USS Wisconsin was one of the most powerful battleships ever developed. No enemy ship
or fortification could survive a direct hit from her powerful main battery of nine 16-inch
guns. After a brief but successful service in World
War 2, she fought again in the Pacific, but this time, in Korea, against the invading
Communist forces.
While Wisconsin, known fondly as Big Wisky by her crew, was decimating enemy positions
in Songkin, she was hit for the first time since World War 2 with a North Korean 155-millimeter
artillery shell.
Although damage was minimal, and only three sailors were lightly injured, Wisconsin unleashed
a full salvo of her 16-inch main battery against the small enemy emplacement.
The enemy battery and its surroundings were obliterated, resulting in craters full of
little more than rubble.
Iowa-Class Battleship
USS Wisconsin was an Iowa-class battleship laid down in January 1941 at the Philadelphia
Navy Yard. She was part of the Navy’s fast battleship design and the third out of four
ships of the Iowa-class and the second Navy vessel to bear the name of the 30th American
state.
The battleship was armed with nine powerful 16-inch guns split into three turrets, 12
twelve 5-inch guns, 20 dual-purpose Mark 12 guns, 80 L/60 guns, and 48 Oerlikon anti-aircraft
cannons.
The main battery of Mark 7 guns had a range of over 20 miles, while the secondary battery
could fire at targets up to ten miles away.
Wisconsin’s armor was between nine and 14.5 inches thick, providing excellent protection
against enemy land and naval gunfire. Additionally, the battleship was equipped with AN/SPS-49
Air Search Radar, AN/SPS-67 Surface Search Radar, and AN/SPQ-9 Gun Fire Control Radar.
The Iowa-class battleship was 887 feet long, had a beam of 108 feet, a draft of 37 feet,
and a displacement of 57,540 long tons. Wisconsin’s advanced propulsion system enabled her to
reach over 30 knots, granting her agility and striking power.
Wisconsin was launched in December 1943 and commissioned in April 1944 under the orders
of Captain Earl E. Stone. After training and trials in the Chesapeake Bay, she departed
Norfolk in July 1944, bound for the British West Indies.
In September, the battleship crossed the Panama Canal and reported to the Pacific Fleet in
October for training exercises in Hawaii. Wisconsin was one step closer to fighting
the Japanese.
World War 2
USS Wisconsin reached the Caroline Islands on December 9, 1944, and joined Admiral William
F. Halsey’s Third Fleet for the American reconquest of the Philippines.
A few days later, USS Wisconsin was destroying Japanese facilities at Manila, working with
the Third Fleet’s Fast Carrier Task For 38.
Thanks to her help, US aircraft softened up enemy defenses at Manila and destroyed over
270 Japanese fighters and 27 vessels, establishing air supremacy in the region.
Task Force 38 saw this winning streak cut short on December 18 when it was hit by Typhoon
Cobra. This tropical cyclone took the lives of over 790 sailors, sinking three destroyers
and a dozen aircraft while severely damaging nine warships.
Wisconsin survived the weather‘s wrath without a scratch leaving her able to unload her arsenal
against the Japanese during operations in Luzon and Formosa, where she provided anti-aircraft
support to TF 38.
These operations lasted the first weeks of January 1945 and resulted in the loss of more
than 40 Japanese ships and dozens of facilities decimating Japanese influence in the Pacific.
Wisconsin was assigned to the 5th Fleet in February when Admiral Raymond A. Spruance
relieved Admiral Halsey. She approached the shores of Tokyo with TF 58 on the 16th and
rained hell on the Imperial Japanese troops.
TF 58 destroyed over 320 aircraft that took to the skies and over 170 stationed on the
ground, in addition to hangars and aircraft facilities around the airfield.
Immediately after, Wisconsin was dispatched to Iwo Jima to provide direct fire support
to the Marines bound to land on Japanese home soil on February 19. War in the Pacific was
about to turn more violent.
Big Wisky
As the leathernecks established the beachheads in Iwo Jima, TF 58 was again dispatched to
Tokyo to strike it and neutralize defenses at Hachino island.
In March 1945, Wisconsin ravaged Kyūshū and swiftly eradicated ground targets at Okinawa
with her powerful main battery, pounding artillery emplacements and pillboxes where the defenders
were firmly dug in.
By June, the American forces were ready to invade mainland Japan. Wisconsin kept pounding
Japan with her 16-inch guns, removing oil refineries, storage facilities, and construction
buildings.
Japan was in flames, but the Imperial Army refused to surrender, which led to a last
devastating air raid over Tokyo on August 13 before the launch of the atomic bombs on
Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Wisconsin’s next task was Operation Magic Carpet. Its objective was to repatriate US
servicemen that served in the Pacific Theatre. The battleship was placed out of commission
after bringing soldiers to the mainland US. During her brief career, she earned five battle
stars fighting the Japanese.
Still, Big Wisky, as she was fondly nicknamed by her sailors, would not lay dormant for
a long time. Another conflict was brewing in the Pacific, and Wisconsin was ready to
answer the call of duty.
Off To Korea
In June 1950, a sudden invasion by Communist North Korea shook South Korea, prompting the
United States and the United Nations to prepare for war and counter the advancing troops.
Amidst General Douglas MacArthur's efforts to recapture the South and stabilize the front,
USS Wisconsin was awakened and recommissioned in March 1951. Under the command of Captain
Thomas Burrowes, she embarked on her mission, having completed two midshipmen training courses.
Setting course for the Korean Peninsula, Wisconsin arrived ready to face the challenges ahead.
By November 1951, she reached Japan, assuming the role of flagship for Vice Admiral H. M.
Martin, Commander of the 7th Fleet, relieving her sister ship, USS New Jersey.
Joining TF 77, Wisconsin played a vital role in providing gunfire support for the advancing
Republic of Korea troops and the 1st Marine Division in the Kasong-Kosong region. The
ship's firepower wreaked havoc on enemy tanks, artillery, and bunkers. Notably, during one
operation, surrounded ROK troops from the 1st Corps requested call-fire support.
Wisconsin responded by launching three star shells, illuminating the night sky with a
burst of burning material. This display of incandescent light allowed friendly soldiers
to repel the enemy attack. The ship repeated this tactic when supporting the 11th ROK forces
in Wonsan Harbor, effectively fending off North Korean troops.
As operations continued in December, Wisconsin remained committed to assisting UN troops.
She targeted trenches, bunkers, command posts, and large enemy concentrations in the Kojo
region. Following these engagements, the battleship underwent a brief check-up in Sasebo, Japan.
Wisconsin's secondary battery proved invaluable in eliminating small enemy craft and clearing
coastal defenses. In late December, she embarked on a special tour over the Korean peninsula,
accompanied by Cardinal Francis Spellman, to celebrate Christmas and conduct Catholic
Mass for UN servicemen.
In January 1952, the battleship received a great honor with the presence of South Korean
President Syngman Rhee, who awarded Vice Admiral Martin with the ROK Order of the Military
Merit during his visit aboard the ship.
Without delay, Wisconsin returned to the fray, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.
Temper, Temper! Wisconsin resumed combat operations in late
January and continued providing fire support for ROK divisions, Marines, and UN troops
near the coast, severely reducing the combat effectiveness of the 15th North Korean Division.
In February, Wisconsin was inspected by high-ranking US and ROK military officers before departing
to Songjin to fix her main guns on enemy railway transports.
On March 15, Wisconsin was hit for the first time since World War 2 while she destroyed
a North Korean tunnel and train that left some enemy vehicles and troops trapped inside.
It was a lucky hit from a 155-millimeter gun battery that struck the shield of a starboard-side
40-millimeter gun mount. The impact lightly wounded three sailors and barely scratched
the warship.
Still, the direct hit was more than enough to provoke the wrath of the USS Wisconsin
and her crew. In response, the mighty battleship fixed her 16-inch main battery on the hostile
emplacement and unleashed a full salvo, obliterating the artillery piece and everything in the
surroundings.
Impressed by her disproportionate show of force, USS Duncan, which was nearby, was quick
to signal a message to Wisconsin that said: (QUOTE) “Temper, Temper!”
In April, Wisconsin was relieved by her sister ship Iowa and returned to the US, earning
a sixth battle star for her service in Korea.
Gulf War
USS Wisconsin was employed as a training ship and received an overhaul in the aftermath
of the Korean War. In 1956, she collided at sea with the destroyer USS Eaton, severely
damaging both vessels' bows.
Wisconsin was repaired with spare parts from the incomplete USS Kentucky and decommissioned
in 1986 as part of President Raegan’s “600-ship Navy.”
For the upcoming Gulf War, Wisconsin was modified with more modern equipment. When US and Allied
forces stormed Iraq, Wisconsin provided fire support for Allied forces operating close
to the Persian Gulf.
Almost 50 years after her development, the 16-inch guns still spread terror among the
enemy, decimating facilities and hostile troop concentrations.
Wisky became the last battleship in the world to see combat when the Gulf War ended. When
the Soviet Union collapsed, USS Wisconsin was retired and converted into a ship museum
in Norfolk, Virginia.
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