Visiting the Battleship U.S.S New Jersey in Camden, New Jersey

Located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia's Penn's Landing, the battleship U.S.S. New Jersey rests at its berth on the waterfront of Camden, New Jersey. One of four Iowa Class battleships completed during World War II, New Jersey served in the U.S. Navy until 1991. It is now a floating museum, and a tour of this historic ship is a fascinating experience.

Service in World War II

The U.S.S. New Jersey was built at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and launched on December 7^th, 1942. It was commissioned in May 1943, and after completion of its shakedown cruise in the Atlantic and Caribbean, set out to join the Fifth Fleet in the Pacific. It joined the fleet on January 22^nd, 1944 and almost immediately participated in action in support of the invasion of the Marshall Islands.

The ship next saw action on February 17^th and 18^th as part of a task force in a raid on the Japanese naval base at Truk in the Caroline Islands. Here, New Jersey sank one enemy ship and assisted in the sinking of another. The battleship participated in several more battles throughout 1944, including the invasions of Saipan and Tinian, the Battle of the Philippine Sea, and the Battle of Leyte Gulf. The ship was part of the defensive screen surrounding the fleet's aircraft carriers, protecting them from surface ship and air attacks. It was also armed with nine 16 inch guns that delivered tremendous firepower. These guns were used to shell enemy shore emplacements and in support of invasion forces. New Jerseycontinued its roles of carrier protection and shore bombardment into 1945 as part of the invasions of Iowa Jima and Okinawa.

Korea and Vietnam

After World War II, New Jerseywas decommissioned in 1948 and placed in reserve. The ship was not idle for long however, as it was recommissioned in 1950 for service in the Korean War. The ship served two tours of duty in Korea providing a great deal of shore bombardment against North Korean targets and in support of land based operations. The ship was decommissioned again in 1957 and placed in reserve.

In 1968, the ship was brought back again for service in shore bombardment in the Vietnam War. New Jersey served in this capacity from September 1968 to April of 1969, bombarding enemy positions along the Vietnamese coast. Late in 1969, the ship was again decommissioned and placed in reserve.

Reactivated and Modernized

In December 1982, New Jerseywas reactivated once again. Its weaponry was updated with the addition of Harpoon anti ship missiles and Tomahawk cruise missiles. A civil war was raging in Lebanon, and United States Marines had been sent to that country to protect U.S. interests and to act as peacekeepers, until the Lebanese army was able to regain control. The New Jersey was ordered to the Lebanese coast. The ship provided artillery support when the Marines came under fire from September 1983 to February 1984, its big guns firing deep into Lebanon as far east as the Bekaa Valley.

New Jersey was decommissioned for the final time in February 1991. It returned to Philadelphia in 1999 and was opened as a museum on the Camdenwaterfront in 2001.

Touring the Ship

Both guided and self guided tours are available, with emphasis on either military aspects of the ship or on life aboard the vessel. Admission is charged for all tours. See the website at www.battleshipnewjersey.org for current prices and hours of operation. We opted for the guided "Fire Power Tour", a tour that emphasized the military capability of the ship. We found our guide to be very knowledgeable. Guided tours are about two hours long. Be prepared to do some climbing and maneuvering in tight spaces as you go through the ship. Consider what it would be like going through these tight spaces quickly while under attack.

The ship is in its configuration at the time of its final decommissioning in 1991, so on the Fire Power Tour, one sees the launchers for Tomahawk cruise missiles and the Phalanx anti missile and anti aircraft defense system. We climbed into one of the 16 inch gun turrets (it was big enough to hold our entire tour group) and our guide explained how these huge guns were fired. Also on the tour route were the Bridge and the Combat Engagement Center, the black painted weapons control room containing lots of radar and video screens. Crew and officer's accommodations were also included.

All in all, a very interesting tour of a historic ship that spanned several eras of 20^th century American history.

Sources

www.battleshipnewjersey.org

Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (online) U.S.S New Jersey web page

http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/n4/new_jersey-ii.htm

Naval Historical Center online library of Selected images U.S.S. New Jersey web page

http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-n/bb62.htm

"Blowup in Beirut: U. S. Marines in Peacekeeping Mission Turns Deadly" by Randy Gaddo. Military History, March 2007.