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.