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The USS New Jersey (BB-62)
The USS New Jersey earned her nickname “Big J” the hard way. This Iowa-class battleship served in three wars, fired more rounds than any other battleship in Navy history, and somehow avoided the scrapyard when her sisters didn’t.
From World War Two to the Persian Gulf, she collected battle stars like souvenirs. This is her remarkable story.
Pearl Harbor Anniversary Launch
Workers sent New Jersey down the shipyard ways on December 7, 1942, exactly one year after Pearl Harbor. Carolyn Edison, wife of New Jersey Governor Charles Edison, broke the champagne bottle across her bow.
The battleship measured 12% longer and 30% heavier than previous warships built at Philadelphia. This size required substantial reinforcement of the construction slipway.
Charles Edison, former Secretary of the Navy, welded the first two keel plates together when construction began. The nation watched as this second Iowa-class battleship took shape during wartime.
World War II Pacific Campaign
New Jersey crossed the Panama Canal in January 1944 to join American forces fighting Japan. Her first combat operation supported the Marshall Islands invasion that winter.
Admiral Raymond Spruance chose the battleship as his 5th Fleet flagship at Majuro atoll. On February 17-18, 1944, she participated in Operation Hailstone against the Japanese base at Truk.
Her guns helped sink the Japanese destroyer Maikaze during this raid. The battleship proved her worth immediately, both as a fighting ship and command vessel.
Admiral Halsey’s Third Fleet Flagship
Admiral William F. Halsey selected New Jersey as his Third Fleet flagship in August 1944. From her bridge, he directed American naval forces during the Philippine campaign from October through December.
The battleship participated in the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the largest naval battle in history. She witnessed the “Marianas Turkey Shoot” where American forces destroyed nearly 400 Japanese aircraft.
Her guns bombarded Japanese positions during the Iwo Jima and Okinawa campaigns in 1945. After Japan surrendered, the Navy brought her home to a hero’s welcome.
Korea’s Floating Artillery
The Navy recommissioned New Jersey on November 21, 1950, for Korean War service. She arrived off the Korean coast on May 17, 1951, for her first combat tour.
Vice Admiral Harold M. Martin made her his Seventh Fleet flagship that year. Her 16-inch guns struck targets along the North Korean coast, outranging land-based artillery.
The battleship took a direct hit during the war, resulting in one crew fatality. She returned for a second Korean tour in 1953, continuing her bombardment missions until the armistice.
Vietnam’s Only Battleship
The Navy reactivated New Jersey in April 1968 specifically for Vietnam War service. She reached Southeast Asian waters by September, becoming the only battleship in the conflict.
On September 30, 1968, her 16-inch guns fired at enemy positions near Vietnam’s DMZ. During her deployment, New Jersey fired 5,688 16-inch shells, equaling her World War II and Korea total combined.
She operated with only 1,550 sailors, half her World War II crew size. The battleship’s guns saved countless American lives through precision fire support along the coast.
The 600-Ship Navy Revival
President Reagan personally recommissioned New Jersey on December 28, 1982. This ceremony marked her centerpiece role in the 600-ship Navy program designed to counter Soviet naval power.
The modernization cost $326 million but transformed the World War II battleship into a missile platform. Engineers installed 32 Tomahawk cruise missiles in eight armored box launchers along her deck.
They added 16 Harpoon anti-ship missiles in four quad launchers for surface combat. New Jersey became the first battleship to launch a Tomahawk missile.
Shelling Beirut During Lebanese Civil War
New Jersey deployed to Lebanon in September 1983 during the violent civil war. Her 16-inch guns fired at hostile positions inland of Beirut on December 14, 1983.
On February 8, 1984, her shells struck a Syrian command post in the Bekaa Valley. This barrage killed the general commanding Syrian forces and several staff officers.
Bob Hope brought Christmas cheer to the crew and 400 Beirut-stationed Marines on December 24, 1983. The battleship’s presence aimed to stabilize the region and protect American peacekeeping forces.
Battling Soviet Tension
In 1986, New Jersey led her own naval formation designated “Battle Group Romeo.” The cruiser USS Long Beach, destroyer USS Merrill, frigates USS Copeland and USS Thach, and oiler USS Wabash escorted her.
Soviet Bear and Badger bombers made “close passes” during her transit through the Sea of Okhotsk. Her presence from Hawaii to Thailand freed aircraft carriers for other missions.
New Jersey’s final deployment extended to the Persian Gulf in 1989-1990. She provided American naval presence just before Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm began.
The Most Decorated Battleship in U.S. Navy History
The Navy awarded USS New Jersey 19 battle stars for combat across four wars. No other American battleship earned more decorations during active service.
She fought in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Lebanon, and served in the Persian Gulf. New Jersey earned a Navy Unit Commendation for her Vietnam service in 1968-1969.
The battleship holds the distinction of being the only American battleship to fire her guns in Vietnam. Her combat record spans from 1944 through the Cold War conflicts of the 1980s.
Visiting The USS New Jersey
The Battleship New Jersey Museum sits at 100 Clinton Street on the Camden Waterfront. Guests can visit daily from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM during summer and weekends in winter.
Adult tickets cost $24.95, seniors and veterans $19.95, children ages 5-11 $14.95. Purchase tickets online or at the Battleship ticket office.
Read More from This Brand:
- The “Black Dragon” Fought In 4 Wars, Earned 19 Battle Stars, and Now a Museum in Camden, New Jersey
- Top 8 Underrated Things to Do in Ocean City, New Jersey
- This Floating Museum Fought in 4 Wars, Got 19 Battle Stars, and Sailed Over 50,000 Combat Miles
The post This WWII Battleship Served in Korea, Vietnam & Lebanon Before Becoming One of America’s Best Naval Museums appeared first on When In Your State.