_underway_in_1935.jpg) USSMaryland (BB-46) underway in 1935 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | Maryland |
| Namesake | Maryland |
| Ordered | 5 December 1916 |
| Builder | Newport News Shipbuilding |
| Laid down | 24 April 1917 |
| Launched | 20 March 1920 |
| Commissioned | 21 July 1921 |
| Decommissioned | 3 April 1947 |
| Fate | Sold for scrap, 8 July 1959 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Colorado-classbattleship |
| Displacement | 32,600long tons (33,100 t) |
| Length | 624 ft (190 m) |
| Beam | 97 ft 6 in (29.72 m) |
| Draft | 30 ft 6 in (9.30 m) |
| Speed | 21.17 kn (39.21 km/h; 24.36 mph) |
| Complement | 1,080 officers and enlisted |
| Armament | |
| Armor |
|
| Aircraft carried | 4 ×floatplanes |
| Aviation facilities | 2 × aircraft catapults |
USSMaryland,hull numberBB-46, also known as "Old Mary" or "Fighting Mary" to her crewmates, was aColorado-classbattleship. She was the third ship of theUnited States Navy to be named in honor ofthe seventh state. She was commissioned in 1921, and serving as theflagship of thefleet, cruised to Australia,New Zealand, andBrazil.
DuringWorld War II, she was onBattleship Row during theAttack on Pearl Harbor, and was lightly damaged by Japanesebombs. Returning to duty in 1942, she saw service in thePacific War, first supporting the rest of the fleet at theBattle of Midway, and then patrolling theFiji Islands to guard against Japanese incursion. Next, she went on the offensive, commencing shore bombardments in theBattle of Tarawa and later in theBattle of Kwajalein. During theBattle of Saipan she took torpedo damage to her bow, necessitating repairs and refits. She then participated in theBattle of Leyte Gulf where she was hit by akamikaze. She took anotherkamikaze hit at theBattle of Okinawa, then completed repairs and upgrades at Bremerton, WA. She was sailing back to the Pacific Theater when word was received that the war had ended, so she turned around and returned to the Port of Long Beach, CA.
After service inOperation Magic Carpet, she was decommissioned in 1947, and sold for scrap in 1959. She received seven battle stars for World War II service.
In 1916, design work was completed on the next class of battleships to be built for theUnited States Navy beginning in 1917. These ships were nearly direct copies of the precedingTennessee class, with the exception of themain battery, which increased from twelve 14-inch (356 mm) guns to eight 16 in (406 mm) guns. TheColorado class proved to be the last class of battleships completed of thestandard type.[1]
Maryland was 624 ft (190 m)long overall and she had abeam of 97 ft 6 in (29.72 m) and adraft of 30 ft 6 in (9.30 m). Shedisplaced 32,693long tons (33,218 t) as designed and up to 33,590 long tons (34,130 t) at full load. The ship was powered by fourGeneral Electricturbo-electric drives with steam provided by eight oil-firedBabcock & Wilcox boilers. The ship's propulsion system was rated at 28,900shaft horsepower (21,600 kW) for a top speed of 21knots (39 km/h; 24 mph), though on speed trials she reached 31,268 shp (23,317 kW) and a speed of 21.09 kn (39.06 km/h; 24.27 mph). She had a normal cruising range of 8,000 nmi (15,000 km; 9,200 mi) at 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph), but additional fuel space could be used in wartime to increase her range to 21,100 nmi (39,100 km; 24,300 mi) at that speed. Her crew numbered 64 officers and 1,241 enlisted men.[2][3]
She was armed with a main battery of eight16 in /45 caliber Mark 1 guns in four twin-gun turrets on the centerline,[a] two forward and two aft insuperfiring pairs. Thesecondary battery consisted of sixteen5-inch (127 mm)/51 caliber guns, mounted individually incasemates clustered in the superstructureamidships. She carried ananti-aircraft battery of eight3-inch (76 mm)/50 caliber guns in individual high-angle mounts. As was customary forcapital ships of the period, she had a 21 in (533 mm)torpedo tube mounted in her hull below thewaterline on eachbroadside.Maryland's mainarmored belt was 8–13.5 in (203–343 mm) thick, while the main armored deck was up to 3.5 in (89 mm) thick. The main battery gun turrets had 18 in (457 mm) thick faces on 13 in (330 mm)barbettes. Herconning tower had 16 in (406 mm) thick sides.[2][3]
Maryland was one of fourdreadnoughtbattleships of theColorado class to be constructed. Her keel was laid down on 24 April 1917, byNewport News Shipbuilding Company ofNewport News, Virginia. She waslaunched on 20 March 1920, and she wascommissioned on 21 July 1921.[4] She was the third ship named for the state of Maryland. ThefirstMaryland was asloop commissioned in 1799 and thesecondMaryland was anarmored cruiser commissioned in 1905.[5]
Following her commissioning,Maryland undertook an East Coastshakedown cruise.[4] Shortly thereafter,Maryland was madeflagship of AdmiralHilary P. Jones.[6]Maryland found herself in great demand for special occasions. She appeared atAnnapolis, Maryland, for the 1922United States Naval Academy graduation and at Boston, Massachusetts, for the anniversary of thebattle of Bunker Hill and theFourth of July.[7] From 18 August to 25 September, she paid her first visit to a foreign port transporting Secretary of StateCharles Evans Hughes toRio de Janeiro forBrazil's Centennial Exposition. The next year, after fleet exercises off thePanama Canal Zone,Maryland transited the canal in the latter part of June to join the battle fleet stationed on the west coast.[4] She continued to be a flagship until 1923 when the flag was shifted toPennsylvania.[6]
She made another voyage to a foreign port in 1925, this time to Australia andNew Zealand. Several years later, in 1928, she transported President-electHerbert Hoover on the Pacific leg of his tour of Latin America.[7] She was overhauled in 1928–1929, and the eight 3-inch anti-aircraft guns were replaced by eight5-inch/25 cal guns.[8] Throughout these years and the 1930s, she served as a mainstay of fleet readiness through tireless training operations.[4] She conducted numerous patrols in the 1930s.[6] In 1940,Maryland and the other battleships of the battle force changed their bases of operations toPearl Harbor.[7] She was present atBattleship Row alongFord Island during theJapanese attack on 7 December 1941.[4]
On the morning of 7 December,Maryland was moored along Ford Island, withOklahoma to port, connected by lines and agangway. To her fore wasCalifornia, whileTennessee andWest Virginia wereastern. Further aft wereNevada andArizona. The seven battleships, in what is now known as "Battleship Row," had recently returned from maneuvers. Many ofMaryland's crew were preparing forshore leave at 09:00 or eating breakfast when the Japanese attack began. As the first Japanese aircraft appeared and explosions rocked the outboard battleships,Maryland'sbugler blewgeneral quarters.[6]
Seaman Leslie Short—addressing Christmas cards near his machine gun—brought the first of his ship's guns into play, shooting down one of twotorpedo bombers that had just released againstOklahoma. Inboard ofOklahoma, and thus protected from the initialtorpedo attack,Maryland managed to bring all her antiaircraft (AA) batteries into action.[4] The devastating initial attack sankOklahoma, and she capsized quickly, with many of her surviving men climbing aboardMaryland to assist her with anti-aircraft defenses.[6]
Maryland was struck by two armor-piercing bombs which detonated low on her hull. The first struck theforecastle awning and made a hole about 12 ft (3.7 m) by 20 ft (6.1 m). The second exploded after entering the hull at the 22 ft (6.7 m) water level at Frame 10. The latter hit caused flooding and increased the draft forward by 5 ft (1.5 m).[9]Maryland continued to fire and, after the attack, sent firefighting parties to assist her compatriots, especially attempting to rescue survivors from the capsizedOklahoma.[7] The men continued to muster the AA defenses in case the Japanese returned to attack. In all, two officers and two men were killed in the attack.[6]
The Japanese erroneously announced thatMaryland had been sunk, but on 30 December, the damaged ship enteredPuget Sound Navy Yard for repairs just behindTennessee.[10] Two of the original twelve 5-inch/51 cal guns were removed and the 5-inch/25 cal guns were replaced by an equal number of5-inch/38 caldual purpose guns.[8] Over the course of the next two months, she was repaired and overhauled, receiving new fighting equipment. Repairs were complete on 26 February 1942.[4] She then underwent a series of shakedown cruises to West Coast ports andChristmas Island. She was sent back into action in June 1942, the second battleship damaged at Pearl Harbor to return to duty.[10]
During the importantBattle of Midway,Maryland played a supporting role. Like the other older battleships, she was not fast enough to accompany theaircraft carriers, so she operated witha backup fleet protecting the West Coast.[4]Maryland stood by on security, awaiting the call that she was needed, until the end of the battle. At the end of the action aroundMidway,Maryland was sent to San Francisco.[10]
Thereafter,Maryland engaged in almost constant training exercises with Battleship Division 2, Battleship Division 3, and Battleship Division 4 until 1 August, when she returned to Pearl Harbor for repairs, her first time in the harbor since the Japanese attack. She departed Pearl Harbor in early November withColorado, bound for the forward area.[11] On 12 November, King Neptune came aboardMaryland to initiate her "pollywogs" for theline-crossing ceremony.Maryland steamed for theFiji Islands where she patrolled against Japanese incursion. The two battleships acted as sentinels to guard against Japanese advance to prevent Japanese forces from threatening Australia. During this duty, the two battleships conducted frequent sweeps for Japanese forces.[10]
In early 1943, with the success of theSolomon Islands campaign, Allied forces went on the offensive. In February 1943,Maryland andColorado moved toNew Hebrides, operating off ofEfate.[11] Intense heat there proved difficult and unpleasant for the crew. She then moved toEspiritu Santo to guard against Japanese incursion, but heat and heavy rains plagued this tour of duty.[10]Maryland andColorado stood out ofAore Island Harbor in August. During a five-week overhaul at Pearl Harbor'sshipyard, several40 millimetres (1.6 in) AA guns were installed on the top decks andforemast as protection against anticipated Japanese air raids in future operations.[10]
Departing theHawaiian Islands on 20 October 1943 for the South Pacific,Maryland became flagship forRear AdmiralHarry W. Hill's V Amphibious Force and Southern Attack Force in theGilbert Islands Invasion.[4] Also aboard her wereMajor GeneralJulian C. Smith, commander of2nd Marine Division, and ColonelEvans Carlson, commander ofCarlson's Raiders.Maryland returned to Efate Island staging area, where she joined a largetask force preparing for an assault onTarawa.[12]
Thebattle of Tarawa commenced on 20 November. In her first offensive action of the war,Maryland's guns opened fire at 05:00, destroying ashore battery with five salvos on the southwestern point ofBetio Island in theTarawa Atoll. At 06:00 she commenced a scheduledshore bombardment to soften up Japanese defenses ahead of the landings.[11]Maryland moved closer to shore to attract Japanese fire and locate artillery emplacements, in the process raking Japanese gun emplacements, control stations,pillboxes and any Japanese installations she could spot. At 09:00 as Marine landing forces encountered heavy Japanese resistance and began taking casualties to emplacedcrossfire,Maryland provided covering fire to eliminate several Japanese machine gun nests. Her scouting plane then began to cover the progress of the Marines' assault, withMaryland providing artillery support. The plane was damaged and pilot wounded in this action.[12]
After three days of covering the offensive on Betio Island, she moved toApamama Island to guard Marine landings there.[11] Marines met with only light resistance from 30 Japanese soldiers there, and two prisoners were brought toMaryland. On 7 December,Maryland left Apamama Island for Pearl Harbor. After a brief stopover there,Maryland left for San Francisco for repairs.[12]
Maryland steamed fromSan Pedro, California on 13 January 1944, and rendezvoused with Task Force 53 at Lahaina Roads for two days of loading ammunition, refueling, and provisioning ahead of a new operation supporting theMarshall Islands campaign.[11] On 30 January 1944, she moved to support landings onRoi Island, along withSanta Fe,Biloxi, andIndianapolis, which formed the Northern Support Group of TF 35.[12]
In the predawn hours of 31 January, the ships began a bombardment ofKwajalein Atoll, the opening moves of thebattle of Kwajalein.[11]Maryland destroyed numerous Japanese stationary guns and pillboxes. In the course of the battle, she fired so much that she split the liners in the guns of Turret No. 1, putting it out of action for the rest of the day. On 1 February, she continued her attack on Japanese positions as the U.S. landing forces advanced. She became the flagship for Admiral Connally for the next two weeks, resupplying and refueling many of the smaller ships in the operation until she departed with a task unit of carriers anddestroyers on 15 February 1944, steaming forBremerton Navy Yard, where she underwent another overhaul, with her guns being replaced.[12]
Two months later,Maryland sailed westward on 5 May, joining Task Force 52 headed forSaipan.[11]Vice AdmiralRichmond K. Turner allotted TF 52 three days to soften up the island's defenses ahead of the assault. Firing commenced at 05:45 on 14 June. TF 52 quickly destroyed two coastal guns, then began bombardingGarapan, destroying ammunition dumps, gun positions, small boats, storage tanks, blockhouses, and buildings.Maryland then turned her guns toTanapag, leveling it in heavy bombardment. The invasion commenced 15 June, andMaryland provided fire support for the landing forces.[12]
The Japanese attempted to counter the battleships through the air. On 18 June, the ship's guns shot down their first Japanese aircraft, but on 22 June, aMitsubishi G4M3 "Betty"medium bomber flew low over the still-contested Saipan hills and foundMaryland andPennsylvania. The Japanese plane dropped a torpedo, which blew a large hole inMaryland's starboard bow. The attack caused light casualties, and in 15 minutes she was underway for Eniwetok, and from there she steamed for the repair yards at Pearl Harbor (in reverse the whole time so as not to do further damage to her bow[13]),[4] escorted by two destroyers. Two men were killed in the attack.[12]
With an around-the-clock effort by the shipyard workers,Maryland was repaired in 34 days, departing on 13 August. She then embarked for theSolomon Islands with a large task force, anchoring inPurvis Bay offFlorida Island for two weeks before steaming for thePalau Islands on 6 September.[12] She then joined Rear AdmiralJesse B. Oldendorf's Western Fire Support Group (Task Group 32.5; TG 32.5). Firing first on 12 September to cover minesweeping operations and underwater demolition teams at the opening of theBattle of Peleliu,Maryland again conducted shore bombardment supporting the landing craft as they approached the beaches on 15 September.[11] Four days later, organized resistance collapsed, permitting the fire support ships to retire to theAdmiralty Islands at the end of the month.[4]
_on_speed_trials_in_Puget_Sound%2c_April_1944_(19-N-65057).jpg)
Maryland steamed forSeeadler Harbor,Manus where she was assigned to the7th Fleet under AdmiralKinkaid. The fleet sortied 12 October, andMaryland joinedTask Group 77.2, which was the gunfire and covering force for theinvasion of Leyte.[11] She, along with four other battleships and numerous cruisers and destroyers, steamed intoLeyte Gulf on the morning of 18 October.Maryland took position between Red and White Beaches and began bombarding them ahead of the invasion, which began at 10:00 20 October. Securing the beaches quickly,Maryland then took up a sentinel position in Leyte Gulf to guard the beaches against Japanese counterattack by sea.[12]
For the next several days, Japanese forces launched air raids to counter the incursion. These included the first widespread use of thekamikaze suicide attack. Several days later, U.S. submarines in theSouth China Sea spotted two Japanese forces on approach: five battleships steaming towardSan Bernardino Strait, and another force of four Japanese carriers in northern Luzon.[14]
On 24 October,Maryland,West Virginia,Mississippi,Tennessee,California, andPennsylvania sailed to the southern end of Leyte Gulf to protectSurigao Strait with several cruisers, destroyers, andPT Boats. Early on 25 October, during theBattle of Surigao Strait, Japanese battleshipsFusō andYamashiro, with their screens, led the Japanese advance into the Strait.[11] At 03:55, the waiting Americans ships launched an ambush of the two Japanese battleships, pounding them with torpedoes and main guns. Torpedoes from the destroyers sankFusō.[4] Continued attacks by the task force also claimedYamashiro. A few of the remaining Japanese ships then fled to theMindanao Sea, pursued by Allied aircraft.[14]
Following the victory,Maryland patrolled the southern approaches to Surigao Strait until 29 October; she then steamed for the Admiralty Isles for brief replenishment and resumed patrol duty around Leyte on 16 November, protecting the landing forces from continued Japanese air attacks.[11] On 29 November, during another Japanese air attack, akamikaze aircraft surprised and struckMaryland. The aircraft crashed intoMaryland between Turrets No. 1 and 2, pierced the forecastle, main, and armored decks, and blew a hole in the 4-inch steel, causing extensive damage and starting fires. In all, 31 men were killed and 30 wounded in the attack, and the medical department was destroyed but still functional.[14]
The battleship continued her patrols until relieved on 2 December, when she sailed with two heavily damaged destroyers for repairs.[11] She reached Pearl Harbor on 18 December, and was extensively repaired and refitted over the next few months.[14]
After refresher training,Maryland headed for the western Pacific on 4 March 1945, arriving atUlithi on 16 March. There she joined the5th Fleet and Rear AdmiralMorton Deyo'sTask Force 54 (TF 54), which was preparing for theinvasion of Okinawa. The fleet departed on 21 March, bound forOkinawa.[14]
Maryland was assigned targets on the southern coast of Okinawa to support a diversionary landing, which would distract Japanese forces away from the main landing on the west coast.[11] Japanese forces responded with several air raids, with two ofMaryland's radar picket destroyers being struck bykamikaze planes, withLuce sinking. On 3 April, she was moved to the west coast invasion beaches to assist the cruiserMinneapolis in destroying several shore batteries. Following the land invasion, she remained with the support force off Bolo Point providing artillery support for the invading troops.[14]
Maryland continued fire support duty until 7 April, when she steamed north to intercept a Japanese surface force with TF 54.[11] The Japanese ships, including theYamato, came under constant U.S. air attacks that day, and planes of the Fast Carrier Task Force sank six of the 10 ships in the force. At dusk, akamikaze loaded with a 551 lb (250 kg) bomb crashed the top of Turret No. 3 from starboard. The explosion wiped out the 20 mm mounts and caused a large fire. The 20mm ammunition ignited from the heat, causing further casualties.[4] In all, 10 were killed, 37 injured and 6 missing following this attack.Maryland remained on station for the next week and continued her artillery support mission through several more air raids. Turret No. 3, damaged but usable, remained silent for the remainder of this mission.[15]
On 14 April,Maryland left the firing line at Okinawa and escorted several retiring transports. They steamed via theMariana Islands andGuam to Pearl Harbor,[4] and she reached the Puget Sound Navy Yard at Bremerton on 7 May for repairs and an extensive refit.[11] All of her 5 in guns were removed and replaced by sixteen 5 inch/38 cal guns in new twin mounts.[8] The light AA armament was revised to forty Bofors 40 mm in ten quad mounts and thirty-six Oerlikon 20 mm in eighteen dual mounts,[16] though another source givesMaryland forty-four 40 mm in eleven quad mounts and forty-four 20 mm in twenty twin and one quad mount in the same timeframe.[17] The armored conning tower was removed and replaced by a similar but lighter STS structure with only 1.2 in (30 mm) armor to compensate for the extra weight gained during this refit. An extra 3in of STS was added over the magazines, with 2 in (51 mm) elsewhere over the protective deck, while turret-top armor was raised to 7 in (180 mm). New double-layer anti-torpedo bulges were installed, increasing the armored freeboard to compensate for the increase in weight. SK-2 radar was installed in place of the previous SK, and the main battery received new Mk.13 radars for fire control.[16] Turret No. 3 was repaired and the crew quarters were improved. She completed repairs and upgrades in August, leaving for tests and training runs just as Japan surrendered, ending the war.[15]
Maryland now joined theOperation Magic Carpet fleet.[15] During the remaining months of 1945,Maryland made five voyages between the west coast and Pearl Harbor, returning more than 8,000 servicemen to the United States. Arriving atSeattle, Washington on 17 December,Maryland completed her Operation Magic Carpet duty. She entered Puget Sound Naval Shipyard on 15 April 1946, and was placed in commission in inactive reserve on 16 July.[15] She was decommissioned at Bremerton on 3 April 1947, and remained there as a unit of the Pacific Reserve Fleet.Maryland was sold for scrapping to Learner Company ofOakland, California on 8 July 1959.[4]
On 2 June 1961,Governor of MarylandJ. Millard Tawes, dedicated a monument to the memory ofMaryland and her men. Built of granite and bronze and incorporating the ship's bell, this monument is located on the grounds of the State House in Annapolis.[18]
This article incorporates text from thepublic domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be foundhere.
