Built in 1914 for another war, Nevada took the brunt of the Japanese sneak attack on Pearl Harbor yet managed to slip her lines and make for sea with her guns firing, the only Nevada’s commissioning ceremony on 11 March 1918 at the Boston Navy Yard. Nevada seen in drydock during the 1920s. American battleship to actually n 7 December 1941, Japanese dive- and torpedo- sister was Oklahoma), she was also the most revolu- leave her mooring during the bombers rained destruction on the Pacific Fleet tionary warship since Dreadnought with contemporary 0anchored in Pearl Harbor. Within minutes, the newspapers describing her as “radical and placing the assault. Damaged and eight battleships moored at Ford Island were helpless. US Navy at the forefront of naval warfare.” Some were badly damaged. Others were hemmed in by In the earlier battleship classes, the entire hull had grounded, Nevada soon was their sunken sisters. been armored. Because of the weight factor, the result Then, one lone battlewagon pulled out of the row of was no single part of the ship had adequate protection. back in the fight vowing burning and sinking dreadnoughts — its anti-aircraft With the Nevada, a massive belt was concentrated guns booming defiance — and headed toward the around vital points, leaving the rest of the ship more or vengeance for her fallen sister, entrance of the harbor. She was the USS Nevada (BB-36) less unprotected. This radical change became known as the USS Oklahoma. From — hopelessly obsolete, unable to fight off an air attack, the “all or nothing” principle, which most major navies but determined to put to sea —and survive. later adopted for their own battleships. With this new Attu, to Launched in 1914, the Nevada was the third US vessel armor scheme, the armor on the battleship was to carry the proud name of the Silver State. The first was increased to 41.1% of the displacement. Normandy, an uncompleted screw frigate in 1869. The second Nevada was a double-turret monitor commissioned in USS Nevada (BB-36) beached and burning at 0925 on 7 to Iwo Jima, 1903. The monitor performed routine duties until 1918, December 1941 after being torpedoed and receiving when she was assigned as a submarine tender in the numerous hits from Val dive-bomb- Nevada’sguns strategic Azores area. But by that time her name was ers. Her pilothouse area is discolor- ed by fires in that vicinity. Harbor boomed their Tonopah. The change had come on 2 March 1909, so tugboat Hoga (YT-146) is alongside Nevada could be used for the proposed Battleship No. 36. Nevada’s bow, helping to fight fires anger and when the BB-36 was laid down 4 November 1912, at Fore River on the battleship’s forecastle. Note Shipbuilding Company in Quincy, Massachusetts. The the channel marker buoy against war was over this first ship of her class (a two-ship class, her Nevada’s starboard side. battlewagon even survived the atomic bomb blasts at Bikini BY CHARLES M. ROBINSON III COLOR PROFILES COURTESY OSPREY PUBLISHING

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