USS Washington (BB-56)
Second of the United States Navy's Fast Battleships
May 31, 2008 Andrew C. Rappold
The keel of the fifty-six US Navy battleship hull (BB-56) was laid in July of 1938 at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. Following nearly two years of construction, the 729 foot long vessel slid down the slipway into the waters of the Delaware River. Commissioned as the USS Washington in May 1941, she was the second and final North Carolina class battleship.
North Carolina class battleships
Washington and her sister North Carolina heralded a new era in capital warship design. The pair became the first battleships completed for the US Navy since the ratification of the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922.
Their displacement of 35,000 tons and 16-inch main batteries were the maximum allowable under the restrictions imposed by the Washington Treaty. Secondary armament consisted of twenty 5-inch dual purpose guns, mounted in ten turrets with two guns each. Sixteen 1.1 inch and twelve .50 caliber machine guns were originally included for anti-aircraft defense, although it was soon determined that these weapons were ill-suited for the task and were upgraded to the more effective Bofors 40mm and Oerlikon 20mm guns during wartime refits.
The class's greatest departure from earlier designs occured in propulsion technology. Advances in boiler and turbine design had permitted greater power-to-weight ratios to be achieved, thereby allowing higher speeds without sacrificing armor thickness. The Babcock & Wilcox power plants combined with General Electric geared turbines to produce 115,000 shaft horsepower to four propellers, resulting in a top speed of over 27 knots.
Initial deployment
Washington was still amidst her shakedown cruise as Japan unleashed its assault on Pearl Harbor, precipitating America's entry into the Second World War. After a brief assignment with the British Home Fleet and a refitting at New York Naval Yard, the new battleship had yet to taste combat. A transfer to the Pacific in the summer of 1942 would provide Washington the opportunity to demonstrate her worth.
Tipping the scales in the Pacific
On November 13, 1942, Washington and South Dakota (another example of the new "fast battleships) were tasked with intercepting a naval convoy bound for Guadalcanal. This group of Japanese warships and transports intended to reinforce and resupply ground forces as well as bombard the vital airstrip at Henderson Field, currently in US Marine control. The pair of battleships successfully defended the island and its Marine contingent, with Washington earning a unique place in American naval history by sending the Japanese battleship Kirishima to a watery grave.
Island hopping
Washington would never engage another Japanese capital ship for the remainder of the war. Her guns would provide valuable support to Allied amphibious assaults in the Gilbert and Mariana Island campaigns of 1943 and 1944. The mighty battlewagon would also participate in the invasions ot Iwo Jima and Okinawa by bombarding enemy shore positions and providing anti-aircraft defense. Washington would eventually earn 13 battle stars for her World War II service.
End of career
Washington's final assignment was to assist in Operation Magic Carpet, the post-war effort to return US troops from their overseas deployments. She would eventually be decommissioned in June of 1947 and placed in reserve status until finally being struck from the Naval Vessel Register in 1960. The only US battleship to sink a similar vessel from a foreign power was sold for scrap in May of 1961.
References
Jane's Fighting Ships of World War II, 1998, Crescent Books
Launching at Philadelphia
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