USS North Carolina (BB-55) was an American battleship laid down in 1937, launched in June 1940, and commissioned into the United States Navy in 1941. The ship was 730 feet (222 m) long, 109 feet (33 m) wide, and had a full displacement of 44,400 tons when launched. The maximum speed of the battleship USS North Carolina was up to 26 knots. The main armament consisted of 9,406 mm (3.6 in) guns in three turrets of three guns each, and the secondary armament consisted mainly of 20,127 mm (5.0 in) guns.
USS North Carolina was the first of two battleships of this type to bear the same name. This type of ship was one of the first modern ships of the United States Navy during World War II. During their construction, no restrictions on the towing capacity were applied, which led to a significant increase in displacement compared to the so-called standard battleships and the possibility of installing powerful main and auxiliary weapons located in separate towers, rather than in casemates. The new battleships also have improved characteristics compared to battleships such as the Colorado and Pennsylvania. USS North Carolina (BB-55) received her baptism of fire in the Second World War in the Pacific Ocean, participating in the fighting in the Guadalcanal area in the second half of 1942, participating, among other things, in the Battle of the Eastern Solomons. In September 1942, the ship was damaged as a result of an attack by the submarine I-19. However, after repairs, USS North Carolina quickly returned to service. In November 1943, the ship supported operations in the Tarawa area. A year later, the ship supported the landings on Saipan and participated in the Battle of the Philippine Sea. In 1945, the ship supported operations on Okinawa. USS North Carolina (BB-55) was decommissioned in 1947 and has served as a museum ship in Wilmington, North Carolina since 1962.
