USS Maryland, BB-46, was a Colorado-class battleship that became one of the United States Navy workhorses during World War II. Commissioned in 1921, the third ship to carry the name of the seventh state, being built at Newport News Shipbuilding. This was combined with her early life, which encompassed much training exercise and goodwill cruises, with a remarkable cruise to South America in 1923.
During the interwar period, she was the flagship for Commander-in-Chief, US Atlantic Fleet Admiral Hilary P. Jones, and took part in a plethora of ceremonial functions, from the anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill to a diplomatic mission bound for Rio de Janeiro including Secretary of State Charles Evans Hughes. In 1928, the battleship went to sea again, this time carrying President-elect Herbert Hoover on an inspection tour of Latin America.
The day that Maryland had to fight for resilience was December 7, 1941, when she sat in Pearl Harbor during the infamous Japanese attack. Two armor-piercing bombs struck the vessel, but she refused to go down and played some role in protecting enemy aircraft. With the help of sailors who had swum over from the capsized USS Oklahoma, Maryland’s crew kept the battleship operational. Following repairs at Puget Sound Navy Yard, Maryland rejoined the fleet and played a support role in the Battle of Midway in June 1942.
Maryland provided vital naval gunfire support as the Allies began island-hopping toward Japan. She was one of the major participants in the invasions of Tarawa, Roi-Namur, and Kwajalein. Her next action saw her receive a torpedo hit, launched by a Mitsubishi G4M Betty, off Saipan during the Battle of Saipan. Repairs were effected in record time. It was during the Battle of Leyte Gulf that Maryland’s firepower was again displayed to the full, helping sink two Japanese battleships and a heavy cruiser.
Maryland went on in service with an invasion of Okinawa, in which she survived a kamikaze attack that severely damaged the ship and killed many of the sailors. She returned to service with further operations, and her example further established the durability and soundness of American naval engineering. After the war, Maryland took part in Operation Magic Carpet, bringing more than 8,000 American servicemen back to the United States.
Decommissioned in 1947 and sold for scrap in 1959, the USS Maryland received seven battle stars for World War II service. Her legacy in the annals of valiant warships shall be ever a testimony to the skill and bravery of her crew and the strategic importance of naval power in the Pacific Theater.