During World War II, the New Jersey battleship fired at targets in Guam and Okinawa and recorded the movement of aircraft carriers raiding the Marshall Islands. During the Korean War, he participated in naval operations off the coast of the Korean Peninsula, after which he was decommissioned and decommissioned into the reserve fleet of the US Navy, better known as the "naphthalene fleet."
Quick reference
The operation of the battleship "New Jersey" was briefly resumed in 1968, after which it was sent to Vietnam to support US forces, after which it was decommissioned again in 1969. In the 80s, the work of the ship was again restored as part of the Navy's program, which provided for its one-time increase of 600 ships. The battleship "New Jersey" was modernized to transport missiles and re-commissioned. In 1983, it was used in US operations during the Lebanese civil war. In particular, the notorious event was the shelling of Beirut with the battleship New Jersey.
What is remembered
New Jersey was decommissioned for the last time in 1991. He served a total of 21 years in the Navy, received many military awards and 19 "battle stars" for his actions during the Second World War, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Lebanese operation and the Gulf campaign. After a short stay in the "mothballs fleet," he was donated to the museum in Camden, New Jersey, and on October 15, 2001 began a "career" of the museum exhibit.
The beginning of the way
The first team boarded the battleship New Jersey on January 7, 1944. Armed to the teeth, the latest ship by then standards, passed through the Panama Canal to join the American Fifth Fleet and set off to repel the assault on the Marshall Islands by Japanese ships. The battleship "New Jersey" protected American aircraft carriers from Japanese attacks, mitigating the damage to the US Navy from a collision with the enemy.
Pacific war
The last, but most important battle of the battleship made a huge contribution to the victory over Japan - he participated in the operation near the Mariana Islands, repulsing enemy attacks on Guam and Palace, after which the Jersey sailed safely to Pearl Harbor on August 9. Here he came under the command of Admiral William F. Halsey Jr. on August 24, becoming the flagship of the third US fleet. On August 30, New Jersey sailed from Pearl Harbor and spent the next eight months in Ulity to support the allied forces operating in the Philippines. During this period of the Pacific War, rapid response operational groups attacked the waters of the Philippines, Okinawa and Formosa (Taiwan), inflicting repeated attacks on airfields, ships, coastal bases and other military installations of the Japanese Empire.
From December 30, 1944 to January 25, 1945, the New Jersey battleship covered aircraft carriers during their attacks on Formosa, Okinawa and Luzon, as well as on the coasts of Indochina, Hong Kong, Svatov and Syamoy, as well as Formosa and Okinawa. In Ulity, on January 27, Admiral Halsey resigned and was replaced by another commander.
After the war
After operations on the west coast and major repairs to Puget Sound, New Jersey crossed the Atlantic to return to its home state for the honorable celebration of victory and its fourth "birthday." The celebration was attended by Governor Alfred E. Driscoll, former Governor Walter Edge and other dignitaries.
Korean war
In 1950, North Korea invaded South, prompting the United States to intervene under the auspices of the United Nations. President Harry S. Truman was taken by surprise when the invasion of the American ally began, but quickly ordered the US forces stationed in Japan to go to the aid of South Korea. Truman sent American tanks, fighters, bombers, and naval forces to Korea to protect young democracy from the communist threat.
As part of the naval mobilization, the New Jersey battleship was recalled from the mothballs fleet to provide naval artillery support for US and South Korean forces. It was re-commissioned in Bayonne on November 21, 1950 under the command of Captain David M. Tyree and sent to the Caribbean, where it became part of the powerful US Navy corps. As during the period of the Pacific War, the battleship that passed through water and fire made an important contribution to the next American victory.
Battleship "New Jersey" in Vietnam
When the war in Vietnam began, the illustrious battleship was again put into operation, despite its technological backwardness in comparison with the new ships of that time. On October 16, New Jersey took a position off the Vietnamese coast and supported the American aircraft carriers with fire. Using his loud cannons, New Jersey knocked out and destroyed 13 defensive structures and artillery sites. The battleship continued to provide fire support during the shelling of the Vietnamese coast until his departure, transferring authority to the First Field Forces. Once again, he returned home as a hero.
The ship is now on display at the US Navy's Naval Museum as a reminder of the great epic of the three bloody wars in which the ship managed to survive. Photos of the battleship "New Jersey" you can see in this article.