Uss georgia bb 61. Uss iowa bb 61 in mothballs for the last 21 years became the last of the four iowa class battleships to be donated for preservation. The uss wisconsin bb 64 making its home in norfolk virginia was donated in 2009. On patrol duty in the south atlantic in december 1941 she would remain there as a flagship of a small detachment of warships monitoring the argentine navy.
The completed battleship was commissioned into the fleet in september 1906. Iowa bb 61 was the lead ship of the iowa class of battleshipsthe last and largest class of battleships constructed for the us. Hull numbers bb 63 and bb 64 cleared for construction in 1940 were to have been the final members of the iowa class while bb 65 and bb 66 also cleared in 1940 were intended to be the first.
Bb 61 uss iowa is permanently anchored in san pedro at berth 87 just west of the vincent thomas bridge. During world war ii she carried president franklin d. Navy the iowa class ultimately consisted of four shipsfollowing the pattern set by the preceding north carolina and south dakota classes the iowa classs design called for a heavy armament combined with high top speed.
The iowa class was a class of six fast battleships ordered by the united states navy in 1939 and 1940. With work originally suspended in 1922 work would later resume on the uss georgia. They were initially intended to intercept fast capital ships such as the japanese kongo class while also being capable of serving in a traditional battle line alongside slower battleships and act as its fast wing.
She soon became a unit of the atlantic fleet participating in routine operations and in june 1907 in the jamestown expositions naval review. Uss georgia battleship 15 later bb 15 1906 1923 uss georgia a 14948 ton virginia class battleship built at bath maine was commissioned in september 1906. The iowa class was designed to meet the second london naval treatys.
In late 1942 she would redeploy to the mediterranean fleet while the uss wyoming and uss california. Uss iowa bb 61 is a retired battleship the lead ship of her class and the fourth in the united states navy to be named after the state of iowaowing to the cancellation of the montana class battleships iowa is the last lead ship of any class of united states battleships and was the only ship of her class to have served in the atlantic ocean during world war ii. One cool ship carried roosevelt to tehran conferen.
The ship was armed with an offensive battery of four 12 inch 305 mm guns and eight 8 inch. Uss georgia bb 15 was a united states navy virginia class battleship the third of five ships of the classshe was built by the bath iron works in maine with her keel laid in august 1901 and her launching in october 1904. The uss new jersey bb 62 now in camden new jersey was donated in 2000.