The long sweeping flush deck of the North Carolina and her streamlined structure made her far more graceful than earlier battleships. This arrangement served to reduce the number of openings in watertight bulkheads and to conserve the space to be protected by the armor plate. Her machinery arrangement was unusual in that there were four main spaces, each with two boilers and one steam turbine connected to each of the four propeller shafts. To save weight, the North Carolina was built using the new technique of welded construction. Limited to a standard displacement of 35,000 long tons (36,000 t) by both the Washington Naval Treaty and the London Naval Treaty, and to a beam of less than 110 ft (34 m) by the width of the locks of the Panama Canal, and to a draft of no more than 38 ft (12 m) to enable the battleship to use as many anchorages and shipyards as possible, she was a challenge to design. Īs the first newly designed American battleship to be built in two decades, the North Carolina was built using the latest in shipbuilding technology. The North Carolina received so much attention during her completion and sea trials that she won the lasting nickname of 'Showboat'. Navy's fast, heavily armed battleships to be commissioned, carrying a powerful main battery of nine 16 in (410 mm) (45 caliber) guns. This battleship was commissioned in New York City on 9 April 1941, with Captain Olaf M. The North Carolina was laid down on 27 October 1937 at the New York Naval Shipyard and launched on 13 June 1940, sponsored by the young daughter of Clyde R. 3 Decommissioning and battleship memorial.

The USS North Carolina is now a museum ship and memorial kept at the seaport of Wilmington, N.C. She was the first newly constructed American battleship to enter service during World War II, and she took part in every major naval offensive in the Pacific Theater of Operations to become the most highly decorated American battleship of World War II, accumulating 15 battle stars.

Navy to be named in honor of the State of North Carolina. USS North Carolina (BB-55) (Showboat) was the lead ship of North Carolina-class battleships and the fourth warship in the U.S.

World of warships uss north carolina