Knowra Iowa-class battleship Iowa-class battleship The Iowa class is a series of fast battleships designed for the U.S. Navy during World War II. Six were planned and four were completed: Iowa, New Jersey, Missouri, and Wisconsin.
16-inch/50-caliber Mark 7 gun : A 16-inch naval gun designed for the Iowa-class battleships, firing shells weighing up to 2,700 pounds. These guns supplied the class’s principal ship-to-ship and shore bombardment firepower.
Washington Naval Treaty : A 1922 agreement that limited the size and number of major warships held by its signatories. Its limits shaped the battleship designs and naval building pauses that preceded the Iowa class.
USS Iowa (BB-61) : The lead ship of the Iowa class, commissioned into the U.S. Navy in 1943. Iowa gives the class its name and served in World War II, Korea, and the Cold War.
Korean War : A war fought from 1950 to 1953 between North Korea and South Korea, with major international involvement. Iowa-class ships returned to combat during the war, providing naval gunfire support.
Battleship armor : Protective plating and structural arrangements designed to limit damage from shells, bombs, and torpedoes. The Iowa class’s armor scheme balanced protection against heavy shells with the need for high speed.
London Naval Treaty : A 1930 agreement that extended naval arms limits and regulated warship construction among major powers. Its battleship restrictions influenced the Navy’s planning before the Iowa design was finalized.
USS New Jersey (BB-62) : An Iowa-class battleship commissioned in 1943 and later the most decorated U.S. battleship. New Jersey’s repeated reactivation illustrates the class’s long service life.
Vietnam War : A conflict in Southeast Asia that involved North Vietnam and South Vietnam and ended in 1975. New Jersey was recommissioned for U.S. service in 1968 and shelled targets in Vietnam.
Naval gunfire support : The use of naval guns to attack targets on land in support of military operations. Iowa-class battleships later used their large guns to support forces ashore.
1936 Second London Naval Treaty : A 1936 agreement that renewed naval arms limits, including a battleship displacement ceiling with an escalation clause. The treaty’s escalation clause allowed larger battleships as the international arms race intensified.
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