USS West Virginia (BB-48)

USS West Virginia (BB-48), a Colorado-class battleship, was the second ship of the United States Navy named in honor of the 35th state.

August 1945 – 1947

Sailing on 3 August for Okinawa, West Virginia reached Buckner Bay on 6 August, the same day that "Little Boy", the first atomic bomb, was dropped on the city of Hiroshima. Three days later, "Fat Man", a second bomb, obliterated the greater part of the city of Nagasaki. Those two events hastened Japan's collapse. On 10 August, at 21:15, West Virginia picked up a garbled report on radio that the Japanese government had agreed to surrender under the terms of the Potsdam Declaration, provided that they could keep the Emperor of Japan as their ruler. The American ships in Buckner Bay soon commenced celebrating; the indiscriminate use of antiaircraft fire and pyrotechnics (not only from the naval vessels in the bay but from marines and Army troops ashore) endangered friendly planes. Such celebrations, however, proved premature. At 20:04 on 12 August, West Virginia sailors felt a heavy underwater explosion; soon thereafter, at 20:58, the battleship intercepted a radio dispatch from Pennsylvania reporting that she had been torpedoed. West Virginia sent over a whaleboat at 00:23 on 13 August with pumps for the damaged Pennsylvania.

Related Topics:
3 August - 6 August - Little Boy - Atomic bomb - Hiroshima - Fat Man - Nagasaki - 10 August - Potsdam Declaration - Emperor of Japan - 12 August - 13 August

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The war ended on 15 August 1945. West Virginia drilled her landing force in preparation for the upcoming occupation of the erstwhile enemy's homeland and sailed for Tokyo Bay on 24 August as part of TG 35.90. She reached Tokyo Bay on the last day of August and was thus present at the time of the formal surrender on 2 September 1945. For that occasion, five musicians from West Virginia's band were transferred temporarily to Missouri (BB-63) to play at the ceremonies.

Related Topics:
15 August - 1945 - 24 August - The last day of August - 2 September - ''Missouri''

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West Virginia played her part in the occupation, remaining in Tokyo Bay into September of 1945. On 14 September, she received on board 270 passengers for transportation to the west coast of the United States. She got underway at midnight on 20 September bound for Okinawa as part of TG 30.4. Shifting to Buckner Bay on 23 September, the battleship sailed for Pearl Harbor soon thereafter, reaching her destination on 4 October.

Related Topics:
1945 - 14 September - 20 September - TG 30.4 - 23 September - 4 October

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There, the crew painted ship and kept on board only those passengers slated for transportation to San Diego, California. Bound for that port on 9 October, West Virginia moored at the Navy Pier at San Diego at 13:28 on 22 October. Two days later, Rear Admiral I. C. Sowell hauled down his flag as Commander, BatDiv 4.

Related Topics:
San Diego, California - 9 October - 22 October

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On Navy Day, 25,554 visitors (more the next day) came on board the ship. Three days later, on 30 October, she got underway for Hawaiian waters to take her place as part of Operation Magic Carpet returning veteran soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen home to the states. After one run between San Diego and Pearl Harbor, West Virginia made another, the second time embarking Rear Admiral William W. Smith, who broke his flag in the battleship for the return voyage to San Francisco, California.

Related Topics:
Navy Day - 30 October - Operation Magic Carpet - San Francisco, California

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After making yet another run between the West Coast and Hawaii, West Virginia reached San Pedro, California, on 17 December. There, she spent Christmas debarking her third draft of passengers. The veteran battlewagon upped-anchor on 4 January 1946 and sailed for Bremerton, Washington. She reached her destination on 12 January and commenced inactivation soon thereafter, shifting to Seattle, Washington, on the 16 January, where she moored alongside sistership Colorado.

Related Topics:
San Pedro, California - 17 December - Christmas - 4 January - 1946 - Bremerton, Washington - 12 January - Seattle, Washington - 16 January

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West Virginia entered her final stages of inactivation in the latter part of February 1946 and was decommissioned on 9 January 1947 and placed in reserve, as part of the Pacific Reserve Fleet. She never again received the call to active duty, remaining inactive until struck from the Naval Vessel Registry on 1 March 1959. On 24 August 1959, she was sold for scrapping to the Union Minerals and Alloys Corp. of New York City. On 11 May 1963 the mainmast was presented to West Virginia University and is still displayed there as a memorial. The ship's bell was sent to the West Virginia State Museum.

Related Topics:
1946 - 9 January - 1947 - Pacific Reserve Fleet - Naval Vessel Registry - 1 March - 1959 - 24 August - New York City - 11 May - 1963 - West Virginia University - West Virginia State Museum

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West Virginia (BB-48), heavily damaged at Pearl Harbor and missing much of World War II, nevertheless earned five battle stars.

Related Topics:
World War II - Battle star

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See USS West Virginia for other ships of this name.

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