The USS New Jersey, known as “Big J,” has etched its name into the annals of military history with a service record that spans the arc of American naval dominance in the 20th century. The Iowa-class battleship, the most decorated in US Navy history, has seen action from the Pacific Theater of World War II to the shores of Vietnam and beyond.
Known affectionately as “Big J,” the USS New Jersey (BB-62) was the second Iowa-class battleship, boasting a distinguished service history that includes engagements in both World War II and the Korean War.
However, it was her pivotal role in the Vietnam War that truly distinguished her from her counterparts, as she stood as the sole US battleship to provide gunfire support during that conflict.
Throughout her storied existence, the New Jersey was commissioned and decommissioned on four separate occasions, resulting in a service timeline that spans the latter half of the twentieth century.
During her third commissioning from 1968 to 1969, the New Jersey was activated to partake in the Vietnam War, an era marked by profound division and controversy within the United States.
At the onset of the Vietnam War, the US faced significant losses in aircraft, prompting concerns and necessitating studies to mitigate these losses and enhance precision in delivering ordnance.
Consequently, on May 31st, 1967, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara authorized a study to assess the feasibility of reactivating the dormant New Jersey battleship.
The study affirmed the viability of this endeavor, leading McNamara to recommission the battleship with the specific purpose of bolstering naval gunfire support capabilities in Southeast Asia as part of the Pacific Fleet.
McNamara chose the New Jersey due to her superior condition compared to other Iowa-class battleships, a result of a comprehensive overhaul completed just before her most recent decommissioning.
However, upon reactivation, the New Jersey underwent some retrofitting, which involved the removal of her 20mm and 40mm anti-aircraft guns and the upgrading of her electronic warfare systems and radar.
Following these modernizations, the New Jersey embarked on sea trials, during which she achieved a battleship world speed record, maintaining an impressive 35.2 knots (40.5 miles per hour) for a continuous six-hour period.
In October 1968, following a journey from Long Beach, California, to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and then to Subic Bay, Philippines, the USS New Jersey joined the gun line near the 17th parallel off the Vietnamese coast. There, it unleashed 29 sixteen-inch rounds against targets of the People’s Army of Vietnam (PAVN), marking the battleship’s first firing of her guns in sixteen years.
The pinnacle of the New Jersey’s shore bombardment occurred a month later, in November 1968, during a concentrated two-day assault on Viet Cong storage areas near Quang Ngai. Credited with demolishing 182 structures and 54 bunkers, as well as inflicting heavy damage on 93 additional structures and numerous tunnel complexes, the New Jersey showcased its formidable firepower during this operation.
Until April 1st, 1969, the USS New Jersey remained stationed on the gunline across various coastal locations in Vietnam before departing for Japan. This marked the conclusion of her tour in Vietnamese waters, during which she unleashed a staggering 5,688 rounds of 16-inch shells and 14,891 rounds of 5-inch shells.
In a remarkable turn of events, the New Jersey was reactivated once more in the 1980s as part of President Reagan’s initiative to expand the Navy to 600 vessels. Undergoing another round of modernization, she spent much of the 1980s in relative quietude before being called upon to participate in Operation Desert Storm.
Relevant articles:
– Battleship USS New Jersey Fired over 5,000 Massive 16-Inch Shells During the Vietnam War, The National Interest
– Full History – Battleship New Jersey, battleshipnewjersey.org
– USS New Jersey Fired over 5,000 Massive 16-Inch Shells During Vietnam War, The National Interest
– Vietnam – Battleship New Jersey, Battleship New Jersey