"Showboat": The USS North Carolina (BB 55)

When commissioned on April 9, 1941, the USS North Carolina was considered the world’s greatest sea weapon at the time. The first of 10 “fast battleships” to join the fleet in World War II, the North Carolina was nicknamed “Showboat” because of its impressive appearance during sea trials.

The new exhibit “Showboat”: The USS North Carolina (BB 55) at the N.C. Museum of History in Raleigh features artifacts, memorabilia and photographs that tell the story of the famous battleship. At the centerpiece of this small exhibit is a 1/16-inch scale model of the North Carolina built from a U.S. Navy model builder’s plans. Here, in miniature, visitors will see the nine 16-inch/45-caliber guns in three turrets and 20 5-inch/38-caliber guns in 10 twin mounts that helped win the war. The exhibit is on view through Nov. 16, 2008, and admission is free.

The battleship’s crew stands at attention as the National Anthem is played during the ship’s commissioning, April 9, 1941. Photo credit: Courtesy USS North Carolina

On exhibit in “Showboat” is a fragment from a Japanese torpedo that hit the North Carolina in 1942. The attack killed five men and left a massive hole 18 feet high and 32 feet long on the ship’s port (left) side. Another exhibit section features a naval intelligence topographical relief map of Iwo Jima that was used as a training aid in 1945. The North Carolina participated in the bombardment of Iwo Jima from Feb. 19 to 22, 1945, and fired 855 16-inch projectiles and 2,753 5-inch projectiles at the island.

After the war, the North Carolina served briefly as a training vessel for U.S. Naval Academy midshipmen before it was decommissioned in 1947. When the navy decided to scrap the North Carolina in 1960, the state’s citizens, including schoolchildren, launched a campaign to bring the battleship home to the Tar Heel State and preserve it as a war memorial.

In the exhibit, visitors will see a 1961 poster that was sent to all North Carolina schools to promote donations to save the battleship. The poster encouraged every student to “contribute as much as 10 cents” to the North Carolina fund. In return, each student would receive a free ticket to tour the battleship memorial when it opened.

The campaign worked, and the USS North Carolina Battleship Memorial was dedicated on April 29, 1962. Today, the North Carolina is an authentically restored World War II battleship and a National Historic Landmark. The floating museum on the Cape Fear River near Wilmington continues to serve as a memorial honoring Tar Heels from all military branches who gave their lives in World War II.

For more information about the N.C. Museum of History, call 919-807-7900.

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