The Battleship North CarolinaUSS North Carolina (BB-55) was the lead ship of North Carolina-class battleships and the fourth warship in the U.S. Navy to be named in honor of the State of North Carolina. She was the first newly constructed American battleship to enter service during World War II, and took part in every major naval offensive in the Pacific Theater of Operations; her 15 battle stars made her the most highly decorated American battleship of World War II. She is now a museum ship and memorial kept at the seaport of Wilmington, N.C.

Construction

The North Carolina was laid down on 27 October 1937 at the New York Naval Shipyard and launched on 13 June 1940, sponsored by the daughter of Clyde R. Hoey, the Governor of North Carolina. She was commissioned in New York City on 9 April 1941, with Captain Olaf M. Hustvedt in command. The first of the U.S. Navy's fast battleships to be commissioned, she carried a powerful main battery of nine 16 in (410 mm)/45 caliber Mark 6 guns.

Service in WWIIThe North Carolina completed her final shakedown cruise in the Caribbean Sea before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Early in 1942 she was scheduled to steam there, but remained in the Atlantic Ocean for a few more months as a potential counter to the German battleship Tirpitz if Tirpitz began to attack supply and troop convoys destined for Great Britain. By summer she was ordered to join the Pacific Fleet.

Design

The battleship is divided into decks. Below the main deck, in order, are: second deck, third deck, first platform, second platform, inner bottom. A platform deck does not run the full ship’s length. Forward of Turret I is a half deck for officers’ quarters between the main and second decks. Each deck is divided into compartments formed by bulkheads (walls). There are more than 1,000 compartments on board. These are divided into about 130 watertight spaces. In the event of collision or battle damage flooding is kept isolated so the ship can remain afloat. The superstructure rises above the main deck, 120 feet above the waterline. Its elevations in order are 01 level, 02 level, 03 level, and up to the 0-10 level, which is 15 “stories” above the inner bottom. This soaring tower replaced the tripods and cage masts of earlier ships.

1.It cost $76,885,7502.Nickname: Showboat3.Launched: June 13 19404.Sponsored by: Isabel Hoey5.struck: June 1 1960 6. Laid down:27 October 19377. Length:728.8 ft. (222.1 m)8. Speed:28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph9. Armor: Maximum: 16 in (410 mm10.Location: Wilmington N.C.

10 Facts

After inactivation, the North Carolina was decommissioned at New York on 27 June 1947. Stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 June 1960, she was transferred to the state of North Carolina on 6 September 1961. She was purchased from the U.S. Navy for $330,000 raised by the efforts of North Carolina school children, who saved their spare change and lunch money for the "Save Our Ship" campaign. In 1961, a fleet of tugboats maneuvered the 728 ft (222 m) ship through a stretch of the river 500 ft (150 m) wide. During this the ship struck the restaurant "Fergus' Ark", a former U.S. Army troopship docked near Princess Street. It was damaged severely and ceased operation. On 29 April 1962, she was dedicated at Wilmington as a memorial to North Carolinians of all services killed in World War II.

Decommission and memorial

Bibliographyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_North_Carolina_(BB-55)

http://www.battleshipnc.com/AbouttheShip/History

http://www.battleshipnc.com/

http://www.nchistoricsites.org/battleship/battleship.htm