battleship, @ 1996 Turner Publishing Company, Published by Turner Publishing Company, Paducah, KY. U.S. Battleships, An Illustrated Design History, by Norman Friedman @ 1985 United States Naval Institute, Published by the Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD. The Naval History and Heritage Command does not have custody of crew lists, nor do we have current contact information of former crew members. To preserve her for possible future use, the Navy began the process popularly known as mothballing. The ship was sealed up with dehumidification equipment running inside alongside desiccant packs to prevent mold and water degradation. Franklin CV-13 in 1944 and 1945 and the dates they lost their lives. Pers-312 Day after day, kamikaze and conventional planes would attack. Propulsion was where the Iowa-class ships were most improved; their power plant was designed to be 60% more powerful to propel the larger vessels 6 knots faster than the South Dakota class, making the Iowa class the first battleships fast enough to keep up with the fast carriers. Or click below to visit their website: Just aft of the propellers are the two semi-balanced streamlined type rudders with a projected area of 340 square feet each. To use this service, please write to the following address and include the service member's full name, Social Security number, grade or rank, and, if possible, last known duty station. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Unsinkable Sailors: The Fall and Rise of the Last Crew of USS Frank E. Evans: Th at the best online prices at eBay! The Forgotten War, America in Korea 1950-53, by Clay Blair, @ 1987 Clay Blair, Published by Doubleday, New York, NY. In the fall, she trained reservists. From September 1955 to January 1956, she joined the Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean Sea, stopping in Gibraltar, Spain, and France. As Admiral Halseys flagship, she led the Third Fleet as it supported General MacArthurs difficult, two-month struggle to take Leyte from the reinforced Japanese Army. He would have been 18 or 19 then so just a kid. After the New Jerseys float plane spotted fleeing Japanese ships 25 miles away, the New Jersey raced towards them, avoiding enemy torpedoes and fighting off enemy aircraft. The Conquering Tide, War in the Pacific Islands 1942-44, by Ian W. Toll, @ 2015 Ian W. Toll, Published by W.W. Norton & Co., New York, NY. Her helicopters rescued Navy pilots downed in or near North Korea, and her doctors cared for wounded from a South Korean frigate damaged by shore batteries. Meanwhile, the New Jersey and Iowa bombarded Japans base on Mili atoll in the Marshalls on March 18, 1944. The submarines sank two cruisers, and warned Admiral Halsey on USS New Jersey.