USS Maryland BB-46

The USS Maryland was a Colorado-class battleship, with the nickname "Fighting Mary." She was launched on March 20, 1920, and commissioned on July 21, 1921. She was the pride of the Navy at the time due to her status as the first U.S. ship mounted with 16-inch guns.

After making a goodwill voyage of Australia and New Zealand in 1925, and accompanying President-elect Herbert Hoover to Latin America in 1928, she served in countless training operations during the 1930s. In 1940, her base of operations became Pearl Harbor and the ship was thus present during the December 7, 1941 Japanese attack on the naval base.

The USS Maryland During World War II

At the beginning of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the Maryland was protected from initial torpedo attack due to her placement inboard of the Oklahoma. Despite subsequently being hit by two bombs, she was able to fire back at the attackers. The Japanese announced that the Maryland had been sunk, but in fact she entered Puget Sound Navy Yard for repairs on December 30, battered but still able sail under her own steam.

After modernization and repairs, she emerged on February 26, 1942, but during the Battle of Midway, she and other older battleships had problems keeping up enough speed to accompany the more modern aircraft carriers. Until August 1, she was engaged in training exercises. She was then assigned to sentinel duty along southern supply routes between Australia and fighting fronts in the Pacific, operating first out of the Fiji Islands and then out of the New Hebrides.

Following a brief stop in Pearl Harbor, the USS Maryland became the flagship for the Gilbert Islands Southern Attack Force. On November 20, she began five days worth of shore bombardment at Tarawa and remained in the area until December 7, protecting transports.

On January 31, 1944, the Maryland arrived off the coast of Kwaialein Atoll in the Marshall Islands and was assigned to fire at blockhouses and pillboxes on Roi Island. Following completion of her assignment, the Maryland returned to Bremerton, Washington for an overhaul, after which she headed to Saipan. The Maryland delivered devastating gunfire, but was eventually damaged by an enemy torpedo and returned to Pearl Harbor for repairs.

The USS Maryland set forth once more on August 19, bound for the Palau Islands. Her first fire was on September 12, covering underwater demolition and minesweeping teams. She was then reassigned to the Seventh Fleet, and in October helped provide cover for initial landings at Leyte in the Philippines.

During the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the Maryland provided heavy fire support and slowed down enemy forces. In the aftermath of what proved to be a decisive and important victory, the Maryland patrolled Surigao Strait until November when she was hit by kamikaze planes on two different occasions. She was able to continue patrolling until December 2, when she returned to Pearl Harbor for two months' worth of refitting and repairing.

The Maryland then headed to Ulithi, arriving on March 16 to join another task force before departing for the Okinawa invasion on March 21. During the invasion she provided fire support for raids and hit assigned targets along the southwestern portion of the island.

The USS Maryland continued to provide support until April 7, when she took a hit from an enemy bomber while intercepting a Japanese surface force. With 53 casualties and two guns wiped out, she still managed to bring down two planes on April 11. The Maryland left the firing lines on April 14, acting as an escort for retiring transport ships and reaching the Puget Sound Navy Yard on May 7, undergoing an extensive overhaul and being fitted with new guns.

After the War

Repairs to the USS Maryland were completed in August 1945 and the ship entered the fleet participating in Operation Magic Carpet. She made a total of five voyages between Pearl Harbor and the West Coast over the next four months, bringing more than 8,000 veterans home. Her Magic Carpet duties were complete on December 17.

On July 15, 1946, she was placed in reserve and was subsequently decommissioned on April 3, 1947. The USS Maryland was scrapped on July 8, 1959, but a monument to "Fighting Mary" remains at the grounds of the State House in Annapolis, Maryland, dedicated to the vessel by the Honorable J. Millard Tawes, then-Governor of Maryland.

Navy ships such as the USS Maryland typically contained large amounts of asbestos, particularly in insulation and fireproofing materials. Exposure to asbestos while aboard Navy ships or in shipyards was extremely common. If you were exposed to asbestos while serving on the USS Maryland BB-46, or have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, speak with a qualified asbestos attorney to learn your legal options. Many have received compensation for developing an asbestos-related disease.

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