WLB121 ALABAMA

USS Alabama (BB-60) was an American battleship laid down in 1940, launched in February 1942, and commissioned in the US Navy in August 1942. The ship was 210 m long, 33 m wide, and her full displacement - at the time of launching - 44,500 tons. The maximum speed of the USS Alabama battleship was up to 27.5 knots. The main armament was 9 406 mm guns in three turrets of three guns each, and the secondary armament was mainly 20 127 mm guns. USS Alabama was the fourth and final South Dakota class battleship. This type of ships was one of the first modern US Navy ships of the World War II period. During their construction, emphasis was placed on better armor compared to the North Carolina-class battleships, but with the same main armament and maximum speed. The power of the engine room has also been significantly increased and the anti-torpedo protection of the hull has been improved. USS Alabama entered combat operations in World War II in 1943, initially operating as part of the British Home Fleet in the North Atlantic, but from November of the same year the ship served in the Pacific. At the beginning of 1944, the USS Alabama supported Operation Flintlock, i.e. American landings in the area of the Marshall Islands, and shortly thereafter, it performed a cover role in a team of aircraft carriers whose actions were aimed at the Carolina. In June 1944, USS Alabama took a very active part in the Battle of the Philippine Sea, operating until November of that year in the Philippines. In May 1945, the ship once again acted as a cover for the high-speed aircraft carrier team and supported operations in Okinawa and against the remaining islands of the Ryukyu archipelago. USS Alabama (BB-60) was decommissioned in 1947 and has been serving as a museum ship since 1964.