Iowa (BB 61) - Naval Cruise Book

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41 ,sv pu 1. 'fl --x, ww v r , Nh, r ,k -- .Kf,,,,,-. -f , ..'- . - -13,1 .-4., .. 11 - I- ,'wd ' -f wc: 1 4 - av The Mighty I, The Gray Ghost, and The First Lady of the Seventh Fleet are nicknames given by thousands of fighting men to one of the mightiest ships afloat, the fourth IOWA in naval history. Authorized by Congress in 1939, she was commissioned on IVashington's Birthday in 1943, at the Brooklyn Naval Shipyard, under the command of Captain john McCrea. The first IOWVA, a 3,200 ton gunboat, dates back to 1864. The second, an 11,000 tonner, fired the lirst shot at Santiago Bay in the Spanish-Amerimn WVar, and took the Spanish admiral prisoner. She met her end as a target after YVOrld WVar I, with a 21-gun salute as she sank. The third IOWVA, to be almost as large as the present one, was cancelled during construction under the WVashington Treaty. The present I0'WA put to sea in August 1943 for her first war assignment-the dramatic Tirpitz WVatch, neutralizing the threat of that famous German warship which was poised in Norwegian waters. In November she carried Franklin D. Roosevelt on one of the sea voyages he loved so well, to Casablanca enroute to the Teheran conference. And in january 1944 she joined the Fleet fighting in the Pacihc. The IOWA received her baptism of hrc at Kwajalein and Eniwetok. She made the hrst raid against Truk, great jap base in the Carolines. Her lirst battle scars came in the Marshalls bombardment. And when Task Force 58 gathered its growing might to support the pathway of invasion, she was there. She was in the famous Marianas Turkey 5ll00l, lll which 402 of 545 enemy plans were shot down with negligible losses. She was in the heavy ship battles of the Philippine Sea. And in August 1945 she steamed vietoriously into Tokyo Bay ,,,,., - s W ... ...suns-...,,....-..:...g ............,,..,., . ..... ...N .

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Captain Cooper, a former destroyer Captain and destroyer Squadron Coni- mander, came from duty at the National YVar College to assume command in Yokosuka on 29 july, l952. At the change of command ceremony he told the gl-ew, I have watched your drills and inspected your ship, and I like what I have seen. He took the IOWVA on her last two Korean patrols, and then brought the veteran home to the United States lor rotation and overhaul. His pride in his ship is evident, and under his eonnnand the IOWVA has continued to increase in battle eflieiency. Gurpluini. Cguolilttt Gzblnlitecl GOO.PQ!'L, min uly 29, 1952- 'QI

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rc is u was out Tle hlttle s IS non There sms no one to spe lk for tie glelt battleship non, and the money to pas for her keep w1sn't forthcoming In the economv summer of l9lS the bitten decision it ts xelehed to mothball the mights seterfm On Which 09th, 1010, her lllICllX'lIl0Il was completed, 'md she sms lud 'uns 'umdst 1 silent compam of dead ships in Stn Francisco lin WVe cm sense the mutieullte stduess of the old IOM K crux, is the big ship guess cold .md silent bent ith thtu feet Nlen t mt sul 1 ship into battle lne on het tuents four hours '1 du make hu their home 'md their hfe 'md then just lease her one dry without 1 lnelmarel glance When the buvle sounded the final quarters, there must hase been lumps in umm throats, and mms tn ue must hene nusted As thu 'lban dontd hu to t-hut seemed her linal grnu nd, thu tried to put it in molds with these inadequate list lines penned in the ships Lof' 7 The Great Ship rests, but newer d une l9J0 'md the brazen war gongs of lsorex elanged letoss the Far East Suen thousand miles mas, in San francisco Bas, the slumbermg gnnt stirred, awuting the call to arms Hel sisters, the NEXV IILRSEH and WVISCONSIN, were etllcd, md sprang to arms, but lll the grfnevird lleet idle ripples still lapped the IOWVX s motionless hull ln uh lfhl came the eagerls awaited call the IOWVK was needed' Ollicers and men poured in from across the country and around the wsorld some from the fleet, some from shore, some back to harness from cnthan hfe But the great bulls mme from towns and fanus all mer America new recruits e'wer for their lirst taste of the sea The 'idmnce guard ICIIIOWCLI the dehunudiliers, and stripped oll' the coeoons They rehghted the dxrls compartments, 'md bleu fresh air through the murltw holds The bulls of us didnt hit the empty decks, our footfalls echoing through the silence of two and a half sears, until August Oth Late that esemng a transport pulled alongside, we:-f - Tl - 'z' 5 1 1 - va: ' . - g -1' ' l - L Q A I -4 L x, k s ' 1 ' .1 ' ut. . . K, 1 .lf 2' C .1 ', l ' K. I x' l' '. . ' .' ' .'z '. ' A -'a 1 -.'.' - '.- if ' 'l ' xi - ' -x - . . - 'a ' z q ' ' 1 H ' ' 5 ,u .Q 2 V., , I l 1 .l',: - ,.. ' ' ' v 1 1 sn .'l ' . - . - if ' ' ' ' J ' 'J a: H e, the ship's company, leave the IOWVA with this parting thought: V ' l at , . t A' ' . A. b. v . ici!! I V ...... . ' K ' 'a ' if . ku ' t . 4 J.. , ' -' As N, ' : UL. ' 1: . ' I I , U F YA' 1 ' l 1 I, v -th . , , K. , . . 1 A-Ks - ' V' ' ' -D Q -1, - A l . s C ' , 1 I - T V 1 . I 4. C U . tv 1 .l A 4 'n ' K ' ' . . . .' . ' f. . . ' 7 ' , , 1 , 'Av 1 . ' K t -' v 'Y A' . I U, -1 0 K I , - I K 4, - A . gangplanks were laid across, and the Hrst contingent of eight hundred men boarded their SlI'3I1gC YICW h0l1lC. -..-.----- -gn-.i'-.,,- 1 v A' u 'Q' -if 12 fA1Zwf.:tLmwa.-4 --lg-i?-T