Summary: The USS New Jersey, an illustrious Iowa-class battleship, is slated for a $10 million preservation effort on the Camden Waterfront. This restoration includes replacing 1,200 anodes and inspecting 160 through-hole openings. The battleship will return to the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, its original construction site, marking a historic moment. Having served in WWII, the Vietnam War, the Korean War, and the Persian Gulf, the USS New Jersey is the most decorated U.S. Navy battleship. This project ensures its legacy continues, offering onlookers and enthusiasts a unique opportunity to witness its journey and contribute through tours and donations to the restoration process.

Iconic Battleship USS New Jersey Returns to Philadelphia for Major Overhaul

The USS New Jersey is undergoing a major restoration along the Camden Waterfront. 

Preservation work on the storied Iowa-class battleship will cost roughly $10 million, according to Marshall Spevak, CEO of the Battleship New Jersey Museum and Memorial. Some 1,200 anodes have to be replaced, while 160 through-hole openings will be inspected and restored. 

“She will be returning to the same dock at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard where she was built in the 40s, and actually where she then subsequently came back to dry dock in the 1960s. So this is actually a historic homecoming for us at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard now so many years later,” Spevak detailed.

The History of USS New Jersey

The USS New Jersey served the U.S. Navy honorably for decades, deploying in World War II, the Vietnam War, the Korean War, and various other global hotspots. She was the second battleship in the Iowa class, designed to intercept fast capital ships while maintaining the ability to serve in a traditional battle line if necessary. 

Iowa-class ships were built to meet the tonnage limits spelled out by the Second London Naval Treaty. U.S. officials after the First World War worried that Japan’s high-speed cruisers and capital ships could outpace their American counterparts. The service needed faster battleships than its traditional 21-knot Standard-type vessels if it was to restore the balance – thus the Iowa-class ships.

In 1942, the New Jersey was launched on the first anniversary of the attack at Pearl Harbor, and the ship was commissioned one year later. Like her sister ships, the New Jersey’s main armament consisted of nine 16-inch/50-caliber Mark 7 guns. The vessel was also equipped with Oerlikon 20mm and Bofors 40mm anti-aircraft guns to better protect the growing fleet of allied aircraft carriers.

Following her sea trials, the New Jersey deployed with the U.S. Fifth Fleet and Task Group 58.2 for the assault on the Marshall Islands. Throughout the war, she would also deploy with the Third Fleet and with Battleship Division Seven. With 19 Battle Stars, she is the most decorated battleship in the history of the U.S. Navy. 

The USS New Jersey was officially stricken from the Naval Vessel Registrar in 1999. For the first time in three decades, the 80-year-old battleship will now be moved to the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard for dry dock maintenance. 

Onlookers are welcome to watch the ship’s departure from Camden, and a first-come-first-served departure day cruise is being offered on a charter yacht that will follow the warship to Philadelphia. Additional weekend tours are being provided to help pay for costs associated with the restoration process. Thanks to the Battleship New Jersey Museum and Memorial’s preservation efforts, this revered historic vessel should remain accessible to visitors for years to come.

About the Author: Maya Carlin

Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin.