Memorial Day 2012

It is my hope that everybody in the United States is spending at least some time today thinking of the sacrifices made by our veterans over the two plus centuries of our nation's existence. In particular, and given this website's focus, I hope people take a moment to think of those who gave their lives during the Second World War - the last time this nation's independence and way of life has truly been threatened during an actual shooting war.

As such, and in special remembrance of our Second World War veterans, please find here a series of pictures of one of World War II's iconic ships; the USS Iowa (BB-61), the lead ship in the final class of US battleships ever built. In addition the Iowa has, as of this weekend, taken her last voyage; passing under the Golden Gate bridge at approximately 2:30pm on Saturday on her way to her final destination as a floating museum at the port of Los Angeles.

Though so much of the world remains riveted by the story of the Third Reich's powerful battleships Tirpitz and Bismarck what many may forget is that the Iowa class battleships were faster, larger, better armed, and in a one on one engagement likely would have demolished Hitler's largest warships. Laid down in June 1940 and commissioned in February 1943 the Iowa weighed in at 45,000 tons, was 887 feet long and included a crew of over 2,750 officers and men. Her potent main armament of nine 16 inch (406mm) guns could rain one ton shells down onto targets over 20 miles away. Bristling with additional weaponry, including twenty 5 inch guns, dozens of light cannon and heavy machine guns, and, in her later years, almost 50 cruise and anti-ship missiles - the Iowa was one of the most powerful warships to ever patrol the world's oceans.

That said, the Iowa class were not the largest battleships ever launched - that honor goes to the immense 72,000 ton Japanese World War II era battleships Yamato and Musashi. Each of these super-battleships completely outclassed the Iowa and her sister ships; as each Japanese battleship mounted as its primary armament nine 18 inch (460mm) guns - the largest guns ever fitted to a warship as well as even more ample armored protection than their US peers. Nevertheless, as evidenced by the pictures accompanying this Memorial Day post, few ships can capture our attention like the beautifully built Iowa - a remarkable symbol of the effort that went into winning the most important war in modern history.