USS Iowa

USS Iowa was built at new York navy yard and laid down on the 27th June 1940, launched 27th august 1942 and commissioned into the US Navy on the 22nd February 1943. used primarily in escorting carriers. and spending most of its war time service in the Pacific except fro carrying president Roosevelt to Casablanca for the Teheran Conference. Placed in reserve in march 1949 but brought back into service for the Korean war. decommissioned in August 1957. During the President Reagan years along with her sister ships USS Iowa was modernised under the 1980's defence buildup programme and re commissioned. April 1984 she participated in operations in the Caribbean and North Atlantic. and in 1985 USS Iowa went into European waters several times during 1985 to 1988 when she continued into the Indian ocean and Arabian sea. On 19th april1989 an explosion ripped through the number two main turret killing 47 crew members, the cause of this explosion was unknown. This turret was not repaired when she was finally de commissioned in Norfolk Virginia on the 26th October 1990. and stricken again on the 13th January 1995.