ABOUT THE “MIGHTY MO”
USS Missouri (BB-63)
Class:
Iowa-class battleship
Length:887 feet 3 inches
Height:216 feet 6 inches from keel to mast
Beam:
108 feet 2 inches
Weight:58,000 tons (full load); 45,000 tons (unloaded)
Speed:In excess of 30 knots (35 mph)
Note: Use “USS” only when referring to active-service ship. Use “Missouri,” “BattleshipMissouri” when referring to decommissioned ship.
Dawn of the USS Missouri• Four Iowa-class battleships were built during World War II, designed for speed andfirepower.
• The USS Missouri’s keel was laid on Jan. 6, 1941, at the New York Naval Shipyard,Brooklyn, NY.
• Her armament included the main battery of nine 16-inch/50-caliber guns and a secondary
battery of twenty 5-inch/38-caliber guns.
• The Missouri was launched on Jan. 29, 1944 and commissioned on June 11, 1944.
• She was assigned to the Pacific Third Fleet and steamed into Pearl Harbor on Christmas
Eve, 1944.
USS Missouri’s Service• Western Pacific: The USS Missouri was part of the naval force that carried out bombing
raids over Japan and provided firepower in the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa.
• End of the War: The Missouri secured its place in history as the site of Japan’s formal
surrender to the Allied Forces on Sept. 2, 1945, ending World War II. The ceremony forthe signing of the Instrument of Surrender was conducted by Supreme Allied
Commander, General Douglas A. MacArthur.
• Korea: The Mighty Mo’s main battery firepower became a legend in Korea, with hernine 16 inch-barrel guns hurling 1,900-pound shells as heavy as Volkswagens over 23
nautical miles in support of U.S. and NATO land forces.
• Decommissioning: On February 26, 1955, the Missouri was decommissioned andmothballed at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard.
• Recommissioning: The USS Missouri was recommissioned on May 10, 1986 afterundergoing an extensive modernization and refurbishment.

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Persian Gulf War: Mighty Mo was deployed to the Persian Gulf from January throughMarch 1991, where it fired its 16-inch guns and launched Tomahawk missiles against
Iraqi positions during Operation Desert Storm.
Last mission: The Missouri’s final operational mission occurred on Dec. 7, 1991, when
the battleship led a contingent of ships into Pearl Harbor as part of the commemoration tomark the 50th anniversary of the attack that thrust the U.S. into World War II.
Second decommissioning: On March 31, 1992, the Missouri was decommissioned forthe second time. In 1995, it was removed from the Navy’s ship registry, clearing the way
for the battleship to be donated by the Navy for preservation as a memorial museum.
Her legacy: In August 1996, the Navy selected the non-profit USS Missouri Memorial
Association as caretaker for the battleship and Pearl Harbor as its permanent home. OnMay 4, 1998, the Navy made it official, transferring the Mighty Mo’s care to theAssociation.

Fast Facts• Designing the Missouri took 175 tons of blueprint paper. The ship was built in three years
and required over 3 million man-days to complete the job.
• For comparison’s sake, the Missouri is 279 feet longer and 11 feet wider than the USS
Arizona. The Mighty Mo is also 5 feet longer and 16 feet wider than the RMS Titanic.
• Just how big is the Missouri? If you could stand the ship on end, it would be 332 feettaller than the Washington Monument.
• The nine 16-inch guns are the Mighty Mo’s trademark feature. Each gun barrel is 68 feetlong, weighs an incredible 134 tons, and can fire a 2,700-pound projectile 23 nautical
miles in 90 seconds — with pinpoint accuracy.
• The Missouri was the last U.S. battleship ever built. She was also the most formidable. In
addition to her massive firepower capabilities, she possesses thick steel armor protecting
the ship’s vital areas, including an armor belt (13.5 inches), the gun turrets (19.5 inches infront; 9.5 inches on the sides), and the conning tower (17.3 inches).
Visiting the Battleship Missouri Memorial
Today, the Battleship Missouri Memorial sits bow-to-bow with the sunken USS Arizona in thehallowed waters of Pearl Harbor. It is open Tuesdays - Saturdays from 8 a.m.to 4 p.m. Mighty
Mo Passes are $34.99 for adults and $17.49 for children (4-12). For visitor information or toreserve a tour, call (808) 455-1600 or visit ussmissouri.org.