Missouri (BB 63) - Naval Cruise Book

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Using a heavyweight crane, one of the six twin-mount five-inch guns is lifted effortlessly for placement on the battleship concealed by tiers of scaffolding. Another signing on USS Missouri, at left, Capt. G. E. Fink, Long Beach Naval Shipyard, signs the Surrender Plaque custody sheet as Capt. A.L. Kaiss, Prospective Commanding Officer, awaits his turn. Battleship Reactivation A Two Year Transformation The rebirth of USS Missouri (BB 63) be- gan when the policy of the United States said that there will be a 600 ship Navy. To do that required an in- crease in our fleet with ships of strength which still re- mained within the realm of cost effectiveness in a high priced world of modern tech- nology. Alternatives, such as marrying the best of ship construction technology with the best of the new, electronic technology were studied. So began the battle- ship reactivation and pro- gram of modernization. For years, the U.S. had laid up Navy ships in a mothball status. Each ship carefully preserved and pro- tected from the weather, so that if called back into ac- tion, the ship would sail forth as strong as ever. Such was the fate for the super dreadnoughts of the Iowa class. First to be brought back into commission, as part of the battleship program, was USS New Jersey (BB 62), then USS Iowa (BB 61). Then it was time for bring- ing back the most historic of America ' s battleships. USS Missouri was towed from Bremerton, Washing- ton, to the Naval Shipyard in Long Beach. On arrival, the work began to bring the Mighty Mo to within the standards necessary for the battleship to operate through the 1990s and be- yond. Some $475 million was al- located to modernize and re- activate the ship into a for- midable platform. For the money invested in the battleship, the Navy could have built a frigate. In- stead, the battleship can op- erate as the center piece of a Battleship Battle Group and at times, relieve our Carrier Battle Groups. It took two years to bring the Mighty Mo back to a state of readiness. And the careful planning has now been fulfilled.

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While in the drydock, men worked around the ship. At top left, one of the four screws is bolted into place. Above, at left, a welder applies a finishing touch. One worker was dwarfed by the ship ' s stem. At night, even a 30,000 pound anchor appears to be insignificant to the bow of a 58,000 ton ship. Once the required hull work was completed, USS Missouri was towed from the dock with many of the nucleous crew onboard handling the lines.

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As the new teak wood decks were ground down level on the deck outside under a protective canvas cover, fire was being reintroduced inside one of the ship s firerooms. BTC Steve Cox is the safety observer as BT ' 2 Mike Carpmail handles the torch for lighting No. 8 boiler for the first time in more than 30 years.