USS New Jersey, BB62, in 1/350 Scale

- Introduction - USS New jersey, BB62

The USS New Jersey, is an Iowa class battleship built during world war II. Four were built, the USS Iowa BB61, the USS New Jersey BB62, the USS Missouri BB63, and the USS Wisonsin BB64.The New Jersey was the second in class and was commissioned in May 1943. The four Iowa class were the largest battleships the US Navy ever built, and the strongest. Their main battery consisted of three large turrets, each carrying three 16" (406mm) 50 caliber guns. The effective range of these guns in their day was over 20 miles. They displaced, full load, over 58,000 tons. They were 887 fee tlong and had a beam of 102 feet, precisely enough to allow them to fit through the pnama Canal.

USS new Jersey was commisisoned in may 1943. After her shake down and outfitting, she conducted her work up exercises and then went to war in January of 1944. From that time until returning homwe from War and Occupation in 1946, she took part in all of the following operations:

- Marshall Islands Invasion
- Attack on Truk Island
- Mille bombardment
- Aitap Invasion
- Saipan/Mariana Invasion
- Battle of the Philippine Sea
- Invasion of the Philippines
- Battle of Leyete Gulf, covering for Halsey's carriers
- Attack on Formosa
- Iwo Jima Invasion
- Okinawa Invasion
- Overhaul in Puget Sound
- Falgship of Japanese Occupation
- Operation magic Carpet in 1946 returning US forces to the US

After treturning home foor the end of Wrld War II, USS new Jersey was decomissioned in June 1948 and puit in reserve. with the outbreak of hostilities in Korea, she was recommissioned in June 1950 and served during the Korean war and thereafter.

She was again decommissioned in August of 1957 and again placed in reserve. Almost eleven years later, in April 1968, after a significant modernization to her sensors and the removal of most of her 20mm and 40mm aintiarcraft guns, she was called upon again, this time for the Vietnam War. She provided fire suypport to US and South Vietnamese forces to the end of 1968 and throughout 1969. At the end of that time, she was was again decommissioned in December of 1969.

Again, she spent several years in reserve. But in the early 1980s, a good twelve years later, after the election of Roanald regan as President of the UNited States, she was called upon again, being recommissioned in December of 1982. This was in support of Reagan's desire for a 600 combat ship Navy.

She was she significantly modernized under a program where all four Iowa Class battleships were modernized to the same standard to be used as the centerpieces of large Surface Action groups. .With this modernization all Iowa class received new, modern sensors, the ability to land and fuel modern helicopters, and new modern armament to compliment their 16" and 5" guns. This new armament consisted of four Phalanx 20mm Close-in Weapons systems (CIWS), eight Box Launchers carrying four Tomahawk land attack cruise missiles each for a total of32 Tomahawk missiles, four quad launchers for 16 Harpoon anti-shipping missiles, and flight pad supporting helicopters from the SH-60 Seahawk to CH-47 transports. As stated, each vessel also received all of the modern radars, sensors, communication, computer, and defense systems to to go with it.


The new vessel retained all nine of the 16" main guns in their three turrets. It cut back on the number of 5" guns turrets. The original fitting for these battle ships was five twin 5" turrets on each side, for a total of ten turrets and 20" five inch guns. After the refit, there were three twin turrets on each side for a total of tw3evle five inch guns. When you conisder that the most any US destroyer or the new Toconderoga crusiers had at the time was two single 5" gun turrest, this was a huge increase in 5" fire power. Not to mention the 16" guns.

Because of the modernization work that had already occurred on the New Jersey, including the removal of her older anti-aircraft guns in 1968, New Jersey was the cheapest of the four to modernize, and also the quickest.

Her firepower, which had been used in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, spoke again. They were used quickly in 1983 off of the coast of Lebannon to attack terrorist camps in Lebanon in the in response to attacks on US MArine peace keepers. Throughout the 1980s, her presence was a credible deterence and powerful addition to US navla power around the globe, along with her three sisters.

Finally, in 1989 and into 1990 she also provided a powerful presence in the Pesian Gulf. Becasue of the fall of the Soviet Union, she was scheduled for deactivation and decommissioning in February 1991. and so missed out on being used in Desert Storm which her sisters, USS Missouri and USS wisconsin prticpated in.

Ultimately, all of the Iowa class battleships were once again put into reserve. By 1994, all had been decommissioned.

In 1996, Section 1011 of the US Congress National Defense Authorization Act required the United States Navy to reinstate to the Naval Vessel Register two of the Iowa-class battleships. These ships were to be maintained in the United States Navy reserve fleets. The Navy was to ensure that both of the battleships were in good condition and could be reactivated for use in the Marine Corps' amphibious operations if called upon. USS New Jersey and USS Wisconsin were chosen for this and were both reinstated to the Naval Vessel Register and placed in the reserve fleet

However, the US Congress Defense Authorization Act of 1999 passed through the United States Congress in October of 1998. Section 1011 required the United States Secretary of the Navy to list and maintain the USS Iowa and USS Wisconsin on the Naval Vessel Register, while Section 1012 required the Secretary of the Navy to strike New Jersey from the Naval Vessel Register and transfer the battleship to a not-for-profit entity in accordance with section 7306 of Title 10, United States Code. Section 1012 also required the transferee to locate the battleship in the State of New Jersey. As a result, the Navy made the switch, and in in January 1999 the USS New Jersey was struck from the US naval registry. In September 1999, the USS New Jersey was towed from Bremerton, Washington to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for restoration work in the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard in advance of her planned donation as a museum ship.

After a review by the US Navy of plans submitted to the Navy for establishing the USS New Jersey as a museum ship, the Navy selected the Home Port Alliance as the battleship's final resting place. Secretary of the Navy Richard Danzig made the announcement in January 2000, and in October of that year, USS New Jersey arrived at her final resting place on the Camden Waterfront in New Jersey. In 2004, the State of

New Jersey officially designated the battleship as an historical site and the New Jersey was then placed on the National Register of Historic Places.


In the end, after all of her campaigns, the USS New Jersey accumulated 20 battle stars, becoming the most decorated US Navy battleship in history.

All four Iowa class vessels are now Museum ships. But the Act of Congress establishing that the USS Missouri and the USS Wisconsin be available for service if needed still stands. It is unlikely that they will ever be used again, but a very popular science fiction movie of 2012, called Battleship, shows an exciting scenario where one, the USS Missouri is brought back to like. A good flick.

What's in the Box

Tamiya began building large, 1/350 scale model vessels back in the late 1980s and has been doing so ever since. They make OUTSTANDING 1/350 scale model kits for naval vessels.

I originally purchased and built this model in the mid-1980s while working for structural Design and research Corporation in MIlford, OH. There were no photo etch parts at the time and I worked in the evenings, in a shop in my basement, after work when I was in town. I took me almost 6 months to complete. But I really treasured it and took it with me, along with the Tamiya model of the USS Enterprise, CVN-65, as we moved around after leaving SDRC. This took our family...and this model...to Montana, Utah, and ultimately to Idaho, where we live now and have lived for the last 18 years.

About a year ago I began thinking about building the model again. I had ;long since purchased and added PE railing to my older model, but I just thought it would be fun, after all of these years to build it again.

Three years ago I took about six months to build my:

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The main deck comes in three pieces (the aft portion of which was the one Tamiya sent me). Then there are six additional sprues with about 400 additional parts. The parts are well molded and have very little excess flash. They are molded in a medium gray, except for thge stand, which is molded in black.

And here are all of the instructions:

...and finally, the decals and the White Ensign Model PE instructions:

The Build - Props and rudders, painting the hull, painting the main deck and dry fitting - November 9, 2015

The build took quite some time. I worked on her in the evenings after work and on weekends for almost three months.

I began this model by painting the waterline on the hull, and then adding the rudders, props, and supports to the aft end, on the underside. I then painted the wood deck tan on the three maind deck pieces:


After this, I masked off the hull and painted the hull red underside, below the waterline. I mixed 3 parts ensignia red, tro parts flat brown, and one part insignia orange (all Model Master) to get the

standard US Navy hull red I use. I then dry fit the three main deck pieces onto the hull.

Then, I painted the two decks above the amidships main deck (they are the last levels using the wooden deck) and then dry fitted them to the hull


That's all for this first session. Here's how she looks with the existing deck dry fitted to the vessel:


I have a some more main deck painting (the gunship grey for the aft end around the helo deck, and some deck details to add before I glue them down, including completing the main turrets and assembling them so that they can be rotated in place.. That will be for the next round.


- By Dec 01, 2015: Complete the USS New Jersey, BB-26
- By Dec 10, 2015: Complete RN Merlin Helicopter in 1/72 Scale
- By Dec 20, 2015: Complete Complete RAF Typhoon in 1/72 Scale
- By Dec 31, 2015: Complete French Rafael M in 1/72 Scale
- By Mar 28, 2013: Complete USS Hornet, CV-8 in 1/350 Scale

Wow I can't wait for the finish look.

You know Jeff, there's nothing like pounding beaches with 16" naval guns! Very much looking forward to the progression and finish of this great ship.