The visit to Spain of the USS Iowa, a large battleship of World War II

@DefAviation ES 9·02·2022 · 21:34 0

On September 2, 1945, Japan signed its surrender to the United States on the battleship USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. There was also another large battleship there.

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The USS Iowa (BB-61) was the first battleship of the Iowa class, made up of six ships in total. It was built at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York. Its construction was ordered on July 1, 1939, before the US entry into World War II. She was laid down on June 27, 1940 and launched on August 27, 1942, months after the start of the US-Japanese war. She was delivered to the US Navy in 1943, serving until 1958, when she was withdrawn from service. However, she was comissioned again in 1968, for only one year, and in 1982, being definitively withdrawn from service in 1992. She is currently a museum ship and is located in Los Angeles, California.

The ship is huge. It has a length of 270 meters and a beam of 33 meters, and a displacement of 45,000 tons (To give us an idea, the aircraft carrier "Juan Carlos I" L-61 has a displacement of 26,000 tons and 231 meters in length). The Iowa was originally equipped with 9 406 mm guns mounted in three turrets, in addition to 20 127 mm guns, 80 40 mm anti-aircraft guns and 49 20 mm anti-aircraft guns. During World War II she had two catapults to launch seaplanes. After that war her anti-aircraft systems were renewed, incorporating four Phalanx CIWS, in addition to adding 32 Tommahawk surface-to-surface missile launchers and 16 Harpoon anti-ship missile launchers.

In the US National Archives you can see a series of photos of the visit that this ship made to Spain on February 25, 1988, specifically to the Rota Naval Base. You can see those photos below.

A view from the bow and starboard of the USS Iowa during her visit to Spain. Beware of the huge anchor that hangs from the ship. Link to the original photo.

The USS Iowa seen from starboard, with her crew and embarked force forming up on the ship. The photo gives us a good reference for the size of the battleship's main turrets. Each of the turrets was manned by between 77 and 110 sailors. Link to the original photo.

Another image of the sailors and marines lining up on the USS Iowa. The sailors wear the classic US Navy pea coat, with the collar turned up, while the marines wore long coats. During World War II, the USS Iowa had a crew of 2,700 men. In the 1980s she carried 1,800 crew members. Link to the original photo.

An impressive view of the stern of the ship. The photo is taken from a US Navy tugboat at the moment of setting sail from Rota. Link to the original photo.

A view of the stern of the USS Iowa as it is being towed out of Naval Base Rota. Harpoon anti-ship missile launchers can be seen on either side of her 406mm gun muzzles, and Phalanx CIWS anti-aircraft systems a little higher up. Link to the original photo.

The USS Iowa being towed by a tugboat on its way out of Naval Base Rota. Here we see the starboard part of the stern. Link to the original photo.

The USS Iowa leaving Rota, seen from the port side of her stern. Link to the original photo.