The Iowa-class battleship USS Wisconsin (BB-64) served in the United States Navy from 1944 to 1991. She was the second-to-last ship of her class and one of the last battleships built by the United States.
She was affectionately known as “Wisky,” and she served in World War II, the Korean War, and the Gulf War, earning six battle stars and a Navy Unit Commendation for her distinguished service.
Construction of the USS Wisconsin (BB-64)
The Preliminary Design Branch of the Bureau of Construction and Repair designed the design for the USS Wisconsin in 1938. Her keel was laid on January 25, 1941, at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, and she became the third Iowa-class “fast” battleship.
Wisconsin was launched on December 7, 1943 and commissioned the next year. Following initial testing in Chesapeake Bay, she left Norfolk, Virginia, for a shakedown voyage in the British West Indies.
She then proceeded to the Pacific via the Panama Canal.
USS Wisconsin (BB-64) specs
The USS Wisconsin’s primary armament consisted of nine 16-inch/50 cal. Mk 7 guns mounted in three turrets, capable of firing 2,700-pound armor-piercing projectiles up to 20 miles. In addition, she was outfitted with twenty 5-inch/38 cal. guns in ten turrets, 49 Oerlikon 20 mm cannons, and 80 Bofors 40 mm anti-aircraft weapons.
During the 1980s, Wisconsin updated its anti-aircraft guns with Phalanx CIWS platforms. She also had her five-inch/38 cal. gun count decreased to 12, as well as armored box launchers that fired Tomahawk missiles and quad cell launchers capable of firing Harpoon missiles.
Wisconsin and the USS Missouri (BB-63) had 14.5-inch-thick bulkheads, but their sister ships, the USS Iowa (BB-61) and New Jersey (BB-62), had only 11.3-inch bulkheads. The rest of Wisconsin’s armor was identical to the other Iowa battleships.
Wisconsin, like her sister ships, carried floatplanes during WWII. Early in the Cold War, a helicopter pad was installed at the stern. At the conclusion of their service lives, each ship in the class could transport up to five unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
Making waves in the Pacific during World War II
After leaving the West Coast for Hawaii and the Caroline Islands, the USS Wisconsin joined Adm. William Halsey’s Third Fleet on December 9, 1944. While she had missed most of WWII, the battleship saw combat soon after joining the conflict.
Wisconsin joined the Fast Carrier Task Force (TF-38) in preparation for the US invasion of Mindoro, which was tasked with weakening Japanese fortifications before American infantry troops arrived. During her maiden operation, the task force encountered Typhoon Cobra.
Three destroyers sank, other ships were damaged, and hundreds of men died, went missing, or were injured. Wisconsin escaped unhurt, reporting only two damaged crew members.
Wisconsin went on to assist in the conquest of Luzon by serving as a carrier escort and defending the vessels from air strikes. In February 1945, she joined the Fifth Fleet’s Task Force 58 (TF-58), which was advancing north toward Japan.
During this time, the battleship offered support and helped with the landing of Marines on Iwo Jima. She also targeted shore-based targets in Hachinohe, Okinawa, and Tokyo.
On June 4, Wisconsin was hit by another typhoon, but this time it was able to ride it out unharmed. On September 5, she steamed into Tokyo Bay, three days after the formal surrender was signed on her sister ship, the USS Missouri.
Wisconsin traveled 105,831 nautical miles during her brief duty in World War II. After the conflict was over, she participated in Operation Magic Carpet before being transferred to the Atlantic Reserve Fleet and declared dormant.
‘TEMPER TEMPER’
The USS Wisconsin was recommissioned just as the Korean War began. After a shakedown and two training trips with midshipmen, she left Norfolk on October 25, 1951, bound for the Pacific.
Wisconsin landed in Japan on November 21, replacing the USS New Jersey as Vice Adm. H.M. Martin’s flagship for the Seventh Fleet after another crossing of the Panama Canal.
Five days later, she headed for Korea, where she joined Task Force 77 (TF-77) and was tasked with conducting shore bombardment operations.
On March 15, 1952, while attacking enemy positions near Songjin, Wisconsin, she lost her temper. As she approached the coast, she was fired upon by North Korean soldiers, and while their 155 mm bullets impacted her, they did not inflict significant damage—only three sailors were hurt. In retaliation, Wisconsin pointed her guns at the enemy artillery and fired a deadly broadside, utterly eliminating the North Korean position. Her escort, the USS Buck (DD-761), signaled, “TEMPER TEMPER.”
While evidence of this event is sparse, the story remains memorable.
The USS Wisconsin (BB-64) returns to the United States
On April 1, 1952, the USS Iowa assumed responsibility for the USS Wisconsin. Following the Korean War, Wisconsin became a training ship and flagship, taking part in a variety of exercises.
On May 6, 1956, the battleship collided with the USS Eaton (DD-510) in thick fog. Wisconsin was transferred to the Norfolk Naval Shipyard for repairs after sustaining major bow damage.
The replacement bow was obtained from the incomplete USS Kentucky (BB-66) and fitted on Wisconsin within a few days.
Wisconsin was seaworthy again on June 28, but she would not return to active service until March 8, 1958, when she rejoined the US Navy’s Reserve Fleet.
Gulf War
On August 1, 1986, the Wisconsin was reactivated as part of President Ronald Reagan and Navy Secretary John F. Lehman’s effort to establish a “600-ship Navy.” In the late 1980s, she was modernized and recommissioned.
Following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, US naval forces were deployed in support of Operation Desert Shield. When Operation Desert Storm began, the USS Wisconsin and the USS Missouri launched Tomahawk missiles against Iraq.
They were among the first ships to use cruise missiles during the Gulf War, with Wisconsin serving as the Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM) strike commander. During the fight, the battleship provided artillery support for the first time since 1952.