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USS Nevada BB-36

The USS Nevada was a battleship, the lead ship in her class, which was commissioned in 1916. Her armor design made her unique for the era in which she was constructed, but the "all or nothing" armor design principles she was built upon had been adopted by most major navies by the beginning of World War II.

The Nevada was launched on July 11, 1914 and commissioned March 11, 1916. She was in operation along the east coast and in the Caribbean until the U.S. entered World War I, after which she sailed to Ireland to serve with the British Grand Fleet. Following the close of WWI the Nevada served in Pacific and Atlantic fleets, participated in goodwill cruises to Australia and New Zealand, and was upgraded and modernized prior to the start of America's involvement in WWII.

The USS Nevada during World War II

On December 7, 1941, the USS Nevada was moored off Ford Island in Pearl Harbor, and therefore had much greater freedom of movement than the other eight battleships that were present at Pearl Harbor. However, it made her more vulnerable to attack, and as her gunners opened fire she was struck by a torpedo and at least two bombs. She was struck again while attempting to leave the harbor, and was forced to beach herself due to fears she might sink in the channel and block it.

The USS Nevada was refloated on February 12, 1942, and repaired at Puget Sound Naval Yard, where she was also fitted with gun upgrades. Following the repairs she traveled to Alaska, arriving in May 1943 to provide support for the capture of Attu Island, which had been invaded by Japan on June 7, 1942. Following the recapture of the island she traveled to Norfolk Navy Yard for further upgrades, and from there to British waters to prepare for the invasion of Normandy. During June, her guns bombarded the shore defenses on the Cherbourg Peninsula, and also further inland to break up German counterattacks.

Between August 15 and September 25, the USS Nevada was providing support at Toulon in the invasion of southern France. Following this her guns were overhauled in New York, and she then traveled again to the Pacific, where she arrived at Iwo Jima on February 16, 1945, in time to provide her gunfire support for Marines landing on the shores.

By March 24 she was at Okinawa, with the largest naval force that had ever been amassed in the Pacific, preparing for bombardment prior to invasion. The USS Nevada hit Japanese shore defenses, airfields, supply camps, and troop concentrations, despite being damaged by a kamikaze planed on March 27. She remained in service at Okinawa until June 30, after which she was with the Third Fleet invading Japan's homelands until the war was finally at an end.

For her services in WWII, the USS Nevada received seven battle stars.

After the War

The USS Nevada returned to Pearl Harbor after a brief period spent in Tokyo Bay. She was then assigned as a target ship for atomic experiments in Bikini Atoll. Following the July 1946 atomic bomb test, she returned to Pearl Harbor and was decommissioned on August 29. She was sunk by aerial torpedoes and gunfire on July 31, 1948, as part of practice exercises.

One important thing to know about Navy ships such as the USS Nevada is that these ships often contained a large amount of asbestos, particularly in insulation and fire-proofing materials. Exposure to asbestos while in service aboard Navy ships or while repairing Navy ships is unfortunately all-too-common. If you were exposed to asbestos while serving on the USS Nevada BB-36, or have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, Asbestos.com offers a free packet with more information. Enter your contact information in the form in the right column and we'll send a copy immediately.

Battleships Index

USS Alabama USS Arizona BB 39 USS Arkansas BB 33 USS California BB 44 USS Colorado BB 45 USS Idaho BB 42 USS Indiana USS Iowa BB 61 USS Maryland BB 46

USS Massachusetts BB 59 USS Mississippi BB 41 USS Missouri BB 63 USS Nevada BB 36 USS New Jersey BB 62 USS New Mexico BB 40 USS New York BB 34 USS North Carolina BB 55 USS Oklahoma BB 37

USS Pennsylvania BB 38 USS South Dakota BB 57 USS Tennessee BB 43 USS Texas-BB 35 USS Utah BB 31 USS Washington BB 56 USS West Virginia BB 48 USS Wisconsin BB 64

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