USS Idaho BB-42

Idaho IV

(BB-42: dp. 32,000 n. 1. 624', b. 97'5", dr. 30'; s. 21 k.;

cpl. 1,081; a. 12 14 ', 14 5", 4 3", 2 21" tt.; cl. New York)

The fourth Idaho (BB-42) was launched by the New York Shipbuilding Corp., Camden, N.J., on 30 June 1917, sponsored by Miss H.A. Limons, granddaughter of the Governor of Idaho, and commissioned on 24 March 1919 with Captain C.T. Vogelgesang in command.

Idaho sailed on 13 April for shakedown training out of Guantanamo Bay, and after returning to New York, received President Pessoa of Brazil for the voyage to Rio de Janeiro. Departing on 6 July with her escort, the battleship arrived in Rio on 17 July 1919. From there, she set course for the Panama Canal, arriving in Monterey, Calif., in September to join the Pacific Fleet. She joined other dreadnoughts in training exercises and reviews, including a Fleet Review by President Wilson on 13 September 1919. In 1920, the battleship carried Secretary Daniels and the Secretary of the Interior on an inspection tour of Alaska.

Upon her return from Alaska on 22 July 1920, Idaho took part in fleet maneuvers off the California coast and as far south as Chile. She continued this important training until 1925, taking part in numerous ceremonies on the West Coast during the interim. Idaho participated in the fleet review held by President Harding in Seattle shortly before his death in 1923. The battleship sailed on 15 April 1925 for Hawaii, participated in war games until 1 July, and then got underway for Samoa, Australia, and New Zealand. On the return voyage, Idaho embarked gallant Comdr. John Rodgers and his seaplane crew after their attempt to fly to Hawaii, arriving in San Francisco on 24 September 1925.

For the next six years, Idaho operated out of San Pedro on training and readiness operations off California and in the Caribbean. She sailed from San Pedro on 7 September 1931 for the East Coast, entering Norfolk Navy Yard on 30 September for modernization. The veteran battleship received better armor, "blister" anti-submarine protection, improved machinery, and tripod masts during this extensive overhaul, and was readied for many more years of useful naval service. After completion on 9 October 1934, the ship conducted shakedown in the Caribbean before returning to her home port, San Pedro, on 17 April 1935.

As war clouds gathered in the Pacific, the fleet increased the tempo of its training operations. Idaho carried out fleet tactics and gunnery exercises regularly until arriving with the battle fleet at Pearl Harbor on 1 July 1940. The ship sailed for Hampton Roads on 6 June 1941 to perform Atlantic neutrality patrol, a vital part of U.S. policy in the early days of the European fighting. She moved to Iceland in September to protect American advance bases and was on station at Hvalfjordur when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, catapulting America into the war.

Idaho and sister ship Mississippi departed Iceland two days after Pearl Harbor to join the Pacific Fleet, and arrived in San Francisco via Norfolk and the Panama Canal on 31 January 1942. She conducted additional battle exercises in California waters and out of Pearl Harbor until October 1942, when she entered Puget Sound Navy Yard to be re-gunned. Upon completion of this work, Idaho again took part in battle exercises and sailed on 7 April 1943 for operations in the bleak Aleutians. There, she was the flagship of the bombardment and patrol force around Attu, where she gave gunfire support to the Army landings on 11 May 1943. During the months that followed, she concentrated on Kiska, culminating in an assault on 15 August. The Japanese were found to have evacuated the island in late July, thus abandoning their last foothold in the Aleutians.

Idaho returned to San Francisco on 7 September 1943 to prepare for the invasion of the Gilbert Islands. Moving to Pearl Harbor, she got underway with the assault fleet on 10 November and arrived off Makin Atoll on 20 November. She supported the fighting ashore with accurate gunfire support and anti-aircraft fire, remaining in the Gilberts until sailing for Pearl Harbor on 5 December 1943.

Next on the Pacific timetable was the invasion of the Marshalls, and the veteran battleship arrived off Kwajalein early on 31 January to soften up shore positions. Again, she hurled tons of shells into Japanese positions until 5 February, when the outcome was one of certain victory. After replenishing at Majuro, she bombarded other islands in the group, then moved to Rabaul, New Ireland, for a diversionary bombardment on 20 March 1944.

Idaho returned to the New Hebrides on 25 March and, after a short stay in Australia, arrived at Kwajalein with a group of escort carriers on 8 June. From there, the ships steamed to the Marianas where Idaho began a pre-invasion bombardment of Saipan on 14 June. With this brilliantly executed landing assault underway on 15 June, the battleship moved to Guam for bombardment assignments. As the American fleet decimated Japanese carrier air power in the Battle of the Philippine Sea from 19 to 21 June, Idaho protected the precious transport area and reserve troop convoys. After returning briefly to Eniwetok from 28 June to 9 July, the ship began pre-invasion bombardment of Guam on 12 July, and continued the devastating shelling until the main assault eight days later. As ground troops battled for the island, Idaho stood offshore providing vital fire support until anchoring at Eniwetok on 2 August 1944.

The ship continued to Espiritu Santo and entered a floating dry dock on 16 August for repairs to her "blisters." After landing rehearsals on Guadalcanal in early September, Idaho moved to Peleliu on 12 September and began bombarding the island, needed as a staging base for the invasion of the Philippines. Despite the furious bombardment, Japanese entrenchments gave assault forces stiff opposition, and the battleship remained off Peleliu until 24 September providing all-important fire support for advancing marines. She then sailed for Manus and eventually to Bremerton, Wash., where she arrived for needed repairs on 22 October 1944. This was followed by battle practice off California.

Idaho's mighty guns were needed for the next giant amphibious assault on the way to Japan. She sailed from San Diego on 20 January 1945 to join a battleship group at Pearl Harbor. After rehearsals, she steamed from the Marianas on 14 February for the invasion of Iwo Jima. As marines stormed ashore on 19 February, Idaho was again blasting enemy positions with her big guns. She remained off Iwo Jima until 7 March when she got underway for Ulithi and the last of the great Pacific assaults on Okinawa.

Idaho sailed on 21 March 1945 as part of Rear Admiral Deyo's Gunfire and Covering Group and flagship of Bombardment Unit 4. She arrived offshore on 25 March and began silencing enemy shore batteries and pounding installations. The landings began on 1 April, and as the Japanese made a desperate attempt to drive the vast fleet away with suicide attacks, Idaho's gunners shot down numerous planes. In a massed attack on 12 April, the battleship shot down five kamikazes before suffering damage to her port blisters from a near miss. After temporary repairs, she sailed on 20 April and arrived in Guam five days later.

The veteran of so many landings of the Pacific quickly completed repairs and returned to Okinawa on 22 May to resume fire support. Idaho remained until 20 June 1945, then sailed for battle maneuvers in Leyte Gulf until hostilities ceased on 16 August 1945.

Idaho made her triumphal entry into Tokyo Bay with occupation troops on 27 August and witnessed the signing of the surrender on board Missouri on 2 September. Four days later, she began the long voyage to the East Coast of the United States, steaming via the Panama Canal to Norfolk on 16 October 1945. She decommissioned on 3 July 1946 and was placed in reserve until sold for scrap on 24 November 1947 to Lipsett Inc., of New York City.

Idaho received seven battle stars for World War II service.