uss new jersey crew list 1945

uss new jersey crew list 1945

The New Jersey and Wisconsin were selected, and the New Jersey remained in the reserve fleet until 2000. As Admiral Kuritas chief of staff admitted, the battle spelled the collapse of our Navy as an effective fighting force. Japans ships never again tried to challenge the United States Navy in battle. Information contained in this database includes: name, rank, enlistment date, muster date, and station. On December 28, 1982, USS New Jersey was placed in commission personally by President Reagan. Supporting X Corps advance, USS New Jersey bombarded the Communist supply line near the Parallel at Yangyang and Kansong, dropping bridge spans, exploding ammunition dumps, and shelling enemy troops. Naval Academy, The Sullivan Brothers and the Assignment of Family Members, Historic Former U.S. Navy Bases and Stations, The African American Experience in the U.S. Navy, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the U.S. Navy, Contributions of Native Americans to the U.S. Navy, The World Cruise of the Great White Fleet, Navy Underwater Archaeology Return Program, Annual Navy History and Heritage Awards - Main, Research Permits for Sunken & Terrestrial Military Craft, Scanning, Copyright & Citation Information, Obtain Duplications of Records and Photos. In 1989, USS New Jersey became a flagship once again. It combined for the first time all the aspects of modern naval warfare air, surface, subsurface, and amphibious warfare. 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. information about joining, or getting membership information, contact them To buy tickets, visit battleshipnewjersey.org/purchase. 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. Admiral Halsey in the New Jersey led preparatory airstrikes against the Philippines. It did not disappoint. Admiral Halsey eats Thanksgiving dinner with the crew of the USS New Jersey (BB-62) 30 November 1944. members belong to the USS New Jersey Historical Museum Society. Although she had been deployed for much longer than planned, she could not be relieved as she was still the only active battleship; Iowa would not be reactivated until April 28, 1984. USS New Jersey fired three times more 16-inch ammunition in her first tour in Korea than she had in World War II. On July 28, 2000, the New Jersey was towed to a temporary Camden berth for more work. She fired continuously for hours when Marine outposts were surrounded and attacked by Communist troops, including on February 22-23 and March 31, 1969. For the same reasons, the 19 slower battleships that fought in World War II were decommissioned by 1947. (The carrier USS Enterprise (CV-6), which the New Jersey frequently escorted, earned 20 battle stars in World War II but sadly was scrapped after the war.) The Conquering Tide, War in the Pacific Islands 1942-44, by Ian W. Toll, @ 2015 Ian W. Toll, Published by W.W. Norton & Co., New York, NY. Admiral Gerald Bogan, commander of one of Halseys carrier groups, used TBS to contact the New Jersey and reiterate his night scouting pilots had seen that Admiral Kuritas force was again heading toward San Bernardino Strait and that the Japanese had turned on the straits navigation lights. 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. The land-attack Tomahawk missiles had ranges exceeding 1,000 miles and employed terrain-following systems to fly below surface radar and deliver their warheads with unprecedented accuracy. These and other attacks cost Japan over a thousand aircraft and made April one of the bloodiest months in the war for the Navy. Naval Academy, The Sullivan Brothers and the Assignment of Family Members, Historic Former U.S. Navy Bases and Stations, The African American Experience in the U.S. Navy, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the U.S. Navy, Contributions of Native Americans to the U.S. Navy, The World Cruise of the Great White Fleet, Navy Underwater Archaeology Return Program, Annual Navy History and Heritage Awards - Main, Research Permits for Sunken & Terrestrial Military Craft, Scanning, Copyright & Citation Information, Obtain Duplications of Records and Photos, Research Guide: Crew Lists and Muster Rolls, Research Guide: Drawings, Maps, Charts of Buildings, Structures and Installations of the US Navy, Research Guide: Navy Record Groups at the National Archives, Research Guide: Sources for the Study of Naval Equipment. Moreover, USS New Jersey surpassed the other Iowa-class battleships as a flagship of Americas fleets. Army Chief of Staff Omar Bradley and Far East Commander Matthew Ridgeway came aboard to confer with Admiral Martin on October 1, 1951. United Nations Summer/Fall Offensive, 3. Halsey and the New Jersey led the fast carriers in airstrikes all over the Philippines, destroying hundreds of aircraft and dozens of warships. She went to the Atlantic in 1947 and made one midshipmen's training cruise to Europe before decommissioning in June 1948. Iowa Class Battleships, Their Design, Weapons; & Equipment, by Robert F. Sumrall, @ 1988 Robert F. Sumrall, Published by US Naval Institute Press, Annapolis MD. The task force was subjected to a flurry of attacking bombers and kamikazes, including the first use of rocket-powered piloted flying bombs. To preserve her for possible future use, the Navy began the process popularly known as mothballing. The ship was sealed up with dehumidification equipment running inside alongside desiccant packs to prevent mold and water degradation. Fifty such shells were produced, but it is unknown whether they were deployed on the New Jersey or his sister ships. Battleship New Jersey Historical Museum Society By contrast, Admiral Kuritas more powerful force debouched from San Bernardino Strait at 0035, expecting a fight but finding no ships guarding the strait. Thus, ended World War II and the largest naval war in history, in which the New Jersey had a leading role. During June, while U.N. forces penetrated the Iron Triangle, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Admiral Forrest Sherman, Commander in Chief of the Pacific Fleet Admiral Arthur Radford, and Far East Naval Commander Admiral Turner Joy boarded the New Jersey and watched her bombard Wonson. Japan committed to the attack all its modern battleships, including for the first time its treaty-busting battleships, Yamato and Musashi, with displacement exceeding 64,000 tons and 18.1-inch guns both the largest ever for a battleship. From January 25 to February 4, the New Jersey protected carriers striking the Japanese bases on Kwajalein and Eniwetok atolls, enabling the Army and Marines to invade Kwajalein and Majuro atolls. At 1115 when, as Halsey later stated, the remnants of Admiral Ozawas northern force was exactly 42 miles from the muzzles of my 16inch guns on the New Jersey, she, five other battleships, and the rest of Task Force 34 reversed course and headed south. Without the 20mm and 40mm antiaircraft guns, USS New Jersey was crewed by less than 60% of her World War II compliment. With orders flying from her towering radio mast, she brought Halsey to the Admiralty Islands near New Guinea. Thousands of civilians visited her, and 6,000 active and reserve Navy sailors volunteered to serve in her 1,500-man crew. These dual-purpose guns could hit stationary targets up to 9 miles away, and aircraft at closer ranges. A closed-circuit television system was also added for a crew raised in a television age. Avenger torpedo bombers sank Ozawas flagship Zuikaku, the last surviving carrier from the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. She has been designated as the State Ship of New Jersey, and is a member of the international Historic Naval Ship Association. USS New Jersey (BB-62) was initially painted in dark single-color Camouflage Measure 21 and remained in this scheme for about two years. She hosted a Christmas show for crew and troops by actress Ann-Margret and comedian Bob Hope, who joked the New Jersey was so big she was Wake Island with a rudder.. However, Lee and Spruance declined suggestions that they send the battleline west to engage the Japanese fleet in a night action. 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 World War II at Sea, A Global History, by Craig L. Symonds, @ 2018 Craig L. Symonds, Published by Oxford University Press, New York, NY. The U.S.S. West Caroline Operations, 5. This March, the American Red Cross New Jersey Region is honoring those who make its mission possible during the 80th annual American Red Cross Month celebration a national tradition that began in 1943 when , The Battleship New Jersey and the Independence Seaport Museum next Lecture as part of their yearlong Fleet Talk series will take place at the Independence Seaport Museum on Saturday, March 25 at 7pm. Through emergency rudder and engine maneuvers, the New Jersey avoided cutting the destroyer in two but still sideswiped her in a shower of sparks. The table below contains the names of sailors who served aboard the USS New Jersey (BB 62). Two emergency diesel generators each produced an additional 250 kW. Two Korean combat tours in 1951 and 1953 were punctuated by a European cruise in the Summer of 1952. Muster rolls were quarterly lists of enlisted naval personnel attached to each ship, station or activity. Volume XII, Leyte, June 1944-January 1945, @ 1958 Samuel Eliot Morison. Thank you. Early on October 24, when his scout planes spotted Kuritas fleet and alerted the New Jersey, Halsey himself radioed his carrier groups to STRIKE! Modern battleships are directly descended from the USS Monitor and its armored successors steel-hulled, coal-burning, steam-powered, screw-propelled warships carrying multiple cannons in revolving turrets. Vietnamese Counter-Offensive Phase VI, and 3. Led by the New Jersey, Admiral Spruances ships and planes at Truk sank a total of two light cruisers, four destroyers, three auxiliary cruisers, the armed minesweeper/trawler, two subchasers, two sub tenders, a plane ferry, and two dozen precious transports and tankers; damaged other many other ships; and destroyed over 250 aircraft. In 1967, surface-to-surface missiles had sunk a warship for the first time when the Egyptians fired Soviet Styx missiles at an Israeli destroyer. She was then decommissioned for the fourth time on February 8, 1991, at Long Beach. Box BB-62 Shame my time on her was so short. On February 10, 1945, Admiral Spruance led USS New Jersey and the rest of the Fifth Fleet to the Bonin Islands in support of the invasion of Iwo Jima. Including the New Jersey and six other fast battleships, eight heavy cruisers, thirteen light cruisers, and sixty-nine destroyers, the fast carrier task force had the greatest tonnage of any single naval formation ever to go to battle. At President Roosevelts request, Congress on May 17, 1938, passed the Naval Act of 1938. They first came aboard at Pusan on April 14, 1953. DANFS - Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, Permitting Policy and Resource Management, The 9/11 Terrorist Attacks: 20 Years Later, "Ex Scientia Tridens": The U.S. USS New Jerseys two four-star fleet commanders were friends but a study in contrasts. She was Fifth Fleet flagship during the mid-February raid on the Japanese base at Truk, where she used her guns to sink one enemy ship and join in sinking another. As a new and powerful battleship, USS New Jersey was placed in reserve. An athletic lieutenant, future President Gerald Ford, was almost swept overboard as he helped save his burning carrier Monterey. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); It's a great place to begin your search. In Norway, USS New Jersey was visited by King Haakon VII and escorted by future King Olav V. In England, members of her crew were entertained by King George VI and the future Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. A flight of aircraft is a momentary and vulnerable show of force; post-war ships have insufficient armor to operate close to land; but a battleship anchored off a hotspot sends a clear message. This was the largest amphibious operation in the Pacific and proved to be the final amphibious operation of the war. Nimitz found the errors were committed under the stress of war operations and resulted from a commendable desire to meet military commitments, and did not relieve the popular Halsey. After fighting fascism, communism, and terrorism, she was decommissioned for the final time in February 1991. 1987 1988 The second NEW JERSEY (BB-62) was launched 7 December 1942 by the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard; sponsored by Mrs. Charles Edison, wife of Governor Edison of New Jersey, former Secretary of the Navy; and commissioned at Philadelphia 23 May 1943, Captain Carl F. Holden in command. The attack sunk twenty-nine ships and destroyed 214 aircraft. In April 1937, the allied powers invoked the escalator clause in the Second London Naval Treaty which enabled them again to build battleships with 16-inch guns. Balao (AGSS-285) Balch (DD-363) Balduck (APD-132) Bancroft (DD-598) Bang (SS-385) Barnstable County (LST-1197) Barracuda (SST-3) Basilone (DD-824) Bayfield (APA-33) Bayonne (PF-21) Beale (DD-471/DDE-471) Bear (AG-29) Bearss (DD-654) Belknap (APD-34) Belknap (DLG-26) Bell (DD-587) Belle Grove (LSD-2) Belmont (AGTR-4) Belusan (IX-187) USS New Jersey (BB-62) sent 30 crew members ashore for Thanksgiving dinner while offshore near Hue on November 28, 1968 USS Saint Paul (CA-73) [Cruiser] while anchored in Da Nang Harbor, small boats sent ashore on May 9, 1969, and May 25, July 17, and September 17, 1970 . On May 31, 1967, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara authorized a study on whether to reactivate a battleship. The New Jersey reached the east coast of Korea on May 17. With Admiral Kurita heading for San Bernardino Strait, Admiral Halsey at 1512 sent a radio telegram from USS New Jersey to his subordinate commanders stating that the New Jersey, three other fast battleships, five cruisers and numerous destroyers WILL BE FORMED AS TASK FORCE 34 under Admiral Lee, his battleship commander. After the Battle for Leyte Gulf, USS New Jersey picked up downed fliers and Japanese sailors in the water. Band photo sent by Dave Brown. Add yours! However, President Johnson declared a halt to all bombing of North Vietnam as of November 1, just before the 1968 election. In 2004, USS New Jersey was added to the National Register of Historic Places and the New Jersey Register of Historic Places. Beginning in the 1880s, armored, turreted battleships became the capital ships of the worlds major naval powers. Hollandia Operations, 3. I volunteer 2 days a week with a great group of guys (mostly vets). In the darkness at Surigao Strait, Admiral Nishimura had to run a gauntlet set up by Admiral Kinkaids Seventh Fleet. The turret crews moved out of the loading compartments and held their hands over muff-style ear protectors. The New Jersey headed back to her homeport of Norfolk via Long Beach and the Panama Canal. In 1935 and 2020, American night scouting planes spotted and reported Kuritas movement into the strait to Admiral Halsey on the New Jersey. Speeding north in USS New Jersey, Admiral Halsey did not receive Kinkaids 0707 message until 0822. The New Jersey and the Fifth Fleet readied for the most ambitious amphibious action yet the invasion of the Mariana Islands, specifically Saipan, Tinian, and Guam. The guns had a lifespan of 300 full charge shots per barrel before the shells wore the rifling away and made the gun inaccurate. Some of the records for personnel on aircraft carriers also include corresponding images of the ship. The New Jersey first set sail under her own power on July 8, 1943, training her crew and testing her guns and engines under Forrestals gaze. Worked as Weapons Dept YN and then in the Captain's Office during the damned Decomm. The barbettes are 17.3 inches armor above 1.5 inches STS tapering as they descend deeper into the ship. One of these ships was the first battleship USS New Jersey (BB-16), which displaced 15,000 tons and could reach 19 knots. From August 1944 through January 1945, the New Jersey was Admiral Halsey's first fleet flagship, leading the Navy's main fleet during the Battle of Formosa, the invasions of Peleliu, Leyte, Mindoro, and Luzon, and its sweep through the South China Sea. Typhoon Cobra and USS New Jersey were immortalized in Herman Wouks Pulitzer-prize-winning novel The Caine Mutiny, which was made into a movie. With the fighting ended in Korea, the New Jersey visited Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Japan, where Wisconsin relieved her as Seventh Fleet flagship on October 14, 1953. 1989 now. These South Carolina-class dreadnoughts mounted their forward turrets so one could fire over the other, setting the pattern for all future battleships. Four gunners and 64 crew are KIA. Her battle group sailed to Thailand and was the only Navy presence in the Western Pacific. President Roosevelt radioed Halsey hailing YOUR FLEETS MAGNIFICENT SWEEP INTO ENEMY WATERS, THE GALLANT FIGHTING OF YOUR FLIERS, AND THE ENDURANCE AND SUPERSEAMANSHIP OF YOUR FORCES.. The crew practiced transferring 16-inch shells from an ammunition ship at sea by highline and for the first time by helicopter. If you contact a Shipmate through HullNumber, your email address is not displayed in the message to your Shipmate. She then reloaded ammunition and trained to head back to the war. It was the only battle where ships were sunk by submarines, aircraft, and other ships, using all types of guns, torpedoes, bombs, rockets, and mines. At Long Beach, the New Jersey received overhauls that had been postponed during her rapid reactivation, including her first 16-inch barrel replacement since 1954. 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. Very surreal experience to go back. American cruisers sank the crippled light carrier and another destroyer, and a submarine sank the crippled light cruiser. She fired the last salvo of the war at Wonson when the armistice was signed on July 27, with a New Jersey delegation present. 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. During that solemn ceremony, her last commanding officer . USS Refuge (AH-11), was a hospital ship of the United States Navy during World War II. USS New Jersey was decommissioned on August 21, 1957, in Bayonne, New Jersey, after a party featuring actress Julie Newmar as Miss New Jersey. Arriving in Scotland, the New Jersey was greeted by the British Home Fleet. The design was recommended by the Battleship Design Advisory Board, which included Americas premier naval architect William Francis Gibbs, who designed ocean liners such as SS United States, and William Hovgaard, MITs professor of naval design, who investigated the sinkings of Titanic and Lusitania. Search crew members| Some stayed for a few months, some for several years. Back to 1st page. USS New Jersey supported the First and Third Marine Divisions in amphibious and land assaults. The following pages list the names of the 921 men who made the supreme sacrifice serving on the U.S.S. Key items of equipment still operate, including sighting devices for the main battery, the three portside 5-inch batteries and .50 caliber machine gun that can be fired, the ground-breaking analog targeting computer, and missile firing displays. To protect her from torpedoes, the New Jersey also had an extension of the armor belt to the triple bottom, an internal bulge, and torpedo bulkheads. This was the first time an American battleship had operated in the Soviet Unions backyard. As USS New Jersey led the entire Third Fleet north that night, some of Admiral Halseys subordinates were concerned that San Bernardino Strait was totally unguarded. They were also the only ships for which nuclear projectiles were designed. USS New Jersey is also the museum battleship most open to the public. When the contract was awarded in July 1939, Charles Edison, son of the famous New Jersey inventor Thomas Edison, was acting Secretary of the Navy. In the early part of 1951, U.N. forces again had liberated Seoul and pushed back above the 38th Parallel. The Iowa Class Battleships, by Malcolm Muir, @ 1987, Professor Malcolm Muir, Published by the Dorset Press, New York, NY. their website at: USS The New Jersey still has all eight armored box launchers for the Tomahawks and two launchers for the Harpoons. To build the New Jersey required expenditures of approximately $100 million dollars ($1.8 billion in 2020 dollars) and 32,800,000 manhours. She was visited by more than 21,000 people. Taffy 3s few destroyers and destroyer escorts exhausted their torpedoes in desperate charges and then closed to point-blank range to use their 5-inch guns against the impenetrable armor of the powerful Japanese ships. Spruance was an admirals admiral, Halsey a sailors admiral. Just as the majestic power of the New Jersey inspired Spruance to take the risk of personally commanding a surface action, Halseys desire to lead the speedy and powerful New Jersey into battle led him to his most controversial decisions. However, Admiral Halseys command decisions on USS New Jersey resulted in Task Force 34 being unable to fight a surface engagement either against Admiral Ozawas carrier force or Admiral Kuritas main force. Ww2 Uss Attu Cve-102 Us Navy Cruise Book History Hardcover 'Little A' $536.67 Buy It Now , Click to see shipping cost , 3-Day Returns, eBay Money Back Guarantee Seller: braywash (2,020) 100% , Location: Newton, New Jersey, US , Ships to: US & many other countries, Item: 120358993584 HullNumber.com does not share your information. And she did so without losing a man in combat. Franklin CV-13 in 1944 and 1945 and the dates they lost their lives. USS Design work for the Iowa class was premised on the recent South Dakota class and the calculations that a ship 108 wide and 860 long at the waterline would make the fastest possible hull form that could fit through the 110-wide Panama Canal. The New Jerseys armament evolved continuously over her career. A simple web search for your ship/unit name (e.g., USS Enterprise reunion) will bring up relevant websites. As early as the 1970s, the Battleship New Jersey Historical Museum Society and other organizations had been formed to lobby the Navy to return the historic New Jersey to the State for which she was named. Some of her single barreled 20mm anti-aircraft guns were replaced by twin barreled 20mm mounts. USS NEW JERSEY (BB-62) Crew Roster. USS New Jersey next bombarded Wonson, a major port and transportation center behind Communist lines. The submarines sank two cruisers, and warned Admiral Halsey on USS New Jersey. She deployed to Mediterranean and European waters twice in 1955-56 and was placed out of commission in August 1957. To one pilot, it looked like a Hollywood premiere, Chinese New Year and the Fourth of July all rolled into one. The New Jersey helped the largely successful effort to rescue fliers who had to ditch their fuel-starved planes. USS New Jersey, which served longer and with greater distinction than any other battleship, now serves as a unparalleled museum and memorial of all of Americas major conflicts from 1943 to 1990. 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. Wryly called CripDiv and BaitDiv, the slowly creeping ships did attract waves of Japanese planes and a Japanese cruiser force, but the force retreated when they discovered Third Fleet was otherwise intact. The Navy does not keep track of anyone once they have left the Navy. 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. Over her career, the New Jersey fired more shells in combat than any other battleship ever built. On September 9, 1983, USS New Jersey was again ordered to head for a hotspot: Lebanon. USS Ticonderoga (DDG/CG-47), nicknamed "Tico", was a guided-missile cruiser built for the United States Navy. After the Communists broke off talks in August 1951, the New Jersey provided naval gunfire support for the U.N. troops ashore near Kansong. There he conferred with General MacArthurs staff and finalize plans for the next big operation: the landing at Leyte Island to begin the liberation of the Philippines, then an American Commonwealth occupied by Imperial Japan early in the war. The Soviets in Iceland soon surrender, and the war ends with NATO intact. USS New Jersey had played a part by demonstrating American strength and resolve repeatedly during the Cold War. The Quiet Warrior, A Biography of Admiral Raymond A. Spruance, by Thomas B. Buell, @ 1987 Naval Institute Press, Published by Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD. All but Kearsarge (BB-5) were named after states. The nine 16-inch guns of the New Jersey and Iowa could fire 2,700-pound shells almost 24 miles. After the New Jerseys float plane spotted fleeing Japanese ships 25 miles away, the New Jersey raced towards them, avoiding enemy torpedoes and fighting off enemy aircraft. Because of their great size, they had the space and reserve buoyancy to be retrofitted with modern missile systems, while retaining unmatched firepower and armor protection. She was carrying 206 maintenance and supply men of the 248th Air Regiment. The anti-ship Tomahawk had a range of 240 miles or more and used active-radar homing to hit ships far beyond the horizon. Help| The first two battleships Iowa (BB-61) and New Jersey (BB-62) were to be built by the New York and Philadelphia Navy Yards, respectively. The New Jersey bombarded Japanese bases and escorted carriers attacking Japanese forces on Pacific islands and the Philippines, Taiwan, China, Indochina, and Japan, including the first major carrier raid on Tokyo. Now, he shifted his flag to USS New Jersey because he was leading Operation Hailstone, a bold attack on the Japanese Combined Fleet base at Truk atoll in the Caroline Islands. The increased spending and employment to gear up for World War II finally ended the Great Depression. During World War II, due to her increasing anti-aircraft armament, her complement eventually peaked at over 2,700. The New Jersey returned fire and quickly obliterated the shore battery. On January 2, 1944, the New Jersey and the Iowa set sail for the Pacific. Work on USS New Jersey proceeded around the clock. She thus helped apply pressure on the Communist negotiators at Panmunjom. USS New Jersey tried to refuel the destroyer Spence, but Spence rolled so wildly that the fuel lines parted, and she almost collided with the New Jersey. 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. On August 21, the New Jersey was notified that she would be decommissioned again as a cost-cutting measure. Halsey knew Admiral Kinkaid was preparing to confront Admiral Nishimuras southern force at Surigao Strait. Four turrets were removed in 1982 to make room for Tomahawk cruise missile and Harpoon anti-ship missile batteries. It was an honor and a privilege to serve on-board the USS New Jersey with my fellow shipmates, and to be part of the final decommissioning crew. 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.

Tribute To A Wife Who Passed Away, Articles U