In bygone eras, well-armed battleships roamed the seas, protecting the shores they patrolled. And among the best of the naval warships that serviced the American army during the World War era was the prestigious USS West Virginia. Few know her story, yet just her name implies it must be a page-turning tale of victory and tragedy, strength and loss…just like the story of the state for which she is named.

This story starts in 1916, with the draft of a design that would become the culmination of the standard U.S. naval battleships: the USS West Virginia. Construction of this particular new and improved battleship began in 1920 in Newport News, Virginia; the ship was officially commissioned in 1923.
U.S. Navy/Wikipedia
(Two other ships share the USS West Virginia's design: the USS Colorado and the USS Maryland.)
She spent two decades conducting fleet training exercises, and then the real excitement began. The USS West Virginia was moored in Battleship Row in the early morning hours of December 7, 1941, when she was struck by seven torpedos and two bombs during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
U.S. Navy/Wikipedia
In this photo, taken from a Japanese plane during the attack on Pearl Harbor, a torpedo has just hit USS West Virginia on the far side of Ford Island (center).
Here, you can see her largely submerged in the shallow water as a result of her injuries in the attack, as compared to the USS Tennessee in the background.
NARA/Wikipedia

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The damage led to massive fuel leaks, pictured here seeping into the surrounding water.
U.S. Navy/Wikipedia
That fuel - both her own and that from other ships - caught fire and burned the mangled ship, damaging it even more.
U.S. Navy/Wikipedia
There was another high cost to this attack for the West Virginia: 100 to 150 of her crew perished.
Despite these severe setbacks, the USS West Virginia refused to give in. She was repaired and returned to service in 1944, where she led the American line of battle at the Battle of Surigao Strait. Her specially designed radar allowed her to continue fighting into the night, long after her companion ships had been forced by darkness to cease fire. This unique ability earned the USS West Virginia one last accolade: the distinction of engaging in the final action between battleships in all of naval history.
U.S. Navy/Wikipedia
The heroic ship was finally deactivated in 1946, after providing support to the American ground soldiers in the Battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa, as well as participating in Operation Magic Carpet.
U.S. Navy/Wikipedia

While the ship was largely dismantled in 1961, you can still find a few of her components right here in West Virginia! One of her anti-aircraft guns is on display at a park in Parkersburg, and the ship’s mast is housed on the WVU campus. The ship’s bell is on display at the West Virginia State Museum in Charleston.

Did you know about any of the amazing adventures of the USS West Virginia? To read about this battleship in more detail, you can visit the website devoted to her here.

If you’re a World War history buff, you’ll be glad to know that you don’t have to travel all the way to the Pacific to find a West Virginia connection; there are several hidden right here in West Virginia, including this World War I memorial.

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