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Keel Laying - Commissioning; 1937 - March 1941
June 1942 - 1943
1944 - 1945
Postwar - 1961
1962 - Present
| Click On Image For Full Size Image | Size | Image Description | Contributed By And/Or Copyright |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 374k | Front cover of the North Carolina's (BB-55) Commissioning Program, 9 April 1941. | Photo contributed by Robert M. Cieri. | |
 | 62k | North Carolina (BB-55) fitting out at New York Navy Yard on 17 April 1941. Note anchor board aft of portside anchor in hawse pipe. | Photo # RG-181-ncb-4 from NARA II, College Park, MD. and text provided courtesy of Ron Smith. | |
 | 655k | Brooklyn Navy Yard NY, tied up at pier, 17 April 1941. Note that her Main Battery Directors haven not been installed yet. | USN photo courtesy of Pieter Bakels. Photo added 03/10/08. | |
 | 123k | North Carolina (BB-55) at New York Navy Yard outfitting and on trials. She is wearing Measure12 modified camouflage. Note she carries the darkest color up into her barbettes and 01 level. | USN photo. | |
 | 113k | See #18 Above. Photographed during her shakedown period, circa August 1941. | USN photo. | |
 | 365k | Boat handling crane, port side with nested boats between the stacks. Note searchlight at base of forward stack. | USN photo courtesy of Pieter Bakels. Photo added 03/10/08. | |
 | 173k | Main Deck, aft, Stb. side, looking Fwd. Note motor boat at left, empty boat cradles at right and 1.1-Inch. | USN photo courtesy of Pieter Bakels. Photo added 03/10/08. | |
 | 325k | Port side view of bridge structure with a twin 5-Inch mount at lower right. Note radar antennas. | USN photo courtesy of Pieter Bakels. Photo added 03/10/08. | |
 | 197k | View from the bridge showing gun directors, the forward 16-Inch turrets & anchor capstans. | USN photo courtesy of Pieter Bakels. Photo added 03/10/08. | |
 | 230k | View of fantail showing the aft 16-Inch turret, gun directors, pole main mast, aircraft catapults. | USN photo courtesy of Pieter Bakels. Photo added 03/10/08. | |
 | 444k | This original 1941 artwork by Navy artist Vernon Howe Bailey is titled "USS Dahlgren & Ericsson at Pier" and is set at the former New York Navy Yard. Pictured are Dahlgren (DD-187) and Ericsson (DD-440) with the then brand new North Carolina (BB-55) in the background. | USN photo # N-0000B-001, courtesy of the USNHC / news.navy.mil. | |
 | 568k | Lots of dockyard activiity surrounding the North Carolina (BB-55) as she is fitting out. | Drawing by Vernon Howe Bailey & submitted by Pieter Bakels. Photo added 03/10/08. | |
 | 371k | North Carolina (BB-55) fitting out. | Drawing by Vernon Howe Bailey & submitted by Pieter Bakels. Photo added 03/10/08. | |
 | 333k | North Carolina (BB-55) fitting out - view of the forward turrets and superstructure. | Drawing by Vernon Howe Bailey & submitted by Pieter Bakels. Photo added 03/10/08. | |
 | 444k | A motor launch comes alongside the North Carolina (BB-55) while she is at anchor. Note the crew of the 40mm mount by the forward stack at their stations and some of the 5"inch guns in the air defense position. | Drawing by Alan B. Chesley & submitted by Pieter Bakels. Photo added 03/10/08. | |
 | 332k | In one picture you gain an appreciation of the massive armament of the North Carolina (BB-55). Here you can see some of each of the 16-inch, 5-inch, 40mm & 20mm batteries. | Drawing by Alan B. Chesley & submitted by Pieter Bakels. Photo added 03/10/08. | |
 | 91k | View looking aft from the battleship's bow, showing her forward superstructure and 16"/45 guns. Photographed during her military trials 22-31 August 1941. Note Measure 12 camouflage paint, CXAM-1 radar antenna, anchor chains and deck planking. | Official U.S. Navy Photograph USNHC # 80-G-K-13971, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center. | |
 | 343k | Loading drill for a 5-Inch Crew aboard North Carolina (BB-55) was on a daily basis. | USN photo courtesy of Pieter Bakels. Photo added 03/10/08. | |
 | 101k | North Carolina (BB-55) firing her forward 16" / 45 gun turret directly ahead during her military trials 26 or 27 August 1941. | USNHC # NH 91509. Text i.d. courtesy of Ron Smith. | |
 | 430k | This bow shot of the North Carolina (BB-55) at sea, showing the forward deck details. It was taken during her military trials 22 - 31 August 1941. She wears Ms12 camouflage (note the mount card has no date or location, the colors of the ship, blast bags and bright bronze windlasses are the clue....not to mention the several civilians plainly standing on deck....they are physicicts from either MIT or David Taylor Model Basin). | USN photo # 80-G-457686 courtesy of Pieter Bakels. Text and photo i.d. courtesy of Ron Smith. Photo added 03/10/08. | |
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91k | North Carolina (BB-55) at sea during her military trials of 22 - 31 August 1941. She is in Measure 12 with severe paint chiping all along her waterline. | USN photo # NH 83074, courtesy of the Naval Historical Center & submitted here by Mike Green. Courtesy of the Naval Historical Foundation, Maher Collection. Text provided courtesy of Ron Smith. | |
 | 72k | Photographed during her military trials 22 - 31 August, 1941. The battleship is framed by an escorting destroyer's deck, 5"/38 gun barrel and a crewman. | Official U.S. Navy Photograph USNHC # 80-G-K-13972 from the collections of the Naval Historical Center. Partial text provided courtesy of Ron Smith. | |
 | 726k | A Kingfisher prepares for launch to port after the battleship has steadied on a course after a right turn. Photographed during her military trials 22 - 31 August, 1941. Note the escorting destroyer acting as a plane guard. | USN photo courtesy of Pieter Bakels. Photo added 03/10/08. | |
 | 328k | Underway during her military trials 22-31 August 1941. Measure 12 camouflage with severe chipping of paint all along her waterline." | U.S. Navy Photograph submitted by Ron Titus, courtesy of Ingersoll-Rand. Corp. Text provided courtesy of Ron Smith. | |
 | 66k | North Carolina (BB-55) fires her after 16"/45 guns 28 or 29 August 1941 during her military trials." | Official U.S. Navy Photograph USNHC # 80-G-K-13511 now in the collections of the National Archives. | |
 | 106k | Brooklyn Navy Yard NY. Tied up to dock next to building ways. Measure 12 modified paint,1 Nov. 1941. | NARA (National Archives Record Administration) photo courtesy of battleshipnc.com. Partial text provided courtesy of Ron Smith. | |
 | 52k | North Carolina (BB-55) at New York Navy Yard on November, 1941. She's in Ms12 mod with unpainted wooden decks. | Photo RG-181-ncb-4 from NARA II, College Park, MD. and text provided courtesy of Ron Smith. | |
 | 74k | North Carolina (BB-55) appears in this 11 December 1941 photo essentially as completed. | Photo & text courtesy of U.S. Battleships: An Illustrated Design History by Norman Friedman. | |
 | 70k | North Carolina (BB-55) inboard profile, 1942. Unlike earlier U.S. battleships, she had a seperate conning tower level for fire control. | Photo & text courtesy of U.S. Battleships: An Illustrated Design History by Norman Friedman. | |
 | 89k | The North Carolina (BB-55) in March 1942. The small crosses indicate 0.50-calibere machine gun posistions. Line drawing by A.L. Raven. | Photo & text courtesy of U.S. Battleships: An Illustrated Design History by Norman Friedman. | |
 | 60k | Outboard profile and plan drawings from a wartime recognition manual, showing the ships (somewhat inaccurately) as fitted late in World War II. Ships of this class were North Carolina (BB-55) and Washington(BB-56). | Courtesy of Joe Radigan. | |
 | 63k | Line art drawing of North Carolina (BB-55), c. 1942. | Courtesy of Joe Radigan. | |
 | 149 | Aerial view taken in April 1942. | USN photo. | |
 | 132k | 17 April 1942 overhead basically as completed. Changes from originalcompletion specs include; 20mm gun additions on the main and 01 deck levels, and the replacement of the bridge 12 foot range finder with a fifth quadruple 1.1"/75 gun mount atop the pilot house. At this time she still retained her original 0.50 caliber machine guns. As more 20mm mounts werefitted, the 0.50 guns were eliminated. | USN photo. | |
 | 102k | The North Carolina (BB-55) shown here at anchor 3 June 1942. | Photo courtesy of Arthur D. Baker III, from the article "Gun Calibers & Battle Zones; The USN's Foremost Concern During the 1930's", by Professor Malcolm Muir Jr., Warship International, pg. 29. No. 1, 1980. | |
 | 114k | Photo of the ship anchored at Norfolk. Shakedown, training and final installation of planes and electronics are complete. Her next sailing will be to the Pacific war zone, where she remained for the rest of the war. | USN photo. | |
 | 38k | At Norfolk Navy Yard prior to sailing to the Pacific for battle for the first time. She now carried measure 12 (modified) camouflage. | USN photo. | |
The contact listed, Was the contact at the time for this ship when located. If another person now is the contact, E-mail me and I will update this entry. These contacts are compiled from various sources over a long period of time and may or may not be correct. Every effort has been made to list the newest contact if more than one contact was found.
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