USS Wisconsin (BB-64)

For other ships with the same name, see USS Wisconsin.
"Wisky" redirects here. For the drink, see Whiskey.

Wisconsin at sea, c. 1990
History
United States
NamesakeState of Wisconsin
Ordered12 June 1940
BuilderPhiladelphia Naval Shipyard
Laid down25 January 1941
Launched7 December 1943
Commissioned16 April 1944
Decommissioned1 July 1948
Recommissioned3 March 1951
Decommissioned8 March 1958
Recommissioned22 October 1988
Decommissioned30 September 1991
Stricken17 March 2006
IdentificationHull number: BB-64
Motto"Forward for Freedom"
Nickname(s)"Big Wisky"
Honors and
awards		6 Battle Stars
StatusMuseum ship at Nauticus
Badge
General characteristics (as built)
Class and typeIowa-class battleship
Displacement57,216 long tons (58,134 t) (full load)
Length887 ft 3 in (270.4 m) (o/a)
Beam108 ft 2 in (33 m)
Draft37 ft 9 in (11.5 m) (full load)
Installed power
Propulsion
Speed32.5 knots (60.2 km/h; 37.4 mph)
Range15,000 nmi (28,000 km; 17,000 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement117 officers, 1,804 enlisted men (designed)
Sensors and
processing systems
Armament
Armor
General characteristics (1988)
Complement1,515 officers and enlisted men
Sensors and
processing systems
Electronic warfare
& decoys
Armament
USS Wisconsin (BB-64)
USS Wisconsin (BB-64) is located in Virginia
USS Wisconsin (BB-64)
USS Wisconsin (BB-64) is located in the United States
USS Wisconsin (BB-64)
Location1 Waterside Dr., Norfolk, Virginia
Coordinates36°50′54″N 76°17′43″W / 36.84833°N 76.29528°W / 36.84833; -76.29528
Built1941
ArchitectBureau of Construction and Repair
Architectural styleIowa-class battleship
NRHP reference No.12000178[1]
VLR No.122-5414
Significant dates
Added to NRHP28 March 2012
Designated VLR15 December 2011[2]

USS Wisconsin (BB-64) is an Iowa-class battleship built for the United States Navy (USN) in the 1940s and is currently a museum ship. Completed in 1944, the ship was assigned to the Pacific Theater during World War II, where she participated in the Philippines campaign and the Battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. The battleship shelled the Japanese home islands shortly before the end of the war in September 1945. During the Korean War, Wisconsin shelled North Korean targets in support of United Nations and South Korean ground operations, after which she was decommissioned. She was reactivated in 1986; after a modernization program, she participated in Operation Desert Storm in January – February 1991.

Wisconsin was last decommissioned in September 1991 after spending a total of 14 years in active service. In that time, the ship earned six battle stars for service in World War II and Korea, as well as a Navy Unit Commendation for service during the January/February 1991 Gulf War. Wisconsin was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 17 March 2006, and was later donated for permanent use as a museum ship. As of 2024, Wisconsin is a museum ship operated by Nauticus in Norfolk, Virginia.

  1. ^ "Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties: 3/26/12 through 3/30/12". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
  2. ^ "Virginia Landmarks Register". Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 19 March 2013.