Summary and Key Points: The Battleship USS New Jersey, the most decorated warship in U.S. Navy history, is back and better than ever following a $10 million restoration.

-This summer, the Iowa-class battleship will host unique events, including the Philadelphia Ship Model Society’s sixth annual ModelCon on August 3, featuring over 100 historic ship models.

-Additionally, the ship will celebrate World War II Victory Day on August 10 with special guided tours, a flyover of U.S. warplanes, and opportunities for attendees to fire the ship’s Quad 40 and 5-inch guns.

-The recent restoration, completed at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, addressed crucial repairs, including hull preservation and corrosion prevention. The ship, now back at its Camden, New Jersey, home, is expected to draw more visitors and host memorable events that highlight its storied past and continued significance as a floating museum.

The Battleship New Jersey is Back And Hosting Truly One-of-a-Kind Events

The nation's oldest continuously active ship model clubs in the United States will hold its sixth annual ModelCon at what is arguably the most impressive location for such an event. The Philadelphia Ship Model Society, which was founded in 1931 and is devoted to the art of ship model building, will host its event on the United States Navy's Iowa-class battleship USS New Jersey (BB-62).

The one-day event on Saturday, August 3, promises to include more than 100 models of historic vessels, including warships that survive only in model form.

The Philadelphia Ship Model Society's ModelCon is just one of several planned events that the famed battlewagon – the most decorated U.S. Navy warship – is hosting this summer.

In addition to special guided tours of the engine room and turrets, BB-62 will offer a World War II victory day celebration on August 10. It will include a flyover of U.S. warplanes, displays of artifacts from the conflict, and a talk on the Japanese surrender 79 years ago by Battleship New Jersey's curator Ryan Syzmanski. There will also be an opportunity for attendees to pay to fire the ship's Quad 40 and 5-inch guns as a salute to the aircraft.

The USS New Jersey is Back!

This summer's events are all the more special because the more than 80-year-old Iowa-class battleship looks better than ever following a $10 million makeover that restored the vessel to her former glory.

Though the restoration project, which began in March ran a little longer than expected – and meant the vessel wasn't back at her home on the Camden, New Jersey, waterfront for Memorial Day this year – it proved worth the wait. In late June, USS New Jersey completed her 12-week-long repairs at the Philadelphia Navy Yard's Dock #3, where the battleship was built and launched during the Second World War.

As New Jersey.com reported, "It was the first time it had left its dock in decades."

The original plan to preserve the 80-year-old, 887-foot-long, 45,000-ton vessel called for the repairs to be completed in time for Memorial Day, and the start of the peak tourist season. The warship is a major attraction for the Garden State, drawing 80,000 visitors annually.

The museum and memorial's newly-titled CEO Marshall Spevak told the Courier-Post newspaper that unexpected issues were discovered during the restoration, resulting in the delay. Additional work included the welding of a steel ring around the outward propeller shafts as part of an effort to prevent future leaks, while ultrasonic tests were conducted to determine the thickness of the steel hull. The biggest task was the application of around 18,000 linear feet of sealant to further stop corrosion and future leaks – and more importantly to ensure that the elements won't win and sink this battleship.

Fortunately, during the time at dry dock, the ship was opened to special tours, where visitors could literally walk under the historic vessel.

And now that USS New Jersey is back in Camden where she will continue to be preserved as a floating museum, we can only expect the battleship to play host to some truly special events.

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].

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