Mighty Mo: The Grand Lady Comes Home

The story of the legendary battleship USS Missouri (BB-63), her legacy of victory and peace, and re-birth as the Battleship Missouri Memorial in Pearl Harbor. Book a tour at: www.ussmissouri.org

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[Pauahi950]

True, but the Missouri also received some of those same ship-to-ship and ship-to-surface defenses when she was upgraded in the 1980s – actually used in Desert Storm. Add to that the battleship's armer, which is much thicker than a modern naval ships. Nothing to sneeze at.

[Pauahi950]

We wouldn't dare. The dent is still there.

[Tull29]

@AmericanThunder -sorry that should have read armor and not armament.

[Tull29]

@AmericanThunder - no offense meant, but are we talking overall armament or are we talking turrets, barbettes, main belt, main deck and superstructure?

[Howardraz]

If you have served, you truely understand.

[Tull29]

@AmericanThunder -agreed with accuracy and penetrating of the American 16" main armament however the books that I have indicate that the Iowas were only protected against 14" shells, a fault that was to be corrected in the Montana class (12 16" main guns and protected against the 18.1" Japaneses shell).

Not trying to argue the point but I am curious as to the truth of the Iowa"s armor protection.

[jers59]

@AmericanThunder So did the old heavy cruisers Salt Lake City and Pensacola were then towed across the pacific and sunk in naval exercise

[AmericanThunder]

@jers59 I definitely agree, a torpedo under the keel will sink any ship afloat. That's why we have destroyer escorts for BBs and CVs. As for a cruise missile or 6" guns being a big threat to a battleship.. keep in mind that the old battleship Pennsylvania(built in 1913) survived both Bikini Nuclear Tests and had to be scuttled afterward. Anyway, fun discussion, thanks for that, neither of us will change our minds, so have a great day.

[jers59]

@AmericanThunder Last carrier sunk escort carrier USS Bismarck Sea 1945, Off Iwo Jima 1945 it was 5 inch destroyers that provided the most effective gunnery for the marines they closed in close and gave good covering fire. Des Moines class cruisers could fire 63/8 inch rounds per minute that would devastate battleship, 1 modern torpedo will easily break battleship in two exploding under keel causing large air bubble also modern ccruise missiles with shaped war heads will easily pierce BB armor

[AmericanThunder]

@jers59 If you want small guns, why bother with 8s? 5" fires even faster. Iowas already had 20 of them onboard, before their refit. In a full scale attack, the carrier's best defense wouldn't be thin-skinned cruisers, it would be a hard target that can absorb damage.

[jers59]

@AmericanThunder Lets see last amphibious operation Inchon 1950 so the arguement of steaming to visual range of enemy on land  is out the window. Recomissioning the Iowas in 1980 was vast waste of money Should have modernized 2 carriers Oriskany and Bon Homme Richard and 2 Des moines class cruisers Des moines and Salem with Newport News used as source for spare parts the fast firing 8 inch guns much more efficient then slow firing 16/50