USS Maryland (BB-46)

History of the USS Maryland (BB-46)

The legendary USS Maryland (BB-46) emerged from combat in World War I (1914-1918). The ship is the second of the four-man Colorado class, led by USS Colorado (BB-45) itself, supplemented by USS Washington (BB-47) and USS West Virginia (BB-48).

The ships are "dreadnoughts" built from the Royal Navy's revolutionary HMS dreadnoughts. HMS Dreadnought rewrote the rulebook for cannons and steel battleships when it arrived in 1906, and nations scrambled to respond to naval superiority. His name became synonymous with brand new battleships like the Maryland.

USS Maryland was ordered on December 5, 1916 and laid on April 24, 1917. She was officially launched on March 20, 1920 - long after the end of World War I and the end of American involvement in Europe.

The ship officially entered service on July 21, 1921, and became known by the nicknames "Old Mary" and "Battle Mary." The Colorado-class was the last American battleship with four separate main battery turrets.

Once built, the USS Maryland followed the rest of the Colorado class. Her primary armament consisted of an 8 x 16-inch (410 mm) main gun pierced through turrets 1, 2, 3, and 4 - 1 and 2 on the foredeck, and 3 and 4 aft. This is complemented by a 12 x 5" (127mm) gun and a 4 x 3" (76mm) gun. She also uses a torpedo launch facility through a 2 x 21 in (530 mm) tube.

The ship's armor protection includes a belt up to 13.5 inches thick. Her turret is protected up to 13 inches, while the turret face is 18 inches. The conning tower receives 11.5 inches of armor and is connected by a deck with 3.5 inches of cover.

Carry up to three seaplanes for "super-horizon" reconnaissance and light anti-ship missions. The planes were launched by a pair of catapults and recovered by the use of on-board cranes. Propulsion facilities include a 28,900 SHP system propelling 4 x axles at speeds in excess of 21 knots. The range is approximately 8,000 nautical miles. The propulsion system was exhausted by a pair of funnels found amidships.

The entire crew on board was 1,080 officers and men.

The USS Maryland was assigned a "rebuild" mission off the US East Coast, where her systems could be pushed and adjusted/corrected as needed. Several international voyages ensued, while interwar patrols took place during the relatively quiet interwar period. In 1940, Maryland moved from east to west - at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

At this time, Maryland underwent a major overhaul between 1928 and 1929.

This set the stage for the USS Maryland's presence during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on the morning of December 7, 1941. Maryland is part of the "Battleship Platoon" anchored at Ford Island, with the USS Oklahoma on her port side. Oklahoma was devastated by the ensuing Japanese attack, while Maryland survived two direct bomb attacks that lost four men.

Japanese authorities believed the Maryland had been sunk in the attack and wrote off her. Instead, her damaged self was sent to the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard for necessary repairs. She was then commissioned in June 1942the first ship to return to active duty after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

It was the second major overhaul of her career.

Maryland participated in many notable and upper-level battles in the Pacific Theater during World War II (1939-1945). She supported efforts at the Battle of Midway (June 1942) by conducting combat patrols.

She then served as flagship during the Battle of Tarawa (November 1943) and took part in the Battle of Kwajalein Atoll (January-February 1944). As a member of Task Force 52 (TF52), she participated in the Battle of Saipan (June-July 1944). She later set course for the Battle of Leyte Gulf (October 1944) as part of the 7th Fleet. The decisive Battle of Okinawa (April-June 1945) followed, followed by the end of her combat service in the conflict.

In total, she and her crew earned seven Battle Stars for their actions. She underwent a third and fourth overhaul in 1944 and 1945, respectively.

The aircraft carrier USS Maryland was decommissioned in 1946 and officially decommissioned on April 3, 1947. On July 8, 1959, her hull was sold as scrap, marking the end of her many years of sailing. In 1961, a monument with the ship's bell was erected in memory of the ship and her struggling crew.

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