USS Missouri, the ship that hosted Japan’s 1945 surrender, was an Iowa-class battleship.
The Iowa class consisted of four fast battleships built for the United States Navy during World War II: Iowa, New Jersey, Missouri, and Wisconsin. Their design emphasized speed as well as heavy armor and guns so they could operate with fast aircraft-carrier task forces.
Missouri was the last of the four to be completed. Its main battery consisted of nine 16-inch guns mounted in three triple turrets. The ship’s speed and firepower made it suitable for Pacific operations before it became the setting for the surrender ceremony.
The class name is sometimes confused with the ship’s state namesake or with other American battleship classes. “Iowa class” identifies the design family, while “Missouri” identifies the individual vessel. Missouri later served in Korea and the Persian Gulf before becoming a museum ship.