USS Missouri (BB-63)
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Tenmei
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/* Signing of the Japanese Instrument of Surrender */ piped "Australian" mis-spelled
{{Otherships|USS Missouri}}
{|{{Infobox Ship Begin}}
{{Infobox Ship Image
|Ship image=[[Image:Missouri post refit.JPG|300px|USS Missouri in her 1980s configuration]]
|Ship caption=USS ''Missouri'' at sea in her 1980s configuration
}}
{{Infobox Ship Career
|Hide header=
|Ship country=US
|Ship flag={{USN flag|1992}}
|Ship name=USS ''Missouri'' (BB-63)
|Ship namesake=
|Ship ordered=[[12 June]] [[1940]]
|Ship builder=
|Ship laid down=[[6 January]] [[1941]]
|Ship launched=[[29 January]] [[1944]]
|Ship acquired=
|Ship commissioned=[[11 June]] [[1944]]
|Ship decommissioned=[[31 March]] [[1992]] (final)
|Ship in service=
|Ship out of service=
|Ship struck=[[12 January]] [[1995]]
|Ship reinstated=
|Ship nickname="Mighty Mo" or "Big Mo"
|Ship honours=11 [[battle stars]]
|Ship fate=[[Museum ship]]
|Ship status=
|Ship notes=Final battleship to be completed by the United States
}}
{{Infobox Ship Characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=(1943)
|Ship class={{Sclass|Iowa|battleship}}
|Ship displacement=45,000 tons (45,700 t)
|Ship length=887.2 ft (270 m)
|Ship beam=108.2 ft (33 m)
|Ship draft=28.9 ft (8.8 m)
|Ship propulsion=
|Ship speed=33 [[knot (speed)|knots]] (61 km/h)
|Ship range=
|Ship complement=2,700 officers and men
|Ship armament=9 x [[16-50 Mark 7|16 in (406 mm) 50 cal. Mark 7 guns]]<br />20 × [[5 inch (127 mm)/38 caliber gun|5 in (127 mm) 38 cal. Mark 12 guns]]<br />80 x [[Bofors 40 mm gun|40 mm 56 cal. anti-aircraft gun]]s<br />49 x [[Oerlikon 20 mm cannon|20 mm 70 cal. anti-aircraft gun]]s
|Ship armor=[[Belt armor|Belt]]: 12.1 in (307 mm)<br />[[Bulkhead]]s: 11.3 in (287 mm)<br />[[Barbette]]s: 11.6 to 17.3 in (295 to 439 mm)<br />[[Turret]]s: 19.7 in (500 mm)<br />[[Deck (ship)|Deck]]s: 7.5 in (190 mm)
}}
{{Infobox Ship Characteristics
|Hide header=no
|Header caption=(1984)
|Ship complement=1,851 officers and men
|Ship sensors=[[AN/SPS-49]] Air Search Radar<br />AN/SPS-67 Surface Search Radar</br>[[AN/SPQ-9]] Surface Search / Gun Fire Control Radar
|Ship EW=[[SLQ-32 Electronic Warfare Suite|AN/SLQ-32]]</br>[[AN/SLQ-25 Nixie]] Decoy System</br>8 × [[Mark 36 SRBOC]] Super Rapid Bloom Rocket Launchers
|Ship armament=9 x 16 in (406 mm) 50 cal. Mark 7 guns<br />12 × 5 in (127 mm) 38 cal. Mark 12 guns<br />32 x [[Tomahawk missile|BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missile]]s<br />16 x [[RGM-84 Harpoon|RGM-84 Harpoon Anti-Ship missiles]]<br />4 x [[Phalanx weapon system|20 mm/76 cal. Phalanx CIWS]]
}}
|}
'''USS ''Missouri'' (BB-63)''' ("'''Mighty Mo'''" or "'''Big Mo'''") is a [[United States Navy|U.S. Navy]] [[battleship]], and was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named in honor of the [[U.S. state]] of [[Missouri]]. ''Missouri'' was the final battleship built by the [[United States]], and among the [[Iowa class battleship|''Iowa''-class battleships]] is notable for being the site of the surrender of the [[Empire of Japan]] at the end of [[World War II]]. ''Missouri'' was ordered on [[12 June]] [[1940]] and her [[keel]] was laid at the [[New York Navy Yard]] in the [[New York City]] borough of [[Brooklyn]] on [[6 January]] [[1941]].
During her career ''Missouri'' saw action in World War II during the [[Battle of Iwo Jima]] and the [[Battle of Okinawa]], and shelled the Japanese home islands of [[Hokkaidō]] and [[Honshū]]. After World War II she returned to the United States before being called up and dispatched to fight in the [[Korean War]]. Upon her return to the United States she was decommissioned in 1955 into the [[United States Navy reserve fleets]], better known as the "Mothball Fleet". She was reactivated and modernized in 1984 as part of the [[600-ship Navy]] plan, and participated in the 1991 [[Gulf War]].
''Missouri'' was decommissioned a final time on [[31 March]] [[1992]], having received a total of eleven [[battle star]]s for service in World War II, Korea, and the Persian Gulf. She was maintained on the [[Naval Vessel Register]] until January 1995, when her name was struck. In 1998 she was donated to the Missouri Memorial Association, and is presently a [[museum ship]] at [[Pearl Harbor]], [[Hawaii]].
==Construction==
{{main|Iowa class battleship|Armament of the Iowa class battleship}}
''Missouri'' was one of the [[Iowa class battleship|''Iowa''-class]] "[[fast battleship]]" designs planned in 1938 by the Preliminary Design Branch at the [[Bureau of Construction and Repair]]. She was launched on [[29 January]] [[1944]] and commissioned on [[11 June]]. The ship was the third of the ''Iowa'' class, but the fourth and final ''Iowa''-class ship commissioned by the [[US Navy]].<ref name="Order">{{cite web | title = WISCONSIN (BB 64) | work = Naval Vessel Register | url = http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/BB64.htm | publisher= [[United States Navy]] | date = [[2006-03-20]] <!-- page updated on this date --> | accessdate=2006-12-17}}</ref><ref>At the time ''Missouri'' was commissioned two other ''Iowa''-class battleships— [[USS Illinois (BB-65)|USS ''Illinois'']] and [[USS Kentucky (BB-66)|USS ''Kentucky'']]— were under construction, and the United States Navy had commissioned plans for the [[Montana class battleship|''Montana''-class]] battleships; however, ''Illinois'' and ''Kentucky'' were canceled before their construction had been completed, and the ''Montana''s were suspended and ultimately canceled before any of their hulls were laid down.</ref><ref>Internationally, there were two other battleships that came after ''Missouri'': the British battleship [[HMS Vanguard (23)|HMS ''Vanguard'']], the final battleship constructed by the [[Royal Navy]], and the [[French battleship Jean Bart (1940)|French battleship ''Jean Bart'']].</ref> The ship was christened at her launching by [[Margaret Truman|Mary Margaret Truman]], daughter of [[Harry S. Truman]], then a senator from [[Missouri]].<ref name="DANFS">{{cite web | title = Missouri | url = http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/m12/missouri-iv.htm | work = [[Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships]] | publisher= [[United States Navy]] | accessdate=2006-12-15}}</ref>
''Missouri''’s main battery consisted of nine [[16 inch (406 mm)/50 caliber Mark 7 naval gun]]s, which could hurl 2,700 [[pound (mass)|lb]] armor piercing shells some {{convert|24|nmi|km|0}}. Her secondary battery consisted of twenty [[5 inch (127 mm)/38 caliber gun]]s in twin turrets, which could fire at targets up to {{convert|9|mi|km|0}} away. With the advent of air power and the need to gain and maintain [[air superiority]] came a need to protect the growing fleet of allied [[aircraft carrier]]s; to this end, ''Missouri'' was fitted with an array of [[Oerlikon 20 mm cannon|Oerlikon 20 mm]] and [[Bofors 40 mm gun|Bofors 40 mm]] [[anti-aircraft artillery|anti-aircraft guns]] to defend allied carriers from enemy airstrikes. When reactivated in 1984 ''Missouri'' had her 20 mm and 40 mm AA guns removed, and was outfitted with [[Phalanx CIWS]] mounts for protection against enemy missiles and aircraft, and [[Armored Box Launcher]]s and Quad Cell Launchers designed to fire [[Tomahawk missile]]s and [[Harpoon missile]]s, respectively.<ref name="The Battleships I">{{cite book | last =Johnston | first = Ian | coauthors = McAuley, Rob | title =The Battleships | publisher =Channel 4 | date =2002 | location = London | pages =p. 120 | isbn = 0752261886 | oclc = 59495980 }}</ref>
Although [[USS Wisconsin (BB-64)|USS ''Wisconsin'' (BB-64)]] is numerically the highest numbered US battleship built, she was actually completed before ''Missouri'', making ''Missouri'' the last completed US battleship.<ref name="Order"/><ref name="63 64 compare">''Wisconsin'' was commissioned [[April 16]] [[1944]] (See: [http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/BB64.htm WISCONSIN (BB 64)] in the [[Naval Vessel Register]]) while USS ''Missouri'' was commissioned [[June 11]] [[1944]] (See: [http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/BB63.htm MISSOURI (BB 63)] in the Naval Vessel Register).</ref>
==World War II (1944–1945)==
===Shakedown and service with Task Force 58, Admiral Mitscher===
After trials off [[New York]] and [[Shakedown cruise|shakedown]] and battle practice in the [[Chesapeake Bay]], ''Missouri'' departed [[Norfolk, Virginia]] on [[11 November]] [[1944]], transited the [[Panama Canal]] on [[18 November]] and steamed to [[San Francisco]] for final fitting out as fleet [[flagship]]. She stood out of [[San Francisco Bay]] on [[14 December]] and arrived at [[Pearl Harbor]], [[Hawaii]] on [[24 December]] [[1944]]. She departed Hawaii on [[2 January]] [[1945]] and arrived in [[Ulithi]], West [[Caroline Islands]], on [[13 January]] [[1945]]. There she was temporary headquarters ship for [[Vice Admiral]] [[Marc A. Mitscher]]. The [[battleship]] put to sea on [[27 January]] to serve in the screen of the [[USS Lexington (CV-16)|''Lexington'']] carrier task group of Mitscher's [[Fast Carrier Task Force|TF 58]], and on [[16 February]] her [[aircraft carrier]]s launched the first air strikes against Japan since the famed [[Doolittle raid]], which had been launched from the carrier [[USS Hornet (CV-8)|USS ''Hornet'']] in April 1942.<ref name="DANFS"/>
''Missouri'' then steamed with the carriers to [[Iwo Jima]] where her main guns provided direct and continuous support to the [[Battle of Iwo Jima|invasion landings]] begun on [[19 February]]. After TF 58 returned to Ulithi on [[5 March]], ''Missouri'' was assigned to the [[USS Yorktown (CV-10)|''Yorktown'']] carrier task group. On [[14 March]] ''Missouri'' departed Ulithi in the screen of the fast carriers and steamed to the Japanese mainland. During strikes against targets along the coast of the [[Inland Sea]] of [[Japan]] beginning on [[18 March]], ''Missouri'' shot down four Japanese [[aircraft]].<ref name="DANFS"/>
Raids against [[airfield]]s and [[naval base]]s near the Inland Sea and southwestern [[Honshū]] continued. During a Japanese attack, two [[bomb]]s penetrated the hangar deck and decks aft of the carrier [[USS Franklin (CV-13)|''Franklin'']], leaving her dead in the water within 50 miles (90 km) of the Japanese mainland. The [[cruiser]] [[USS Pittsburgh (CA-72)|USS ''Pittsburgh'']] took ''Franklin'' in tow until she gained speed to 14 knots (26 km/h). ''Missouri''’s carrier task group provided cover for ''Franklin''’s retirement toward Ulithi until [[22 March]], then set course for pre-invasion strikes and [[bombardment]] of [[Okinawa]].<ref name="DANFS"/>
''Missouri'' joined the fast battleships of TF 58 in bombarding the southeast coast of Okinawa on [[24 March]] [[1945]], an action intended to draw enemy strength from the west coast beaches that would be the actual site of invasion landings. ''Missouri'' rejoined the screen of the carriers as [[United States Marine Corps|Marine]] and [[United States Army|Army]] units [[Battle of Okinawa|stormed the shores of Okinawa]] on the morning of [[1 April]]. Planes from the carriers shattered a [[Operation Ten-Go|special Japanese attacking force]] led by the battleship ''[[Japanese battleship Yamato|Yamato]]'' on [[7 April]]. ''Yamato'', the world's largest battleship, was sunk, as were a cruiser and a [[destroyer]]. Three other enemy destroyers were heavily damaged and [[scuttled]]. Four remaining destroyers, sole survivors of the attacking fleet, were damaged and retired to [[Sasebo, Nagasaki|Sasebo]].<ref name="DANFS"/>
[[Image:Kamikaze zero.jpg|thumb|left|A Japanese Zero about to hit the ''Missouri'']]
On [[11 April]] ''Missouri'' opened fire on a low-flying [[kamikaze]] plane which penetrated the curtain of her shells and crashed on the [[starboard]] side just below her main deck level. The starboard wing of the plane was thrown far forward, starting a [[gasoline]] fire at 5 inch (127 mm) Gun Mount No. 3. The battleship suffered only superficial damage, and the fire was brought quickly under control.<ref name="DANFS"/> The remains of the pilot's body were recovered on board the ship just aft of one of the 40 mm gun tubs. Captain [[William M. Callaghan]] decided that the young Japanese pilot had done his job to the best of his ability and with honor, and that he deserved a [[military funeral]]. Not all of the crew agreed with that decision—the pilot was still their enemy and had tried to kill them—but the Captain's orders were respected and the following day the pilot was [[burial at sea|buried at sea]] with military honors.<ref>{{cite press release | title = Battleship Missouri Ceremony to Honor Ship's First Commander, Captain William M. Callaghan, April 12 | publisher = USS Missouri Memorial Association | date = [[2001-03-19]] | url = http://www.ussmissouri.com/press/2001/19Mar.htm | accessdate = 2006-12-23 }}</ref>
About 23:05 on [[17 April]] [[1945]], ''Missouri'' detected an enemy [[submarine]] 12 miles (22 km) from her formation. Her report set off a hunter-killer operation by the [[aircraft carrier|light carrier]] [[USS Bataan (CVL-29)|USS ''Bataan'']] and four [[destroyer]]s, which sank the Japanese submarine [[Japanese submarine I-56|''I-56'']].<ref name="DANFS"/>
''Missouri'' was detached from the carrier task force off Okinawa on [[5 May]] and sailed for Ulithi. During the Okinawa campaign she had shot down five enemy planes, assisted in the destruction of six others, and scored one probable kill. She helped repel 12 daylight attacks of enemy raiders and fought off four night attacks on her [[carrier battle group|carrier task group]]. Her shore bombardment destroyed several gun emplacements and many other military, governmental, and industrial structures.<ref name="DANFS"/>
===Service with the 3rd Fleet, Admiral Halsey===
''Missouri'' arrived at Ulithi on [[9 May]] [[1945]] and then proceeded to [[Apra Harbor]], [[Guam]], arriving on [[18 May]]. That afternoon [[Admiral]] [[William F. Halsey, Jr.]], Commander [[U.S. 3rd Fleet|3d Fleet]], broke his flag in ''Missouri''.<ref>William F. Halsey held the rank of a four star Admiral throughout the Second World War. In December of 1945, four months after the official surrender of the Japanese, he was promoted to the rank of [[Fleet Admiral (United States)|Fleet Admiral]] and awarded his fifth star. (See [http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq36-5.htm Fleet Admiral William Frederick Halsey, Jr.] from the U.S. Navy Historical Center.)</ref> She passed out of the harbor on [[21 May]], and by [[27 May]] was again conducting shore bombardment against Japanese positions on Okinawa. ''Missouri'' now led the 3rd Fleet in strikes on airfields and installations on [[Kyūshū]] on [[2 June]] and [[3 June]]. She rode out a fierce storm on [[5 June]] and [[6 June]] that wrenched the [[Bow (ship)|bow]] off the cruiser [[USS Pittsburgh (CA-72)|USS ''Pittsburgh'']]. Some topside fittings were smashed, but ''Missouri'' suffered no major damage. Her fleet again struck Kyūshū on [[8 June]], then hit hard in a coordinated air-surface bombardment before retiring towards [[Leyte (island)|Leyte]]. She arrived at [[San Pedro, Laguna|San Pedro]], Leyte, on [[13 June]] [[1945]], after almost three months of continuous operations in support of the [[Battle of Okinawa|Okinawa campaign]].<ref name="DANFS"/>
Here she prepared to lead the 3rd Fleet in strikes at the heart of Japan from within its home waters. The mighty fleet set a northerly course on [[8 July]] to approach the Japanese mainland. Raids took [[Tokyo]] by surprise on [[10 July]], followed by more devastation at the juncture of [[Honshū]] and [[Hokkaidō]] on [[13 July]] and [[14 July]]. For the first time a naval gunfire force wrought destruction on a major installation within the home islands when ''Missouri'' closed the shore to join in a bombardment on [[15 July]] that rained destruction on the Nihon Steel Co. and the Wanishi Ironworks at [[Muroran, Hokkaido]].<ref name="DANFS"/>
During the nights of [[17 July]] and [[18 July]] ''Missouri'' bombarded industrial targets in Honshū. [[Inland Sea]] aerial strikes continued through [[25 July]] [[1945]], and ''Missouri'' guarded the carriers as they struck hard blows at the Japanese capital. As July ended the Japanese no longer had any home waters. ''Missouri'' had led her fleet to gain control of the air and sea approaches to the very shores of Japan.<ref name="DANFS"/>
===Signing of the Japanese Instrument of Surrender===
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{{main|Japanese Instrument of Surrender}}
[[Image:Douglas MacArthur signs formal surrender.jpg|thumb|right|Allied sailors and officers watch General of the Army [[Douglas MacArthur]] sign documents during the surrender ceremony aboard ''Missouri'' on [[2 September]] [[1945]]. The unconditional surrender of the Japanese to the [[Allies of World War II|Allies]] officially ended the Second World War.]]
Strikes on [[Hokkaidō]] and northern Honshū resumed on [[9 August]] [[1945]], the day the second [[atomic bomb]] was dropped. On [[10 August]] [[1945]], at 20:54, ''Missouri'''s men were electrified by the unofficial news that Japan was ready to surrender, provided that the [[Emperor of Japan|Emperor]]'s prerogatives as a sovereign ruler were not compromised. Not until 07:45, [[15 August]], was word received that [[President of the United States|President]] [[Harry S. Truman]] had announced Japan's acceptance of [[unconditional surrender]].<ref name="DANFS"/>
Admiral Sir [[Bruce Fraser]] of the [[Royal Navy]], the Commander of the [[British Pacific Fleet]], boarded ''Missouri'' on [[16 August]] and conferred the order [[Order of the British Empire|Knight of the British Empire]] upon Admiral Halsey. ''Missouri'' transferred a landing party of 200 officers and men to the battleship [[USS Iowa (BB-61)|USS ''Iowa'']] for temporary duty with the initial occupation force for [[Tokyo]] on [[21 August]]. ''Missouri'' herself entered [[Tokyo Bay]] early on [[29 August]] to prepare for the signing by Japan of the official [[Japanese Instrument of Surrender (1945)|instrument of surrender]].<ref name="DANFS"/>
High-ranking military officials of all the [[Allied Powers]] were received on board on [[2 September]], including [[Republic of China|Chinese]] [[Shang Jiang|General]] [[Xu Yongchang|Hsu Yung-Ch'ang]], [[United Kingdom|British]] [[Admiral-of-the-Fleet]] [[Sir]] [[Bruce Fraser]], [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] [[Lieutenant-General]] [[Kuzma Nikolaevich Derevyanko]], [[Australia|Australian]] [[General (Australia)|General]] [[Sir#Formal styling|Sir]] [[Thomas Blamey]], [[Canada|Canadian]] [[Colonel (Canada)|Colonel]] [[Lawrence Moore Cosgrave]], [[France|French]] [[Army General (France)|Général d'Armée]] [[Philippe Leclerc de Hautecloque]], [[Netherlands]] [[Vice Admiral]] [[Conrad Emil Lambert Helfrich]], and [[New Zealand]] [[Air Vice Marshal]] [[Leonard Monk Isitt (aviator)|Leonard M. Isitt]].
[[Fleet Admiral]] [[Chester Nimitz]] boarded shortly after 08:00, and [[General of the Army]] [[Douglas MacArthur]], the Supreme Commander for the Allies, came on board at 08:43. The Japanese representatives, headed by [[Foreign Minister]] [[Mamoru Shigemitsu]], arrived at 08:56. At 09:02 General MacArthur stepped before a battery of [[microphone]]s and opened the 23 minute surrender ceremony to the waiting world by stating,<ref name="DANFS"/> "It is my earnest hope—indeeded the hope of all mankind—that from the blood and carnage of the past, a world founded upon faith and understanding, a world dedicated to the diginity of man and the fulfillment of his most cherished wish for freedom, tolerance, and justice."<ref> {{Citation | last =Staff | first = | author-link = | publication-date =September 1985 | date =1985 | year = | title =Missouri's place in history | periodical =All Hands | series = | publication-place =Alexandria, VA | place = | publisher =United States Navy | volume = | issue =822 | pages =16 | url = | issn = | doi = | oclc = | accessdate =2008-06-25}}</ref>
During the surrender ceremony, the deck of the ''Missouri'' was decorated with just two American flags. One had been flown from [[Commodore Matthew Perry|Commodore Perry's]] flagship in 1853-1854 when his squadron sailed into Tokyo Bay to urge the opening of Japan's ports to foreign trade. Some photographs of the signing ceremony show that this flag was actually displayed backward -- reverse side showing (stars in the upper right corner). The cloth of the historic flag was so fragile that the conservator at the Naval Academy Museum directed that a protective backing be sewn on it, leaving its "wrong side" visible; and this was how Perry's 31-star flag was presented on this unique occasion.<ref name="tsusumi2007">Tsustsumi, Cheryl Lee. [http://starbulletin.com/2007/08/26/travel/tsutsumi.html "Hawii's Back Yard: Mighty Mo memorial re-creates a powerful history,"] ''Star-Bulletin'' (Honolulu). August 26, 2007.</ref> The other U.S. flag came from the battleship while anchored in Tokyo Bay; it had not flown over the [[White House]] or the [[United States Capitol|Capitol Building]] on [[7 December]] [[1941]], it was "...just a plain ordinary GI-issue flag".<ref>{{cite web | title = Admiral Stuart S Murray’s oral history RE Surrender table 2 September 1945 | url = http://www.ussmissouri.org/coll_MurryHistory.htm | first = Stuart S. | last = Murray | authorlink = Stuart S. Murray| work = | publisher = USS Missouri Memorial Association | date = | accessdate=2006-12-23}}</ref>
By 09:30 the Japanese emissaries had departed. In the afternoon of [[5 September]] Admiral Halsey transferred his flag to the battleship [[USS South Dakota (BB-57)|USS ''South Dakota'']], and early the next day ''Missouri'' departed Tokyo Bay. As part of the ongoing [[Operation Magic Carpet (World War II)|Operation ''Magic Carpet'']] she received homeward bound passengers at [[Guam]], then sailed unescorted for Hawaii. She arrived at Pearl Harbor on [[20 September]] and flew Admiral Nimitz's flag on the afternoon of [[28 September]] for a reception.<ref name="DANFS"/>
==Post-war (1946–1950)==
[[Image:Missouri panama canal.jpg|thumb|right|''Missouri'' moves through the [[Panama Canal]] en route to the [[United States]] in October 1945.]]
The next day, ''Missouri'' departed Pearl Harbor bound for the eastern seaboard of the United States. She reached [[New York City]] on [[23 October]] [[1945]] and broke the flag of [[U.S. Atlantic Fleet]] commander Admiral [[Jonas Ingram]]. Four days later, ''Missouri'' boomed out a [[21-gun salute]] as President Truman boarded for [[Navy Day]] ceremonies.<ref name="DANFS"/>
After an overhaul in the [[New York Naval Shipyard]] and a training cruise to [[Cuba]], ''Missouri'' returned to New York. During the afternoon of [[21 March]] [[1946]], she received the remains of the [[Turkey|Turkish]] [[Ambassador]] to the United States, [[Münir Ertegün]]. She departed on [[22 March]] for [[Gibraltar]] and on [[5 April]] anchored in the [[Bosphorus]] off [[Istanbul]]. She rendered full honors, including the firing of 19 gun salutes during the transfer of the remains of the late ambassador and again during the funeral ashore.<ref name="DANFS"/>
''Missouri'' departed Istanbul on [[9 April]] and entered [[Phaleron Bay]], [[Piraeus, Greece]], the following day for an overwhelming welcome by Greek government officials and citizens. She had arrived in a year when there were ominous [[Russia]]n overtures and activities in the entire [[Balkan]] area. Greece had become the scene of a [[Communist]]-inspired [[civil war]], as Russia sought every possible extension of [[Soviet]] influence throughout the [[Mediterranean]] region. Demands were made that [[Turkey]] grant the Soviets a base of seapower in the [[Dodecanese Islands]] and joint control of the [[Dardanelles|Turkish Straits]] leading from the [[Black Sea]] into the Mediterranean.<ref name="DANFS"/> The voyage of ''Missouri'' to the eastern Mediterranean comforted Greece and Turkey. News media proclaimed her a symbol of U.S. interest in preserving both nations' independence.<ref name="DANFS"/>
''Missouri'' departed Piraeus on [[26 April]], touching at [[Algiers]] and [[Tangiers]] before arriving at [[Norfolk, Virginia|Norfolk]] on [[9 May]]. She departed for [[Culebra Island]] on [[12 May]] to join Admiral Mitscher's [[United States 8th Fleet|8th Fleet]] in the Navy's first large-scale postwar Atlantic training maneuvers. The battleship returned to New York City on [[27 May]], and spent the next year steaming Atlantic coastal waters north to the [[Davis Strait]] and south to the [[Caribbean]] on various Atlantic command training exercises.<ref name="DANFS"/> On [[13 December]], during a target practice exercise in the North Atlantic, a [[star shell]] accidentally struck the battleship; fortunately, there were no reported injuries.<ref name="oops">{{cite web | title = USS Missouri (BB 63): Accidents aboard USS MISSOURI | work = Unofficial US Navy Site | url = http://www.navysite.de/bb/bb63.htm#acc | first = Thoralf | last = Doehring | accessdate = 2006-12-15}}</ref>
[[Image:Grounded Missouri.jpg|thumb|left|''Missouri'' was accidentally grounded early on the morning of [[17 January]] [[1950]].]]
''Missouri'' arrived in [[Rio de Janeiro]] on [[30 August]] [[1947]] for the Inter-American Conference for the Maintenance of Hemisphere Peace and Security. President Truman boarded on [[2 September]] to celebrate the signing of the [[Rio Treaty]], which broadened the [[Monroe Doctrine]] by stipulating that an attack on one of the signatory American states would be considered an attack on all.<ref name="DANFS"/>
The Truman family boarded ''Missouri'' on [[7 September]] [[1947]] to return to the United States and debarked at Norfolk on [[19 September]]. Her overhaul in New York—which lasted from [[23 September]] to [[10 March]] [[1948]]—was followed by refresher training at [[Guantanamo Bay Naval Base|Guantanamo Bay]]. The summer of 1948 was devoted to midshipman and reserve training cruises. The battleship departed Norfolk on [[1 November]] for a second 3 week [[Arctic]] cold-weather training cruise to the Davis Strait. During the next two years, ''Missouri'' participated in Atlantic command exercises from the [[New England]] coast to the Caribbean, alternated with two midshipman summer training cruises. She was overhauled at Norfolk Naval Shipyard from [[23 September]] [[1949]] to [[17 January]] [[1950]].<ref name="DANFS"/>
Throughout the latter half of the 1940s the various service branches of the United States had been downsizing their inventories from their World War II levels. In the Navy this resulted in several vessels of various types being decommissioned and either sold for scrap or placed in one of the various [[United States Navy reserve fleets]] scattered along the [[East Coast of the United States|East]] and [[West Coast of the United States]]. As part of this drawdown, three of the ''Iowa''-class battleships had been de-activated and decommissioned; however, President Truman refused to allow ''Missouri'' to be decommissioned. Against the advice of [[Secretary of Defense]] [[Louis Johnson]], [[United States Secretary of the Navy|Secretary of the Navy]] [[John L. Sullivan (Navy)|John L. Sullivan]], and [[Chief of Naval Operations]] [[Louis E. Denfeld]], Truman ordered ''Missouri'' to be maintained with the active fleet partly because of his fondness for the battleship and partly because the battleship had been commissioned by his daughter [[Margaret Truman]].<ref>{{cite journal | url=http://www.historynet.com/magazines/american_history/3037591.html | title = USS ''Missouri'': Served in World War II and Korean War | last=Stillwell | first=Paul | date = February 1999 | journal = [[American History]] | volume = | issue = | pages = | issn = 1076-8866 | id = {{OCLC|30148811}} | accessdate=2007-12-03 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url = http://starbulletin.com/1999/08/09/news/story2.html | title = Mighty Mo anchors $500,000 donation | last=Adamski | first = Mary | work = [[Honolulu Star-Bulletin]] | date = [[1998-08-09]] | accessdate=2007-06-14 }}</ref>
Then the only U.S. battleship in commission, ''Missouri'' was proceeding seaward on a training mission from [[Hampton Roads]] early on [[17 January]] [[1950]] when she ran aground 1.6 miles (3.0 km) from Thimble Shoals Light, near [[Old Point Comfort]]. She hit shoal water a distance of three ship-lengths from the main channel. Lifted some seven feet above waterline, she stuck hard and fast.<ref name="DANFS"/> Seizing the opportunity to criticize the United States, the Soviet Union ran a story in its naval publication ''Red Fleet'' which criticized the grounding of the battleship.<ref name="oops"/> With the aid of [[tugboats]], [[Pontoon (boat)|pontoons]], and an incoming tide, she was refloated on [[1 February]] [[1950]] and repaired shortly thereafter.<ref name="DANFS"/>
==The Korean War period (1950–1955)==
In 1950 [[North Korea]] [[Korean War|invaded]] [[South Korea]], prompting the United States to intervene in the name of the [[United Nations]]. President Harry S. Truman was caught off guard when the invasion struck,<ref>American Secretary of State [[Dean Acheson]] had told Congress on [[June 20]] that no war was likely.</ref> but quickly ordered U.S. forces stationed in Japan into South Korea. Truman also sent U.S. based troops, tanks, fighter and bomber aircraft, and a strong naval force to Korea to support the Republic of Korea. As part of the naval mobilization ''Missouri'' was called up from the Atlantic fleet and dispatched from Norfolk on [[19 August]] to support U.N. forces on the Korean peninsula.<ref name="DANFS"/>
[[Image:F4U-4B VF-113 CV-47 1950.JPEG|thumb|left|A Vought F4U-4B Corsair of fighter squadron VF-113 Stingers flies over several US/UN ships, including ''Missouri'', at Inchon, Korea, on 15 Sep 1950.]]
''Missouri'' joined the U.N. just west of [[Kyūshū]] on [[14 September]], where she became the flagship of [[Rear Admiral]] A. E. Smith. The first American battleship to reach Korean waters, she bombarded [[Samchok]] on [[15 September]] [[1950]] in an attempt to divert troops and attention from the [[Battle of Inchon|Inchon landings]]. This was the first time since WWII that ''Missouri'' had fired her guns in anger, and in company with the cruiser [[USS Helena (CA-75)|USS ''Helena'']] and two [[destroyer]]s, she helped prepare the way for the [[U.S. Eighth Army|8th Army]] offensive.<ref name="DANFS"/>
''Missouri'' arrived at [[Inchon]] on [[19 September]], and on [[10 October]] became flagship of Rear Admiral J. M. Higgins, commander, Cruiser Division 5. She arrived at [[U.S. Fleet Activities Sasebo|Sasebo]] on [[14 October]], where she became flagship of [[Vice Admiral]] A. D. Struble, Commander, [[United States 7th Fleet|7th Fleet]]. After screening the aircraft carrier [[USS Valley Forge (CV-45)|USS ''Valley Forge'']] along the east coast of [[Korea]], she conducted bombardment missions from [[12 October]] to [[26 October]] in the [[Chongjin]] and [[Tanchon]] areas, and at [[Wonsan]] where she again screened carriers eastward of Wonsan.<ref name="DANFS"/>
MacArthur's [[Battle of Incheon|amphibious landings at Inchon]] had severed the North Korean Army’s supply lines; as a result, North Korea’s army had begun a lengthy retreat from South Korea into North Korea. This retreat was closely monitored by the [[Peoples Republic of China]] (PRC) out of fear that the U.N. offensive against Korea would create a capitalist country on China’s border, and out of concern that the U.N. offensive in Korea could evolve into a U.N. war against China. The latter of these two threats had already manifested itself during the Korea War: U.S. [[F-86 Sabre]]s on patrol in "[[MiG Alley]]" frequently crossed into China while pursuing Communist Migs operating out of Chinese airbases.<ref name="Dogfights">{{cite episode | title = Mig Alley | episodelink = | url = | series = Dogfights | serieslink = Dogfights (TV series) | credits = | network = [[The History Channel]] | station = | city = | airdate = 2006-11-03 | began = | ended = | season = 1 | number = 1 | minutes = | transcript = | transcripturl = }}</ref>
Moreover, there was talk among the U.N. commanders{{mdash}}notably General [[Douglas MacArthur]]{{mdash}}about a potential campaign against the People's Republic of China. In an effort to dissuade U.N. forces from completely overrunning North Korea the Peoples Republic of China issued diplomatic warnings that they would use force to protect the PRC, but these warnings were not taken seriously for a number a reasons, among them the fact that China lacked air cover to conduct such an attack.<ref>{{cite book | title = United States Army in the Korean War | first = James F. | last = Schnabel | coauthors = Roy Edgar Appleman; United States. Dept. of the Army. Office of Military History | location = Washington, D.C. | publisher = Office of the Chief of Military History, United States Army | year = 1961–72 | oclc = 81433331 | page = p. 212 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book | title = Tumultuous Years: The Presidency of Harry S. Truman, 1949–1953 | first = Robert J. | last = Donovan | location = New York | publisher = Norton | year = 1982 | isbn = 9780393016192 | oclc = 8345640 | page = p. 285 }}</ref> This changed abruptly on [[19 October]] [[1950]], when the first of an eventual total of {{nowrap | 380,000 [[People's Liberation Army]] }} soldiers under the command of General [[Peng Dehuai]] crossed into North Korea, launching a full scale [[Battle of Chosin Reservoir|assault against advancing U.N. troops]]. The PRC offensive caught the U.N. completely by surprise; U.N. forces realized they would have to fall back, and quickly executed an emergency retreat. U.N. assets were shuffled in order to cover this retreat, and as part of the force tasked with covering the U.N. retreat ''Missouri'' was moved into [[Hungnam]] on [[23 December]] to provide gunfire support about the Hungnam defense perimeter until the last U.N. troops, the [[3rd Infantry Division (United States)|U.S. 3rd Infantry Division]], were evacuated by way of the sea on [[24 December]] [[1950]].<ref name="DANFS"/>
[[Image:Missouri North Korea Deployment.jpg|thumb|right|''Missouri'' fires her guns against enemy positions during the Korean War. Notice the effect on the seawater under the guns.]]
''Missouri'' conducted additional operations with carriers and shore bombardments off the east coast of Korea until [[19 March]] [[1951]]. She arrived at [[U.S. Fleet Activities Yokosuka|Yokosuka]] on [[24 March]], and 4 days later was relieved of duty in the Far East. She departed Yokosuka on [[28 March]], and upon arrival at Norfolk on [[27 April]] became the flagship of Rear Admiral James L. Holloway, Jr., commander, Cruiser Force, Atlantic Fleet. During the summer of 1951, she engaged in two [[midshipman]] training cruises to northern Europe. ''Missouri'' entered [[Norfolk Naval Shipyard]] [[18 October]] [[1951]] for an overhaul, which lasted until [[30 January]] [[1952]].<ref name="DANFS"/>
Following winter and spring training out of Guantanamo Bay, ''Missouri'' visited New York, then set course from Norfolk on [[9 June]] [[1952]] for another midshipman cruise. She returned to Norfolk on [[4 August]] and entered Norfolk Naval Shipyard to prepare for a second tour in the Korean combat zone.<ref name="DANFS"/>
''Missouri'' stood out of [[Hampton Roads]] on [[11 September]] [[1952]] and arrived at Yokosuka on [[17 October]]. She broke the flag of Vice Admiral [[Joseph J. Clark]], commander of the [[U.S. 7th Fleet|7th Fleet]], on [[19 October]]. Her primary mission was to provide seagoing [[artillery]] support by bombarding enemy targets in the Chaho-Tanchon area, at [[Chongjin]], in the Tanchon-Sonjin area, and at Chaho, [[Wonsan]], [[Hamhung]], and Hungnam during the period [[25 October]] through [[2 January]] [[1953]].<ref name="DANFS"/>
''Missouri'' put in to Inchon on [[5 January]] [[1953]] and sailed thence to Sasebo, Japan. General Mark W. Clark, Commander in Chief, U.N. Command, and Admiral Sir Guy Russell, the [[Royal Navy]] commander of the British Far East Station, visited the battleship on [[23 January]]. In the following weeks, ''Missouri'' resumed "Cobra" patrol along the east coast of Korea to support troops ashore. Repeated strikes against Wonsan, Tanehon, Hungnam, and Kojo destroyed main supply routes along the eastern seaboard of Korea.<ref name="DANFS"/>
The last gunstrike mission by ''Missouri'' was against the Kojo area on [[25 March]]. She sustained a grievous casualty on [[6 March]] [[1953]], when her commanding officer Captain Warner R. Edsall suffered a fatal [[myocardial infarction|heart attack]] while conning her through the submarine net at Sasebo. She was relieved as the 7th Fleet [[flagship]] on [[6 April]] by her older sister [[USS New Jersey (BB-62)|USS ''New Jersey'']].<ref name="DANFS"/>
''Missouri'' departed Yokosuka on [[7 April]] [[1953]] and arrived at Norfolk on [[4 May]] to become flagship for Rear Admiral E. T. Woolridge, commander, Battleships-Cruisers, Atlantic Fleet, on [[14 May]]. She departed on [[8 June]] on a midshipman training cruise, returned to Norfolk on [[4 August]], and was overhauled in Norfolk Naval Shipyard from [[20 November]] [[1953]] to [[2 April]] [[1954]]. Now the flagship of Rear Admiral R. E. Kirby, who had relieved Admiral Woolridge, ''Missouri'' departed Norfolk on [[7 June]] as flagship of the midshipman training cruise to [[Lisbon]] and [[Cherbourg-Octeville|Cherbourg]]. During this voyage ''Missouri'' was joined by the other three battleships of her class, USS ''New Jersey'', ''Wisconsin'', and ''Iowa'', the only time the four ships sailed together.<ref>{{cite book | title = Battleship | first = Philip | last = Kaplan | location = Annapolis, Maryland | publisher = Naval Institute Press | year = 2004 | isbn = 9781591140382 | oclc = 56052489 | page = p. 166 }}</ref> She returned to Norfolk on [[3 August]] and departed on [[23 August]] for inactivation on the West Coast. After calls at [[Long Beach, California|Long Beach]] and [[San Francisco]], ''Missouri'' arrived in [[Seattle, Washington|Seattle]] on [[15 September]] [[1954]]. Three days later she entered [[Puget Sound Naval Shipyard]] where she decommissioned on [[26 February]] [[1955]], entering the [[Bremerton]] group, [[Pacific Reserve Fleet]].<ref name="DANFS"/>
Upon arrival in Bremerton, ''Missouri'' was moored at the last pier of the reserve fleet berthing. This placed her very close to the mainland, and she served as a popular tourist attraction, logging about 180,000 visitors per year, who came to view the "surrender deck" where a bronze plaque memorialized the spot where Japan surrendered to the Allies, and the accompanying historical display that included copies of the surrender documents and photos. A small cottage industry grew in the civilian community just outside the gates, selling souvenirs and other memorabilia. Nearly thirty years would pass before ''Missouri'' would again return to active duty.<ref name="DANFS"/>
==Reactivation (1984 to 1990)==
[[Image:Missouri Modernized.jpg|thumb|left|USS ''Missouri'' in dry dock during her modernization at the Long Beach Naval Shipyard in 1985]]
Under the [[Ronald Reagan|Reagan Administration]]’s program to build a [[600-ship Navy]], led by [[United States Secretary of the Navy|Secretary of the Navy]] [[John F. Lehman]], ''Missouri'' was reactivated and towed by the salvage ship [[USS Beaufort (ATS-2)|''Beaufort'']] to the Long Beach Naval Yard in the summer of 1984 to undergo modernization in advance of her schedualed recomissioning.<ref name="DANFS"/> In preparation for the move, a skeleton crew of twenty spent three weeks working 12-16 hour days preparing the battleship for her tow.<ref>{{Citation | last =Weissleder | first =Bob | author-link = | publication-date =November 1984 | date = | year =1984 | title =Mighty Mo Rejoins Fleet | periodical =All Hands | series = | publication-place =Alexandria, VA | place = | publisher =United States Navy | volume = | issue =813 | pages =26–28 | url = | issn = | doi = | oclc = | accessdate =2008-06-25}}</ref> During the modernization, ''Missouri'' had all of her remaining [[Oerlikon 20 mm cannon|Oerlikon 20 mm]] and [[Bofors 40 mm gun|Bofors 40 mm]] anti-aircraft guns removed, due to their ineffectiveness against modern [[Fighter aircraft|jet fighter]]s and enemy anti-ship missiles. Additionally, the two 5 inch gun mounts located at mid-ship and in the [[aft]] on the [[Port (nautical)|port]] and [[starboard]] sides of the battleship were removed.<ref name="FAS Iowa">{{cite web | title = BB-61 IOWA-class | format = specifications | url = http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ship/bb-61.htm | publisher = [[Federation of American Scientists]] | date = [[2000-10-21]] | accessdate=2006-11-26 }}</ref>
Over the next several months the ship was upgraded with the most advanced weaponry available; among the new weapons systems installed were four MK 141 quad cell launchers for 16 [[Harpoon missile|AGM-84 Harpoon]] anti-ship missiles, eight [[Armored Box Launcher|Armored Box Launcher (ABL)]] mounts for 32 [[BGM-109 Tomahawk]] [[missile]]s, and a quartet of [[Phalanx CIWS|Phalanx]] [[Close-in weapon system|Close In Weapon System (CIWS)]] [[gatling gun]]s for defense against enemy [[anti-ship missile]]s and enemy aircraft.<ref name="FAS Iowa"/> Also included in her modernization were upgrades to [[radar]] and [[fire control system]]s for her guns and missiles, and improved [[electronic warfare]] capabilities.<ref name="FAS Iowa"/> During the modernization ''Missouri''’s 800 lb bell, which had been removed from the battleship and sent to [[Jefferson, Missouri]] for sesquicentennial celebrations in the state, was formally returned to the battleship in advance of her recommissioning.<ref> {{Citation | last =Staff | first = | author-link = | publication-date =September 1985 | date =1985 | year = | title =Missouri bell returned | periodical =All Hands | series = | publication-place =Alexandria, VA | place = | publisher =United States Navy | volume = | issue =822 | pages =16 | url = | issn = | doi = | oclc = | accessdate =2008-06-25}}</ref> Armed as such, ''Missouri'' was formally recommissioned in [[San Francisco, California]] on [[10 May]] [[1986]]. "This is a day to celebrate the rebirth of American sea power", [[Secretary of Defense]] [[Casper W. Weinberger]] told an audience of 10,000 at the recommissioning ceremony, instructing the crew to "listen for the footsteps of those who have gone before you. They speak to you of honor and the importance of duty. They remind you of your own traditions."<ref name="chinfo">{{cite web | title = United States Navy Battleships: USS Missouri (BB 63) | url = http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/ships/battleships/missouri/bb63-mo.html | work = The Battleships | publisher= United States Navy Office of Information | date = [[2000-04-24]] | accessdate = 2006-12-15}}</ref>
[[Image:Missouri Recomissioned (1986).jpg|thumb|right|Crewmen man the rails as ''Missouri'' formally recommissions in San Francisco, California]]
Four months later, the nation's most recently recommissioned battleship departed from her new home port of [[Naval Station Long Beach|Long Beach]] for an around-the-world cruise, bringing the message of "Strength for Freedom" to Hawaii, [[Australia]] including [[Tasmania]], [[Diego Garcia]], [[Egypt]], [[Turkey]], [[Italy]], [[Spain]], [[Portugal]] and [[Panama]]. ''Missouri'' became the first battleship to [[circumnavigation|circumnavigate]] the globe since [[Theodore Roosevelt]]'s "[[Great White Fleet]]" 80 years before—a fleet which included [[USS Missouri (BB-11)|USS ''Missouri'' (BB-11)]], the first battleship of that name.<ref name="DANFS"/>
In 1987, ''Missouri'' was outfitted with 40 mm grenade launchers and 25 mm chain guns, and sent to take part in [[Operation Earnest Will|Operation ''Earnest Will'']], the escorting of reflagged [[Kuwait]]i [[oil tankers]] in the [[Persian Gulf]].<ref name="BAW">{{cite book |last=Poyer |first=Joe |editor=Lightbody, Andy & Blaine, Taylor |title=Battleships at War: America's Century Long Romance with the Big Guns of the Fleet |origyear=1991 |accessdate=2008-02-23 |publisher=Challenge Publications, Inc |location=Canoga Park, CA |pages=50-53 |chapter=Are These the Last Battleships?}}</ref> These smaller-caliber weapons were installed due to the threat of [[Iran]]ian-manned, [[Sweden|Swedish]]-made [[Boghammar]] [[cigarette boat]]s operating in the Persian Gulf at the time.<ref>{{cite web | title = Frequently asked questions aboard the Missouri | url = http://www.ussmissouri.com/faq.aspx | publisher= USS Missouri Memorial Association | date = 2004 | accessdate = 2006-12-24}}</ref> On [[25 July]] [[1987]], the ship departed on a six-month deployment to the [[Indian Ocean]] and North [[Arabian Sea]]. The ship spent more than 100 continuous days at sea in a hot, tense environment—a striking contrast to her world cruise months earlier. As the centerpiece for Battlegroup Echo, ''Missouri'' escorted tanker [[convoy]]s into the [[Strait of Hormuz]], keeping her fire control system trained on land-based Iranian [[Silkworm missile]] launchers.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.ussmissouri.com/CmdHist/ch21.htm | first = J. J. | last = Chernesky | title = COMMAND HISTORY, CALENDAR YEAR 1987, (OPNAV REPORT SYMBOL 5750-1) | format = page 2 | publisher= USS Missouri Memorial Association | date = October 1987 | accessdate = 2006-12-24}}</ref>
''Missouri'' returned to the United States via [[Diego Garcia]], Australia and Hawaii in early 1988. Several months later, ''Missouri's'' crew again headed for Hawaiian waters for the Rim of the Pacific (RimPac) exercises, which involved more than 50,000 troops and ships from the navies of Australia, [[Canada]], Japan and the United States. Port visits in 1988 included [[Vancouver]] and [[Victoria, British Columbia|Victoria]] in Canada, [[San Diego]], [[Seattle]], and Bremerton.<ref name="DANFS"/>
1989 was a hectic year in the life of the ''Missouri''. The early months found the ship in the [[Long Beach Naval Shipyard]] for routine maintenance. A few months later, the battleship departed for Pacific Exercise (PacEx) '89, where ''Missouri'' and her sister ship USS ''New Jersey'' performed a simultaneous gunfire demonstration for the aircraft carriers [[USS Enterprise (CVN-65)|''Enterprise'']] and [[USS Nimitz (CVN-68)|''Nimitz'']]. The highlight of PacEx was a port visit in [[Pusan]], [[Republic of Korea]]. In 1990, ''Missouri'' again took part in the RimPac Exercise with ships from Australia, Canada, Japan, and Korea in addition to United States Navy ships.<ref name="DANFS"/>
==Gulf War (1990 to 1991)==
On [[2 August]] [[1990]] [[Saddam Hussein]]'s [[Iraq]] invaded [[Kuwait]]. In the middle of the month, President [[George H. W. Bush]], in keeping with the [[Carter Doctrine]], sent the first of several hundred thousand troops, along with a strong force of naval support, to [[Saudi Arabia]] and the Persian Gulf area to support a multi-national force in a standoff with the Iraqi dictator.
''Missouri''’s scheduled four-month Western Pacific port-to-port cruise set to begin in September was canceled just a few days before the ship was to leave. She had been placed on hold in anticipation of being mobilized as forces continued to mass in the [[Middle East]]. ''Missouri'' departed on [[13 November]] [[1990]] for the troubled waters of the Persian Gulf. Amid the press coverage that a ship of the stature of ''Missouri'' is used to receiving, the historic [[Battleship|dreadnought]] pulled away from Pier 6 at Long Beach and headed for Hawaii and the [[Philippines]] for more work-ups en route to the Persian Gulf. Along the way she made stops at [[U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay|Subic Bay]] and Pattaya Beach, [[Thailand]], before transiting the Strait of Hormuz on [[3 January]] [[1991]]. During subsequent operations leading up to [[Operation Desert Storm]], ''Missouri'' prepared to launch Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles (TLAMs) and provide on-call naval gunfire support.<ref name="DANFS"/>
[[Image:Missouri missile BGM-109 Tomahawk.JPG|thumb|right|''Missouri'' launches a [[Tomahawk missile]].]]
''Missouri'' fired her first Tomahawk missile at Iraqi targets at 01:40 on [[17 January]] [[1991]], followed by 27 additional missiles over the next five days.<ref name="DANFS"/>
On [[29 January]] [[1991]] the {{sclass|Oliver Hazard Perry|frigate|1}} {{USS|Curts|FFG-38|6}} led ''Missouri'' northward, using advanced mine-avoidance sonar. In her first naval fire support action of the Gulf War, ''Missouri'' gun crews sent {{convert|2700|lb|abbr=on}} shells crashing into an Iraqi command and control bunker near the Saudi border. It marked the first time her {{convert|16|in|mm|0|sing=on}} guns had been fired in combat since March 1953 off Korea.<ref name="Desert Storm">{{cite book | chapter = V: "Thunder And Lightning"- The War With Iraq | title = The United States Navy in "Desert Shield" / "Desert Storm"| url = http://www.history.navy.mil/wars/dstorm/index.html | chapterurl = http://www.history.navy.mil/wars/dstorm/ds5.htm | author = United States. Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. | location = Washington, D.C. | publisher= [[United States Navy]] | date = [[1991-05-15]] | accessdate = 2006-11-26 | oclc = 25081170}}</ref> The battleship bombarded Iraqi beach defenses in occupied Kuwait on the night of [[3 February]], firing 112 16 inch rounds over the next three days until relieved by her sister ship USS ''Wisconsin''. ''Missouri'' then fired another 60 rounds off [[Khafji]] on [[11 February]] and [[12 February]] before steaming north to Faylaka Island. After [[Minesweeper (ship)|minesweepers]] cleared a lane through Iraqi defenses, ''Missouri'' fired 133 rounds during four shore bombardment missions as part of the amphibious landing [[feint]] against the Kuwaiti shore line the morning of [[23 February]].<ref name="DANFS"/> The heavy pounding attracted Iraqi attention; in response to the battleship’s artillery strike, the Iraqis fired two HY-2 Silkworm missiles at the battleship. One of the two missiles launched missed ''Missouri'',<ref name="FAQ">{{cite web | title = USS Missouri (BB-63)FAQ | url = http://www.factplace.com/mightymo.htm#Gulf | publisher = FactPlace.com | first = Ben M. | last = Schorr | date = [[2006-02-03]] | accessdate = 2006-12-16}}</ref> while the other was intercepted by a GWS-30 [[Sea Dart missile]] launched from the British air defence destroyer [[HMS Gloucester (D96)|HMS ''Gloucester'']]<ref name="DANFS"/> within 90 seconds and crashed into the sea roughly {{convert|700|yd|m|-2}} in front of ''Missouri''.<ref name="P&G">{{cite news | title = Pride & Glory | url = http://starbulletin.com/98/06/15/news/story1.html | first = Gregg K | last = Kakesako | work = [[Honolulu Star-Bulletin]] | date = [[1998-06-15]] | accessdate = 2006-12-24}}</ref>
During the Gulf War ''Missouri'' was involved in a [[friendly fire]] incident with the ''Oliver Hazard Perry''-class frigate [[USS Jarrett (FFG-33)|USS ''Jarrett'']]. According to the official report, on [[25 February]] ''Jarrett''’s Phalanx engaged the [[Chaff (radar countermeasure)|chaff]] fired by ''Missouri'' as a countermeasure against enemy missiles, and stray rounds from the firing struck ''Missouri'', one penetrating through a [[Bulkhead (partition)|bulkhead]] and embedding in an interior passageway of the ship. Another round struck the ship on the forward funnel, passing completely through it. One sailor aboard ''Missouri'' was struck in the neck by flying shrapnel and suffered minor injuries. Those familiar with the incident are skeptical of this account, however, as ''Jarrett'' was reportedly over {{convert|2|mi|km}} away at the time and the characteristics of chaff are such that a Phalanx would not normally regard it as a threat and engage it.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.gulflink.osd.mil/du_ii/du_ii_refs/n52en417/8023_034_0000001.htm | title = Lead Report #14246 | publisher = Office of the Special Assistant for Gulf War Illnesses, Department of Defense | date = [[1998-01-23]] | accessdate = 2007-12-03 }}</ref> There is no dispute that the rounds that struck ''Missouri'' did come from ''Jarrett'', and that it was an accident. The suspicion is that a Phalanx operator on ''Jarrett'' may have accidentally fired off a few rounds manually; however, no evidence to support this theory has ever been discovered.<ref name="FAQ"/><ref name="friendly fire I">{{cite book | title = Environmental exposure report | author = United States. Office of the Special Assistant for Gulf War Illnesses. | location = Washington, D.C. | publisher = Office of the Special Assistant for Gulf War Illnesses, Department of Defense | year = 2000 | oclc = 47168115 | url = http://www.gulflink.osd.mil/du_ii/ | chapterurl = http://www.gulflink.osd.mil/du_ii/du_ii_tabh.htm | chapter = TAB H -- Friendly-fire Incidents | accessdate= 2007-02-25 }}</ref>
During the Gulf War ''Missouri'' also assisted coalition forces engaged in clearing Iraqi [[naval mine]]s in Persian Gulf. By the time the war ended ''Missouri'' had destroyed at least 15 naval mines.<ref name="P&G"/>
With combat operations past the reach of the battleship’s guns on [[26 February]], ''Missouri'' conducted patrol and armistice enforcement operations in the northern Persian Gulf until sailing for home on [[21 March]] [[1991]]. Following stops at Fremantle and Hobart, Australia, the warship visited Pearl Harbor before arriving home in April. She spent the remainder of the year conducting type training and other local operations, the latter including the [[7 December]] [[1991]] "voyage of remembrance" to mark the 50th anniversary of the [[Attack on Pearl Harbor|Pearl Harbor attack]] in 1941. During that ceremony, ''Missouri'' hosted President [[George H. W. Bush]], the first such presidential visit for the warship since Harry S. Truman boarded the battleship in September 1947.<ref name="DANFS"/>
==Museum ship (1993 to present)==
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[[Image:USS Missouri HNL.jpg|right|thumb|USS ''Missouri'' in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; aft deck and 16 inch (406 mm) gun turret]]
With the [[History of the Soviet Union (1985-1991)|collapse of the Soviet Union]] in the early 1990s and the absence of a perceived threat to the United States came drastic cuts in the defense budget, and the high cost of maintaining and operating battleships as part of the United States Navy's active fleet became uneconomical; as a result, ''Missouri'' was decommissioned on [[31 March]] [[1992]] at Long Beach, California.<ref name=NVR>{{cite web | title = MISSOURI (BB 63) | url = http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/BB63.htm | work = [[Naval Vessel Register]] | publisher = [[United States Navy]] | date = [[2002-07-19]] <!-- last update of page --> | accessdate = 2007-12-03 }}</ref> Her last commanding officer, Captain [[Albert L. Kaiss]], wrote this note in the ship's final Plan of the Day:
{{quote|Our final day has arrived. Today the final chapter in battleship ''Missouri''’s history will be written. It's often said that the crew makes the command. There is no truer statement ... for it's the crew of this great ship that made this a great command. You are a special breed of sailors and Marines and I am proud to have served with each and every one of you. To you who have made the painful journey of putting this great lady to sleep, I thank you. For you have had the toughest job. To put away a ship that has become as much a part of you as you are to her is a sad ending to a great tour. But take solace in this—you have lived up to the history of the ship and those who sailed her before us. We took her to war, performed magnificently and added another chapter in her history, standing side by side our forerunners in true naval tradition. God bless you all.|Captain [[Albert L. Kaiss]]<ref name="chinfo"/>}}
[[Image:USSMO.JPG|thumb|left|USS ''Missouri'' taken from the ''Arizona'' Memorial]]
''Missouri'' remained part of the reserve fleet at [[Puget Sound Naval Shipyard]], Bremerton, Washington, until [[12 January]] [[1995]], when she was struck from the [[Naval Vessel Register]]. On [[4 May]] [[1998]], Secretary of the Navy [[John H. Dalton]] signed the donation contract that transferred the historic battleship to the nonprofit USS ''Missouri'' Memorial Association (MMA) of [[Honolulu, Hawaii]]. The ship was towed from Bremerton on [[23 May]] to the Port of [[Astoria, Oregon]] where she sat in [[fresh water]] at the mouth of the [[Columbia River]] to kill and drop the [[barnacle]]s and [[sea grass]]es that had grown on her [[Hull (watercraft)|hull]] in Bremerton.<ref name="P&G"/> With this action completed she was towed across the eastern Pacific, and was gently docked at [[Ford Island, Pearl Harbor]] on [[22 June]], just 500 yards (about 450 meters) from the [[USS Arizona Memorial|''Arizona'' Memorial]].<ref name="chinfo"/> Less than a year later, on [[29 January]] [[1999]], ''Missouri'' was opened as a museum operated by the MMA.
[[Image:Ussmissouriplaque RCG.jpg|thumb|right|Plaque commemorating the surrender of Japan to end World War II]]
Originally, the decision to move ''Missouri'' to Pearl Harbor was met with some resistance. Many people feared that the battleship, whose name has become synonymous with the end of World War II, would "overshadow" the battleship [[USS Arizona (BB-39)|USS ''Arizona'']], whose dramatic explosion and subsequent sinking on [[December 7]], [[1941]] has since become synonymous with the attack on Pearl Harbor.<ref name="iffy">{{cite news | title = Will "Mighty Mo" be too much? | url = http://starbulletin.com/97/10/15/news/story3.html | first = Gregg K | last = Kakesako | work = [[Honolulu Star-Bulletin]] | accessdate=2006-12-22}}</ref> To help guard against this perception ''Missouri'' was placed well back of the ''Arizona'' Memorial, and positioned in Pearl Harbor in such a way as to prevent those participating in military ceremonies on ''Missouri''’s aft decks from seeing the ''Arizona'' Memorial. The decision to have ''Missouri''’s bow face the ''Arizona'' Memorial was intended to convey that ''Missouri'' now watches over the remains of the battleship ''Arizona'' so that those interred within ''Arizona''’s hull may rest in peace.<ref name="RP">{{cite web | title = Next stop... Mighty Mo, the USS MISSOURI (BB63) | url = http://randsaviationphotos.blogspot.com/2006/11/next-stop-mighty-mo-uss-missouri-bb63.html | work = RAND PECK, A LIFE ALOFT | first = Rand | last = Peck | date = [[2006-11-24]] | accessdate = 2006-12-24 }}</ref>
''Missouri'' is not eligible for designation as a [[National Historic Landmark]],<ref name="RP"/> even though she is the last completed U.S. battleship and was listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] on [[14 May]] [[1971]] for hosting the signing of the instrument of Japanese surrender that ended World War II.<ref name="iffy"/> This is because much of her original equipment was removed when she was reactivated and modernized in 1986, and her configuration changed to accommodate new weapons, which resulted in the loss of her historical integrity.<ref name="RP"/>
== Awards ==
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[[Image:USS Missouri (BB-63) Awards and Ribbons.PNG|thumb|right|Awards and ribbons of the battleship USS ''Missouri'' (BB-63)]]
''Missouri'' received three [[battle star]]s for her service in World War II, five for her service during the Korean War, and three for her service during the Gulf War.<ref name="RP"/> ''Missouri'' also received numerous ribbon awards for her service in World War II, Korea, and the Persian Gulf, including the [[Combat Action Ribbon]], [[Navy Unit Commendation]], [[Meritorious Unit Commendation]], [[Navy "E" Ribbon|Navy "E"]] with Wreathed [[Battle E device]], [[China Service Medal]], [[American Campaign Medal]], [[Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal]] with three [[Service star|campaign stars]], [[World War II Victory Medal]], [[Navy Occupation Service Medal]], [[National Defense Service Medal]] with service star, [[Korean Service Medal]] with silver service star (5 campaigns), [[Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal]], [[Southwest Asia Service Medal]] with two campaign stars, [[Sea Service Deployment Ribbon]] with two service stars, [[Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation]], [[United Nations Service Medal]], and [[Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia)|Liberation of Kuwait Medal]].<ref>{{cite web | title = Missouri Ribbon Bar | url = http://web.archive.org/web/20040313194351/http://www.ussmissouri.com/missouri_ribbon_bar.htm | work = USS Missouri Memorial Association | publisher= | accessdate=2006-12-24}}</ref>
==Notes==
{{Reflist|2}}
==References==
* Paul Chan, Ian and McAuley, Rob. ''The Battleships''. Channel 4 Books, London ISBN 0-7522-6188-6
* Naval Historical Foundation. ''The Navy''. Barnes & Noble Inc, China ISBN 0-7607-6218-X
* Kaplan, Philip ''Battleship'' (2004) Arum Press Ltd, London ISBN 1-85410-902-2
* Stillwell, Paul. ''Battleship Missouri: An Illustrated History.'' Annapolis, Maryland: US Naval Institute Press, 1995. ISBN 1557507805
* {{DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/m12/missouri-iv.htm}}
==External links==
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{{portalpar|Military of the United States|Naval Jack of the United States.svg|65}}
{{Spoken Wikipedia|Uss_missouri_BB63.ogg|2006-07-27}}
{{commons|USS Missouri (BB-63)}}
* [http://www.ussmissouri.com/ Memorial museum site]
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-m/bb63.htm Photo gallery]
* [http://www.factplace.com/mightymo.htm USS ''Missouri'' at FactPlace]
* [http://www.hnsa.org/ships/missouri.htm HNSA Ship Page: USS Missouri]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/01/63a.htm navsource.org: USS ''Missouri'']
* [http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/battlesh/bb63.htm hazegray.org: USS ''Missouri'']
* [http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/BB63.htm nvr.navy.mil: USS ''Missouri'']
* [http://www.navysite.de/bb/bb63.htm navysite.de: USS ''Missouri'']
* [http://www.maritimequest.com/warship_directory/us_navy_pages/uss_missouri_bb63.htm Maritimequest USS Missouri BB-63 Photo Gallery]
* [http://battleships.freewebsitehosting.com/Missouri.html WWII Battleship Site Entry for USS ''Missouri'']
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{{Iowa class battleship}}
{{Registered Historic Places}}
{{featured article}}
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[[Category:Iowa class battleships]]
[[Category:Battleships of the United States]]
[[Category:World War II battleships of the United States]]
[[Category:Cold War battleships of the United States]]
[[Category:Korean War battleships of the United States]]
[[Category:Ships at the Japanese Instrument of Surrender]]
[[Category:Museum ships in Pearl Harbor]]
[[Category:Registered Historic Places in Hawaii]]
[[Category:United States Navy Missouri-related ships]]
[[Category:Military history of Japan during World War II]]
[[Category:Gulf War ships]]
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