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June 1940 - Feb. 1943 / Construction & Commissioning
March - December 1943 / Shakedown Cruise & Getting Ready for War
Post World War II - 1950
1951 - 1953 Korea
1954 - 1982
1983 - 1984
1985 - 1986
1987 - 1990
1991 - Present
| Click On Image For Full Size Image | Size | Image Description | Contributed By And/Or Copyright |
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 | 723k | PDF of a Personal History of the Iowa (BB-61) from Albert Lee Candido of Kansas City, Mo. / Radio Press News featuring internal coverage of ship happenings from launching in 1942 - 4 July 1945. | Courtesy of Mike Sharp and submitted by Robert Hall. | |
 | 52k | 1944 line art drawing of the Iowa (BB-61), starboard side. | Courtesy of Joe Radigan & the USN. | |
 | 197k | Drawing prepared by the Bureau of Ships for Camouflage Measure 32, Design 7A intended for battleships of the BB-61 / 64 class. No ship is known to have worn this scheme. This plan, showing the ship's starboard side, superstructure and turret ends, and exposed decks, is dated 19 January 1944, and was approved by Captain Logan McKee, USN. Note: The other BB-61 / 64 class battleships were not painted in any Measure 31-32-33 series camouflage design. | Official U.S. Navy Photograph # 80-G-105514, now in the collections of the National Archives. | |
 | 162k | Drawing prepared by the Bureau of Ships for Camouflage Measure 32, Design 7A intended for battleships of the BB-61 / 64 class. No ship is known to have worn this scheme. This plan, showing the ship's port side, is dated 19 January 1944, and was approved by Captain Logan McKee, USN. Note: The other BB-61 / 64 class battleships were not painted in any Measure 31-32-33 series camouflage design. | Official U.S. Navy Photograph # 80-G-105515, now in the collections of the National Archives. | |
 | 476k | The Indiana (BB-58) & Iowa (BB-61) underway. This 1944 photo shows Iowa in her anti-submarine camouflage measure, applied in December or in early January 1944 with Navy Blue (5-N) and Light Grey (5-L) and Deck Blue (20-B) horizontal surfaces. Highly visible in this view are the fine foreward hull lines for a higher speed than the preceding South Dakota class battleships. Consequently her #1 turret had little depth for torpedo protection. Note the 20mm gallery atop #2 turret. | USN photo courtesy of Pieter Bakels. | |
 | 60k | Iowa (BB-61) underway at sea during the Marshalls Operation, 24 January 1944. She is wearing Camouflage Measure 32, Design 1B. In the left distance, also painted in Camouflage Measure 32 (possibly Design 11D), is Indiana (BB-58). This image has been cropped to emphasize the ships and their camouflage patterns. | Official U.S. Navy Photograph # 80-G-235080, now in the collections of the National Archives. | |
 | 44k | Majuro, January 1944 line art drawing of the Iowa (BB-61) in camouflage, starboard side. | Courtesy of Joe Radigan & the USN. | |
 | 196k | Kwajelien, 24th of January 1944. Port side view of the Iowa (BB-61) under way and wearing a measure 32a /1B camouflage design. | USN photo courtesy of Joe Radigan Photo i.d. text courtesy of Aryeh Wetherhorn (USN / Israeli Navy /Retired. | |
 | 231k | The Iowa (BB-61) leads 3 other ships in line astern in a bombardment. | Drawing courtesy of artbywayne.com | |
 | 246k | A painting by the artist Wayne Scarpaci entitled "Underway Replenishment"....1944 shows the Iowa (BB-61) fueling from the Salamonie (AO-26). | Drawing courtesy of artbywayne.com | |
 | 169k | Broadside, 1945. Location unknown. | Hyperview WWII | |
 | 438k | A nice aerial view while underway. Note the OS2U Kingfishers are not on board, 10 June 1944. | USN photo courtesy of David Buell. | |
 | 99k | An OS2U Kingfisher is launched off the starboard catapult while the port one is preparing to launch in the same direction. There is also a third on resting on a dolly on the deck. Note the many manned 20mm Oerlikons on the aft deck, mid 1944. | USN photo. | |
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356k | Four Battleships in a lagoon in the Pacific which is not identified. The four Battleships are identifiable by their paint schemes: New Jersey (BB-62) and Iowa (BB-61) in the foreground, and Washington (BB-56) and North Carolina (BB-55) further back, surrounded by destroyers and other ships. The resolution of the photo is not that great, but the photo is of interest due to the number of Battleships in one frame. The credit on the back of the photo is Official US Navy, via Acme Newspictures, Inc., dated 7/8/44. | USN photo courtesy of David Buell. | |
 | 160k | The Iowa (BB-61) in November 1944 remained in the waters off the Philippines screening carriers during strikes against Luzon and Formosa. Note: This photo has been airbrushed by a censor to within an inch of its life. All of the radar antennae are gone, off the masts, the gun directors, the 20mm guns are even gone off the B turret. | U.S. Navy Photograph submitted by Ron Titus, courtesy of Ingersoll-Rand. Corp. Text courtesy of DANFS. Photo i.d. courtesy of David C. Nilsen. CTR, USA Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC). | |
 | 489k | Note that the photo shows Iowa (BB-61) with her camoflage pattern feather-edged. This was not too long before she returned to San Francisco for overhaul and main shaft bearing replacement. | USN photo courtesy of Pieter Bakels. | |
 | 448k | Iowa (BB-61) entering and inside floating dry-dock ABSD-2, 28 December 1944. The Iowa also was the only one of her class that was camouflaged, as seen in these photos. The lifting capacity of the floating dry-docks is dramatically shown, but battleships had to have their ammunition and most of their fuel off-loaded before entering the dry-dock. | USN photo courtesy of Pieter Bakels. | |
 | 551k | Iowa (BB-61) entering and inside floating dry-dock ABSD-2, 28 December 1944. | USN photo courtesy of Pieter Bakels. | |
 | 467k | Iowa (BB-61) entering and inside floating dry-dock ABSD-2, 28 December 1944. Note the three 20mm Oerlikons mounted on top of Turret 1, the other sisterships had a quad 40mm Bofors mounted here. The little circular objects on the 20mm gun tub splinter shield are helmets. Notice also the counter shading camouflage on the barrels of the 5in/38cal guns. | USN photo courtesy of Pieter Bakels. | |
 | 254k | Up close and personal. Iowa (BB-61) inside floating dry-dock ABSD-2, 28 December 1944. | USN photo courtesy of Pieter Bakels. Photo added 02/08/08. | |
 | 286k | Iowa (BB-61) inside floating dry-dock ABSD-2, 28 December 1944. | USN photo courtesy of Pieter Bakels. | |
 | 568k | Iowa (BB-61) inside floating dry-dock ABSD-2, 28 December 1944. | USN photo courtesy of Pieter Bakels. | |
 | 580k | Best show in town. Officers & crew inspect the skegs and rudder area of the Iowa (BB-61) as it protrudes outside the floating dry-dock ABSD-2, 28 December 1944. | USN photo courtesy of Pieter Bakels. Photo added 02/08/08. | |
 | 110k | At sea with Task Force 38 in December 1944. Photographed by LCdr. Charles Fenno Jacobs, USNR. | Official U.S. Navy Photograph, USNHC # 80-G-K-15631, now in the collections of the National Archives. | |
 | 103k | The Iowa (BB-61) dry docked at Hunters Point Navy Yard at the beginning of her January, 1945 refit. | U.S. Navy Photograph courtesy of Mike Green. | |
 | 234k | The Iowa (BB-61) gets a helping nudge out to sea by several tugs at the completion of her 1945 overhaul at Hunter's Point. | National Archives photo # 19-N-83884, courtesy of David Buell. | |
 | 40k | Seen after a refit at Hunters Point Navy Yard. Note the new enclosed square bridge area. She is now again wearing measure 22 camouflage, 18 March 1945. | USN photo. | |
 | 100k | Underway off the California coast on post refit trials, March 1945. | USN photo. | |
 | 100k | Note that the photo shows Iowa (BB-61) with her camoflage pattern squared off where the edges had been feather-edged, circa March 1945. | USN photo courtesy of David Buell. | |
 | 114k | Iowa (BB-61) shown refueling at sea off Okinawa during the final push to Japan. You can see that she was repainted during her January, 1945 refit at San Francisco, the dazzle camouflage being replaced by the standard Pacific Fleet paint scheme. The photo was taken from the Shangri-La (CV-38) on 8 July 1945 as she was also being refueled by the fleet oiler, Cahaba (AO-82). | USN photo. | |
 | 458k | Iowa (BB-61) refueling to starboard of the Cahaba (AO-82) together with the carrier Shangri-La (CV-38) on 8 July 1945. The Iowa's Mk.37 Secondary Battery Directors are topped with Mk.4/22. On Spot 2 radar equipment Mk.8, a Main Battery Fire Control set. Iowa's mainmast with heavier legs is now topped by a new radar platform for the "SR", the first entirely new air search set since CXAM and similar in antenna size (15ft x 6ft) to SC-2, on the maintopmast. The relocated after "SG" surface search antenna is flanked by fighting lights and "Ski-pole" IFF antennas. On the Stb.yard is a TBS antenna. Her foremast still has the 17' square "SK" antenna for long range ( 100nm) aircraft detection with a height capability at that range 0f 10,000'. Behind it, on a topmast, the "DBA" radio direction finder flanked here P/S by two fighting lights. On the aft end of the foretop there is a new "SU", a higher resolution X-band surface search set with good range performance (20nm on a battleship). It's small dish shows a shorter wavelength and it is enclosed in a radome. There is an AS-56 antenna on the futtock brace of the foremast. Atop Spot 1 the Mk.8 Mod.3 Main Battery Fire Control set.On both yardarms are BK-7 and anemometers. Two "TDY" jammers P/S of her foretop are visible. | USN photo & text courtesy of Pieter Bakels. | |
 | 42k | Missouri (BB-63) transferring men to Iowa (BB-61) while en-route to Japan, August 1945. | USN photograph courtesy of Pieter Bakels. | |
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476k | The Missouri (BB-63) transfers crew to her sister Iowa (BB-61) in the foreground for a landing party in Japan on 20 August 1945. The Iowa now has the new Navigating Bridge and on her Fire Control Tower (Spot 3) Mk.27 radar. She now has radar equipment Mk.4/22 atop the Secondary Battery Directors Mk.37. Just below her Forward Air Defence level a TDY jammer covering both low and high bands, back to back, has been fitted. The other two, flanking her foretop, remain. The SPT-4/ AS-37 have been removed from the Foretop. Mk.8 Mod.1 main battery fire control radar has been fitted now atop her Mk.38 Director (Spot 1) and P/S of it two "Nancy" infrared beacons to her "SK" radar platform. The "SK" air search antenna itself is surmounted by a panel with BL-5 IFF. Fighting light flank her SU radome on her topmast. Missouri had "SK-2" from the start and her SPT-4 (the 4 circular plates with long, thin spokes radiating from them) on all four sides of her Fwd. Air Defence Level) /AS-37 "Wagon Wheel" antennas are still there. Note the very prominent Quad.Forty atop her No.two 16-Inch Main Battery turret. Just like South Dakota (BB-57), Iowa could not have one for the same reasons described there. Two Mk.57 A.A. Directors with their MK.37 antennas are visible on both sides of her #1 Mk.37 Secondary Battery Director. On Spot 1 and - 2 she has radar equipment MK.8 Mod 1. She now has the new SC-1 "Seahawk" on both her catapults. |
USN photo & text courtesy of Pieter Bakels. |
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158k | Escorted by the Nicholas (DD-449) and followed by the Iowa (BB-61), the Missouri (BB-63) steams up Tokyo Bay on 30 August 1945. Steaming to her anchorage in Tokyo Bay for the formal signing of the Japanese surrender, 29 August 1945. This photograph was flown to Washington, DC, directly from Japan, arriving on 2 September 1945, the day the Japanese surrender was signed. | USNHC # NH 96780, now in the collections of the National Archives. | |
 | 53k | Missouri (BB-63) with Iowa (BB-61), steam into Tokyo Bay. | USN/Jose Vigil | |
 | 48k | "The Third Fleet at sea is scarcely ever visible in its entirety to a single observer, either on the surface or in the air. What one sees is the aspect of some of the other ships in one's own task group. Occasionally, the whole fleet will rendevous at a prearranged site and then one can see lines of ships disappearing over the horizon in all directions. However, while steaming back and forth some 300 miles southeast of Honshu during the twelve days between 15 August 1945 and the 27th (when the fleet entered Japanese waters) the most impressive sight to this observer was the confident form of the battleship Iowa (BB-61)." | Destination Tokyo Bay by Standish Backus, #1 Watercolor on paper, 1945. USNHC # 88-186-A. | |
 | 275k | Cover of the V-J Day Booklet issued for the Iowa (BB-61) on 2 Sept 1945. | Photo contributed by Robert M. Cieri. | |
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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