June 11: USS Missouri's last battleship is put into operation, where the World War II ends

On this ship is also the site of the Japan Empire's unconditional surrender document, ending World War II.

USS Missouri (BB-63) is an Iowa class battleship of the US Navy and is the last battleship built by the United States. On this ship is also the site of the Japan Empire's unconditional surrender document, ending World War II .

Missouri is one of the Iowa class " fast battleships " designed in 1938 by the Preliminary Design Branch of the Office of Manufacturing and Repair. It was launched on January 29, 1944 and commissioned on June 11.

USS Missouri (BB-63) is the last battleship built by the United States.

Missouri's main artillery consisted of nine 406 mm (16 in) 50 cal guns. Mark 7 has the ability to shoot steel bullets weighing 1,200 kg, with a range of about 32 km. The secondary cannon included twenty 127 mm / 38 caliber guns arranged in twin gun turrets, with a range of about 14.5 km.

With the advent of air force, and the need to capture and maintain the superiority does not require the protection of the growing fleet of Allied carriers, Missouri is equipped with a series of Bofors anti-aircraft guns. 40 mm 56 cal. and Oerlikon 20mm 70 cal to protect carriers from being attacked by enemy aircraft.

The battleship on Missouri battleship is very powerful, constantly upgraded.

When Missouri was re-activated and modernized in 1984, its 20 mm and 40 mm anti-aircraft guns were dismantled, and were replaced by the Phalanx CIWS weapon system to protect against missiles and machines. flying enemies, and armored rocket launchers and four-barrel missile launchers designed in turn to launch Tomahawk and Harpoon missiles.

The bombardment of Hokkaido and the north of Honshu Island continued on August 9, 1945, the day the second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki . Until 7:45 pm on August 15, news of President Harry S. Truman's official announcement that Japan had accepted unconditional surrender.

Japan signed an unconditional surrender document, ending World War II.

The Missouri entered Tokyo Bay in the early morning of August 29 to prepare for the official signing ceremony of Japan's Surrender Document. High-ranking military commanders from Allied countries were welcomed on the ship on September 2 to attend the ceremony.

After World War II, the Missouri battleship continued to participate in the Korean wars and the Gulf War . Later, it was decommissioned on March 31, 1992.

Currently the ship has stopped working and became a tourist destination.

Although USS Missouri was the place to sign the treaty to end World War II, the battleship was not eligible to be considered a National Historic Site. That's because the ship has been significantly modernized in the years following Japan's surrender.