F. World War II–Era U.S. Battleships

More than just historical curiosity, this table clearly shows the World War I era of hasty battleship construction; the dramatic, almost-two-decade pause between the wars because of the Washington treaty restrictions; and then the pre–World War II rush of renewed construction. By the time the Iowa-class giants slid down the ways, the aircraft carrier had established its dominance as the navy’s principal capital ship.

Ship Name (No.)	Commissioned–Decommissioned	Disposition
Utah (BB-31)	August 31, 1911–September 5, 1944	Sunk at Pearl Harbor
Wyoming (BB-32)	September 25, 1912–August 1, 1947	Scrapped
Arkansas (BB-33)	September 17, 1912–July 29, 1946	Sunk as postwar target
New York (BB-34)	April 15, 1914–August 29, 1946	Sunk as postwar target
Texas (BB-35)	March 12, 1914–April 21, 1948	Memorial, San Jacinto, TX
Nevada (BB-36)	March 11, 1916–April 21, 1948	Sunk as postwar target
Oklahoma (BB-37)	May 2, 1916–September 1, 1944	Sunk at Pearl Harbor*
Pennsylvania (BB-38)	June 12, 1916–August 29, 1946	Sunk as postwar target
Arizona (BB-39)	October 17, 1916–	Memorial, Pearl Harbor
New Mexico (BB-40)	May 20, 1918–July 19, 1946	Scrapped
Mississippi (BB-41)	December 18, 1917–December 17, 1956	Scrapped
Idaho (BB-42)	March 24, 1919–July 3, 1946	Scrapped
Tennessee (BB-43)	June 3, 1920–February 14, 1947	Scrapped
California (BB-44)	August 10, 1921–February 14, 1947	Scrapped
Colorado (BB-45)	August 30, 1923–January 7, 1947	Scrapped
Maryland (BB-46)	July 21, 1921–April 3, 1947	Scrapped
Washington (BB-47)	Never commissioned	Sunk as target, 1924
West Virginia (BB-48)	December 1, 1923–January 9, 1947	Scrapped
North Carolina (BB-55)	April 9, 1941–June 27, 1947	Memorial, Wilmington, NC
Washington (BB-56)	May 15, 1941–June 27, 1947	Scrapped
South Dakota (BB-57)	March 20, 1942–January 31, 1947	Scrapped
Indiana (BB-58)	April 30, 1942–September 11, 1947	Scrapped
Massachusetts (BB-59)	May 12, 1942–March 27, 1947	Memorial, Fall River, MA
Alabama (BB-60)	August 16, 1942–January 9, 1947	Memorial, Mobile, AL
Iowa (BB-61)	February 22, 1943–March 24, 1949**	Memorial, Los Angeles, CA
New Jersey (BB-62)	May 23, 1943–June 30, 1948**	Memorial, Camden, NJ
Missouri (BB-63)	June 11, 1944–February 26, 1955**	Memorial, Pearl Harbor
Wisconsin (BB-64)	April 16, 1944–July 1, 1948**	Memorial, Norfolk, VA

^* Subsequently raised, stripped of guns and superstructure, and sold for scrap, but sank en route to San Francisco from Pearl Harbor, May 17, 1947.

^** The four Iowa-class battleships were later variously recommissioned for action related to Korea and the Middle East.

Source: Adapted from “The Battleships” at www.navy.mil/navydata/ships/battleships/bb-list.asp

Note: Hull numbers BB-49 through BB-54 were assigned and hulls were laid down, but they were scrapped in 1923 under the terms of the Washington treaty.