Editing USS Missouri (BB-63) (section)

=== Korean War (1950–1953) ===
[[File:USS Missouri at the Harbor of Inchon, Republic of Korea. Landing of Inchon is the largest amphibious landing since World War 2..jpg|alt=|thumb|A [[Vought F4U Corsair]] overflies [[Battle of Inchon|Inchon Harbor, Republic of Korea]] with ''Missouri'' below the aircraft's tail]]

In 1950, the [[Korean War]] started, prompting the United States to intervene on behalf of the [[United Nations]] (UN). President Truman ordered US forces stationed in Japan into South Korea. Truman also sent US-based troops, tanks, [[Fighter aircraft|fighter]] and [[bomber]] aircraft, and a strong naval force to Korea to support the Republic of Korea. As part of the naval mobilization ''Missouri'' was transferred to the [[United States Pacific Fleet|Pacific Fleet]] and dispatched from Norfolk on 19 August to support UN forces on the Korean peninsula.{{sfn|DANFS}} Due to the urgency of her mission Duke took the battleship directly through a [[hurricane]] off the coast of [[North Carolina]] on 20 August that blew her helicopters off the stern and damaged her enough that she required nearly a week's worth of repairs once she reached Pearl Harbor.{{sfn|Stillwell|pages=166–168}}

''Missouri'' arrived just west of [[Kyūshū]] on 14 September, where she became the flagship of Rear Admiral [[Allan Edward Smith]]. The first American battleship to reach Korean waters, she bombarded [[Samchok]] on 15 September in an attempt to divert troops and attention from the [[Battle of Incheon|Incheon landings]].{{sfn|DANFS}} After a brief visit to [[U.S. Fleet Activities Sasebo|Sasebo]], Japan, to resupply, the ship arrived at [[Incheon]] on 19 September, and began bombarding North Korean troops as they retreated north.{{sfn|Stillwell|pages=171–172}} On 10 October she became flagship of Rear Admiral [[John Higgins (admiral)|John M. Higgins]], commander of Cruiser Division 5. She arrived at Sasebo on 14 October, where she became flagship of Vice Admiral [[Arthur Dewey Struble|A. D. Struble]], Commander, [[United States Seventh Fleet|Seventh Fleet]]. After screening the carrier {{USS|Valley Forge|CV-45|2}} along the east coast of [[Korea]], she conducted bombardment missions from 12 to 26 October in the [[Chongjin]] and [[Tanchon]] areas on the west coast, and at [[Wonsan]] where she again screened carriers eastward of Wonsan.{{sfn|DANFS}} During this time, [[comedian]] [[Bob Hope]] visited the battleship and gave three performances for the crew.{{sfn|Stillwell|page=178}}

MacArthur's amphibious landings at Incheon had severed the [[Korean People's Army]] (KPA) supply lines; as a result, the KPA had begun a lengthy retreat from South Korea into North Korea. This retreat was closely monitored by the [[People's Republic of China]] (PRC), out of fear that the UN offensive against Korea would create a US-backed enemy on China's border, and out of concern that the UN offensive in Korea could evolve into a UN war against China.<ref name="Dogfights">{{cite episode |title=MIG Alley |series=Dogfights |series-link=Dogfights (TV series) |network=[[History (U.S. TV channel)|The History Channel]] |air-date=3 November 2006 |season=1 |number=1}}</ref> In an effort to dissuade UN forces from completely overrunning North Korea, the People's Republic of China issued diplomatic warnings that they would use force to protect North Korea, but these warnings were not taken seriously for a number of reasons.<ref>{{cite book |title=United States Army in the Korean War |first1=James F. |last1=Schnabel |first2=Roy Edgar |last2=Appleman |author3=United States Department of the Army, Office of Military History |location=Washington, D.C. |publisher=[[Office of the Chief of Military History]], United States Army |date=1961–1972 |oclc=81433331 |page=212 |isbn=1-4102-2485-6}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Tumultuous Years: The Presidency of Harry S. Truman, 1949–1953 |first=Robert J. |last=Donovan |location=New York |publisher=Norton |year=1982 |isbn=978-0-393-01619-2 |oclc=8345640 |page=[https://archive.org/details/tumultuousyearsp0000dono_n2q0/page/285 285] |url=https://archive.org/details/tumultuousyearsp0000dono_n2q0/page/285 }}</ref> This changed abruptly on 19 October 1950, when the first of an eventual total of {{nowrap |380,000 [[People's Liberation Army]]}} soldiers under the command of General [[Peng Dehuai]] crossed into North Korea, launching a full-scale [[Battle of Chosin Reservoir|assault against advancing UN troops]]. The PRC offensive forced UN troops to retreat. The ''Missouri'' provided gunfire support during the [[Hungnam evacuation]] in December until the last UN troops, the American [[3rd Infantry Division (United States)|3rd Infantry Division]], departed on 24 December.{{sfn|DANFS}}
[[File:Forecastle of USS Missouri (BB-63) in heavy seas c1951.jpg|alt=|thumb|The [[forecastle]] of ''Missouri'' in heavy seas {{c.}} 1951]]

[[File:KoreanWarNavyGunfire.jpg|thumb|right|''Missouri'' fires her guns against enemy positions during the Korean War]]
In early 1951 ''Missouri'' alternated carrier escort duty and shore bombardments off the east coast of Korea until 19 March.{{sfn|DANFS}} During a visit to [[U.S. Fleet Activities Yokosuka|Yokosuka]], Japan, Captain George Wright relieved Duke as commanding officer on 2 March.{{sfn|Stillwell|pages=185, 389}} The battleship arrived at Yokosuka on 24 March and departed the port four days later for the United States,{{sfn|DANFS}} having fired 2,895 sixteen-inch rounds and 8,043 five-inch shells during her deployment.{{sfn|Stillwell|page=187}} Upon her arrival at Norfolk on 27 April the ship became the flagship of Rear Admiral [[James L. Holloway, Jr.]], commander, Cruiser Force, Atlantic Fleet.{{sfn|DANFS}} From May to August, she engaged in two [[midshipman]] training cruises. ''Missouri'' entered [[Norfolk Naval Shipyard]] 18 October for an overhaul which lasted until 30 January 1952.{{sfn|DANFS}} Captain [[John Sylvester (admiral)|John Sylvester]] assumed command of the ship the same day her overhaul began.{{sfn|Stillwell|page=389}}

''Missouri'' spent the next six months training out of Guantanamo Bay and Norfolk and made a port visit to New York in May where she participated in Navy Day celebrations, hosting nearly 11,000 visitors.{{sfn|Stillwell|pages=198–202}} She returned to Norfolk on 4 August and entered Norfolk Naval Shipyard to prepare for a second tour in the Korean combat zone.{{sfn|DANFS}} Captain Warner Edsall relieved Sylvester at the beginning of the overhaul.{{sfn|Stillwell|page=202}} The battleship departed Hampton Roads on 11 September and arrived at Yokosuka on 17 October.{{sfn|DANFS}}

Vice Admiral [[Joseph J. Clark]], commander of the Seventh Fleet, brought his staff onboard on 19 October. Her primary mission was to provide naval gunfire support, codenamed "Cobra strikes", in the Chaho-Tanchon area, at Chongjin, in the Tanchon-Sonjin area, and at Chaho, Wonsan, [[Hamhung]], and Hungnam from 25 October through 2 January 1953.{{sfn|DANFS}} One of the ship's helicopters crashed on 21 December while trying to assess the damage from a bombardment; all three men aboard were killed.{{sfn|Stillwell|pages=206–207}} ''Missouri'' put into Incheon on 5 January and then sailed to Sasebo. General [[Mark W. Clark]], Commander in Chief, UN Command, and Admiral Sir [[Guy Russell]], the British [[Commander-in-Chief, Far East Fleet]], visited the battleship on 23 January. In the following weeks, ''Missouri'' resumed "Cobra" missions along the east coast of Korea.{{sfn|DANFS}} As part of these, the ship would enter Wonsan Harbor to bombard targets there. North Korea artillery fruitlessly engaged her there on two occasions, 5 and 10 March, as their shells were fused to burst in the air. In retaliation for the latter incident, ''Missouri''{{'}}s five-inch guns fired 998 shells at the North Korean positions.{{sfn|Stillwell|pages=209–210}} The last bombardment mission by ''Missouri'' was against the Kojo area on 25 March; she had fired 2,895 sixteen-inch and 8,043 five-inch shells during the deployment. The following day, Edsall suffered a fatal [[heart attack]] while [[Conn (nautical)|conning]] her through the [[anti-submarine net]]s defending Sasebo Harbor. Captain Robert Brodie assumed command on 4 April. ''Missouri'' was relieved as the Seventh Fleet flagship on 6 April by ''New Jersey'' and departed Yokosuka on 7 April.{{sfn|DANFS}}{{sfn|Stillwell|pp=211–212}}

[[File:Civil Defense Shelter Sign (MSA) (23736048800).jpg|thumb|[[United States civil defense|Civil Defense]] shelter sign held by [[John M. Dalton|Missouri Governor John Dalton]] (right) in 1963 beside ''Missouri'' painting in Tokyo Bay on 4 July 1945, by William A. Knox]]
''Missouri'' arrived at Norfolk on 4 May; Rear Admiral E. T. Woolridge, commander, Battleships-Cruisers, Atlantic Fleet, hoisted his flag aboard her 10 days later. She departed on 8 June on a midshipman training cruise to Brazil, Cuba and Panama and returned to Norfolk on 4 August. Woolridge hauled down his flag in October as he transferred to another ship; Rear Admiral Clark Green, commander of Battleship Division 2 replaced him. The battleship was overhauled in Norfolk Naval Shipyard from 20 November to 2 April 1954 that included replacing her 16-inch guns{{sfn|Stillwell|pages=215–219}} and exchanging her SP radar for a [[AN/SPS-8|SPS-8]] system that required strengthening the mainmast to handle its weight.{{sfn|Sumrall|p=112}} The day before the end of the overhaul, Captain [[Taylor Keith]] relieved Brodie in command of the ship. As the flagship of Rear Admiral [[Ruthven Libby]], who had relieved Woolridge, ''Missouri'' departed Norfolk on 7 June as the flagship of the midshipman training cruise to [[Lisbon]], Portugal, [[Cherbourg-Octeville|Cherbourg]], France, and Cuba.{{sfn|Stillwell|pages=219–221, 224–227, 389}} During this voyage ''Missouri'' was joined by the other three battleships of her class, the only time the four ships sailed together.{{sfn|Kaplan|p=166}} She returned to Norfolk on 3 August and departed on 23 August to be placed in reserve on the West Coast. The ship hosted 16,900 people at [[Long Beach, California|Long Beach]], but more than 20,100 visited in San Francisco.{{sfn|Stillwell|pages=229–231}} ''Missouri'' arrived in [[Seattle]] on 15 September where she again hosted visitors and subsequently off-loaded her ammunition at the facility in [[Naval Submarine Base Bangor|Bangor]].{{sfn|Stillwell|pages=232}} The ship was decommissioned on 26 February 1955 at [[Puget Sound Naval Shipyard]] where she was assigned to the Bremerton group of the [[Pacific Reserve Fleet]].{{sfn|DANFS}}<ref name=mqnawe>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=4DlYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=VPcDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1432%2C2679818 |work=The Bulletin |location=Bend, Oregon |agency=Associated Press |title=Missouri Quiet Now 29 Years after War Ended |date=2 September 1974 |page=7}}</ref>{{sfn|Stillwell|pp=238–246}} ''Missouri'' retained her Mark 27 radar until the mid-1950s.{{sfn|Sumrall|p=94}}

====Deactivation====
''Missouri'' was moored at the last pier of the reserve fleet berthing. She served as a tourist attraction, logging about 250,000 visitors per year,<ref name=bsimof>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=yVdWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=8O4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=4974%2C6656323 |work=Spokesman-Review |location=Spokane, Washington |last=Camden |first=Jim |title=Big Ship in Midst of Fight |date=13 March 1984 |page=A6}}</ref> who came to view the "surrender deck" where a bronze plaque memorialized the spot ({{coord|35.3547<!--22-->|139.76}})<!-- [https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=35.354722,+139.760000&aq=&sll=37.6,-95.665&sspn=55.236004,111.357422&vpsrc=0&ie=UTF8&t=m&z=12&iwloc=A 35° 21' 17" N, 139° 45' 36" E])--> in Tokyo Bay where Japan surrendered to the Allies. The accompanying historical display included copies of the surrender documents {{nowrap|and photos.<ref name=mqnawe/>}} Nearly thirty years passed before ''Missouri'' returned to active duty.{{sfn|Stillwell|pp=238–246}}