The USS Missouri, nicknamed the “Mighty Mo,” was officially commissioned in January 1944, making her one of the last battleships to join the U.S. Navy during World War II. Although she entered the war later than many of her sister ships, she quickly earned a historic role. The Missouri is best remembered as the site where Japan formally surrendered to the Allies on September 2, 1945—an event that marked the official end of World War II.
Wanting to counter Japan
During the 1930s, a period of peace for the United States, military leaders anticipated the possibility of conflict with Japan. In response, the Navy was assigned the task of developing a new battleship design. The goal was to create a vessel capable of challenging Japan’s Kongō-class battlecruisers.
After the First World War, global powers agreed to the Washington Naval Treaty, which imposed restrictions on the size of new ships. This was followed by the Second London Naval Treaty, which Japan declined to sign. This led to further negotiations that permitted the US to construct battleships up to 45,000 tons, an increase from the earlier limit of 36,000 tons.
Construction of the USS Missouri (BB-63)
The USS Missouri was approved for construction in June 1940, and work officially began in January 1941. By 1944, the Iowa-class battleship was finished, and around 30,000 people showed up to witness her first launch.
Powered by high-speed turbines, the Missouri could travel at speeds up to 32.5 knots, or roughly 37 miles per hour. Her main weapons were nine massive 16-inch guns. These were supported by twenty 5-inch guns that could hit both land and air targets, as well as twenty 40 mm Bofors guns meant for shooting down enemy aircraft. To further boost her air defenses, she carried forty-nine smaller 0.8-inch guns.
After her initial test run near Chesapeake Bay, the Missouri made her way to the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard in San Francisco, California. There, she received key upgrades to prepare her for duty as a fleet flagship.
Site of the Japanese surrender
After its commissioning, the USS Missouri was deployed overseas as part of Task Force 58, reaching the waters near Tokyo in January 1945. The battleship quickly joined an assault on the Japanese city, employing her armaments to deliver anti-aircraft support. Subsequently, she continued carrying out strikes against Japan, including operations during the Battle of Iwo Jima.
Shortly before the Battle of Okinawa, Missouri and two other U.S. ships were reassigned to Task Force 59, tasked with bombarding Okinawa’s southern region. This mission aimed to distract Japanese forces from the expected invasion on the island’s western side. In April 1945, Missouri was struck by a kamikaze aircraft, sustaining only minor damage. A few days later, another kamikaze pilot targeted the ship, causing injuries to two crew members.
On September 2, 1945, Missouri hosted the Japanese surrender ceremony. The formal event was attended by Gen. Douglas MacArthur and Adm. Chester Nimitz, with Japanese Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu representing Japan.
Service during later US-involved conflicts
The USS Missouri was called back into service in 1950 with the outbreak of the Korean War. Initially assigned to the Pacific Fleet, she became the first American battleship to arrive in Korean waters, where she carried out shoreline bombardments and served as an escort for aircraft carriers throughout the conflict.
In 1955, Missouri was decommissioned and sent to Puget Sound. She remained moored in Seattle for several decades, becoming a popular tourist destination – at the height of her time there, she attracted approximately 250,000 visitors annually.
In 1984, under the Reagan administration, Missouri was reactivated as part of a fleet expansion aimed at countering the Soviet Union. She was modernized with cutting-edge weapons and technology, including four Mk 141 quad cell launchers for RGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles and four Phalanx 0.8-inch .76-caliber Close-In Weapon Systems. Also, eight Mk 143 Armored Box Launcher mounts for Tomahawk missiles were installed.
Three years later, Missouri was deployed to Kuwait as part of Operation Earnest Will, outfitted with additional 25 mm chain guns and 40 mm grenade launchers. In January 1991, she arrived in the Persian Gulf, in support of Operation Desert Storm, where her mission involved clearing sea mines and providing naval gunfire support.
USS Missouri‘s (BB-63) retirement and legacy
Ronald Reagan brought the USS Missouri back into service as part of a plan to deter the Soviet Union during the Cold War. But by the mid-1990s, the USSR had dissolved, and Russia was no longer seen as a major threat. To cut costs, the U.S. military decided to retire the battleship once again.
The USS Missouri first returned to Puget Sound, but in 1998, it was moved to Ford Island in Hawaii. Today, it sits anchored about 500 feet from the USS Arizona Memorial. Facing the memorial, the Missouri stands as a powerful tribute to those who lost their lives in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941.