This week at Millis Road our 5th Graders created Spotlight on North Carolina Powerpoints. Enjoy learning about the famous people and places of NC!

1. The Battleship North Carolina
USS North Carolina (BB-55) was the lead ship
of North Carolina-class battleships and the
fourth warship in the U.S. Navy to be named in
honor of the State of North Carolina. She was
the first newly constructed American
battleship to enter service during World War II,
and took part in every major naval offensive in
the Pacific Theater of Operations; her 15 battle
stars made her the most highly decorated
American battleship of World War II. She is
now a museum ship and memorial kept at the
seaport of Wilmington, N.C.

2. Construction
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 daughter of Clyde R. Hoey, the Governor of
North Carolina. She was commissioned in New
York City on 9 April 1941, with Captain Olaf M.
Hustvedt in command. The first of the U.S.
Navy's fast battleships to be commissioned,
she carried a powerful main battery of nine
16 in (410 mm)/45 caliber Mark 6 guns.

3. Service in WWIIThe North Carolina completed her final
shakedown cruise in the Caribbean Sea
before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
Early in 1942 she was scheduled to steam
there, but remained in the Atlantic Ocean for
a few more months as a potential counter to
the German battleship Tirpitz if Tirpitz began
to attack supply and troop convoys destined
for Great Britain. By summer she was ordered
to join the Pacific Fleet.

4. Design
The battleship is divided into decks. Below the main deck, in order,
are: second deck, third deck, first platform, second platform, inner
bottom. A platform deck does not run the full ship’s length.
Forward of Turret I is a half deck for officers’ quarters between the
main and second decks.
Each deck is divided into compartments formed by bulkheads
(walls). There are more than 1,000 compartments on board. These
are divided into about 130 watertight spaces. In the event of
collision or battle damage flooding is kept isolated so the ship can
remain afloat.
The superstructure rises above the main deck, 120 feet above the
waterline. Its elevations in order are 01 level, 02 level, 03 level, and
up to the 0-10 level, which is 15 “stories” above the inner bottom.
This soaring tower replaced the tripods and cage masts of earlier
ships.

5. 1.It cost $76,885,750
2.Nickname:
Showboat
3.Launched: June 13
1940
4.Sponsored by:
Isabel Hoey
5.struck: June 1 1960
6. Laid down:27
October 1937
7. Length:728.8 ft.
(222.1 m)
8. Speed:28 knots
(52 km/h; 32 mph
9. Armor: Maximum:
16 in (410 mm
10.Location:
Wilmington N.C.
10 Facts

6. After inactivation, the North Carolina was
decommissioned at New York on 27 June 1947.
Stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 1
June 1960, she was transferred to the state of
North Carolina on 6 September 1961. She was
purchased from the U.S. Navy for $330,000
raised by the efforts of North Carolina school
children, who saved their spare change and
lunch money for the "Save Our Ship"
campaign. In 1961, a fleet of tugboats
maneuvered the 728 ft (222 m) ship through a
stretch of the river 500 ft (150 m) wide. During
this the ship struck the restaurant "Fergus'
Ark", a former U.S. Army troopship docked
near Princess Street. It was damaged severely
and ceased operation. On 29 April 1962, she
was dedicated at Wilmington as a memorial to
North Carolinians of all services killed in World
War II.
Decommission and memorial

7. Bibliography
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_North_Caroli
na_(BB-55)
http://www.battleshipnc.com/AbouttheShip/H
istory
http://www.battleshipnc.com/
http://www.nchistoricsites.org/battleship/battl
eship.htm