USS Wisconsin ( BB - 64 ) USS " Wisconsin " ( BB - 64 ) , " Wisky " or " WisKy " , is an , the second ship of the United States Navy to be named in honor of the U . S . state of Wisconsin . She was built at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania and launched on 7 December 1943 ( the second anniversary of the Pearl Harbor raid ) , sponsored by the wife of Governor of Wisconsin , Walter Goodland . During her career , " Wisconsin " served in the Pacific Theater of World War II , where she shelled Japanese fortifications and screened United States aircraft carrier s as they conducted air raids against enemy positions . During the Korean War , " Wisconsin " shelled North Korean targets in support of United Nations and South Korean ground operations , after which she was decommissioned . She was reactivated 1 August 1986 , modernised and participated in Operation Desert Storm in January and February 1991 . " Wisconsin " was last decommissioned in September 1991 , having earned a total of six battle stars for service in World War II and Korea , as well as a Navy Unit Commendation for service during the January / February 1991 Gulf War . She currently functions as a museum ship operated by Nauticus , The National Maritime Center in Norfolk , Virginia . " Wisconsin " was struck from the Naval Vessel Register ( NVR ) 17 March 2006 , and , as of 14 December 2009 , has been donated for permanent use as a museum ship . On 15 April 2010 , the City of Norfolk officially took over ownership of the ship . Construction . " Wisconsin " was one of the " fast battleship " designs planned in 1938 by the Preliminary Design Branch at the Bureau of Construction and Repair . She was the third of four completed ships of the of battleship s . Her keel was laid down on 25 January 1941 , at the Philadelphia Navy Yard . She was launched on 7 December 1943 , sponsored by Mrs . Goodland , wife of Walter S . Goodland , the Governor of Wisconsin , and commissioned on 16 April 1944 , with Captain Earl E . Stone in command . " Wisconsin " s main battery consisted of nine / 50 cal Mark 7 gun s , which could hurl armor - piercing shells some . Her secondary battery consisted of 20 / 38 cal gun s in ten twin turrets , which could fire at targets up to away . With the advent of air power and the need to gain and maintain air superiority came a need to protect the growing fleet of allied aircraft carriers ; to this end , " Wisconsin " was fitted with an array of Oerlikon 20 mm and Bofors 40 mm anti - aircraft guns to defend allied carriers from enemy airstrikes . When reactivated in 1986 , " Wisconsin " had her 20 mm and 40 mm AA guns removed , and was outfitted with Phalanx CIWS mounts for protection against enemy missiles and aircraft , and Armored Box Launcher s and Quad Cell Launchers designed to fire Tomahawk missile s and Harpoon missile s , respectively . " Wisconsin " is numerically the highest numbered US battleship built . Although her keel was laid after the s , she was commissioned before the ' s commissioning date . Thus , " Wisconsin " < nowiki > ' < / nowiki > s construction began after " Missouri " < nowiki > ' < / nowiki > s , and finished earlier . World War II ( 1944 – 1945 ) . Shakedown and service with 3rd Fleet , Admiral Halsey . After the ship ' s trials and initial training in the Chesapeake Bay , " Wisconsin " departed Norfolk , Virginia , on 7 July 1944 , bound for the British West Indies . Following her shakedown cruise ( conducted out of Trinidad ) she returned to the builder ' s yard for alterations and repairs . On 24 September 1944 , " Wisconsin " sailed for the west coast , transiting the Panama Canal , and reporting for duty with the Pacific Fleet on 2 October . The battleship later moved to Hawaiian waters for training exercises and then headed for the Western Caroline Islands . Upon reaching the Caroline Island Ulithi she joined Admiral William F . Halsey ' s 3rd Fleet on 9 December . Due to the length of time it took to build , " Wisconsin " missed much of the initial thrust into Japanese - held territory , having arrived at a time when the reconquest of the Philippines was well underway . As a part of that movement , the planners had envisioned landings on the southwest coast of Mindoro , south of Luzon . From that point , American forces could threaten Japanese shipping lanes through the South China Sea . In preparation for the coming invasion of Mindoro , " Wisconsin " was assigned to protect the 3rd Fleet ' s Fast Carrier Task Force ( TF 38 ) , as they conducted air raids at Manila to soften up Japanese positions . On 18 December , the ships of TF 38 unexpectedly found themselves in a fight for their lives when Typhoon Cobra overtook the force – seven fleet and six light carriers , eight battleships , 15 cruisers , and about 50 destroyer s – during their attempt to refuel at sea . At the time the ships were operating about east of Luzon in the Philippine Sea . The carriers had just completed three days of heavy raids against Japanese airfields , suppressing enemy aircraft during the American amphibious operations against Mindoro in the Philippines . The task force rendezvoused with Captain Jasper T . Acuff and his fueling group 17 December with the intention of refueling all ships in the task force and replacing lost aircraft . Although the sea had been growing rougher all day , the nearby cyclonic disturbance gave relatively little warning of its approach . On 18 December , the small but violent typhoon overtook the Task Force while many of the ships were attempting to refuel . Many of the ships were caught near the center of the storm and buffeted by extreme seas and hurricane force winds . Three destroyers , , , and , capsized and sank with nearly all hands , while a cruiser , five aircraft carriers , and three destroyers suffered serious damage . Approximately 790 officers and men were lost or killed , with another 80 injured . Fires occurred in three carriers when planes broke loose in their hangars and some 146 planes on various ships were lost or damaged beyond economical repair by fires , impact damage , or by being swept overboard . " Wisconsin " reported two injured sailors as a result of the typhoon , but otherwise proved her seaworthiness as she escaped the storm unscathed . " Wisconsin " s next operation was to assist with the occupation of Luzon . Bypassing the southern beaches , American amphibious forces went ashore at Lingayen Gulf , the scene of initial Japanese assaults to take Luzon nearly three years before . " Wisconsin " , armed with heavy anti - aircraft batteries , performed escort duty for TF 38 ' s fast carriers during air strikes against Formosa , Luzon , and the Nansei Shoto to neutralize Japanese forces there and to cover the unfolding Allied Lingayen Gulf operations . Those strikes , lasting from 3 – 22 January 1945 , included a thrust into the South China Sea , in the hope that major units of the Imperial Japanese Navy could be drawn into battle . " Wisconsin " s carrier group launched air strikes between Saigon and Camranh Bay , French Indochina , on 12 January , resulting in severe losses for the enemy . TF 38 ' s warplanes sank 41 ships and heavily damaged docks , storage areas , and aircraft facilities . Formosa , already struck on 3 – 4 January , was raided again on 9 January 15 January , and 21 January . Throughout January " Wisconsin " shielded the carriers as they conducted air raids at Hong Kong , Canton , Hainan Island , the Canton oil refineries , the Hong Kong Naval Station , and Okinawa . Service with 5th Fleet , Admiral Spruance . " Wisconsin " was assigned to the 5th Fleet when Admiral Raymond A . Spruance relieved Admiral Halsey as Commander of the Fleet . She moved northward with the redesignated TF 58 as the carriers headed for the Tokyo area . On 16 February , the task force approached the Japanese coast under cover of adverse weather conditions and achieved complete tactical surprise . As a result , " Wisconsin " and the other ships shot down 322 enemy planes and destroyed 177 more on the ground . Japanese shipping , both naval and merchant , also suffered drastically , as did hangars and aircraft installations . " Wisconsin " and the task force moved to Iwo Jima on 17 February to provide direct support for the landings slated to take place on 19 February . They revisited Tokyo on 25 February and hit the island of Hachino off the coast of Honshū the next day , resulting in heavy damage to ground facilities ; additionally , American planes sank five small vessels and destroyed 158 planes . " Wisconsin " s task force stood out of Ulithi on 14 March bound for Japan . The mission of that group was to eliminate airborne resistance from the Japanese homeland to American forces off Okinawa . Enemy fleet units at Kure and Kobe , on southern Honshū , reeled under the impact of the explosive blows delivered by TF 58 ' s airmen . On 18 – 19 March , from a point southwest of Kyūshū , TF 58 hit enemy airfields on that island ; unfortunately , allied anti - aircraft fire on 19 March failed to stop an attack on the carrier . That afternoon , " Wisconsin " and the task force retired from Kyūshū , screening the blazing and battered flattop , and shooting down 48 attackers . On 24 March , " Wisconsin " trained her guns on targets ashore on Okinawa . Together with the other battle - wagons of the task force , she pounded Japanese positions and installations in preparation for the landings . Japanese resistance , while fierce , was doomed to failure by dwindling numbers of aircraft and trained pilots . While TF 58 ' s planes were dealing with and her escorts , enemy aircraft attacked the American surface units . Combat air patrols ( CAP ) shot down 15 enemy planes , and ships ' gunfire shot down another three , but not before one " kamikaze " attack penetrated the CAP and screen to crash on the flight deck of the fleet carrier . On 11 April , the Japanese renewed their " kamikaze " attacks ; and only drastic maneuvers and heavy barrages of gunfire saved the task force . Combat air patrols shot down 17 planes , and ships ' gunfire shot down 12 . The next day , 151 enemy aircraft attacked TF 58 , but " Wisconsin " , together with other units of the screens for the vital carriers , kept the " kamikaze " pilots at bay and destroyed them before they could reach their targets . Over the days that ensued , Japanese " kamikaze " attacks managed to crash into three carriers — , and — on successive days . By 4 June , a typhoon was swirling through the Fleet . " Wisconsin " rode out the storm unscathed , but three cruisers , two carriers , and a destroyer suffered serious damage . Offensive operations were resumed on 8 June with a final aerial assault on Kyūshū . Japanese aerial response was virtually nonexistent ; 29 planes were located and destroyed . On that day , one of " Wisconsin " s floatplane s landed and rescued a downed pilot from the carrier . Bombardment of Japan . " Wisconsin " ultimately put into Leyte Gulf and dropped anchor there on 13 June for repairs and replenishment . Three weeks later , on 1 July , the battleship and her escorts sailed once more for Japanese home waters for carrier air strikes on the enemy ' s heartland . Nine days later , carrier planes from TF 38 destroyed 72 enemy aircraft on the ground and smashed industrial sites in the Tokyo area . " Wisconsin " and the other ships made no attempt whatsoever to conceal the location of their armada , due in large part to a weak Japanese response to their presence . On 16 July , " Wisconsin " fired her guns at the steel mill s and oil refineries at Muroran , Hokkaido . Two days later , she wrecked industrial facilities in the Hitachi Miro area , on the coast of Honshū - , northeast of Tokyo itself . During that bombardment , British battleships of the British Pacific Fleet contributed their heavy shellfire . By that point in the war , Allied warships such as " Wisconsin " were able to shell the Japanese homeland almost at will . TF 38 ' s planes subsequently blasted the Japanese naval base at Yokosuka , and put the former fleet flagship " Nagato " out of action , one of the two remaining Japanese battleships . Throughout July and into August , Admiral Halsey ' s airmen visited destruction upon the Japanese , the last instance being against Tokyo on 13 August . Two days later , the Japanese surrendered , ending World War II . " Wisconsin " , as part of the occupying force , arrived at Tokyo Bay on 5 September , three days after the formal surrender occurred on board the battleship . During " Wisconsin " s brief career in World War II , she had steamed since commissioning ; had shot down three enemy planes ; had claimed assists on four occasions ; and had fueled her screening destroyers on some 250 occasions . Post World War II ( 1945 – 1950 ) . Shifting subsequently to Okinawa , the battleship embarked homeward - bound GIs on 22 September 1945 , as part of Operation Magic Carpet staged to bring soldiers , sailors , and marines home from the far - flung battlefronts of the Pacific . Departing Okinawa on 23 September , " Wisconsin " reached Pearl Harbor on 4 October , remaining there for five days before she pushed on for the west coast on the last leg of her state - side bound voyage . She reached San Francisco on 15 October . Heading for the east coast of the United States soon after the start of the new year , 1946 , " Wisconsin " transited the Panama Canal from 11 – 13 January and reached Hampton Roads , Virginia on 18 January . Following a cruise south to Guantánamo Bay , Cuba , the battleship entered the Norfolk Naval Shipyard for overhaul . After repairs and alterations that consumed the summer months , " Wisconsin " sailed for South American waters . Over the weeks that ensued , the battleship visited Valparaíso , Chile , from 1 – 6 November ; Callao , Peru , from 9 – 13 November ; Balboa , Canal Zone , from 16 – 20 November ; and La Guaira , Venezuela , from 22 – 26 November , before returning to Norfolk on 2 December 1946 . " Wisconsin " spent nearly all of 1947 as a training ship , taking naval reservists on two - week cruises throughout the year . Those voyages commenced at Bayonne , New Jersey , and saw visits conducted at Guantánamo Bay , Cuba , and the Panama Canal Zone . While underway at sea , the ship would perform various drills and exercises before the cruise would end where it had started , at Bayonne . During June and July 1947 , " Wisconsin " took United States Naval Academy midshipmen on cruises to northern European waters . In January 1948 , " Wisconsin " reported to the Atlantic Reserve Fleet at Norfolk for inactivation . Placed out of commission , in reserve on 1 July , " Wisconsin " was assigned to the Norfolk group of the Atlantic Reserve Fleet . The Korean War ( 1950 – 1952 ) . Her sojourn in " mothballs " , however , was comparatively brief , due to the North Korean invasion of South Korea in late June 1950 . " Wisconsin " was recommissioned on 3 March 1951 with Captain Thomas Burrowes in command . After shakedown training , the revitalized battleship conducted two midshipmen training cruises , taking the officers - to - be to Edinburgh , Scotland ; Lisbon , Portugal ; Halifax , Nova Scotia ; New York City ; and Guantánamo Bay , Cuba , before she returned to Norfolk . While leaving New York " Wisconsin " was accidentally grounded on mud flats in New York Harbor , but was freed on 23 August 1951 with no damage to the ship . " Wisconsin " departed Norfolk on 25 October , bound for the Pacific . She transited the Panama Canal on 29 October and reached Yokosuka , Japan , on 21 November . There , she relieved as flagship for Vice Admiral H . M . Martin , Commander , 7th Fleet . On 26 November , with Vice Admiral Martin and Rear Admiral F . P . Denebrink , Commander , Service Force , Pacific , embarked , " Wisconsin " departed Yokosuka for Korean waters to support the fast carrier operations of TF 77 . She left the company of the carrier force on 2 December and , screened by the destroyer , provided gunfire support for the Republic of Korea ( ROK ) Corps in the Kasong - Kosong area . After disembarking Admiral Denebrink on 3 December at Kangnung , the battleship resumed station on the Korean " bombline " , providing gunfire support for the American 1st Marine Division . " Wisconsin " s shelling accounted for a tank , two gun emplacements , and a building . She continued her gunfire support task for the 1st Marine Division and 1st ROK Corps through 6 December , accounting for enemy bunkers , artillery positions , and troop concentrations . On one occasion during that time , the battleship received a request for call - fire support and provided three star - shells for the 1st ROK Corps , illuminating an enemy attack that was consequently repulsed with considerable enemy casualties . After being relieved on the gunline by the heavy cruiser on 6 December , " Wisconsin " briefly retired from gunfire support duties . She resumed them , however , in the Kasong - Kosong area on 11 December screened by the destroyer . The following day , 12 December , saw the embarkation in " Wisconsin " of Rear Admiral H . R . Thurber , Commander , Battleship Division 2 ( BatDiv 2 ) . The admiral came on board via helicopter , incident to his inspection trip in the Far East . " Wisconsin " continued her naval gunfire support duties on the " bombline , " shelling enemy bunkers , command posts , artillery positions , and trench systems through 14 December . She departed the " bombline " on that day to render special gunfire support duties in the Kojo area blasting coastal targets in support of United Nations ( UN ) troops ashore . That same day , " Wisconsin " returned to the Kasong - Kosong area . On 15 December , she disembarked Admiral Thurber by helicopter . The next day , " Wisconsin " departed Korean waters , heading for Sasebo to rearm . Returning to the combat zone on 17 December , " Wisconsin " embarked United States Senator Homer Ferguson of Michigan on 18 December . That day , the battleship supported the 11th ROK invasion with night illumination fire that enabled the ROK troops to repulse a North Korean assault with heavy enemy casualties . Departing the " bombline " on 19 December , the battleship transferred her distinguished passenger , Senator Ferguson , by helicopter to the carrier . On 20 December , " Wisconsin " participated in a coordinated air - surface bombardment of Wonsan to neutralize pre - selected targets in the Wonson area . The ship shifted its bombardment station to the western end of Wonsan harbor , hitting boats and small craft in the inner swept channel with her guns during the afternoon . Such activities helped to forestall any attempts to assault the friendly - held islands in the Wonsan area . " Wisconsin " then made an anti - boat sweep to the north , firing her batteries on suspected boat concentrations . She then provided gunfire support to UN troops operating at the " bombline " until 22 December , when she rejoined the carrier task force . On 28 December , Cardinal Francis Spellman , on a Korean tour over the Christmas holidays , visited the ship , coming on board by helicopter to celebrate Mass for the Catholic members of the crew . He left the ship by helicopter off Pohang . Three days later , on the last day of the year , " Wisconsin " put into Yokosuka . " Wisconsin " departed that Japanese port on 8 January 1952 and headed for Korean waters once more . She reached Pusan the following day and entertained the President of South Korea , Syngman Rhee , and his wife , on 10 January . President and Mrs . Rhee received full military honors as they came on board , and he reciprocated by awarding Vice Admiral Martin the ROK Order of the Military Merit . " Wisconsin " returned to the " bombline " on 11 January , and over the ensuing days delivered heavy gunfire support for the 1st Marine Division and the 1st ROK Corps . As before , her primary targets were command posts , shelters , bunkers , troop concentrations and mortar positions . As before , she stood ready to deliver call - fire support as needed . One such occasion occurred ; on 14 January when she shelled enemy troops in the open at the request of the ROK 1st Corps . Rearming at Sasebo and once more joining TF 77 off the coast of Korea soon thereafter , " Wisconsin " resumed support at the " bombline " on 23 January . Three days later , she shifted once more to the Kojo region , to participate in a coordinated air and gun strike . That same day , the battleship returned to the " bombline " and shelled the command post and communications center for the 15th North Korean Division during call - fire missions for the 1st Marine Division . Returning to Wonsan at the end of January , " Wisconsin " bombarded enemy guns at Hodo Pando before she was rearmed at Sasebo . The battleship rejoined TF 77 on 2 February , and the next day blasted railway buildings and marshaling yards at Hodo Pando and Kojo before rejoining TF 77 . After replenishment at Yokosuka a few days later , she returned to the Kosong area and resumed gunfire support . During that time , she destroyed railway bridges and a small shipyard while conducting call - fire missions on enemy command posts , bunkers , and personnel shelters , making numerous cuts on enemy trench lines in the process . On 26 February , " Wisconsin " arrived at Pusan where Vice Admiral Shon , the ROK Chief of Naval Operations ; United States Ambassador J . J . Muccio ; and Rear Admiral Scott - Montcrief , Royal Navy , Commander , Task Group 95 . 12 ( TG 95 . 12 ) , visited the battleship . Departing that South Korean port the following day , " Wisconsin " reached Yokosuka on 2 March , and a week later she shifted to Sasebo to prepare to return to Korean waters . " Wisconsin " arrived off Songjin , Korea on 15 March and concentrated her gunfire on enemy railway transport . Early that morning , she destroyed a communist troop train trapped outside of a destroyed tunnel . That afternoon , she received the first direct hit in her history , when one of four shells from a communist gun battery struck the shield of a starboard 40 mm mount ; Although little material damage resulted , three men were injured . " Wisconsin " subsequently destroyed that battery with a salvo before continuing her mission . After lending a hand to support once more the 1st Marine Division with her heavy rifles , the battleship returned to Japan on 19 March . Relieved as flagship of the 7th Fleet on 1 April by sister ship , " Wisconsin " departed Yokosuka , bound for the United States . " En route " home , she touched briefly at Guam , where she took part in the successful test of the Navy ' s largest floating dry - dock on 4 – 5 April , marking the first time that an had ever utilized that type of facility . She continued her homeward - bound voyage , via Pearl Harbor , and arrived at Long Beach , California on 19 April ; she then sailed for Norfolk . Post Korean War ( 1952 – 1981 ) . On 9 June , " Wisconsin " resumed her role as a training ship , taking midshipmen to Greenock , Scotland ; Brest , France ; and Guantánamo Bay , Cuba , before returning to Norfolk . She departed Hampton Roads on 25 August and participated in the NATO exercise Operation Mainbrace , which was held out of Greenock , Scotland . After her return to Norfolk , " Wisconsin " underwent an overhaul in the naval shipyard there . " Wisconsin " remained in the Atlantic fleet throughout 1952 and into 1953 , training midshipmen and conducting exercises . After a month of routine maintenance " Wisconsin " departed Norfolk on 9 September 1953 , bound for the Far East . Sailing via the Panama Canal to Japan , " Wisconsin " relieved as 7th Fleet flagship on 12 October . During the months that followed , " Wisconsin " visited the Japanese ports of Kobe , Sasebo Navy Yard , Yokosuka , Otaru , and Nagasaki . She spent Christmas at Hong Kong and was ultimately relieved of flagship duties on 1 April 1954 and returned to the United States soon thereafter , reaching Norfolk , via Long Beach and the Panama Canal , on 4 May . Entering the Norfolk Naval Shipyard on 11 June , " Wisconsin " underwent a brief overhaul and commenced a midshipman training cruise on 12 July . After revisiting Greenock , Brest , and Guantánamo Bay , the ship returned to the Norfolk Naval Shipyard for repairs . Shortly thereafter , " Wisconsin " participated in Atlantic Fleet exercises as flagship for Commander , Second Fleet . Departing Norfolk in January 1955 , " Wisconsin " took part in Operation Springboard , during which time she visited Port - au - Prince , Haiti . Then , upon returning to Norfolk , the battleship conducted another midshipman ' s cruise that summer , visiting Edinburgh ; Copenhagen , Denmark ; and Guantánamo Bay before returning to the United States . Upon completion of a major overhaul at the New York Naval Shipyard , " Wisconsin " headed south for refresher training in the Caribbean Sea , later taking part in another Springboard exercise . During that cruise , she again visited Port - au - Prince and added Tampico , Mexico , and Cartagena , Colombia , to her list of ports of call . She returned to Norfolk on the last day of March 1955 for local operations . On 19 October , while operating in the East River in New York Harbor , " Wisconsin " was accidentally grounded . However , the ship was freed in about an hour without any serious damage . Throughout April 1956 and into May , " Wisconsin " operated locally off the Virginia capes . On 6 May , the battleship collided with the destroyer in a heavy fog ; " Wisconsin " put into Norfolk with extensive damage to her bow , and one week later entered dry dock at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard . A novel expedient sped her repairs and enabled the ship to carry out her scheduled midshipman training cruise that summer . A 120 ton , 68 foot ( 21 m ) section of the bow of the uncompleted " Iowa " - class battleship was transported by barge , in one section , from Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Corporation of Newport News , Virginia , across Hampton Roads to the Norfolk Naval Shipyard . Working around the clock , " Wisconsin " s ship ’ s force and shipyard personnel completed the operation which grafted the new bow on the old battleship in 16 days . On 28 June 1956 , the ship was ready for sea . " Wisconsin " resumed her midshipman training on 9 July 1956 . That autumn , " Wisconsin " participated in Atlantic Fleet exercises off the coast of the Carolinas , returning to port on 8 November 1956 . Entering the Norfolk Naval Shipyard a week later , the battleship underwent major repairs that were not finished until 2 January 1957 . After local operations off the Virginia capes on 3 – 4 January 1957 and from 9 – 11 January , " Wisconsin " departed Norfolk on 16 January , reporting to Commander , Fleet Training Group , at Guantánamo Bay . " Wisconsin " served as Admiral Henry Crommelin ' s flagship during the ensuing shore bombardment practices and other exercises held off the isle of Culebra , Puerto Rico , from 2 – 4 February . Sailing for Norfolk upon completion of the training period , the battleship arrived on 7 February and resumed local operations off Norfolk . On 27 March , " Wisconsin " sailed for the Mediterranean Sea , reaching Gibraltar on 6 April , she pushed on that day to rendezvous with TF 60 in the Aegean Sea before reporting to Turkey for the NATO Exercise Red Pivot . Departing Xeros Bay on 14 April , she arrived at Naples four days later , " Wisconsin " conducted exercises in the eastern Mediterranean . In the course of those operational training evolutions , she rescued a pilot and crewman who survived the crash of a plane from the carrier . " Wisconsin " reached Valencia , Spain , on 10 May and , three days later , entertained prominent civilian and military officials of the city . Departing Valencia on 17 April , " Wisconsin " reached Norfolk on 27 May . On that day , Rear Admiral L . S . Parks relieved Rear Admiral Crommelin as Commander , BatDiv 2 . Departing Norfolk on 19 June , the battleship , over the ensuing weeks , conducted a midshipman training cruise through the Panama Canal to South American waters , and reached Valparaiso on 3 July . Eight days later , the battleship headed back to the Panama Canal and the Atlantic . After exercises at Guantánamo Bay and off Culebra , " Wisconsin " reached Norfolk on 5 August and conducted local operations that lasted into September . She then participated in NATO exercises which took her across the North Atlantic to the British Isles . " Wisconsin " s days as an active fleet unit were numbered , and she prepared to make her last cruise . On 4 November , she departed Norfolk with a large group of prominent guests on board . Reaching New York City on 6 November , the battleship disembarked her guests and , on 8 November , headed for Bayonne , New Jersey , to commence a pre - inactivation overhaul . She was placed out of commission at Bayonne on 8 March 1958 , and joined the United States Navy reserve fleet ( better known as the " Mothball Fleet " ) there , leaving the United States Navy without an active battleship for the first time since 1895 . Subsequently taken to the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard , " Wisconsin " remained there with her sister ship " Iowa " into the 1980s . While berthed in the Philadelphia Naval Yard , " Wisconsin " fell victim to an electrical fire , which damaged the ship and left her as the " Iowa " - class battleship in the worst material condition prior to her 1980s reactivation . Reactivation ( 1986 – 1990 ) . As part of President Ronald Reagan ' s Navy Secretary John F . Lehman ' s effort to create a " 600 - ship Navy " " Wisconsin " was reactivated 1 August 1986 and moved under tow to the Avondale Shipyard in New Orleans , Louisiana , to commence pre - re - commissioning workups . The battleship was then towed from the Avondale Shipyard and arrived at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula , Mississippi on 2 January 1987 to receive weapons system upgrades for her modernization . During the modernization , " Wisconsin " had all of her remaining 20 mm and 40 mm anti - aircraft guns removed , due to their ineffectiveness against modern jet fighters and enemy anti - ship missiles ; additionally , the two gun mounts located at mid - ship and in the aft on the port and starboard side of the battleship were removed . Over the next several months , the ship was upgraded with the most advanced weaponry available ; among the new weapons systems installed were four MK 141 quad cell launchers for 16 AGM - 84 Harpoon anti - ship missiles , eight Armored Box Launcher ( ABL ) mounts for 32 BGM - 109 Tomahawk missile s , and a quartet of the United States Navy ' s Phalanx Close in Weapon System ( CIWS ) Gatling gun s for defense against enemy anti - ship missile s and enemy aircraft . " Wisconsin " also received eight RQ - 2 Pioneer Unmanned Aerial Vehicle s , which are remotely controlled drones that replaced the helicopters previously used to spot for her nine / 50 cal guns . Also included in her modernization were upgrades to radar and fire control system s for her guns and missiles , and improved electronic warfare capabilities . Armed as such , " Wisconsin " was formally recommissioned on 22 October 1988 in Pascagoula , Mississippi under the command of Captain Jerry M . Blesch , USN . Assigned to the United States Atlantic fleet , she was subsequently homeported at Naval Station Norfolk , Virginia , where she became the centerpiece of her own surface action group ( SAG ) , also referred to as a battleship battle group ( BBBG ) . During the renovation pieces of the teak deck were removed and made into commemorative pieces . They were not marked with an edition number indicating how many were actually created . A brass plaque with the ships name appears on the left and an inscription reading " Mobile Council of Navy League Celebrates Recommissioning USS Wisconsin BB - 64 " , " This teak was removed from original deck during 1987 - 1988 reactivation " . " Wisconsin " spent the first part of 1989 conducting training exercises in the Atlantic Ocean and off the coast of Puerto Rico before returning to the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard for a post recommissioning shakedown that lasted the rest of the year . In mid - 1990 the battleship participated in a fleet exercise . Gulf War ( January / February 1991 ) . On 2 August 1990 , Iraq invaded Kuwait . In the middle of the month , President George H . W . Bush , in keeping with the Carter Doctrine , sent the first of several hundred thousand troops , along with a strong force of naval support to Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf area to support a multi - national force in a standoff with Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein . On 7 August , " Wisconsin " and her battle group were ordered to deploy in defense of Kuwait for Operation Desert Shield , and they arrived in the Persian Gulf on 23 August . On 15 January 1991 , Operation Desert Storm commenced operations , and " Wisconsin " found herself serving alongside her younger sister " Missouri " , just as she had done in Korea forty years previously . Both " Wisconsin " and " Missouri " launched Tomahawk Missile attacks against Iraq ; they were among the first ships to fire cruise missiles during the 1991 Gulf War . " Wisconsin " served as the Tomahawk Land Attack Missile ( TLAM ) strike commander for the Persian Gulf , directing the sequence of launches that marked the opening of Operation Desert Storm and firing a total of 24 of her own TLAMs during the first two days of the campaign . " Wisconsin " also assumed the responsibility of the local anti - surface warfare coordinator for the Northern Persian Gulf Surface Action Group . " Wisconsin " , escorted by , relieved " Missouri " on 6 February , then answered her first combat call for gunfire support since March 1952 . The most recently recommissioned battleship sent 11 shells across of space to destroy an Iraqi artillery battery in southern Kuwait during a mission called in by USMC OV - 10 Bronco aircraft . Using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle ( UAV ) as a spotter in combat for the first time , " Wisconsin " pounded an Iraqi communications compound on 7 February . Her main guns lobbed 24 shells on Iraqi artillery sites , missile facilities , and electronic warfare sites along the coast . That evening she targeted naval sites with her guns , firing 50 rounds which severely damaged or sunk 15 Iraqi boats , and destroyed several piers at the Khawr al - Mufattah marina . In response to calls for fire support from US and coalition forces , " Wisconsin " s turrets boomed again on 9 February , blasting bunkers and artillery sites , and shelling Iraqi troop positions near Khafji after the Iraqis were ousted from the city by Saudi and Qatari armor . On 21 February , one of " Wisconsin " s UAVs observed several trucks resupplying an Iraqi command post ; in response , " Wisconsin " trained her guns on the complex , leveling or heavily damaging 10 of the buildings . " Wisconsin " and " Missouri " alternated positions on the gun line , using their guns to destroy enemy targets and soften defenses along the Kuwait coastline for a possible amphibious assault . On the night of 23 February , " Missouri " and " Wisconsin " turned their big guns on Kuwait ' s Faylaka Island to support the US - led coalition ground offensive to free Kuwait from the Iraqi occupation forces . The two ships were to conduct a diversionary assault aimed at convincing the Iraqi forces arrayed along the shores of Faylaka Island that Coalition forces were preparing to launch an amphibious invasion . As part of this attack , " Missouri " and " Wisconsin " were directed to shell known Iraqi defensive positions on the island . Shortly after " Missouri " completed her shelling of Faylaka Island , " Wisconsin " , while still over the horizon ( and thus out of visual range of the Iraqi forces ) launched her RQ - 2 Pioneer Unmanned Aerial Vehicle to spot for her guns . As " Wisconsin " s drone approached Faylaka Island , the pilot of the drone was instructed to fly the vehicle low over Iraqi positions so that the soldiers would know that they were once again being targeted by a battleship . Iraqi troops on the ground heard the Pioneer ’ s distinctive buzzing sound , and having witnessed the effects of " Missouri " s artillery strike on their trenchline the Iraqi troops decided to signal their willingness to surrender by waving makeshift white flag s , an action dutifully noted aboard " Wisconsin " . Amused at this sudden development , the men assigned to the drone ’ s aircrew called " Wisconsin " s commanding officer , Captain David S . Bill III , and asked , " Sir , they want to surrender , what should I do with them ? " This surrender to " Wisconsin " s Pioneer has since become one of the most remembered moments of the Gulf War ; the incident was also the first - ever surrender of enemy troops to an unmanned aircraft controlled by a ship . " Wisconsin " drone also carried out a number of reconnaissance missions on occupied Kuwait before the coalition ' s ground offensive . The next day , " Wisconsin " answered two separate call fire support missions for coalition forces by suppressing Iraqi troops barricaded in a pair of bunkers . After witnessing the effects of " Wisconsin " s strike against the Iraqi positions an elated Saudi marine commander commented over the radio , " I wish we had a battleship in our navy . " Both " Wisconsin " and " Missouri " passed the million - pound mark of ordnance delivered on Iraqi targets by the time president George H . W . Bush ended hostilities on 28 February . With one last salvo from her big guns , " Wisconsin " fired the last naval gunfire support mission of the war . " Wisconsin " remained in the Persian Gulf after the cease - fire took effect , and returned home on 28 March 1991 . During the eight months " Wisconsin " spent in the Persian Gulf , she had flown 348 UAV hours , recorded 661 safe helicopter landings , steamed , fired 319 rounds , 881 rounds , 5 , 200 20 mm Phalanx CIWS rounds . , and launched 24 Tomahawk cruise missiles . Since all four remaining battleships were decommissioned and stricken following the Gulf War , this was the last time that United States battleships actively participated in a war . Museum ship ( 1992 – present ) . With the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s and the absence of a perceived threat to the United States came drastic cuts in the defense budget . The high cost of maintaining and operating battleships as part of the United States Navy ' s active fleet became uneconomical ; as a result , " Wisconsin " was decommissioned on 30 September 1991 , and was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register ( NVR ) on 12 January 1995 . On 15 October 1996 , she was moved to the Norfolk Naval Shipyard , and on 12 February 1998 , she was restored to the Naval Vessel Register . On 7 December 2000 , the battleship was towed from Portsmouth , Virginia and berthed adjacent to Nauticus , The National Maritime Center in Norfolk . On 16 April 2001 the battleship ' s weather decks were opened to the public by the Hampton Roads Naval Museum , a U . S . Navy museum charged with " Wisconsin " s interpretation and public visitation . The ship was still owned by the Navy and was considered part of the mothball fleet . " Wisconsin " was named as one of two US Navy battleships that were to be maintained in accordance with the National Defense Authorization Act of 1996 ( the other was ) . Both battleships were maintained in the United States Navy reserve fleets for use as shore bombardment vessels since their guns are capable of firing projectiles approximately inland ; however , " Wisconsin " is now over 60 years old and would require extensive modernization to return to the fleet since most of her technology dates back to World War II , and the missile and electronic warfare equipment added to the battleship during her 1980s modernization are now considered obsolete . Furthermore , during the 1991 Gulf War , she was said to be hindered by Iraqi naval mines , and reports on the Internet suggest that the majority of the shore bombardments were successfully carried out by US s and their guns . In addition , the cost of modernizing " Iowa " and " Wisconsin " is estimated to be somewhere around $ 500 million for reactivation and $ 1 . 5 billion for a full modernization program . On 17 March 2006 , the Secretary of the Navy exercised his authority to strike " Iowa " and " Wisconsin " from the NVR , which cleared the way for both ships to be donated for use as museums ; however , the United States Congress remains " deeply concerned " over the loss of naval surface gunfire support that the battleships provided , and has noted that " . . . navy efforts to improve upon , much less replace , this capability have been highly problematic . " Partially as a consequence , Congress passed , the National Defense Authorization Act 2006 , requiring that the battleships be kept and maintained in a state of readiness should they ever be needed again . Congress had ordered that the following measures be implemented to ensure that , if need be , " Wisconsin " could be returned to active duty : These four conditions closely mirror the original three conditions that the Nation Defense Authorization Act of 1996 laid out for the maintenance of " Wisconsin " while she was in the Mothball Fleet . It was unlikely that these conditions would impede a plan to turn " Wisconsin " into a permanent museum ship at her berth in Norfolk . On 14 December 2009 the US Navy officially transferred " Wisconsin " to the city of Norfolk , ending the requirement for the ship to be preserved for possible recall to active duty . The US Navy had paid the city of Norfolk $ 2 . 8 million between 2000 and 2009 to maintain the ship . A formal ceremony transferring the ship to the city of Norfolk took place on 16 April 2010 . " Wisconsin " was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on 28 March 2012 . On 11 August 2012 , GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney announced his running mate , Paul Ryan , from the pier alongside the dock where the " Wisconsin " is moored . Awards . " Wisconsin " earned five battle stars for her World War II service , and one for the Korean War . The ship also received the Combat Action Ribbon and Navy Unit Commendation for actions in the Korean War and Operation Desert Storm in 1991 . She also received over a dozen more awards for World War II , the Korean War and Operations Desert Shield / Desert Storm .