Washington’s heavy rifles hurled 16-inch shells shoreward in support of the landings on Iwo Jima. Washington, as a vital unit of the fast carrier striking forces, supported raids on Okinawa, in the Ryukyus Formosa Luzon Camranh Bay, French Indochina Saigon, French Indochina Hong Kong Canton Hainan Island Nansei Shoto. USS Washington went on to fight in the Battle of the Phillipine Sea, then Washington’s heavy guns supported the taking of Peleliu and Angaur in the Palaus. Left burning and exploding, she later had to be abandoned and scuttled. The Japanese had lost the battleship Kirishima.
In seven minutes, tracking by radar, Washington sent 75 rounds of 16-inch and 107 rounds of 5-inch at ranges from 8,400 to 12,650 yards, scoring at least nine hits with her main battery and about 40 with her 5-inchers, silencing the enemy battleship in short order. USS Washington and USS South Dakota as part of Task Force 64 was defending the invasion of Guadalcanal in what became the Battle of Savo Island. On 15 November 1942 Washington engaged the Japanese Battleship Kirishima, in the first head-to-head confrontation of battleships in the Pacific war. She has the distinction of being the only American battleship to sink an enemy battleship during World War II in a “one on one” surface engagement. Washington was one of the first to be equipped with fully operational radar. “Ching” Lee, Jr., embarked as Commander, Battleship Division (BatDiv) 6, and Commander, Task Group 12.2. Washington sailed for the Pacific on 23 August 1942, with Rear Admiral Willis A. Washington was assigned operations in the Atlantic fleet with the Home Fleet, patrolling part of the Allied shipping lanes leading to Russian ports. Benson in command.Ĭharacteristics: Displacement 36,000 length 729’ beam 108’ draft 38′ speed 28 knots complement 108 officers, 1,772 men armament 9-16 inch, 20-5 inch, 16 1.1 inch guns, 2 aircraft Catapults class Carolina USS Washington (BB-56) was laid down on 14 June 1938 at the Philadelphia Navy Yard launched on 1 June 1940 sponsored by Miss Virginia Marshall, of Spokane, Wash., a direct descendant of former Chief Justice Marshall and commissioned at the Philadelphia Navy Yard on, Capt. USS Washington BB-56 at Puget Sound Navy Yard April 1944
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