About. At 1055, finally responding to Admiral Nimitzs message, Admiral Halsey ordered USS New Jersey to lead Task Force 34, and Admiral Bogans carrier group, to rescue Taffy 3. Information usually available on these records includes: The rolls may also list passengers aboard naval vessels, and officers may be found among passengers on troop transports. 5720 Integrity Drive The second NEW JERSEY (BB-62) was launched 7 December 1942 by the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard; sponsored by Mrs. Charles Edison, wife of Governor Edison of New Jersey, former Secretary of the Navy; and commissioned at Philadelphia 23 May 1943, Captain Carl F. Holden in command. Ship morale was improved by a show by singer Wayne Newton, a Christmas Eve show by Bob Hope, Brooke Shields, Cathy Lee Crosby, Ann Jillian, and Vic Damone, and a visit by Secretary Lehman. 2 turret gunhouse assembly is seen being lowered into position on 12 January 1943. A carrier airstrike was launched against the Syrian anti-aircraft batteries, but two planes were shot down. On August 24, 1944, USS New Jersey left Pearl Harbor carrying Admiral Halsey and his staff. On April 15, 1945, USS New Jersey held a memorial service for President Franklin Roosevelt, who had died three days before. The battleline fulfilled the role assigned by Admiral Spruance of protecting the carriers by downing most of the attackers with virtually impenetrable antiaircraft fire, while sustaining minimal injury. USS New Jerseys two four-star fleet commanders were friends but a study in contrasts. This still left the New Jersey with twelve 5-inch guns gunpower unmatched by any ship in the Navy other than the other Iowa-class ships. Some of her single barreled 20mm anti-aircraft guns were replaced by twin barreled 20mm mounts. The New Jersey transited the Panama Canal and raced across the Atlantic to the Mediterranean, joining the Sixth Fleet. She went to the Atlantic in 1947 and made one midshipmen's training cruise to Europe before decommissioning in June 1948. As a result, the two Iowa-class battleships under construction (Illinois (BB-65) and Kentucky (BB-66)) were scrapped, and the more powerful but slower Montana-class battleships (BB-67 through BB-71) were never started. 201 of its . What had been the Fifth Fleet while Admiral Spruance commanded was called the Third Fleet while Halsey commanded. USS New Jerseys presence was required off Lebanon until April 3, 1984, when she finally left for home. 1983 1984 Report an offensive or inappropriate entry. Lee was the victor in the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, the only clash of battleships in the Pacific thus far. Those barrels were used to replace the ones on the New Jersey. In 1999, Congress allowed the Navy to turn USS New Jersey into a museum, provided she was moored in New Jersey territorial waters. At 0707, Admiral Kinkaid sent Admiral Halsey on USS New Jersey an uncoded radio message: ENEMY B[ATTLESHIP]S AND CRUISER REPORTED FIRING ON Taffy 3. As a result, she was recommissioned at the lightest weight ever achieved by an Iowa-class battleship. Putting this great ship back to work protecting our country represents a major step toward fulfilling our pledge to rebuild Americas military capabilities. Reagan explained the importance of this magnificent ship. She provided firepower for freedom, and now a monument to freedom for all. Japan surrendered only after the destruction of Japans fleet in battles in which the New Jersey participated, and from Marianas bases the New Jersey helped seize the final submarine campaign that annihilated Japans merchant marine and the conventional and atomic bombing attacks that devastated Japans cities and industry. On January 7, they squeezed through the Panama Canal, with less than a foot to spare on each side. As the Navys historian Morison stated, What a brawl that would have been ! If Bulls Run had resulted in only the New Jersey and Iowa dueling the four Japanese battleships, it might have been a close call. We searched the National Archives Catalog and located the Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships and Stations, 1941 - 1983 in the Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel (Record Group 24) that include the deck logs of the USS Henrico (AP-45) for 1945. Battleship New Jersey, An Illustrated History, by Paul Stillwell, @ 1986 Paul Stillwell, Published by the Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD. Feeling as stunned as if I had been struck in the face, Halsey angrily crumpled the message and threw it and his cap on the deck of the New Jersey, stomping on them and furiously cursing. On February 10, 1945, Admiral Spruance led USS New Jersey and the rest of the Fifth Fleet to the Bonin Islands in support of the invasion of Iwo Jima. 1969 1981 (The subsequent film focused on the Soviet submarines successful defection and omitted the New JerseyKirov storyline, instead just mentioning the New Jersey.). On March 5, 1953, the New Jersey left Norfolk for her second tour off Korea. And with a speed of 35 knots, the New Jersey will be among the fastest ships afloat.. Leyte Operations, 7. Inert gas ejected scraps of the silk propellant-bags out of the muzzles to clear the bores, then the breeches opened and loading ramps unfolded into place. PARTS of HulNumber are UNDER REVISION. Thus, ended World War II and the largest naval war in history, in which the New Jersey had a leading role. Red Storm Rising, by Tom Clancy, @ 1986 Tom Clancy, Published by G.P. Volume XIV, Victory in the Pacific, 1945, @ 1960 Samuel Eliot Morison. Your ORIGINAL HOMETOWN and State are asked for because that confirms who you are in your shipmate's memories. USS New Jersey had played a part by demonstrating American strength and resolve repeatedly during the Cold War. USS New Jersey was commissioned for the second time on November 21, with Admiral Halsey speaking and breaking out his five-star flag. After fighting fascism, communism, and terrorism, she was decommissioned for the final time in February 1991. CVE-90, USS Thetis Bay - Booklet of General Plans, 1945, Casablanca Class escort carrier, cve90.pdf (10.5 MB PDF) CVL-26 - USS Monterey - Booklet of General Plans, 1950, Plate 16 missing. The main belt is one of five layers of armor that comprise the sides and torpedo defenses of the armored citadel. Meanwhile, USS New Jersey led Iowa, two cruisers, and four destroyers in a sweep around Truk to engage Japanese vessels attempting to escape. Halsey commanded the Third Fleet on the New Jersey from August 24, 1944 until January 27, 1945. Navy World Wide Locator World War II at Sea, A Global History, by Craig L. Symonds, @ 2018 Craig L. Symonds, Published by Oxford University Press, New York, NY. Only after the War of 1812 did America operate ships-of-the-line, which were named after states starting in 1820. It crippled the Japanese carrier force, which had only 35 aircraft remaining after the battle and lost many irreplaceable pilots. Prior to the end of construction, the ships crew began arriving to learn the equipment they would operate. In that final total, from 2 September 1945, 93,064 were women. New Jersey continued her Pacific combat operations into 1945, supporting the invasions of Iwo Jima and the Ryukyus. On August 8, the New Jersey used her 16-inch and 5-inch guns to bombard Wake Island, captured after a heroic defense by the Marines in 1941. Almost the entire ship is open for tours, including her main turrets, bridge, flag bridge, some of her engineering spaces, main deck and helipad, bunks, and her central corridor so long it was called Broadway. At 0412, when reporting the results of the battle in Surigao Strait, Admiral Kinkaid decided to radio Admiral Halsey on USS New Jersey to confirm: IS TF 34 GUARDING SAN BERNARDINO STRAIT? Because the radio message had to be transmitted from the Seventh Fleets flagship to General MacArthurs headquarters in the Admiralty Islands two thousand miles away, retransmitted to the New Jersey, and then decoded, it was not received by Admiral Halsey until 0648. HullNumber.com's mission is to provide a means for shipmates to keep in touch with one another. She earned the following commendations: World War II Victory Medal; Navy Occupation Service Medal; Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation; America Defense Service Ribbon; and the Asiatic Pacific Campaign Ribbon with nine battle stars 1. Heading their way were Admiral Kuritas four battleships, six heavy cruisers, two light cruisers, and eleven destroyers. 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. Many former crew members belong to the USS New Jersey Historical Museum Society. The refit also equipped USS New Jersey to fire sixteen Harpoon anti-ship missiles, which had a conventional warhead, a range of 60 miles or more, and active-radar homing. The New Jerseys unmatched service in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, and the conflicts in Lebanon and the Persian Gulf put her in harms way in more battles, campaigns, and wars than any almost any other vessel. Risking submarine attack, the New Jersey and other American ships turned on their searchlights to guide the desperate planes home. The Navys General Board approved the design. United Nations Summer/Fall Offensive, 3. I was the last Dental Officer on the USS New Jersey BB 62. The New Jersey was the first ship to operate the Tomahawk, and carried more than any warship then afloat. USS New Jersey returned to the Delaware on November 11, greeted by more than 25,000 people and by a tugboat that had helped at her launching in 1942. USS New Jerseys float plane spotted the fleeing destroyer Nowaki over the horizon. As stated by the New Jerseys captain in 1969, she provided firepower for freedom.. However, Tirpitz sustained enough damage from British midget submarines that she required months of repairs. Four gunners and 64 crew are KIA. Overview of the USS New Jersey (BB-62) Nation: United States Type: Battleship Shipyard: Philadelphia Naval Shipyard Laid Down: September 16, 1940 Launched: December 7, 1942 When she reached her new home port of Long Beach, more work was done, including removing some 40mm armored gun tubs; two remaining tubs were used as pools for the crew. USS New Jersey headed into the Yellow Sea and shelled Chinnampo on North Koreas west coast on May 25. Shes gray, shes had her face lifted, but shes still in the prime of life, a gallant lady: the New Jersey. He proclaimed: Im honored to be here for the recommissioning of this mighty force for peace and freedom. Admiral Halsey said this typhoon tossed our enormous ship as if it was a canoe. Halsey added: The 70-foot seas smash you from all sides. After the Communists broke off talks in August 1951, the New Jersey provided naval gunfire support for the U.N. troops ashore near Kansong. For 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. HullNumber.com takes your privacy seriously. Much work was needed to restore the ship after being in mothballs for over eight years, and to make her safe for visitors. The radio telegram led both Nimitz and Kinkaid to assume Halsey was forming Task Force 34 and leaving it to cover San Bernardino Strait. To browse this image set, select from the options below. Very surreal experience to go back. This limited the United States Navy to 18 battleships totaling 525,000 tons displacement. Images may be browsed by ship or shore, then ship, station or activity, then by roll description. The next day, she set sail for home. Meanwhile, Taffy 3s escort carriers were being boxed in by Admiral Kuritas armada. 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. At 2022 Admiral Halsey sent a radio telegram from USS New Jersey to Admirals Nimitz and Kinkaid stating he was PROCEEDING NORTH WITH 3 GROUPS TO ATTACK CARRIER FORCE AT DAWN. Nimitz and Kincaid believed this referred only to Halseys three carrier groups and not to Task Force 34, which they again assumed was guarding San Bernardino Strait. The Navy does not keep track of anyone once they have left the Navy. MacArthur controlled not only the invading Army divisions but also the accompanying Seventh Fleet under Admiral Thomas Kinkaid, whose older battleships, small escort carriers, and amphibious ships landed and supported the ground troops. As the Fifth Fleet flagship, USS New Jersey was a frontrunner to be the site for the Japanese surrender. Instead, the startled reservists of Taffy 3 reacted to the Japanese onslaught as if they had trained their whole lives for such a fleet engagement. On September 23, 2001, USS New Jersey was moved to her permanent berth at her new ceremonial pier on the Camden waterfront facing Philadelphia. They launched cruise missiles and provided gunfire support during Operation Desert Storm, which began on January 15, 1991, and liberated Kuwait by February 28. 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. New Jersey BB-62 Veterans, Inc. Their website features an online Member Roster, She also got two Mark 48 shore bombardment computers and a target-designation system. With orders flying from her towering radio mast, she brought Halsey to the Admiralty Islands near New Guinea. Some of these targets, too fortified to be destroyed by artillery or aircraft, were demolished by the unmatched penetrating power of the New Jerseys 16-inch guns. A Kaman Seasprite helicopter was based on the New Jerseys helicopter landing pad to provide over-the-horizon targeting information. Her main belt is 12.1 inches of armor on 0.875 inches of special treatment steel (STS) with concrete in between, inclined 19 degrees and tapering to 1.625 inches.