Washington (BB 56) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 14 text:

Closeup of Commissioning Ceremonies. MSome are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon themf' The WASHINGTON is a ship that meets all three conditions with honor. Many times has she been thrown into the balance, ill both Atlantic and Pacific waters, never has she been found Wanting. This is 110t the story of a War, or a fleet, or a task force. It is the story of a ship, but it typifies the way in which every ship in our Navy per- formed and fought. There had been a lapse of twenty years ill battleship construction. Some maintained that this type of ship was obsolete. Besides, America was too self-sufficient to get into any European War, but when the Pearl Harbor disaster aroused us from our slumbers, We Were grateful to those farisighted leaders who saw that tl ' l ie 1n1g ity battleships WHSl1ll1gl011 and North Carolina were already riding the waves. 10

Page 13 text:

, ,,,, , ,f , A M , , , fi H f f , H 1. - , s - me 2.- f,1,.,l 4 4 'f' ff 5 bg' , ' 2! 'g4 i 5 f k C0 - -N Q , 1 s f-s i 2- x N W.. .sim ,gui ,V z .f X ,- ', 1 f X- R - - - s. 7: 25 'f:Q , 1i,f '1k13'Hi': ?fi: 5-V1 if Of ' f 'fix W N 'X x' Commissioning Ceremonies. X S, S

Page 15 text:

The keel of the WaS111l1gt0l1 was laid at the Philadelphia Navy Yard on June 14, 1938. On June 1, 1940, she slid down the ways, and was commissioned on May 15, 1941, by Miss Virginia Marshall, a direct descendant of Chief Justice Marshall. All of the skill of a traditionally fine yard, the best materials, and the care of those charged with her construction produced a ship excelled by none and equalled by few. Under the command of her first skipper. Captain H. H. J. Benson. she represented a fitting tribute to those who designed a11d built her and since then, tested in battle and storm, she has justified l1er builderas skill and care. Extensive shakedown operations occupied the rest of the Summer and Fall following commissioning. A state of national emergency existed and shaking down was a serious business. And then Pearl Harbor!! It was no longer just a state of national emergency: it was WAR. The Washington and North Carolina departed together from Norfolk to pre- pare for battle with gunnery trials in the Gulf of Mexico. These southern waters witnessed a magnificent spectacle as the new battleships unleashed the potential power concealed beneath the steel plates of their gun mounts. The nine sixteen-inch rifles fired a heavier projectile than any Down the ways. -