The battleship that witnessed the last engagement of its kind

Countries & Cities · Published 9 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: The USS Mississippi was a floating fortress of the early 20th century, a steel titan that transitioned from the era of dreadnoughts to the age of missiles. It played a pivotal role in the final battleship duel in history, marking the end of a centuries-old naval doctrine.

Commissioned in December 1917, the USS Mississippi (BB-41) was a centerpiece of the New Mexico class. Built at the Newport News Shipbuilding Company, she was designed with a heavy armored belt of 13.5 inches and a main battery of twelve 14-inch guns. A notable engineering feature of her design was the three-gun turrets; unlike many contemporary American battleships that used triple mounts, the Mississippi's barrels could elevate independently. This flexibility allowed for more precise fire control as naval tactics evolved during the interwar period.

The ship's history is marked by significant technological transitions and tragic accidents. In 1923, during Fleet Problem I, she participated in a landmark exercise where spotter aircraft were used for the first time to direct battleship guns. However, her service was also marred by safety failures; a 1924 explosion in her forward turret killed 44 men, becoming the deadliest peacetime disaster in U.S. Navy history. By the early 1930s, she underwent a massive modernization at Norfolk Navy Yard. This overhaul replaced her original turbines with Westinghouse geared models and increased her top speed to 22 knots, while also extending her main battery's elevation to 30 degrees to significantly increase its range.

During World War II, the Mississippi served in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters. In the Atlantic, she joined the 'White Patrol' to escort convoys to Iceland. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, she shifted to the Pacific, supporting amphibious operations and shelling Japanese positions in the Gilbert and Marshall Islands. Her most historic moment occurred during the Battle of Surigao Strait in the Philippines campaign. There, she took part in the last battleship engagement in history. Following the war, her role shifted again as she was converted into a gunnery training ship, where she tested modern weapons like the RIM-2 Terrier missile before being decommissioned in 1956.

The ship's evolution reflects the rapid pace of naval warfare. From her early days carrying a Hanriot HD.1 aircraft on a flying-off platform—where the pilot had to land ashore because the ship lacked landing facilities—to her final years testing guided missiles, the Mississippi serves as a mechanical chronicle of the 20th century's maritime shift from heavy steel to precision electronics.

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