The U.S.S. Wisconsin

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A History of Two Battleships

Richard H. Zeitlin

An in-depth profile of two naval vessels that served the United States across the globe, during wartime and peacetime, from the late 19th century and into the 21st.

56 pages, 7.5 x 10, 40 b&w photos
Paperback: $16.95 | ISBN: 978-0-87020-255-1
Publication Date: 5/1/2012

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Description

Battleships were instrumental in America’s rise to world dominance at the end of the 19th century. Two battleships in particular, the U.S.S. Wisconsin BB-9 and BB-64, participated in wars and conflicts around the globe, demonstrating America’s strength and technological power. This is the story of two proud vessels and their role in American naval and diplomatic history.

The keel of the BB-9 was laid down on the eve of the Spanish-American War, and she sailed with the Great White Fleet on its famous world voyage of 1907–1909. Representing a major advance in American naval technology, the Wisconsin both demonstrated American strength in the Pacific and served as the setting for peace talks between Panama and Colombia when the former gained independence in 1903.

Recommissioned during World War I as a training ship, the BB-9 was decommissioned in 1920. More than twenty years later, on December 7, 1943, the fast battleship Wisconsin (BB-64) was launched to serve in the Pacific during World War II. The BB-64 served through to the end of World War II and again during the Korean War. One of the Iowa-class battleships, the BB-64 was one of the fastest and sleekest on the ocean. In 1988, she was refitted and recommissioned for yet another tour of duty, assigned to the US Atlantic Fleet.

Author Bio

Richard H. Zeitlin

Richard H. Zeitlin earned a master’s degree and PhD in US history at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. After working for the Wisconsin Historical Society, he became Director of the Wisconsin Veterans Museum in 1982. Dr. Zeitlin was a respected author, teacher, and historian.