As a sailor in the U.S. Navy from a landlocked state, I am often asked why I joined the service, since my entire state does not touch the saltwater ocean that our Navy dominates. To that question, I researched all of the U.S. Navy ships named for landlocked States and decided to write on these ships who dominate the sea in their namesake’s place. These are the Top 10 of the ships I found, in alphabetical order:
USS Arkansas (BB-33)
Commissioned in 1912 during World War II, the USS Arkansas engaged a German submarine, while en route to England, but never sank it. She saw action during World Ware I in Normandy, where she helped bombard Omaha Beach and aided ground forces after D-Day in both Northern and Southern France. In the Pacific theater, the Arkansas fought in the Battle of Iwo Jima, and in the Battle of Okinawa, where she was threatened by several kamikazes but shot each of them down before she took any notable damage.
USS Colorado (BB-45)
Commissioned in 1923, the USS Colorado served during World War I, where she was engaged and supported the Invasion of Tarawa; The Marshall Islands, Kwajalein and Eniwetok; the Mariana Islands, Siapan, Guam, and Tinian, sustaining 22 hits on her hull and 241 casualties from shore batteries in Tinian, but continued her support for ten more days. Later, during the invasion of Leyte Gulf, she sustained two kamikaze strikes resulting 91 casualties and continued shelling for five more days before returning for repairs. She was later hit by friendly fire in her superstructure during the bombardment of Lingyang Gulf, which resulted in 69 casualties. She was later assigned to Okinawa where she helped in the preinvasion bombardment on the island.
USS Idaho (BB-42 )
Commissioned in 1919, the USS Idaho took part in the Pacific front of World War II, where she shelled Japanese positions in the Gilbert Islands and later moved to provide fire support for the invasions of Kwajalein and Saipan and the Battles of the Philippine Sea, Guam, Peleliu, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa, where she shot down five kamikaze and was grazed on the side by another, sustaining zero casualties and superficial damage. She was present in the surrender of Japan in the Tokyo Bay.
USS Indiana (BB-58 )
Commissioned in 1942, the USS Indian was in the Pacific theater during World War II, where she saw action in the Battle of Rennell Island and the Invasions of New Georgia, Marcus Island, Tarawa, Makin Atoll, and Nauru. Later, she served as the flagship for Battle Group 8 during the the Battles for Kwajalein, in which her battle group destroyed a submarine and five guard ships stationed off the island. Following repairs after a collision with the USS Washington (BB-56), the Indiana took part in the Invasion of Saipan, where she destroyed numerous aircraft, avoided three torpedoes, and was later struck by a kamikaze torpedo bomber that did only superficial damage to her top deck. The only five casualties she sustained were from the AA fragments of her friendly ships falling back down after the fight. She then took part in the preparatory shelling of Iwo Jima, and the full invasion of Okinawa she repelled each of the kamikaze from striking her ship and shot down numerous more aircraft. The Indiana’s last combat operation during the war was the shelling of a steel factory on mainland Japan before the nation’s surrender.
USS Iowa (BB-4)
Commissioned in1897, and recommissioned in 1910 and again in 1917, the USS Iowa fought valiantly during the Spanish-American War. In the Battle of Santiago de Cuba, she helped sink or ground all six of the vessels in the Spanish fleet and rescued the crew of the Spanish Vizcaya after the battle caused her main munition storage to explode and the crew to abandon ship.
USS Missouri (BB-63 )
Commissioned in 1944 and again in 1986, the USS Missouri fought during the tail end of the Battle of Iwo Jima and took part in a diversion strike on Okinawa, shelling the southern edge of the island. Throughout the battle, she sustained zero casualties, despite being struck by a kamikaze, which caused a fire across the top deck. She also destroyed a Japanese submarine and approximately 11 aircraft while patrolling the shores of Okinawa. The Japanese surrender was signed on board the Missouri on 2 September 1945 in the Tokyo Bay by Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz.
USS Nevada (BB-36 )
Commissioned in 1916, the USS Nevada carried President Woodrow Wilson to the Paris Peace Conference following World War I. During World War II, she was the only battleship able to maneuver during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, and got under way 30 minutes after the attack had started. After the attack, the Nevada sustained between five and ten bomb hits, one torpedo strike, and 169 casualties. In return, she destroyed eight Japanese aircraft. After being repaired, the Nevada deployed to the Western front and participated in the Invasion of Normandy and the invasions of Southern France where. In both bombardments, she had the most accurate fire, and she dealt the finishing blow on the French fortress “Big Willie.”.In the Pacific theater, the Nevada took part in the attacks on Iwo Jima and Okinawa. During the invasion of Okinawa, a single kamikaze destroyed two of her main cannons and three AA guns, dealing 60 casualties. Later, from Japanese shore batteries, two men were lost in a fire. Following World Ware II, the Nevada was deemed too old to stay in the fleet, and was part of both Bikini Atoll nuclear tests.
USS New Mexico (BB-40)
Commissioned in 1918, the USS New Mexico participated in the naval escort that brought President Woodrow Wilson to the Versaille Peace Conference. During World Ware II in the Pacific theater , she took part in the offensive shelling in Kwajalein, Ebeye, Wotje, New Ireland, Kavieng, Tinian, Saipan, and Guam. She served as a troop transport and escort, filling each newly captured island with personnel to build and man the naval bases. She also served more in a defensive capacity, protecting these islands from continuous air raids by the Japanese air fleet, and protected the supply lines until she was refitted with more modern armaments. The New Mexico‘s next combat operation was the assault on Lingyang Gulf, where she was struck by a kamikaze in the bridge, which killed her commanding officer and caused 116 additional casualties. After her repaired, she participated in the invasion of Okinawa, where she destroyed eight Japanese suicide boats before they could do any damage, and was struck by two kamikaze aircraft, which caused 173 casualties on board the New Mexico. After repairs again, she drilled for an invasion of mainland Japan until the country surrendered.
USS South Dakota (BB-57 )
Commissioned in 1942, the USS South Dakota first saw action in the Battle of Santa Cruz Islands where she claimed to have destroyed 26 aircraft while defending the USS Enterprise (CV-6). After repairs, she took part in the Second Naval Battle of Guadalcanal where she sustained 27 hits from Japanese naval artillery and 220 casualties. In return, she struck two of Japanese destroyers and aided the USS Washington in sinking a Japanese fast battleship. After returning for repairs again, she was stationed in the Arctic protecting U.S. supply lines from the German fleet and later was deployed again to the Pacific and participated in the preliminary bombardments of Tarawa, Naru, Saipan, Guam, Tinian, the western Carolines, and New Guinea, all while preparing for another naval battle that happened much later. During Battle of the Philippine Sea, she was struck by a bomb that destroyed two gun mounts and resulted in 51 casualties. The ship continued combat operations for the remainder of the war, taking part in the invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa, and the bombardment of the Japanese mainland.
USS Wisconsin (BB-64)
Commissioned in 1944 and again in 1951 and 1988, the USS Wisconsin saw combat operations during World War II, Korea, and the Gulf War. Her first combat operations were the bombardments of Japan’s mainland, where her task force destroyed 499 Japanese aircraft. She went on to participate in the Invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa and then onto the naval bombardment of Japan until the end of the war. Following World War II, the Wisconsin served as a training ship for midshipmen and enlisted crew until she was briefly decommissioned before the Korean War. During the Korean War, she shelled Kangnung in support of the Marine Corps. Her bombardments accounted for the destruction of a tank, two gun placements, and a building. She later was engaged in shelling in Kojo, Kosong, Wonsan, Hodo Pando, Songjin, and numerous other locations, destroying North Korean train convoys, bridges, command posts, shelters, and bunkers in support of both the U.S. and U.N. forces. During the later part of the war, the Wisconsin was struck for the first time in her career by a Korean 6-inch naval shell injuring three men and causing superficial damage to the 40-mm turret that was hit. The Wisconsin returned fire with all 9 of her 16-inch guns and the North Korean vessel promptly sank. The Wisconsin was decommissioned again and brought back to fight in the Gulf War where she first fired upon Iraqi artillery and missile-launch facilities, and later destroyed 15 Iraqi ships and their piers. The Wisconsin was the last battleship to see combat actions. She is still afloat today as a museum, and is always ready to be reactivated in the U.S. Navy.
