This was well said, and in good keeping with the overall spirit of this forum.
One poster noted tht the Iowa Class battleshipps never engaged Japanese major surface units (battleship, heavy cruuisers, or cruisers) in sruface action.
This is true...but only as a result of the vagaries of war. The came close in the Battle of the Letye Gulf in October 1944.
Iowa Class Battleship involvement in the Battle of Leyte Gulf, October 1944
Overview:
In a last-ditch attempt to halt the United States campaign to recapture the Philippine Islands in the fall of 1944, the Imperial Japanese Navy devised and executed a three-pronged attack aimed at the destruction of American amphibious forces in Leyte Gulf. The plan called for Vice-Admiral Ozawa to use the surviving Japanese fleet carriers as bait to draw Admiral Halsey's TF 38 and its battleships, cruisers and fast carriers with which Admiral Halsey was protecting the landingsaway, away from the Philippine beachheads. This would allow Imperial Japanese Admirals Kurita, Shima, and Nishimura to take very heavy surface task forces through the San Bernardino Strait and Surigao Strait, where they would rendezvous to attack and destroy the US Navy amphibious and supply cvessels off of the Philippine beachheads. It resulted in the largest combined fleet battle in history.
Iowa BB-61:
Iowa first accompanied Halsey's TF 38 in attacking the Japanese Central Force under the command of Admiral Kurita as it steamed toward San Bernardino Strait. The results of these attacks by US carrier aircraft, and the apparent retreat of the Japanese Central Force led Admiral William "Bull" Halsey to believe that this force had been destroyed as an effective fighting group. TF 38 then discovered Oazwa's decoy force and took the bait. Halsey believed this force, with its carriers, was the main Japanese attack, and he was determined to desteroy that attack along with what he viewed was the bulk of the remaining Japanese carrier forces. So, Iowa, with TF 38, took Japanese Admiral Ozawa's bait, and steamed rapdily after the Japanese Northern Force off Cape Engaño, Luzon, leaving the San Bernadino Strait largely undefended. On 25 October 1944, when the ships of the Northern Force were almost within range of Iowa's guns, word arrived that the Japanese Central Force had turned back and passed through San Bernadino Strait with four battleships (including the giant battleship Yamato), six heavy cruisers, two light cruisers and 11 destroyers, and was approaching the Philippines anchorage, passing of Samar. This threat to the American beachheads forced TF 38 to reverse course and steam to support the vulnerable escort carrier fleet. However, an unbelievable fierce resistance put up by the 7th Fleet's "Taffy" escort carrier groups in the Battle off Samar, despite heavy losses to the American destroyers, destroyer escorts, and escoryt carrier themselves, caused the Japanese to believe these forces were much stronger than they were, and so the Japanese retired as they were on the cusp of achieving their goal. So, the Iowa was denied a surface action. Following the Battle of Leyte Gulf, Iowa remained in the waters off the Philippines screening carriers during strikes against Luzon and Formosa. She sailed for the West Coast late in December 1944.
New Jersey BB-62:
At the opening of the battle planes from the carriers guarded by New Jersey struck hard at both the Japanese Southern and Center Forces, sinking a battleship 23 October. The next day Halsey turned north after the decoy force had been spotted, as desribed above. Planes from his carriers sank four of the Japanese carriers, as well as a destroyer and a cruiser, while New Jersey steamed south at flank speed to meet the newly developed threat of the Center force. However, the fierce resistance put up by the "TAffy" Escort carrier groups of 7th Fleet in the Battle off Samar had already caused the Japanese to retire and New Jersey, like her sister, Iowa, was denied a surface action.
Following the Battle of Leyte Gulf, New Jersey rejoined her fast carriers near San Bernardino 27 October 1944 for strikes on central and southern Luzon. Two days later, the force came under suicide attack. In a melee of anti-aircraft fire from the ships and combat air patrol, New Jersey shot down a plane whose pilot maneuvered it into the port gun galleries of Intrepid, while machine gun fire from Intrepid wounded three of New Jersey's men. During a similar action 25 November three Japanese planes were shot down by the combined fire of the force, part of one flaming onto the flight deck of Hancock. Intrepid was again attacked; she shot down one would-be kamikaze aircraft, but was crashed by another despite hits scored on the attacker by New Jersey gunners. New Jersey shot down a plane diving on Cabot and hit another plane which smashed into Cabot's port bow.
Crew manning AA guns on USS New Jersey watch Kamikzi attacking USS Intrepid, CV-11
Missouri BB-63:
Missouri was going through final outfitting, and then trials in October 1944, prior to sailing to San Francisco in November 1944 to be outfitted as a fleet flagship. she would go on to conduct very major shore bombardment of the Japanese main isladns and screening for US carrier groups also attacking the main islands.
She made history when she served as the location for the Japanese surrender to the United States and allies.
Wisocnsin BB-64:
Wisconsin sailed for the west coast and reporting for duty with the Pacific Fleet on October 2, 1944. The battleship conducted training exercises in Hawaiian watersand then headed for the Western Caroline Islands. She reached the Caroline Island Ulithi she joined Admiral William F. Halsey's 3rd Fleet on December 9, 1944 and had missed the Battle of Leyte Gulf.
Pictures:
USS Princeton, CVL-23, explodes nn October 24, 1944, after taking a bomb hit.
IJN Yamamoto takes bomb hit near forward turret, October 24, 1944
USS St. Lo, CVE-63, explodes on October 25, 1944, after a Kamikazi strike.
IJN carrier Zuikaku manuevers under attack by US Aircraft. She was sunk that day with 3 other Japanese carriers
USS Gambier Bay sunk by naval gunfire, October 25, 1944.
Note: The circled vessel is a Jpanese battleship, probably the Yamamoto
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