USS West Virginia (BB-48) was an American battleship laid down in 1920, launched in November 1921, and commissioned into the United States Navy in 1923. The ship was 190 m long, 29.7 m wide, and had a full displacement of 33,500 tons at the time of launch. The maximum speed of the battleship USS West Virginia was up to 21 knots. The main armament was 8,406 mm guns in four turrets, two guns in each, and the auxiliary armament was mainly 12,127 mm guns.
USS West Virginia was the fourth and last Colorado-class battleship. Units of this type belonged to the so-called standard battleships, that is, ships with similar combat values, sizes and capabilities, although divided into different classes, which entered service with the US Navy in the period 1916-1923. The Colorado-class battleships, compared to their predecessors, had mostly completely changed main armament and were the first in the history of the American fleet to use 406 mm caliber artillery. They were designed as a balance for the Japanese Nagato-class battleships. However, in general, in terms of design, armor and maximum speed, the Colorado-class battleships were similar to the Tennessee-class battleships. USS West Virginia (BB-48) was based at Pearl Harbor at the beginning of World War II in the Pacific. As a result of the Japanese attack, the ship suffered very serious damage and sank to the bottom. However, the ship was raised from the bottom in May 1942 and underwent repairs and a major reconstruction, which included, among other things: strengthening anti-aircraft weapons, installing new navigation systems and radar, as well as improving watertightness. The result was a completely new ship. After repairs and modernization, the ship returned to service in July 1944. She took a very active part in the Battle of Leyte Gulf in October 1944, making a significant contribution to the sinking of the Japanese battleship Yamashiro. She also participated in operations on Iwo Jima and Okinawa, supporting the US Marines with artillery fire. USS West Virginia (BB-48) was decommissioned in 1947 and sold for scrap in 1959.
