Halsey later said he made a mistake in bowing to pressure and turning south. Only the New Jersey played a role in every major amphibious invasion after 1943: the Marshall Islands, the Caroline Islands, the Marianas Islands, New Guinea, the Palau Islands, the Philippines, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. Her helicopters worked to rescue downed aviators. To browse this image set, select from the options below. During February 1984, Lebanons Army collapsed, making peacekeeping impossible. Vietnamese Counter-Offensive, Phase V, 2. On March 31, President Lyndon Johnson announced he would enter negotiations, drop his bid for re-election, and halt bombing north of the 19th Parallel thus shielding much of North Vietnam (including the Thanh Hoa bridge) from bombardment by the New Jersey. As the Fifth Fleet flagship, USS New Jersey was a frontrunner to be the site for the Japanese surrender. The New Jersey was the first flagship for the occupation of Japan. She was carrying 206 maintenance and supply men of the 248th Air Regiment. Over 33 million records are contained in this database. Meanwhile, Japanese planes from the Philippines attacked the Third Fleet. 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. Though he never interfered with commanders on the spot, the worried Nimitz eventually told his staff to send a message to Halsey on the New Jersey asking, Where is Task Force Thirty-Four? Hearing Nimitzs emphasis, his staff repeated the Where is. An encoding officer added nonsense phrases and double consonants at either end to confuse any Japanese efforts to decode the message. The New Jerseys history spanned over half the 20th century, from her design in 1938 until 1991. On July 19, 1940, Congress passed the Two-Ocean Navy Act, authorizing the construction of three more Iowa-class battleships. Her battle group sailed to Thailand and was the only Navy presence in the Western Pacific. However, the reduced American force could not prevent the escape of two damaged Japanese battleships Ise and Hyuga, a cruiser, and four destroyers. this site are former crewman, and often they are looking for old
These suicide attacks, and the fanatical resistance by Japanese soldiers on Okinawa until June 22, helped convince new President Harry Truman that invasion of Japan itself would be exceedingly bloody and that use of the atomic bomb was a better alternative. 1 Jul 1945 Admiral Halsey eats Thanksgiving dinner with the crew of the USS New Jersey (BB-62) 30 November 1944. Chevalier. When she was performing her trials off the Virginia Capes on March 27, 1968, she reached a sustained top speed of 35.2 knots (40.5 mph), making the New Jersey the fastest battleship ever, and earning her a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. I held the American Flag in the ceremony. After receiving several of Kinkaids delayed messages, Halsey replied from the New Jersey at 0927: I AM STILL ENGAGING ENEMY CARRIERS. At 1000, Kinkaid sent another uncoded plea to the New Jersey: WHERE IS LEE? They usually include portraits of the sailors, officers, and other personnel aboard, accompanied by the individuals surname and naval rate. He then received voluminous shellfire from a battleline the last in history formed by Admiral Oldendorfs cruisers and six old battleships, five of which had been sunk or damaged at Pearl Harbor. Third Korean Winter Offensive. On August 8, the New Jersey used her 16-inch and 5-inch guns to bombard Wake Island, captured after a heroic defense by the Marines in 1941. The Japanese lost warships displacing 305,710 tons (a fleet carrier, 3 light carriers, 3 battleships, 6 heavy cruisers, 4 light cruisers, 9 destroyers), about 300 planes, and approximately 12,500 sailors and airmen. But the New Jersey and Iowa were faster, handier, more stable, better constructed, and could fire faster and more accurately. USS New Jersey fired three times more 16-inch ammunition in her first tour in Korea than she had in World War II. USS New Jersey is a national memorial to her crews and other Americans who served over her five decades. She fired eleven 16-inch shells 16-18 miles into Lebanon. The Iowa Class Battleships, by Malcolm Muir, @ 1987, Professor Malcolm Muir, Published by the Dorset Press, New York, NY. USS New Jersey (BB-62) was initially painted in dark single-color Camouflage Measure 21 and remained in this scheme for about two years. The New Jersey arrived on August 26, relieving a carrier battle group. 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. These ironclads helped win the American Civil War and led to seagoing warships, such as the cruiser Olympia, now berthed near the New Jersey on the Delaware. She was then floated pier side where a huge crane could aid in the final stages of construction, including the installation of the three massive, armored gun turrets and much of the topside equipment. The four Iowa-class were the only battleships fast enough to keep up with the fast carriers in World War II. The Admirals: Nimitz, Halsey, Leahy, and King, by Walter R. Boreman, @ 2012 Walter R. Boreman, Published by Back Bay Books, New York, NY. It crippled the Japanese carrier force, which had only 35 aircraft remaining after the battle and lost many irreplaceable pilots. Meanwhile, Taffy 3s escort carriers were being boxed in by Admiral Kuritas armada. Descend to Broadway and walk inside fire and boiler rooms of our nation's largest battleship. After his pilots reported little aerial opposition, Halsey on the New Jersey told his chief of staff, Admiral Robert Mick Carney: Im going to stick my neck out. Because the Philadelphia Yard finished the New Jersey nine months ahead of schedule, freeing up many skilled workers, the Wisconsin ultimately was launched and commissioned before the Missouri even though she had a higher hull number. Reactivating the Iowa-class ships would allow the Navy to create battleship battle groups to supplement the twelve carrier battle groups already in commission, enabling the Navy to meet its growing worldwide commitments. The nine 16-inch guns of the New Jersey and Iowa could fire 2,700-pound shells almost 24 miles. | 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. The attack sunk twenty-nine ships and destroyed 214 aircraft. 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. To avoid the weather, Halsey moved the fueling rendezvous south. Sent at 0944 on October 25, the radiogram read: TURKEY TROTS TO WATER GG WHERE IS RPT WHERE IS TASK FORCE THIRTY-FOUR RR THE WORLD WONDERS. 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. New Jersey Historical Museum Society, [Up] [Museum] [Help] [Photos] [FinalVoyage] [TheJerseyman] [CrewInfo] [History] [Log] [Links]. BB-62 was the second warship named for the State of New Jersey. Moreover, as the Japanese Navy minister stated, our defeat at Leyte was tantamount to the loss of the Philippines. The planes then had to make the long trek back to the Fifth Fleet in darkness. Bush ordered them to the Persian Gulf after Iraq invaded Kuwait on August 2, 1990. By contrast, the next day, D-Day, Allied ships carried 160,000 soldiers only 50 miles across the English Channel, supported by nearby English ports and airbases. Great job, tough work but was proud of that ship more than any other command I was on. She helped shoot down twenty Japanese warplanes and kamikazes, and rescued downed American pilots. Her bulkheads are 11.2 inches thick and form the forward and aft ends of the citadel. Following an overhaul at Long Beach, USS New Jersey returned to the Western Pacific in 1988 for naval exercises. America needs the battleship once again to provide firepower for the defense of freedom and, above all, to maintain the peace. President Reagan and 10,000 people then toured the New Jersey. Crew: 1,921: Armament: 3x3x16in(406mm)/50cal Mark 7 guns, 10x2x5in(127mm)/38cal Mark 12 guns, 80x40mm/56cal Bofors AA guns, 49x20mm/70cal Oerlikon AA guns: . Other features may include candid photographs of crew members at work and recreation, details and history of the ship, and short biographies on captains, commanders, and other prominent officers. She also received the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, and the Navy Unit Citation. 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. This site's Ships Log nearly
From August 1944 through January 1945, the New Jersey was Admiral Halseys first fleet flagship, leading the Navys main fleet during the Battle of Formosa, the invasions of Peleliu, Leyte, Mindoro, and Luzon, and its sweep through the South China Sea. About; Archives & Collections; . Navy combatant to incorporate the Aegis combat system. On June 6, 1944, the New Jersey, Iowa, and the 642 smaller ships of Admiral Spruances Fifth Fleet sailed from Majuro for the Marianas. 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. They destroyed shipping and over 500 hundred aircraft around Tokyo in what Admiral Mitscher called the greatest air victory of the war for carrier aviation. The New Jersey then covered the carriers as their planes bombed Iwo Jima during and after the Marines landing on February 19. As a member of the Decommissioning crew in 1991 I lost contact with a lot of good men from the crew. She also received the National Defense Service Medal and the China Service Medal. On January 28, 1946, USS New Jersey yielded her role as flagship of the Fifth Fleet and the Japanese occupation. Thus, the typhoon results in a court-martial. The Caine Mutiny, by Herman Wouk, @ 1951 Herman Wouk, Published by Back Bay Books, New York, NY. Information contained in this database includes: name, rank, enlistment date, muster date, and station. As stated by the New Jerseys captain in 1969, she provided firepower for freedom.. Two emergency diesel generators each produced an additional 250 kW. Marines said it greatly increased their morale knowing that the Big J was out there and would help defend them. The New Jersey was awesome. Keefer gets scared, telling Maryk: Cant you feel the real difference between the New Jersey and the Caine? U.S. defense spending was drastically reduced, and 90% of the Navys ships were decommissioned. 2 turret gunhouse assembly is seen being lowered into position on 12 January 1943. The Hunt for Red October, by Tom Clancy, @ 1984 Tom Clancy, Published by Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD. On September 30, 1968, USS New Jersey opened fire the first battleship salvos and 16-inch shells fired since she closed the Korean War in 1953. USS New Jersey, a 45,000-ton Iowa class battleship, was built at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, Pennsylvania. For
On June 7, 1954, off the Virginia Capes, all four Iowa-class battleships steamed together for the first and only time. And she did so without losing a man in combat. The Battle for Leyte Gulf, The Incredible Story of World War IIs Largest Naval Battle, by C. Vann Woodward, @ 2007, 2013, 2017 Skyhorse Publishing, Inc., Published by Skyhorse Publishing, Inc, New York, NY. The ramp came up, the breeches closed hydraulically, and the guns elevated. That fleet had started the Central Pacific offensive in November 1943 with liberation of Tarawa and Makin in the Gilbert Islands. Below that is a splinter deck of 0.625 inches. USS New Jersey and Admiral Spruance reunited at Majuro. All the 40mm guns were removed in 1967. 25 Feb 1945 : USS Wisconsin escorted carriers as the carrier aircraft attacked Hachino, Japan. As in other navies, they were the pride of the fleet. Even before Dreadnought was built, the United States had started building all-big-gun battleships, with the first one commissioned in Camden in 1908. When U.S. Marines land to liberate Iceland, the New Jersey and Iowa provide fire support. Meanwhile, ex-Governor and future Presidential candidate Harold Stassen surveyed USS New Jersey as a potential flagship for Admiral William F. Halsey, Jr. Admiral Spruance had felt the New Jerseys flag quarters were spacious, but they were not large enough for Admiral Halseys enormous staff. Even the speedy Iowa-class ships were targeted by the budget-cutters. Fortunately, barrels were a long lead-time item, so barrels had been procured for Illinois, Kentucky, and some of the Montana-class battleships even though the ships never were completed. Accordingly, the Japanese Navy sought a decisive battle to stop the Fifth Fleet. These cruises involved removing some of the ships own crew and bringing on board Naval Academy midshipmen to rotate through various departments of the ship and learn various jobs. 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. The New Jersey and six other battleships then formed a battle line that pulverized the Japanese base on Ponape Island in the Carolines on May 1. As a result, the United States scrapped, or converted to other uses, all battleships commissioned before 1911 (BB-1 through BB-30), scrapped the battleships under construction (BB-47, BB-49 through BB-54), and launched no battleships for almost twenty years. USS New Jerseys other anti-aircraft armament evolved with experience with air attacks during World War II, and with reduced air threat and higher jet speeds after the war. As seen from the side, the turret's 0.75" STS backing plates are installed. USS New Jersey (BB-62) is the most decorated battleship in Navy history, earning distinction in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, and conflicts in the Middle East. Visiting the @acboatshow this weekend? The New Jersey passed through the Panama Canal into the Pacific for the first time in 15 years. Sea of Thunder, Four Commanders and the Last Great Naval Campaign 1941-1945, by Evan Thomas, @ 2006 Evan Thomas, Published by Simon & Schuster, New York, NY. Navy cruise books are yearbook-style books assembled by volunteers on board ship to commemorate a deployment. She was launched with SK and SG air and surface search radars, upgraded to SPS-6 and SG-6 respectively by 1952. Launched on the first anniversary of Pearl Harbor, she fought in World War II, was the first battleship reactivated for the Korean War, the only battleship to serve in the Vietnam War, and the first battleship reactivated to end the Cold War. Through Ancestry's Immigration Collection, select the database New York Passenger Lists. This was the first time an American battleship had operated in the Soviet Unions backyard. When she was commissioned for the third time on April 6, there were a few protestors among the many well-wishers at the Philadelphia celebration. However, Lee and Spruance declined suggestions that they send the battleline west to engage the Japanese fleet in a night action. [3] The new AEGIS system allowed Ticonderoga to track and engage many aerial targets more effectively than any previous U. Ticonderoga entered service in 1983 and deployed later . SEND LEE. As Tokyo Rose later commented, Kinkaids hallooing for help in plain English showed great anxiety.. Marianas Operations, 4. The battleships with their large crews were seen as uneconomical. Volume VIII, New Guinea and the Marianas, March 1944-August 1944, @ 1953 Samuel Eliot Morison. At Guam, Admirals Nimitz and Spruance conferred about the planned invasion of Japans Home Islands. Other ports/arrival records For the Philadelphia-built ship, he chose the name New Jersey to honor his home state. USS New Jerseys electronics systems also evolved, sprouting different antennae on her superstructure over time. Iraq and Iran had been in a vicious war since 1980, and both had attacked tankers carrying oil through the vital waterway. It truly was an awsome ship, it was an honor to be a part of the decom crew. I point out that the Thanh Hoa bridge was only 12 miles inland, well within the range of the 16-inch guns on the Iowa-class battleships. Moreover, the 16-inch guns would allow the New Jersey to support the troops while out of range of shore batteries that were damaging cruisers firing 8-inch guns. The New Jersey was the only ship to serve as a flagship for both of Americas greatest fighting admirals in World War II: Raymond Spruance and William F. Bull Halsey, Jr. She is the only surviving flagship of Admiral Spruance, who commanded the Navys main fleet from the New Jersey twice, from February to April 1944 for the first attack on Truk, and from August to November 1945 to enforce Japans surrender as his last seagoing assignment. In the refit, USS New Jersey received electronic countermeasures and four Zuni rocket launchers modified to shoot shredded aluminum foil chaff to fool the radar of enemy missiles. On September 23, 2001, USS New Jersey was moved to her permanent berth at her new ceremonial pier on the Camden waterfront facing Philadelphia. 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. Battleship New Jersey Historical Museum Society
In addition to Spruances Fifth Fleet and Halseys Third Fleet, the New Jersey subsequently served as flagship for the occupation of Japan, the post-war Eastern Atlantic & Mediterranean Fleet, the Seventh Fleet during the Korean War, and the Second Fleet during the Cold War. Franklin Ship's Company 6 Men Lost via Accidents 1944-1945 55 Men Lost October 13, 15, 30, 1944 631 Men Lost March 19, 1945 Marine Detachment In the fall, she trained reservists. Moreover, forty-nine single Oerlikon 20-millimeter guns were distributed throughout the lower five levels of the superstructure and main deck, with a firing rate of up to 450 rounds per minute and a range of 4,800 yards. The next day, she set sail for home. USS New Jersey has an overall length of 887 feet, 7 inches, with a waterline length of 860 feet. The New Jersey remained on station off Lebanon for 170 of 191 days, with brief port visits to Israel and Egypt. 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. After further exercises in the Delaware and Chesapeake Bays, on August 9 the new battleship started a one-month shakedown cruise in the Caribbean, and then returned to Philadelphia Navy Yard for improvements, including an enclosed curved bridge, the only battleship with that feature. To supplement her strong armor and the anti-air protection provided by her twelve remaining 5-inch guns, the New Jersey was equipped with a final level of defense against anti-ship missiles four Phalanx Close-In Weapons Systems. Clancys description of their shore bombardment vividly evokes the New Jerseys many fire support missions in four wars: As the massive sixteen-inch rifles turned slowly to starboard and fired their first salvo, obscuring the firing battleship in an orange flash, the Soviet commander whispers Mother of God. Already the guns were going through their thirty-second reload cycle. The main belt is one of five layers of armor that comprise the sides and torpedo defenses of the armored citadel. Contrary to their assumption, USS New Jersey and the other ships earmarked for Task Force 34 were still part of the three carrier groups and were sailing north with Admiral Halsey. By the 1980s, new technology enabled as few as 1,600 crew to operate her. Putnams Sons, New York, NY. Passenger and Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, New York, 1897-1957; (National Archives Microfilm Publication T715, 8892 rolls); Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service; National Archives, Washington, D.C. The Iowa-class ships great size and reserve of buoyancy allowed them to carry the heavy anti-aircraft armament needed to defend themselves and the carriers they escorted in the Air Age, and to incorporate the latest cruise missile and anti-ship missile technology to keep them relevant in the Missile Age.
By 1945, eight twin-mounted 20mm guns replaced some of the single 20mm guns. Halseys message from the New Jerseys powerful radio mast copied Admiral Nimitz in Pearl Harbor, and Admiral Kinkaids radio operators intercepted it. On November 25, the New Jersey shot down six kamikazes and damaged several others, but some still struck four carriers. Consider doing this if your retired. During her deployment, she had steamed from the westernmost arm of the Pacific to the easternmost arm of the Atlantic and served with all four of Americas active Fleets. U.S. Navy Photo, National Archives number 80-G . On October 6, 1944, using a typhoon as cover, Admiral Halsey in USS New Jersey led five other battleships, nine fleet carriers, eight light carriers, fourteen cruisers, and fifty-eight destroyers straight into Japans inner line of defenses to clear the way for the Leyte landings. Chevalier commissioned 9 January 1945 and served in the US Navy until 2 June 1975, when she was . Starting around 1890, the United States built its own battleships (designated BB). USS New Jerseys armor protection is extensive and layered, using both Class A and Class B armor. In support of amphibious operations, the New Jerseys 16-inch guns can deliver shells as heavy as an automobile with pinpoint accuracy. Tet Counter-Offensive, 1969. One-third of the ships workforce was comprised of women, now known collectively as Rosie the Riveters.. West Caroline Operations, 5. Iwo Jima Operations, and 9. Halsey knew Admiral Kinkaid was preparing to confront Admiral Nishimuras southern force at Surigao Strait. Kamikazes from Japan eventually struck the fleet off Iwo Jima, sinking an escort carrier, the last carrier sunk in the war. G-2 The Best Turret ( just kidding) Battleship Gunners mates are the best, i loved being on the jersey though i hated my job and some people went out of their way too make my life miserablei loved the ship and enjoyed the travel i think of my time on the jersey almost every day please email me guys at stealthywizard@hotmai. On March 19, the New Jersey shot down about a half dozen aircraft attacking the carriers, damaged others, and used her floatplane to rescue a downed carrier pilot. Tickets are still available for the @battleshipnj 's Evening Engine Room Guided Tour, Friday, March 3 at 6pm. She steamed to Bremerton and was decommissioned next to Missouri on December 17. On September 5, 1968, USS New Jersey set sail again for war. The New Jersey and the other fast battleships bombarded Saipan and Tinian on June 13, the older battleships did so June 14, and the troops landed on mountainous Saipan on June 15. 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. The New Jersey transited the Panama Canal and raced across the Atlantic to the Mediterranean, joining the Sixth Fleet. 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. If you contact a Shipmate through HullNumber, your email address is not displayed in the message to your Shipmate. 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. USS New Jerseys four propeller shafts attach to four driving propellers. Day after day, kamikaze and conventional planes would attack. 5720 Integrity Drive By the time Pearl Harbor was attacked on 4 December 1941, this had more than doubled to 325,095. Several light and escort carriers were badly damaged, with stowed planes breaking loose and staring fires. Visiting the @acboatshow this weekend? Admiral Carney rushed over and grabbed his arm, saying: Stop it! With the New Jersey refueling destroyers, Halseys force attacked the Japanese stronghold of Formosa (now known as Taiwan) off the Chinese coast on October 10-14, in what Halsey termed a knock-down, drag-out fight between carrier-based and shore-based air. When a Japanese mass air attack appeared on the New Jerseys radar, they were routed by the Third Fleets coordinated defense. The New Jersey escorted fast carriers striking Okinawa, Taiwan, and then Luzon. USS New Mexico (BB-40) was a battleship in service with the United States Navy from 1918 to 1946. At President Roosevelts request, Congress on May 17, 1938, passed the Naval Act of 1938. Meanwhile, the New Jersey and Iowa bombarded Japans base on Mili atoll in the Marshalls on March 18, 1944. Finally, American scout planes spouted Ozawas lead ships at 1540 and his carriers at 1640. Organization for Veterans is The USS New Jersey BB-62 Veterans, Inc.
They sank a heavy cruiser, two light cruisers, several destroyers, and many transports bearing reinforcements. Thus, Spruance kept Fifth Fleet within supporting range of Saipan, and placed Lees battleline including the New Jersey fifteen miles in front of Admiral Marc Mitschers carriers to protect them. Reagan opened by saying: I find myself developing a great respect for the leading lady in these ceremonies. After the war, she remained in the Far East into early 1946. With an eye to the worsening situation in Europe, the United States authorized expansion to a "two ocean Navy" in July 1940, which led to rapid and massive increases in numbers of ships and personnel. New Jersey continued her Pacific combat operations into 1945, supporting the invasions of Iwo Jima and the Ryukyus. *
Pers-312 The New Jersey remained at Bayonne until the summer of 1962 when she was towed to the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard in a consolidation of the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. The USS New Jersey continued to blast targets until April 1969. In addition to her role as a museum, the New Jersey has been the site of numerous memorial services and commemorations of historical events.