Navy | The US Navy |
Type | Battleship |
Class | South Dakota |
Pennant | BB 59 |
Built by | Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp. (Quincy, Massachusetts, U.S.A.) |
Ordered | 15 Dec 1938 |
Laid down | 20 Jul 1939 |
Launched | 23 Sep 1941 |
Commissioned | 12 May 1942 |
End service | 27 Mar 1947 |
History | Massachusetts slugged it out with the incomplete French battleship Jean Bart at Casablanca in one of the few engagements between capital ships during World War II. At the war's end, Massachusetts had earned 14 battle stars for her combat service. In 1965, USS Massachusetts was saved and presented to her namesake state for preservation. Moored at Battleship Cove, the battleship is a museum vessel and memorial displayed with the destroyer USS Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr., the submarine USS Lionfish, PT617, PT796 and the Russian-built missile corvette Hiddensee. A four-month $8 million overhaul of the battleship, which included her first drydocking in 46 years, was completed in March 1999. Massachusetts conducts youth group overnight encampments. Decommissioned 27 March 1947. |
Commands listed for USS Massachusetts (BB 59)
Please note that we're still working on this section.
Commander | From | To | |
1 | Capt. Francis Elliott Maynard Whiting, USN | 12 May 1942 | 12 Dec 1942 |
2 | T/R.Adm. Robert Ogden Glover, USN | 12 Dec 1942 | 27 Sep 1943 |
3 | T/R.Adm. Theodore Davis Ruddock, Jr., USN | 27 Sep 1943 | 8 Apr 1944 |
4 | Capt. William Walter Warlick, USN | 8 Apr 1944 | 2 May 1945 |
5 | T/Capt. John Roland Redman, USN | 2 May 1945 | 22 Jan 1946 |
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Notable events involving Massachusetts include:
12 Feb 1944
Task Force 58 departed Majuro Atoll for operation HAILSTONE, a raid against the Japanese base at Truk Atoll.
Task Force 58 was made up of the following ships;
Task Group 58.1 Aircraft carriers USS Enterprise (Capt. M.B. Gardner, USN), USS Yorktown (Capt. R.E. Jennings, USN), light carrier USS Belleau Wood (Capt. A.M. Pride, USN), light cruisers Santa Fé (Capt. J. Wright, USN), Mobile (Capt. C.J. Wheeler, USN), Biloxi (Capt. D.M. McGurl, USN), USS Oakland (Capt. W.K. Phillips, USN) and the destroyers USS Clarence K. Bronson (Lt.Cdr. J.C. McGoughran, USN), USS Cotten (Cdr. F.T. Sloat, USN), USS Dortch (Cdr. R.C. Young, USN), USS Gatling (Cdr. A.F. Richardson, USN), USS Healy (Cdr. J.C. Atkeson, USN), USS Cogswell (Cdr. H.T. Deutermann, USN), USS Caperton (Cdr. W.J. Miller, USN), USS Ingersoll (Cdr. A.C. Veasey, USN), USS Knapp (Cdr. F. Virden, USN).
Task Group 58.2 Aircraft carriers USS Essex (Capt. R.A. Ofstie, USN), USS Intrepid (Capt. T.L. Sprague, USN), light carrier USS Cabot (Capt. M.F. Schoeffel, USN), heavy cruisers USS Wichita (Capt J.J. Mahoney, USN), USS Baltimore (Capt. W.C. Calhoun, USN), light cruisers USS San Francisco (Capt. H.E. Overesch, USN), USS San Diego (Capt. L.J. Hudson, USN), destroyers USS Owen (Cdr. R.W. Wood, USN), USS Miller (Cdr. T.H. Kobey, USN), USS The Sullivans (Cdr. K.M. Gentry, USN), USS Stephen Potter (Cdr. C.H. Crichton, USN), USS Hickox (Cdr. W.M. Sweetser, USN), USS Hunt (Cdr. H.A. Knoertzer, USN), USS Lewis Hancock (Cdr. C.H. Lyman, 3rd, USN), USS Stembel (Cdr. W.L. Tagg, USN) and USS Stack (Lt.Cdr. R.E. Wheeler, USN).
Task Group 58.3 Aircraft carrier USS Bunker Hill (Capt. T.P. Jeter, USN), light carriers USS Monterey (Capt. L.T. Hundt, USN), USS Cowpens (Capt. R.P. McConnell, USN), battleships USS North Carolina (Capt. F.P. Thomas, USN), USS Massachusetts (Capt. T.D. Ruddock, Jr., USN), USS South Dakota (Capt. A.E. Smith, USN), USS Alabama (Capt. F.D. Kirtland, USN), USS Iowa (Capt. J.L. McCrea, USN), USS New Jersey (Capt. C.F. Holden, USN), heavy cruisers USS Minneapolis (Capt. R.W. Bates, USN), USS New Orleans (Capt. S.R. Shumaker, USN), destroyers USS Izard (Cdr. E.K. van Swearingen, USN), USS Charrette (Cdr. E.S. Karpe, USN), USS Conner (Cdr. W.E. Kaitner, USN), USS Bell (Cdr. L.C. Petross, USN), USS Burns (Cdr. D.T. Eller, USN), USS Bradford (Cdr. R.L. Morris, USN), USS Brown (Cdr. T.H. Copeman, USN), USS Cowell (Cdr. C.W. Parker, USN), USS Wilson (Lt.Cdr. C.K. Duncan, USN), USS Sterett (Lt.Cdr. F.J.L. Blouin, USN) and USS Lang (Cdr. H. Payson, Jr., USN).
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