USS Missouri, the ship used for Japan’s 1945 surrender ceremony, was an Iowa-class battleship.
Missouri was the last battleship commissioned by the United States Navy. Its Iowa-class design combined heavy armor and large 16-inch guns with a high speed suitable for accompanying aircraft carrier task forces. The ship entered service in June 1944 and joined the Pacific war during its final year.
The Iowa class consisted of six planned battleships, although only four were completed: Iowa, New Jersey, Missouri, and Wisconsin. Illinois and Kentucky were never completed. Missouri became especially famous because the Japanese surrender ceremony took place on its deck in Tokyo Bay.
The ship’s identity is sometimes confused with USS Iowa, another vessel of the same class. Iowa had a significant naval career, but Missouri was the battleship selected to host the September 2, 1945, signing. Missouri later served in the Korean War and the Gulf War before becoming a museum ship.