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Photos by Darrell Grindstaff
Battleship Missouri:
Meet an American Hero
World War II ended on the deck of the Battleship Missouri with the signing of the “Instrument of Surrender” by Japan on Sept. 2, 1945, earning the battleship a significant place in history. Its service began with its commission on June 11, 1944, when it joined the Pacific Third Fleet. The USS Missouri, BB-63, was the last of four Iowa-class battleships built by the U.S., and it bristled with weaponry, including nine main guns whose inside diameters measured a whopping 16 inches. It also sported 20 5-inch antiaircraft guns (mounted two per turret, in 10 turrets), along with 80 40-mm antiaircraft guns (mounted four per turret, in 20 turrets throughout the ship), and 49 20-mm gun units. In 1945, two catapult-launched seaplanes were added to the stern of the ship. When it began service, it was the epitome of military technological prowess.
Above: A medallion now marks the location of the surrender of the Japanese on Sept. 2, 1945, which formally ended World War II.
Left: Military personnel crowd the decks to witness the historic event on the USS Missouri, anchored in Tokyo Bay.
U.S. Navy Photo
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