June 27, 1940-The keel of the fourth Iowa is laid down in the New York Naval Shipyard in Brooklyn.
August 27, 1942-The Iowa is launched at the New York Naval Shipyard.
February 22, 1943-The Iowa is commissioned.
February 24, 1943-The Iowa embarks on a shakedown cruise along the Atlantic coastline.
July 9, 1943-After the shakedown cruise, the USS Iowa is finished with its overhaul.
August 27, 1943-The Iowa is assigned to 'Tirpitz Watch', its first combat patrol, designed to reduce the threat of the battleship Tirpitz in Norweigan waters.
October 25, 1943-The Iowa undergoes maintenance in preparation for taking President Roosevelt to the Tehran Conference.
November 11, 1943-The Iowa is under way to Casablanca with the United States delegates and President Roosevelt, and after stopping in Casablanca, moves to the Tehran Conference.
December 16, 1943-After the conference is finished, the Iowa carries the president and the delegates back to the United States.
January 2, 1944-The Iowa and New Jersey sail in preparation to enter the war in the Pacific. The Iowa is flagship of Battleship Division 7.
January 7, 1944-The Iowa enters the Panama Canal.
January 23, 1944-The Iowa supports carriers in strikes against Kwajalien and Truk.
February 16, 1944-The Iowa fires its weapons for the first time, while striking naval bases in Truk and the Caroline Islands. During this action, the Japanese light cruiser Katori.
March 18, 1944-The Iowa is struck by two 4.7 inch shells, neither causing significant damage, while involved in shore bombardment in the Mili Atoll.
March 30, 1944-The Iowa supports Task Force 58 in air strikes against Palau and Woleai. Afterwards, the Iowa attacks bases in Aitape, Hollandia, and the Wake Islands.
May 1, 1944-The Iowa bombards an enemy airfield and several other locations on Ponape.
June 13, 1944-The Iowa shells Saipan and Tinian.
June 19, 1944-The Iowa takes part in the Battle of the Philippine Sea. The Iowa succeeds in shooting down several aircraft.
September 1944-The Iowa joins Fleet Admiral William Halsey's Third Fleet to support carriers in their raids on the Philippines and the Caroline Islands.
October 10, 1944-The Iowa participates in several air strikes in Taiwan, Luzon, and the Ryukyu Islands.
October 23, 1944-The Iowa is en route to assist in the Battle of Leyte Gulf.
November 25, 1944-The Iowa shoots down 3 Japanese aircraft in a kamikaze attack while with the Third Fleet.
December 23 through December 24, 1944-The Iowa is in Ulithi for re-supply and repairs. Afterwards, the battleship is forced to return to the Hunters Point shipyards in San Fransisco after being damaged in a typhoon. The Iowa also loses an aircraft in the typhoon, and the destroyers Monoghan, Hull, and Spence are lost in the typhoon with another 24 ships damaged.
January 15, 1945-The Iowa arrives in San Francisco for an overhaul.
March 19, 1945-The Iowa leaves San Francisco after its first overhaul since leaving the East Coast.
April 15, 1945-The Iowa arrives to relieve the New Jersey near Okinawa.
May 25, 1945-The Iowa supports air strikes against Kyushu.
July 1, 1945-The Iowa is on its way toward northern Honshu and Hokkaido.
July 15, 1945-The Iowa, Missouri, and the Wisconsin attack Muroran on Hokkaido, causing a large amount of damage to a Nihon Steel factory, as well as Wanishi Ironworks.
July 17, 1945-Rear Admiral Oscar Badger used the Iowa as the flagship of the three battleships in a raid on Hitachi Miro, one of Japans major industrial cities.
July 29 through July 30, 1945-The Iowa bombards Kahoolawe.
August 27, 1945-The Iowa and Missouri enter Sagami Bay, after the surrender of the Yokosuka Naval District.
August 29, 1945-The Iowa and Missouri enter Tokyo Bay to support the occupation forces that would be landing the next day.
September 20, 1945-The Iowa leaves for the United States.
October 15, 1945-The Iowa arrives in Seattle, Washington, then leaves for Long Beach for training operations near the West Coast.
January 27, 1946-The Iowa arrives in Tokyo Bay and becomes the Fifth Fleet flagship.
March 25, 1946-The Iowa returns to Long Beach, where it is relieved of its position as the Fifth Fleet flagship to take part in drills, maneuvers, midshipmen and Naval Reserve training cruises.
October 1946-The Iowa is overhauled in Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. The Iowa receives an SK-2 radar and had the majority of its 20mm and 40mm mounts removed. The battleship also received a haze gray paint scheme on all vertical surfaces.
September 1948-The Iowa's inactivation is begun in San Francisco.
March 24, 1949-The Iowa is decommissioned, but placed in reserve.
August 25, 1951-The Iowa is recommissioned due to growing tension in Korea.
April 1, 1952-The Iowa leaves for Korea to relieve the Wisconsin and become the flagship of Vice Admiral Robert Briscoe, in charge of the Seventh Fleet.
April 8, 1952-The Iowa bombards several enemy supply routes in the Wonson-Songjin region.
April 9, 1952-The Iowa bombards troop concentrations, supply areas, and any possible gun locations located around Suwon Dan area, as well as around Kojo.
April 13, 1952-The Iowa bombards enemy troops, gun emplacements, and damages an enemy divisional headquarters.
April 14, 1952-The Iowa attacks warehouses, railroad marshalling yards, and several observation posts in Wonsan Harbor before returning to the bombline around Kosong to aid United Nations forces there.
April 20, 1952-The Iowa shells four railroad tunnels near Tanchon, causing them to collapse, during operations north of the 38th Parallel.
April 25 through April 26, 1952-The Iowa shells Chindong and Kosong.
May 25, 1952-The Iowa raids the North Korean industrial and railroad center of Chongjin, becoming the first battleship since the Missouri, two years ago, to operate so close to the Russian border.
May 27, 1952-The Iowa knocks out railroad tunnels and area tunnels at Songjin.
May 28, 1952-The Iowa is at the bombline, this time to support the X Corps. Afterwards, the ship shells the Wonsan's harbor.
June 1, 1952-The Iowa moves to Sasebo for re-supply.
June 1952-The Iowa shells Mayang-Do, Tanchon, Chodo-Sokto, Chongjin, and the ports of Hungnam and Wonsan.
June 9, 1952-The Iowa's helicopter rescues two downed pilots from the USS Princeton.
August 20, 1952-The Iowa aids the destroyer Thompson by taking on its casualties and covering its escape into safer waters from Songjin.
September 23, 1952-The Iowa shells Wonsan, destroying a major ammunitions depot. The Commander-in-Chief of United Nations forces, General Mark Clark, watched the shelling from the bridge of the Iowa.
September 25, 1952-The Iowa strikes an enemy railroad and a train.
October 14, 1952-The Iowa is involved in Operation Decoy, an attempt to draw enemy troops away from Kojo.
October 16, 1952-The Iowa provides the Mount McKinley with anti-aircraft fire during Operation Decoy.
October 17, 1952-The Iowa is on its way to Norfolk for an overhaul before moving on to the Caribbean for training cruises.
July 1953-The Iowa acts as the flagship for the Second Fleet throughout Operation Mariner, one of the major NATO exercises taking place in Northern Europe.
June 1954-The Iowa embarks on a midshipmen training cruise in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. There it rendezvous with the Missouri, the Wisconsin, and the New Jersey, the other three Iowa-Class battleships.
Late January through May 1955-The Iowa becomes the first battleship in the Mediterranean Sea since the Korean War ended. The Iowa visits Gibraltar, Mers El Kebir (Oran), Genoa (Italy), Naples (Italy), Istanbul (Turkey), Cannes (France), and Athens (Greece).
June 1955-The Iowa embarks on a midshipman cruise to Barcelona (Spain) and Portsmouth (England).
August 1955-The Iowa enters Norfolk, Virginia for a four month overhaul. Once completed, the Iowa undergoes operational training exercises and cruises.
December 1955-The Iowa undergoes its first re-gunning since its commissioning.
April 13, 1956-The Iowa arrives in Havana (Cuba). Two days later, on April 15, 1956, the Iowa's baseball team plays the team of the University of Havana.
June 1956-The Iowa goes on a midshipmen cruise. The Iowa stops in Guntanamo Bay (Bermuda), Portsmouth (England), and Copenhagen (Denmark).
January 1957-The Iowa returns to the Mediterranean and joins the United States Navy's Sixth Fleet.
June 13, 1957-The Iowa participates in the International Naval Review near Hampton Roads, Virginia.
September 1957-The Iowa participates in the NATO Operation Strike Back in the North Atlantic.
February 24, 1958-The Iowa is decommissioned and placed in the Philadelpia Naval Shipyards.
September 1, 1982-The Iowa is in tow from the Philadelphia Naval Shipyards to Avondale shipyard, Inc. (New Orleans, Louisiana) for modernization and re-entry into service. The Iowa was later towed into Pascagoula, Mississippi, where the work would be completed.
April 28, 1984-The Iowa is recommissioned.
April 30, 1984-The Iowa heads for Autec Range to take part in Naval Gunfire Support Training.
May 1984-The Iowa is around Guantanamo Bay for a refresher cruise. This cruise lasted two weeks.
May 21, 1984-The Iowa is off of Vieques Island for more Naval Gunfire Support Training, this time for the Iowa's five- and sixteen-inch guns.
June 19, 1984-While on its way to Caracas (Venezuela), the Iowa stops at several friendly ports (Naval Presence operations, designed for protection of friendly states in the Carribean and Central America)and conducts several system checks and gunnery exercises.
July 1984-The Iowa is near Vieques Island to for gunnery exercises.
August 12, 1984-The Iowa uses two UH-1 Huey helicopters to provide medical assistance in Guatemala.
August 13, 1984-The Iowa participates in a Search-And-Rescue communications exercise.
August 14, 1984-The Iowa is involved with surveillance of the Nicaraguan coast as part of embassy contingency communication exercises.
August 26, 1984-The Iowa heads through the Panama Canal after completing its surveillance exercises.
September 17, 1984-The Iowa arrives in Norfolk, Virginia.
October 1984-The Iowa arrives in New York for a week-long visit.
November 1, 1984-The Iowa is around Puerto Rico for part of COMPUTEX 1-85.
December 1984-The Iowa is stationed in Norfolk, Virginia.
January 1985-The Iowa undergoes several sea trials.
February 1985-The Iowa sails for Central America, where it is to be deployed. The ship would be involved in several civic and humanitarian actions near Honduras. The Iowa was also involved in an exercise with the Battleship Surface Action Group.
March 1985-While around Norfolk, Virginia, the Iowa participates in Battle Force Integrated Training and a post-shakedown availability training. Afterwards, the battleship off loads its ammunition at the Yorktown Naval Weapons Station before entering drydock at Norfolk on April 26, 1985.
July 31, 1985-The Iowa is at Whisky Island Anchorage (Hampton Road, Virginia) to re-arm after leaving the drydock at Norfolk. During this time, the Iowa demonstrates the capabilities of the Tomahawk Handling System before on loading ammunition from the Yorktown Naval Weapons Station and just over a weeks worth of sea trials.
August 22, 1985-The Iowa recieves the Battenburg Cup Award for the Atlantic Fleet's all-around best ship of 1984.
August 27, 1985-The Iowa takes part in Ocean Safari with the Battleship Surface Action Group as part of a convoy escort, going from Boston to Northern Europe.
September 20, 1985-The Iowa joins the America's Battle Group and then on to the English Channel to Le Havre (France), Copenhagen (Denmark), Aarhus (Denmark), and Oslo (Norway).
October 12, 1985-The Iowa is part of a US Task Unit during Baltic Operation 85 with other allied vessels. On October 18, 1985, the Iowa arrives in Kiel, West Germany to finish the exercise.
October 26, 1985-The Iowa leaves for Norfolk, Virginia. Several drills and exercises take place on the way there.
November 5, 1985-The Iowa prepares for final contract trials and a propulsion inspection. Later, the USS Iowa would be in Central America to support friendly countries.
March 1986-The Iowa is operating around Central America.
July 4, 1986-The Iowa carries President Ronald Reagan to take part in Liberty Weekend's International Naval Review, which was to be held on the Hudson River.
August 1986-The Iowa conducts training and operational exercises in the waters along the coast of Florida and in the Gulf of Mexico.
August 17, 1986-The Iowa leaves for NATO Operation Northern Wedding in the North Atlantic. Upon arriving in September, the Iowa takes part in the operation while off the coast of Norway. Afterwards, the Iowa visits Portsmouth (England) and Bremerhaven (West Germany).
October 2, 1986-The Iowa begins its return trip to the United States.
December 9, 1986-The Iowa leaves for the Virginia Capes for sea trials and to test the Remote Piloted Vehicles (RPVs). The first launch, flight, and recovery of these Remote Piloted Vehicles was completed successfully.
December 14, 1986-The Iowa fires its 1000th 16-inch shell since its 1984 recommissioning.
January 9, 1987-The Iowa leaves for the Caribbean after being in Norfolk, Viginia.
January 10, 1987-The Iowa is a participant in Blast Exercise 1-87, from the Carribean Sea.
January 18, 1987-The Iowa visits Honduras, the Virgin Islands and Colombia during its operations in the Caribbean.
February 11, 1987-The Iowa undergoes Operation Readiness Inspection upon arriving in Guananamo Bay (Cuba).
February 13, 1987-The Iowa leaves for Vieques Island (Puerto Rico) for gunnery exercises.
February 27, 1987-The Iowa is undergoing repairs in Norfolk.
March 1987-The Iowa is involved in independent ship exercises.
March 30, 1987-The Iowa is again under restricted availability at Norfolk
April 25, 1987-The Iowa is underway for the Caribbean.
May 4, 1987-The Iowa is involved with SAC exercises around Puerto Rico.
May 25, 1987-The Iowa takes part in more independent ship exercises.
July 8, 1987-The Iowa takes part in Fleet Exercise 3 in the Western Atlantic.
July 26, 1987-The Iowa loads ammunition at Yorktown Naval Weapons Center.
July 28, 1987-The Iowa arrives in Norfolk for repairs.
August 17, 1987-The Iowa is involved in more independent ship exercises.
September 10, 1987-The Iowa leaves for the Mediterranean Sea from Norfolk.
September 20, 1987-The Iowa joines the Sixth Fleet, already in the Mediterranean Sea.
September 22, 1987-The Iowa is involved in Exercise Display Determination. Afterwards, the USS Iowa stops in Istanbul (Turkey).
October 22, 1987-The Iowa leaves the Sixth Fleet and the Mediterranean for the North Sea (arrives October 26).
October 30, 1987-The Iowa arrives in Trondheim (Norway).
November 25, 1987-The Iowa enters the Suez Canal.
December 4, 1987-The Iowa arrives at Diego Garcia for Persian Gulf Presence Operations.
December 7, 1987-The Iowa leaves for operations in the Indian Ocean and North Arabian Sea.
January 1, 1988-The Iowa is operating in the Gulf of Oman. The battleship is responsible for protecting and escorting convoys through the Strait of Hormuz, Masirah Island and Muscat (Oman).
February 20, 1988-The Iowa is in the Suez Canal.
March 10, 1988-The Iowa leaves for New York City to participate in "Fleet Week" until April 25.
April 25, 1988-The Iowa off loads it ammunition at the Yorktown Naval Weapons Station. After the off load is complete, the ship enters Norfolk for repairs.
August 24, 1988-The Iowa enters the Virginia Capes Operating Area for sea trials.
October 7, 1988-The Iowa leaves for Port Everglades.
October 13, 1988-The Iowa arrives in Guantanamo Bay (Cuba) for refresher training.
November 28, 1988-The Iowa arrives at Vieques Island for gunnery exercises.
December 7, 1988-The Iowa arrives at Norfolk, Virginia.
January 20, 1989-The Iowa leaves for St. Martin with several other naval ships.
January 26, 1989-The Iowa sets the record for the longest 16-inch shell fired in history at Vieques Island, for a distance of 23.4 nautical miles.
February 1, 1989-The Iowa leaves for New Orleans, Louisiana.
March 16, 1989-The Iowa arrives at Norfolk, Virginia.
April 10, 1989-The commander of the Second Fleet boards the Iowa.
April 19, 1989-The Iowa's Number Two 16-inch turret explodes after the powder ram compacts the prepared gunpowder too much, causing it to detonate, killing 47 crewman off the coast of Puerto Rico.
April 22, 1989-The Iowa returns to Norfolk, Virginia.
May 30 through June 2, 1989-The Iowa on loads ammunition at Whisky Island Anchorage.
June 7, 1989-The Iowa leaves for the Mediterranean Sea. The ship made numerous visits to cities like Kiel (West Germany), Portsmouth (England), Rota (Spain), Casablanca (Morocco), Gibralter, Marseille (France), Antalya (Turkey), Istanbul (Turkey), Gaeta (Italy), Haifa (Israel), Alexandria (Egypt), Ajaccio (Corsica), Augusta Bay (Sicily), Naples (Italy), as well as Palma (Mallorca).
July 24, 1989-The Iowa undergoes one week of repairs at Marseille (France), but the planned two weeks is cut short when the battleship is sent to a spot off of the Lebanese coast.
August 15, 1989-The commander of the Sixth Fleet boards the Iowa.
September 16, 1989-The Iowa takes part in Exercise Display Determination.
November 17, 1989-The Iowa transfers the flag of the Sixth Fleet to the Belknap before departing for Norfolk.
November 26, 1989-The Iowa fires the final 16-inch shell. The battleship fired a total of 11,834 shells fired since its commissioning.
December 7, 1989-The Iowa arrives in Norfolk, Virginia.
January 4, 1990-The Iowa's Turret Two Memorial Plaque is unveiled nearly nine months after the number two sixteen inch gun on board the Iowa exploded.
January 16, 1990-The Iowa arrives at Norfolk for repairs.
February 20, 1990-The Iowa undergoes Nuclear Weapons Closeout Inspection.
April 17, 1990-The Iowa returns to Norfolk, Virginia.
April 19, 1990-The Iowa's Turret Two memorial is held. The plaque is also dedicated.
May 25, 1990-The Iowa's Marine detachment is deactivated.
June 22, 1990-The Iowa embarks on a two week summer midshipmen training.
October 26, 1990-The Iowa is decommissioned.
Statistics:
Armament:
