USS Wisconsin BB 64 – History of the Last Battleship Commissioned by the U.S. Navy & Navy Decals

USS Wisconsin BB 64 – History, Service Record & Navy Decals

The USS Wisconsin (BB-64) was the fourth and final ship of the Iowa class of fast battleships — the most powerful battleships ever built by the United States Navy — and the last battleship ever commissioned by the United States Navy. When Wisconsin was finally decommissioned for the last time in 1991, she brought to a close an era of American naval history that had stretched from the USS Maine in 1895 through nearly a century of battleship power that had shaped the course of wars and the fate of nations. She served in World War II, the Korean War, and the Persian Gulf War — the last battleship to be decommissioned by the U.S. Navy and the final chapter in the story of the American battleship. Known to her crew with pride as “Wiskey” or the “Badger State Battleship,” she served with distinction in every conflict she entered and earned a permanent place in the history of American naval power.

Keel, Launch & Commissioning

Wisconsin's keel was laid down on January 25, 1941, at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania — the same yard that had built her sister New Jersey. She was launched on December 7, 1943 — exactly two years after the attack on Pearl Harbor — a date that invested her launching with powerful and somber resonance. She was commissioned into the U.S. Navy on April 16, 1944, under hull designation BB-64, as the fourth and final ship of the Iowa class and the last battleship ever to be commissioned by the United States Navy.

Class & Design

USS Wisconsin was the last of four Iowa-class fast battleships — the ultimate expression of American battleship design. At 887 feet in length and displacing over 57,000 tons fully loaded, she was armed with nine 16-inch/50 caliber Mark 7 guns in three triple turrets capable of hurling 2,700-pound armor-piercing shells more than 23 miles, and twenty 5-inch/38 caliber guns for anti-aircraft defense. Her four steam turbine engines generating 212,000 shaft horsepower drove her to speeds exceeding 33 knots — a combination of firepower, armor, and speed that has never been equaled in an American warship before or since.

World War II Service

Joining the Pacific Fleet in late 1944, USS Wisconsin operated with the fast carrier task forces during the final, devastating phase of the Pacific War. She participated in operations supporting the liberation of the Philippines, strikes against the Japanese home islands, and the final naval campaigns that preceded Japan's surrender. Her 16-inch guns bombarded Japanese shore positions throughout the campaign, and her anti-aircraft batteries contributed to the defense of the fast carrier task forces against the relentless kamikaze attacks that characterized the war's final phase.

Wisconsin served as the flagship of Admiral Raymond Spruance, Commander Fifth Fleet, during part of the Pacific campaign — flying the flag of the admiral who had commanded at Midway, the battle that turned the tide of the Pacific War, and who led the Navy's Central Pacific offensive to its victorious conclusion. Under Spruance's flag, Wisconsin was at the center of American naval command during the war's final campaigns.

When Japan surrendered on September 2, 1945, aboard her sister Missouri in Tokyo Bay, Wisconsin was present in Tokyo Bay as part of the assembled American fleet that witnessed the end of the war — one of the hundreds of American warships that filled the bay in an overwhelming demonstration of the naval power that had achieved victory.

Korean War Service

Recommissioned for the Korean War in November 1950, USS Wisconsin deployed to Korean waters where she provided devastating 16-inch shore bombardment support to United Nations forces along the Korean east coast. In March 1952, Wisconsin was involved in one of the most extraordinary incidents of the Korean War — she came under counter-battery fire from North Korean shore batteries and was struck by enemy shells, becoming one of the very few American battleships to sustain combat damage from enemy surface fire during the Korean War. The damage was quickly repaired, and Wisconsin continued her bombardment mission without interruption — a testament to the Iowa class's legendary armor and survivability.

Reagan-Era Reactivation & Gulf War Service

Reactivated for the third and final time in October 1988 as part of the Reagan 600-ship Navy, USS Wisconsin was modernized with Tomahawk cruise missiles, Harpoon anti-ship missiles, and Phalanx close-in weapon systems, combining her legendary 16-inch gun capability with modern precision strike weapons. She deployed to the Persian Gulf for Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm in 1990-1991, serving alongside her sister Missouri as the two battleships that delivered the U.S. Navy's battleship contribution to the liberation of Kuwait.

During Desert Storm, Wisconsin fired Tomahawk cruise missiles against high-value Iraqi targets deep inland and delivered devastating 16-inch shore bombardment against Iraqi positions in Kuwait, contributing to the overwhelming firepower that shattered Iraqi defenses and made possible the Coalition's rapid and decisive ground campaign. She also employed Pioneer unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) launched from her deck to spot naval gunfire — making Wisconsin one of the first warships in history to use drones operationally in combat, a prescient glimpse of the future of naval warfare.

In one of the most remarkable incidents of the Gulf War, a group of Iraqi soldiers attempted to surrender to a Wisconsin Pioneer UAV flying overhead — the first time in history that enemy combatants had attempted to surrender to an unmanned aircraft, a moment that perfectly captured the overwhelming psychological impact of Wisconsin's firepower on Iraqi forces.

Decommissioning & Museum Ship

USS Wisconsin was decommissioned on September 30, 1991 — the last battleship to be decommissioned by the United States Navy, closing an era of American naval history that had spanned nearly a century. She is now preserved as a museum ship at Norfolk, Virginia, moored at Nauticus, the National Maritime Center on the Norfolk waterfront, within sight of the active warships of Naval Station Norfolk — the world's largest naval base — that represent the Navy she served and the fleet she helped protect through half a century of American naval history.

Legacy

USS Wisconsin was the last battleship commissioned and the last battleship decommissioned by the United States Navy — the final chapter in a century of American battleship history. She served in three wars, contributed to three American military victories, fired Tomahawk missiles and 16-inch shells in the same conflict, pioneered the combat use of unmanned aerial vehicles, and accepted the last surrender of enemy combatants ever made to an American battleship — even if that surrender was made to one of her drones. She is the end of an era, the last of her kind, and a monument to the power, the courage, and the naval tradition that made America the world's preeminent naval power throughout the 20th century. When her guns fell silent in 1991, the age of the American battleship was over — but the legacy of USS Wisconsin and her Iowa-class sisters endures.

Shop USS Wisconsin BB 64 Navy Gifts & Decals

Honor your service or give a meaningful gift to a USS Wisconsin veteran with our full line of USS Wisconsin BB 64 products:

• USS Wisconsin BB 64 Aluminum License Plate — Show your Navy pride on the road.
• USS Wisconsin BB 64 License Plate U.S. Flag — A patriotic twist on the classic plate.
• USS Wisconsin BB 64 Aluminum Rating License Plate — Display your rating with pride.
• USS Wisconsin BB 64 Vinyl Decal Oval U.S. Flag — Perfect for cars, trucks, and RVs.
• USS Wisconsin BB 64 License Plate Frame (Metal or Plastic) — Pair with your license plate for a complete look.
• USS Wisconsin BB 64 License Plate Frame All-State Metal — Heavy-duty metal frame built to last.
• USS Wisconsin BB 64 Motorcycle License Plate Frame — For the veteran who rides.
• USS Wisconsin BB 64 Aluminum Street Sign Blue/White — A one-of-a-kind display piece for any veteran's home.
• USS Wisconsin BB 64 Parking Sign Blue/White — Reserve your spot in style.
• USS Wisconsin BB 64 Parking Sign Red/White — Another great option for the garage or driveway.

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