Second of Pearl Harbour’s ‘Bookends’, Mighty Mo’s career has spanned five decades since her launch on January 29th, 1944, as the last battleship built by the US. Serving late in the war she saw her share of action including a failed Kamikaze attack that dented her rear Starboard side armour plating, and most importantly, as the site of the Japanese Armistice commemorated by a circular brass plaque on the 01 verandah deck.
On September 2, 1945, in Tokyo Bay witnessed by Allied High Command and Mighty Mo herself, Japan signed an end to six years of terrible warfare that had begun when Germany had invaded Poland in 1939, causing tens of millions of casualties the World over.
From this spot, you can look out to the final resting point of the USS Arizona Memorial, site of the US entry into WWII in 1941 and first part of Pearl Harbour’s ‘Bookends’
She continued her service in the Korean War and was decommissioned shortly after in 1955 to languish for three decades in the Pacific Reserve Fleet.
In 1986 the Reagan Administration reactivated her, extensively modernizing her armaments in the process. Her last military action was in 1991, launching Tomahawk missiles and firing her gigantic 16" guns at targets in Iraq and Kuwait. She had a narrow escape from an Iraqi Silkworm missile destroyed by the British Destroyer, HMS Gloucester, with seconds to spare.
Finally decommissioned in 1992 as the last active battleship in the World, she was opened as a memorial in 1999 – 55 years to the day of her launch.
She is a living museum and it is a real privilege to tour her decks and marvel as the history unfolds beneath your feet either on a self-guided tour, or as a member of a guide led tour.
The most fascinating aspect of touring the ship is seeing how she evolved over 50 years of advances in weapons technology from WWII Big Guns and machine guns, to integrated computer guided battle systems such as Tomahawk, Harpoon missiles, and Phalanx rapid fire anti missile systems.
Directions: Access via Trolley Pick Up at the Bowfin Memorial adjacent to Pearl Harbour and Arizona Memorial. By car take H1 freeway from Waikiki and exit at "Arizona Memorial, Stadium." NOT "Pearl Harbor." exit!
Phone: 1-877-MIGHTYMO