How the Navy's Iowa-Class Battleships Made the Ultimate Comeback
During Desert Storm, an operation less commonly associated with naval might, the USS Missouri (BB-63) and USS Wisconsin (BB-64), both Iowa-class battleships, played a pivotal role
Summary and Key Points: During Desert Storm, two Iowa-class battleships, the USS Missouri (BB-63) and the USS Wisconsin (BB-64), played significant roles, marking the last combat use of U.S. battleships.
-These World War II-era vessels were recommissioned in the 1980s as part of President Ronald Reagan's initiative to expand the U.S. Navy during the Cold War. Modernized with advanced weaponry, they were deployed to the Persian Gulf, where they provided naval gunfire support.
-Their participation in Desert Storm demonstrated their continued utility in modern warfare despite their age.
Desert Storm's Unexpected Naval Heroes: The Iowa-Class Battleships
Specific weapons systems tend to become associated with specific conflicts. Americans, for example, tend to associate the smoothbore musket with the Revolutionary War; rifled musket with the Civil War; mustard gas with the Great War; P-51 Mustang and B-17 Flying Fortress with World War II; ICBM with the Cold War; Napalm with Vietnam; et cetera.
What Americans do not associate is the battleship with Desert Storm. Rather, Desert Storm tends to conjure images of M1 Abrams tanks, tomahawk missiles, and Apache helicopters.
Yet, two battleships did indeed participate in Desert Storm, firing ordnance from the Persian Gulf in what would mark the US’s last use of a battleship in combat.
Back to the Future
The Americans used two battleships in Desert Storm, the USS Missouri (BB-63) and the USS Wisconsin (BB-64). Both ships belonged to the famed Iowa-class, which were commissioned during World War II and decommissioned long before Saddam Hussein ever invaded Kuwait.
The Soviet Union deserves credit for the recommissioning of the battleships, and their subsequent use in Desert Storm. President Ronald Reagan, in an effort to augment US military forces amidst a 1980s arms race against the Soviet Union, pressed to create a 600-ship navy. Creating a 600-ship navy is easier said than done; however, bridging the gap by building new ships was not a viable option.
The most expedient way to augment the navy’s ship strength was to recommission mothballed vessels – like the Missouri and the Wisconsin. Again, recommissioning wasn’t as simple as dusting off the dashboard and firing up the engine. Modernizing retrofits were required to make the World War II era battleships relevant in the age of Madonna, Ozzy Osbourne, and Sylvester Stallone.
The Battleships of Desert Storm
When Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in August of 1990, President George H.W. Bush sent troops and naval forces to Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf, respectively, to support Kuwait. (Sidebar: the deployment and perpetual stationing of US forces in Saudi Arabia motivated Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda to launch multiple attacks against American targets.) Two of the ships deployed: the Missouri and the Wisconsin.
In January 1991, the Missouri participated in her first bombardment action of Desert Storm, shelling an Iraqi command and control bunker near the Saudi border. The bombardment marked the first time the Missouri had fired her guns in combat since March 1953 off the coast of Korea.
The Wisconsin relieved the Missouri in February 1991. Then, the Wisconsin fired her guns for the first time in combat since March 1952, sending shells 19 miles away, to destroy an Iraqi artillery battery in southern Kuwait.
In sum, the Iowa-class battleships performed admirably during Desert Storm. Granted, the Iraqis lacked the capacity to pose much threat to a US naval vessel. And granted, the Navy took a backseat to both the Army and the Air Force during Desert Storm.
But the fact is that the Iowa battleships were essentially raised from the graveyard, from a bygone era, and performed admirably in a modern conflict.
About the Author: Harrison Kass
Harrison Kass is a defense and national security writer with over 1,000 total pieces on issues involving global affairs. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the US Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.
All images are Creative Commons.
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