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DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER
805 KIDDER BREESE SE -- WASHINGTON NAVY YARD
WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060

Online Library of Selected Images:
-- U.S. NAVY SHIPS --

USS New Jersey (BB-62), 1943-1999

USS New Jersey, a 45,000-ton Iowa class battleship, was built at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, Pennsylvania. Commissioned in May 1943, she spent the rest of that year in the western Atlantic and Caribbean area. New Jersey went to the Pacific in early 1944 and conducted her first combat operations in support of the Marshalls invasion. She was Fifth Fleet flagship during the mid-February raid on the Japanese base at Truk, where she used her guns to sink one enemy ship and join in sinking another. Through the rest of 1944, she took part in raids on Japanese-held islands, the Marianas invasion and Battle of Philippine Sea, the Battle of Leyte Gulf and operations against the Philippines. From August 1944, she was flagship of Admiral William F. Halsey's Third Fleet.

New Jersey continued her Pacific combat operations into 1945, supporting the invasions of Iwo Jima and the Ryukyus. Following overhaul, she again became Fifth Fleet flagship during the final days of World War II and remained in the Far East until early 1946. She went to the Atlantic in 1947 and made one midshipmen's training cruise to Europe before decommissioning in June 1948.

The Korean War brought New Jersey back into commission in November 1950. Two Korean combat tours in 1951 and 1953 were punctuated by a European cruise in the Summer of 1952. After returning home from the western Pacific in late 1953, New Jersey operated in the Atlantic. She deployed to Mediterranean and European waters twice in 1955-56 and was placed out of commission in August 1957.

USS New Jersey was the only battleship recalled to duty during the Vietnam War. She recommissioned in April 1968 and arrived off Southeast Asia in September. From then until April 1969, she conducted frequent bombardments along the South Vietnamese coast. While preparing for a second Vietnam tour, she was ordered inactivated and decommissioned in December 1969.

The early 1980s defense buildup produced a fourth active period for New Jersey, beginning with her recommissioning in December 1982. She again fired her big guns in combat during the Lebanon crisis of 1983-84 and deployed to the western Pacific in 1986 and 1989-90, with the latter cruise extending to the Persian Gulf area. Decommissioned again in February 1991, USS New Jersey was towed from the Pacific to the Atlantic in 1999. She is scheduled to become a museum at Camden, New Jersey.

This page features selected views of USS New Jersey (BB-62).

If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."

Click on the small photograph to prompt a larger view of the same image.

Photo #: NH 45486

USS New Jersey (BB-62)


Silhouetted against the sea and clouds, as seen from a minesweeper, 26 October 1943. She was then engaged in training in the western Atlantic and Caribbean area.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.

Online Image: 90KB; 740 x 590 pixels

 
Photo #: 80-G-K-15383 (Color)

USS New Jersey (BB-62)

At sea with the Pacific Fleet, 1944-45.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

Online Image: 89KB; 740 x 595 pixels

Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

 
Photo #: 80-G-291047

USS New Jersey (BB-62)


In a stiff storm in the western Pacific, 8 November 1944.
Photographed from USS Intrepid (CV-11).
USS Hancock (CV-19) is in the background.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

Online Image: 110KB; 740 x 610 pixels

Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

 
Photo #: 80-G-435681

USS New Jersey (BB-62)


Fires a nine 16-inch gun salvo during bombardment operations against enemy targets in Korea, adjacent to the 38th parallel.
Photo is dated 10 November 1951.
Smoke from shell explosions is visible ashore, in the upper left.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

Online Image: 124KB; 740 x 610 pixels

Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

 
Photo #: 80-G-K-16282 (Color)

USS New Jersey (BB-62)

Steams into a Japanese port, during her second Korean War tour, circa April-May 1953.
Note harbor defense nets beyond the ship.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

Online Image: 101KB; 740 x 600 pixels

Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

 
Photo #: NH 90639

USS New Jersey (BB-62)


Bombarding enemy targets near Tuyho, on South Vietnam's central coast, during her last line period, late in March 1969.
Photographed by PH2 Monty L. Tipton.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.

Online Image: 75KB; 740 x 520 pixels

 
Photo #: DN-ST-83-00210 (Color)

USS New Jersey (BB-62)

At sea during her sea trials off the U.S. Pacific Coast, 25 September 1982.
Photographed by PH2 Shayna Brennan.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the the Department of Defense Still Media Collection.

Online Image: 90KB; 740 x 600 pixels

 
Photo #: 80-G-291498

Admiral William F. Halsey, USN,

Commander, Third Fleet (left center)

Eats Thanksgiving dinner with the crew of his flagship, USS New Jersey (BB-62), 30 November 1944.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

Online Image: 122KB; 595 x 765 pixels

Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

 
Photo #: NH 90624

USS New Jersey (BB-62)


View looking aft from the fore deck, showing her forward 16"/50 guns and superstructure, 1968-1969.
Photographed by PH1 Larry H. Smith.
Note the large ULQ-6 electronic countermeasures system antenna installation on her fire control tower.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.

Online Image: 90KB; 605 x 765 pixels

 
Photo #: DN-ST-83-01001 (Color)

USS New Jersey (BB-62)

View from the bridge, looking over the two forward 16"/50 gun turrets, during sea trials in the Pacific, 25-28 September 1982.
Note spray at the front of the second turret.
Photographed by PH1 Ron Garrison.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the the Department of Defense Still Media Collection.

Online Image: 97KB; 740 x 510 pixels

 
Photo #: DN-SC-84-06362 (Color)

USS New Jersey (BB-62)

Fires a salvo from her 16"/50 guns during a deployment off the coast of Beirut, Lebanon, 9 January 1984
Photographed by PH1 Ron Garrison.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the the Department of Defense Still Media Collection.

Online Image: 108KB; 740 x 610 pixels

 


If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."


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Link added 14 May 2000