USS North Carolina BB-55

The USS North Carolina was the lead ship in her class. Nicknamed "Showboat," she was launched on June 13, 1940, and commissioned on April 9, 1941. She earned fifteen battle stars for her World War II service, and after being decommissioned was converted into a memorial ship.

The USS North Carolina during World War II

The USS North Carolina was the first commissioned of the Navy's new battleships ships, which were fast and heavily armed. She received so much attention as a result that she was nicknamed "Showboat." Her arrival in Pearl Harbor was a considerable morale booster for the U.S. Pacific Fleet, and she was described by sailors as the most beautiful thing they'd ever seen.

From 1942 until partway through 1943, the USS North Carolina was involved in South Pacific Campaigns such as that at the Guadalcanal and the Battle of the Eastern Solomons, where she guarded carriers and protected the lines of supply and communication. In the Battle of the Eastern Solomons she struck down somewhere between seven and fourteen enemy planes in just eight minutes, with seven near misses in the same amount of time.

In her support of Guadalcanal she covered marines already ashore despite being attacked by Japanese submarines. Nine days later on September 15 she was not so lucky, and was hit by a torpedo. However, the hit was not enough to prevent her from remaining in formation. After repairs at Pearl Harbor, she was again ready to cover troops and supply movements in the Solomons.

In 1943, the USS North Carolina spent much of March and April at Pearl Harbor, preparing for the Gilbert Islands operation. In November, she participated in strikes against Makin, Tarawa, and Abemana in support of the Gilbert campaign, after which she engaged in preparations for the Marshall Islands assault. Her highly accurate guns bombarded Naurau on December 8, destroying beach defenses and air facilities. During the Marshall Islands assault, she screened carrier ships from attack, and protected troops on shore, starting with the first strikes on Kwajalein on January 29.

At the end of March she was based in Majuro, joining the attacks on Woleai and Palau on March 31 and April 1. Between April 13 and 24 she provided support for the capture of Hollandia, and on a major raid on Truck on April 29 and 30. At Truk, she was engaged in rescuing downed pilots in addition to her usual duties of protecting troops and carrier ships. The next day she bombarded coastal defenses and anti-aircraft batteries before sailing to Pearl Harbor for repairs.

In June, the USS North Carolina was active in the Saipan assault, and she was stationed in the battle line at the Battle of the Philippine Sea that all but ended any further threat of Japanese naval aviation attacks.

Next, she provided further support for air operations in the Mariana Islands before returning to Puget Sound Navy Yard for an overhaul. She returned to Ulithi in November, arriving to rejoin carriers just as Typhoon Cobra struck. After the fierce winds of the typhoon had departed the force carried out air strikes on Leyte, Luzon, and the Visavas in support of the Leyte battle.

Based now in Ulithi, the USS North Carolina provided her support at Mindoro, Formosa, the Ryukyus, Honshu and Iwo Jima throughout January and February. She played her support and bombardment role in the Okinawa assault, where she downed three kamikazes on April 6. After an overhaul at Pearl Harbor, she rejoined the carrier force at the Japanese homelands for a further month of air strikes and bombardment. In addition to screening carrier ships, she fired on locations in Tokyo.

At the close of the war, the USS North Carolina continued to patrol off the coast before anchoring on Tokyo Bay on September 5 to pick up troops that had landed ashore during the initial occupation. Bound for home, she arrived in Boston on October 17.

After the War

The USS North Carolina was decommissioned on June 27, 1947, and stricken from the Naval Register on June 1, 1960. On September 6 of 1961 she was transferred to ownership of the people of North Carolina, after the state's school children raised $330,000 to buy her.

She now rests in Wilmington, North Carolina as the USS North Carolina Battleship Memorial, and was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1986.

Navy ships such as the USS North Carolina often contained a large amount of asbestos, particularly in fire-proofing materials and insulation. Asbestos exposure often occurred for men onboard Navy ships, and for people in repair yards. If you were exposed to asbestos while serving on the USS North Carolina BB-55, 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.

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