Admiral Spruance and USS New Jersey arrived in Tokyo Bay on September 17, 1945. Over 33 million records are contained in this database. With no clear target to retaliate against, USS New Jersey could only send some of her Marines, sailors, and doctors ashore to rescue and treat survivors. In August, the New Jersey became Admiral Charles Wellborns flagship for the Second Fleet and NATOs Striking Fleet Atlantic. However, correspondence sent to the above address will be forwarded to retirees if their addresses are known. By the time Pearl Harbor was attacked on 4 December 1941, this had more than doubled to 325,095. The Quiet Warrior, A Biography of Admiral Raymond A. Spruance, by Thomas B. Buell, @ 1987 Naval Institute Press, Published by Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD. 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. She became the flagship of the Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean fleet commanded by Admiral Richard Close-In Conolly, who had supported amphibious invasions in the Atlantic and Pacific. Following an overhaul at Long Beach, USS New Jersey returned to the Western Pacific in 1988 for naval exercises. North Vietnam had the largest air defense network in the world, which was taking a heavy toll on Air Force and Navy jets and pilots engaged in the Rolling Thunder bombing campaign. This limited the United States Navy to 18 battleships totaling 525,000 tons displacement. I held the American Flag in the ceremony. As Halseys flagship in the Battle for Leyte Gulf, the New Jersey was the site of some of the most dramatic and controversial command decisions of the war. From September 1955 to January 1956, she joined the Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean Sea, stopping in Gibraltar, Spain, and France. 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. To buy tickets, visit battleshipnewjersey.org/purchase. As a final layer of defense against anti-ship missiles, she received four Mark 15 Phalanx Close-In Weapons System 20-millimeter Gatling guns located on each corner of the superstructure. As a result, she was recommissioned at the lightest weight ever achieved by an Iowa-class battleship. As the Navys official historian Samuel Eliot Morison related, Operation Hailstone was one of the most successful raids of the war. 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. The catapults that had launched her Seahawk floatplanes were removed to make room for landings on the fantail by a new Sikorsky HO3S-1 helicopter. 9 Jun 1945 : USS Wisconsin was designated a training ship for a cruise to Britain, France, and Cuba. Meanwhile, on May 27, 1945, Admiral Spruance yielded command of the main Pacific Fleet to Admiral Halsey, who was told his flagship would be Missouri. As stated by the New Jerseys captain in 1969, she provided firepower for freedom.. Halsey had to decide whether the whole Third Fleet should guard San Bernardino Strait, whether the New Jersey and Task Force 34 should guard the strait while the Third Fleet carriers struck Ozawas carriers, or whether the entire Third Fleet should go after Ozawas carriers still 300 miles to the north. The main Japanese force sailed unchallenged around the island of Samar toward the transports in Leyte Gulf while the two American battle fleets were far to the north and south. Both the Harpoon and the Tomahawk launch using a rocket booster and then achieved their long ranges using a jet engine. During her tour, USS New Jersey made resupply and liberty visits to the Philippines, Japan, and Singapore. | Last updated on April 03, 2012. It's currently a museum ship in, fittingly, New Jersey. Through the rest of 1944, she took part in raids on Japanese-held islands, the Marianas invasion and Battle of Philippine Sea, the Battle of Leyte Gulf and operations against the Philippines. The ship was built in 1921 by the New York Shipbuilding Corp., of Camden, New Jersey, as SS Blue Hen State, but was renamed President Garfield in 1923 and then SS President Madison in 1940 for service with American President Lines. The New Jersey shot down at least one of the hundreds of planes downed by American ships and planes. Her original fuel oil capacity of over 7,250 tons (over 2,175,000 gallons) gave her an endurance range of over 15,000 nautical miles when cruising at 15 knots, allowing her to operate without resupply for a month and to refuel smaller ships. On February 16-17, to prevent kamikazes from interfering with the landings, the New Jersey escorted the first major carrier strike against Japan. With an airstrike scheduled for December 19, Halsey ordered the fleet to refuel at sea on December 17. At 0700, Admiral Sprague was shocked to spot the surface fleet of Admiral Kurita, who was surprised to see the Americans had left carriers to be bombarded by surface ships. On August 24, 1944, USS New Jersey left Pearl Harbor carrying Admiral Halsey and his staff. In 1989, USS New Jersey became a flagship once again. The destroyers, cruisers, and battleships obliterated Nishimuras two battleships, his heavy cruiser, and three of his four destroyers. The heavy powder bags were dropped onto the ramps and rammed behind the shells. The ramp came up, the breeches closed hydraulically, and the guns elevated. Lee was concerned that the fast battleships had spent their time escorting carriers rather than training for night surface combat, and Spruance was worried that some Japanese naval forces might try an end run to attack the amphibious forces. Her armored deck below that is 5 inches armor on 1.25 inches STS. The USS NORTH CAROLINA had a crew of 2,300 men. Balao (AGSS-285) Balch (DD-363) Balduck (APD-132) Bancroft (DD-598) Bang (SS-385) Barnstable County (LST-1197) Barracuda (SST-3) Basilone (DD-824) Bayfield (APA-33) Bayonne (PF-21) Beale (DD-471/DDE-471) Bear (AG-29) Bearss (DD-654) Belknap (APD-34) Belknap (DLG-26) Bell (DD-587) Belle Grove (LSD-2) Belmont (AGTR-4) Belusan (IX-187) For another layer of defense, eight sextuple Mark 36 Super Rapid Bloom Offboard Countermeasures Chaff and Decoy Launching Systems were installed. The Japanese formations were decimated by superior American pilots and fighters in what one pilot said was just like an old-time turkey shoot down home! Japanese planes which got through the Great Marianas Turkey Shoot mainly attacked the heavily armored battleline. After conferring on USS New Jersey with carrier commander Admiral Marc Pete Mitscher, Pacific battleship commander Admiral Willis Ching Lee, and amphibious commander Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner on February 11, 1944, Spruance in the New Jersey directed five fleet carriers and four light carriers the largest carrier concentration of the war so far 1,000 miles west to attack Truk on February 17 and 18. The design was recommended by the Battleship Design Advisory Board, which included Americas premier naval architect William Francis Gibbs, who designed ocean liners such as SS United States, and William Hovgaard, MITs professor of naval design, who investigated the sinkings of Titanic and Lusitania. However, Tirpitz sustained enough damage from British midget submarines that she required months of repairs. The Navys General Board approved the design. Aft and amidships, the ship was fitted with eight quadruple Mark 143 Armored Box Launchers to fire thirty-two Tomahawk missiles. The Big J is being reactivated with the latest in missile, electronic warfare, and communications technology. In the throes of a brutal civil war after the 1982 Israeli invasion, a multinational peacekeeping force including U.S. Marines had been sent to supervise the evacuation of the Palestine Liberation Organization. | Almost seven hundred Japanese planes attacked the fast carriers and invasion fleet, and the giant battleship Yamato and escorts embarked on a one-way attack aimed at Okinawa. Admiral Kinkaids messages to Admiral Halsey on USS New Jersey were being monitored at Pearl Harbor by Admiral Nimitz. United Nations Summer/Fall Offensive, 3. 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. Admiral Halsey eats Thanksgiving dinner with the crew of the USS New Jersey (BB-62) 30 November 1944. Halsey knew Admiral Kinkaid was preparing to confront Admiral Nishimuras southern force at Surigao Strait. Wives and children of Navy personnel, as well as civilians, can be found among passengers as well. 13 Jun 1945 : USS Wisconsin arrived at Leyte Gulf, Philippine Islands for repairs. 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), 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 mothballing process was reversed, and a new crew trained. BB-62 was the second warship named for the State of New Jersey. In the darkness at Surigao Strait, Admiral Nishimura had to run a gauntlet set up by Admiral Kinkaids Seventh Fleet. Back to the USS New Jersey (BB 62) page. They also served over a longer period than any other battleships, from 1943 until 1992. They were the largest American battleships, and the longest and fastest of all battleships. USS New Jersey steamed 200,000 miles during the war. This made her the only American battleship ever commissioned by a sitting president. In all, the New Jersey fired an unbelievable 12 million pounds of munitions against the enemy in less than a year. Commissioned in May 1943, she spent the rest of that year in the western Atlantic and Caribbean area. When the Communists launched a major offensive, the New Jersey returned to the east coast. This naval arms race contributed to the tensions leading to World War I, and dreadnought battleship fleets fought at Jutland and elsewhere. Japan committed most of its Combined Fleet, including five fleet carriers, four light carriers, five battleships, eleven heavy cruisers, two light cruisers, twenty-eight destroyers, 473 carrier planes, and about 300 land-based aircraft. Status changes included reporting to or transferring from the activity, promotions or demotions, change in rate, departing for or returning from leave, temporary attached duty, and formal inpatient status for treatment in a medical facility. By 1945, eight twin-mounted 20mm guns replaced some of the single 20mm guns. In some cases, deployment of the New Jersey will free up our overstressed aircraft carriers for other uses. It combined for the first time all the aspects of modern naval warfare air, surface, subsurface, and amphibious warfare. 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. The New Jersey led battleships into the missile age, being the first warship to launch a Tomahawk cruise missile, and the first battleship to fire a Harpoon missile, the anti-ship version of the Tomahawk, and the Phalanx anti-missile gun. The Fleet at Flood Tide, America at Total War in the Pacific, 1944-45, by James D. Hornfischer, @ 2016 James D. Hornfischer, Published by Bantam Books New York, NY. Login| 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. In her 1967 refit, the New Jersey received SPS-53 surface radar, on-line automatic encryption and decryption gear, and receivers and transmitters for infrared, HF, VHF, and UHF bands. 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. Ships lost steering control and power. She had helped carry the American advance thousands of miles from the edge of the Japanese outer defensive perimeter in the Marshalls to the doorstep of Japan itself. Early on October 24, when his scout planes spotted Kuritas fleet and alerted the New Jersey, Halsey himself radioed his carrier groups to STRIKE! After she had steamed east over 6,000 of the 8,000 miles to Long Beach, on April 15, 1969, the North Koreans, who in January had seized the intelligence ship USS Pueblo, shot down an unarmed EC-121 Constellation reconnaissance aircraft over international waters, killing 31 Americans. Unlike the flammable carriers, the Iowa-class ships were near impervious to kamikazes. Putnams Sons, New York, NY. And USS New Jersey was at the heart of it all, its flag plot the room where it happened.. Admiral Spruance was cerebral and thorough; Admiral Halsey was emotional and impulsive. Luzon Operations, 8. Why the encoding officer used The World Wonders as padding is unknown, but October 25 happened to be the anniversary of The Charge of the Light Brigade celebrated in Tennysons poem. Even the stable New Jersey pitched and rolled, hanging near the point of no return. Just aft of the propellers are the two semi-balanced streamlined type rudders with a projected area of 340 square feet each. The result should have been the slaughter of the slow escort carriers and their tiny escorts. In 1967, surface-to-surface missiles had sunk a warship for the first time when the Egyptians fired Soviet Styx missiles at an Israeli destroyer. The Battleship USS New Jersey, From Birth to Berth, by Carol Comegno, @ 2001, Published by Pediment Publishing, Canada. The U.S. Navy was escorting American-flagged tankers and had been attacked with missiles and mines. Japan committed to the attack all its modern battleships, including for the first time its treaty-busting battleships, Yamato and Musashi, with displacement exceeding 64,000 tons and 18.1-inch guns both the largest ever for a battleship. From January 10 to 20, 1945, Admiral Halsey in USS New Jersey took the Third Fleet into the South China Sea, a Japanese bastion. Middletown, New Jersey 07748-0062 The State of New Jersey agreed to back whichever group could win approval from the Navy. Then by using the crew list and the list of casualties, the names of the survivors of a World War II ship or vessel can be created. USS New Jersey supported the First and Third Marine Divisions in amphibious and land assaults. Some of the records for personnel on aircraft carriers also include corresponding images of the ship. New Jersey ranged far and wide from 30 December 1944 to 25 January 1945 on her last cruise as Admiral Halsey's flagship. These dual-purpose guns could hit stationary targets up to 9 miles away, and aircraft at closer ranges. 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 Register and add yourself to the Crew List of the USS New Jersey (BB 62). 2023 Wall Calendar - CLICK HERE. Since leaving Pearl Harbor in August, she had been at sea for 85 of 95 days, engaged in near-constant fighting, and steamed 36,185 miles equal to 1 times around the world. New Jersey was outfitted with three Vought OS2U Kingfisher floatplanes for this purpose at the beginning of her World War II service in 1943. She was reactivated for a third time in the Cold War to halt Soviet expansionism and resolve conflicts in the Middle East. As USS New Jersey led the entire Third Fleet north that night, some of Admiral Halseys subordinates were concerned that San Bernardino Strait was totally unguarded. The designers thus achieved a well-balanced fast battleship, with a higher 33-knot speed, heavier armament, and the same armor protection as the South Dakota class. The weather was unsettled, but on the New Jersey the barometer was normal and Halseys aerologist, a weather expert, did not think it would worsen. These South Carolina-class dreadnoughts mounted their forward turrets so one could fire over the other, setting the pattern for all future battleships. Admiral Mitscher launched an airstrike that did not reach the Japanese fleet until sunset. Or click below to visit their website: On the turrets, the armor on the face plate is 17 inches plus 2.7 inches STS, on each side is 9.5 inches, on the back is 12 inches, and on the roof is 7.25 inches. Her helicopters worked to rescue downed aviators. The Battle of Leyte Gulf, 23-26 October 1944, by Thomas J. Cutler, @ 1994 Thomas J. Cutler, Published by HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. New York, NY. USS New Jerseys float plane spotted the fleeing destroyer Nowaki over the horizon. I volunteer 2 days a week with a great group of guys (mostly vets). I think he told me he was on this ship. 1987 1988 In further weapons trials, USS New Jersey was the first battleship to fire a Harpoon missile on March 23, 1983. She was deployed to Maine until mid-December in case the German battleship Tirpitz, which had attacked Spitzbergen in September, attempted to leave Norway to raid the critical North Atlantic convoys. For the same reasons, the 19 slower battleships that fought in World War II were decommissioned by 1947. Just as Admiral Sprague expected his ships to be annihilated, Kurita ordered his ships north to reorganize at 0911. Truk was Japans main fleet base outside of the Home Islands, had been fortified against naval and air attack, and was known as the Gibraltar of the Pacific. Spruance hoped to catch Japanese ships fleeing the attack, and he knew the New Jersey with her 33-knot speed and 16-inch guns would be at the center of the action. And she did so without losing a man in combat. USS New Jersey is also the museum battleship most open to the public. However, the Missouri, named after President Trumans home state and christened by his daughter, was chosen instead. Wryly called CripDiv and BaitDiv, the slowly creeping ships did attract waves of Japanese planes and a Japanese cruiser force, but the force retreated when they discovered Third Fleet was otherwise intact. Two emergency diesel generators each produced an additional 250 kW. From USS New Jersey, Admiral Halsey saw her gunners hit a kamikaze who nonetheless again crashed into Intrepid, which went through hell. The attack forced the Combined Fleet to withdraw to bases in the Philippines, and compelled its commander, Admiral Mineichi Koga, to flee in a flying boat that was lost in a typhoon. The New Jersey remained on station off Lebanon for 170 of 191 days, with brief port visits to Israel and Egypt. Admiral Spruance flew to Pearl Harbor to confer with the Commander-in-Chief Pacific Area (CINPAC), Admiral Chester Nimitz. Because of their great size, they had the space and reserve buoyancy to be retrofitted with modern missile systems, while retaining unmatched firepower and armor protection. U.S. involvement was at its height, with over half a million American troops deployed in South Vietnam. The 55,000-square-foot teak deck will soon be completely restored. At 1115 when, as Halsey later stated, the remnants of Admiral Ozawas northern force was exactly 42 miles from the muzzles of my 16inch guns on the New Jersey, she, five other battleships, and the rest of Task Force 34 reversed course and headed south. They were alphabetical listings of enlisted personnel who were subject to significant status changes during the month. Several light and escort carriers were badly damaged, with stowed planes breaking loose and staring fires. Halseys message from the New Jerseys powerful radio mast copied Admiral Nimitz in Pearl Harbor, and Admiral Kinkaids radio operators intercepted it. USS New Jersey was in active service for over 21.5 years 2.5 years more than Iowa, 5 years more than Missouri, and 8.5 years more than Wisconsin. Good time were had aboard Our Lady Gray. Fighting off kamikazes, the New Jersey protected carriers which struck Japanese bases in Vietnam, Canton and Hainan Island in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. This was the first time Iowa-class battleships performed their primary function of engaging enemy warships, and proved to be the last, although other opportunities arose in later battles. To liberate Leyte, the United States sent the largest naval force ever assembled. The crew practiced transferring 16-inch shells from an ammunition ship at sea by highline and for the first time by helicopter. Meanwhile, USS New Jersey led Iowa, two cruisers, and four destroyers in a sweep around Truk to engage Japanese vessels attempting to escape. 35,169 views Premiered Apr 19, 2022 1.9K Dislike Share Save Battleship New Jersey 115K subscribers In this episode we're looking at some research done by one of our volunteers. On a diplomatic mission after the formation of the Warsaw Pact, the New Jersey visited feuding NATO allies Greece and Turkey, and was the first U.S. warship to visit Trieste after its restoration to Italy from nonaligned Yugoslavia. We lost five planes in one day on that one target. Tugs towed her to Long Beach to be reactivated and modernized. The guns had a lifespan of 300 full charge shots per barrel before the shells wore the rifling away and made the gun inaccurate. The New Jerseys mission is to conduct prompt and sustained operations worldwide, in support of our national interests. 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. Some stayed for a few months, some for several years. SERVER UPGRADE IN PROGRESS. UNDERWAY! Iowa Class Battleships, Their Design, Weapons; & Equipment, by Robert F. Sumrall, @ 1988 Robert F. Sumrall, Published by US Naval Institute Press, Annapolis MD. Second, she led the Navys main fleet in the Battle for Leyte Gulf, the largest sea battle of all time, which destroyed the Japanese fleet as a fighting force. However, the Navy and Marines quickly absorbed the lessons of Tarawa and were able to make future offensives far less costly. The barbettes are 17.3 inches armor above 1.5 inches STS tapering as they descend deeper into the ship. U.S. defense spending was drastically reduced, and 90% of the Navys ships were decommissioned. The length of the hull is divided with 4-foot frame section spacings into a total of 216 frames. He first raised his four-star flag as the youngest full admiral on USS New Jersey, making her the flagship of the highest-ranking officer at sea. At 2022 on October 24, Halsey went into the New Jerseys flag plot, put his finger on Admiral Ozawas charted position, and told Admiral Carney, Heres where we are going, Mick. With barometers setting record lows, Halsey postponed refueling and ordered the fleet to hold a new course, which inadvertently prolonged its ordeal in the typhoon and prevented skippers from maneuvering independently. Additionally, her interior spaces were air-conditioned and reconfigured for greater crew comfort as befitting a ship serving in the new era of an all-volunteer military. This pointedly illustrated the new roles of carriers and battleships. USS New Jerseys two four-star fleet commanders were friends but a study in contrasts. Do not sell or share my personal information, Date reported for particular duty or on board. Note: Distribution of this information by the Department of the Navy does not constitute endorsement by the Department of the Navy of the information or services from the firms, organizations, and websites listed hereafter. Battleship commander Admiral Lee used a blinker light to signal the New Jersey he believed that Ozawas carrier force was a decoy and that Kuritas fleet would come out through the strait. He was the only sailor ever killed in action on the New Jersey throughout the many conflicts in which she participated over her four commissionings. Equipment was coated with preservative grease like cosmoline, and non-moving parts were preserved under layers of paint. Hollandia Operations, 3. Her 55,000 sq. The New Jersey returned fire and quickly obliterated the shore battery. Her original barrels were relined and went on to be preserved at locations around the country. 1 user currently logged in and 94 visitors active. Through Ancestry's Immigration Collection, select the database New York Passenger Lists. On September 23, 2001, USS New Jersey was moved to her permanent berth at her new ceremonial pier on the Camden waterfront facing Philadelphia. The New Jersey relieved Missouri, which had relieved Iowa. Most had left by February 26, when the New Jersey fired thirteen 16-inch shells after U.S. reconnaissance planes were fired upon. The Guinness Book of World Records awarded USS New Jersey the title as the fastest battleship in history. With the fighting ended in Korea, the New Jersey visited Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Japan, where Wisconsin relieved her as Seventh Fleet flagship on October 14, 1953.
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