Legendary and invincible, a living symbol of the might of the American fleet. Welcome to the game, USS Iowa!
USS Iowa: A Battleship for the USA at Rank VII
At a glance:
- 406 mm (16 inches) main caliber guns
- Powerful spaced armor
- High speed!
- Good air defense battery
- Reconnaissance aircraft
Vehicle History
Iowa-class battleships were designed in the late 1930s in response to the potential threat posed by the Japanese Yamato-class “super” battleships. While maintaining the displacement limit of 45,000 tons, American engineers created a unique fast battleship with nine 406 mm guns and a speed of 32 knots. USS Iowa was the lead ship in the class and was laid down in 1940 at New York Navy Yard and entered service in February 1943. Initially she carried out tasks escorting aircraft carrier groups in the Pacific Ocean, and in November 1943 she participated in the operation to liberate Gilbert Islands.
In early 1944, Iowa covered carrier raids on the Marshall Islands, and in February her powerful 406 mm guns were used for the first time for shore shelling of Japanese positions on Kawjalein Atoll. Iowa was most intensively used in 1944-1945. She participated in the Battle of the Philippine Sea, supported the landing at Leyte and in 1945, she took part in operations on Iwo Jima and Okinawa, where her main caliber guns destroyed Japanese fortifications.
After the end of the war and a modernization fit in 1951, Iowa was recommissioned to participate in the Korean War. Here, she carried out coastal bombardment missions, shelling North Korean positions and transport communications. In the 1980s, after a large-scale modernization, Iowa could then use Tomahawk cruise missiles and Harpoon anti-ship missiles, significantly expanding her combat capabilities.
A tragic episode in the history of Iowa was when an explosion in turret No.2 occurred in 1989, which took the lives of 47 sailors. After this incident, Iowa was finally decommissioned from the fleet. Today she serves as a floating museum in Los Angeles, USA.
Introducing USS Iowa!
One of the most famous battleships in history is coming to War Thunder in the Leviathans major update! Say hello to the USS Iowa, a true symbol of the U.S. Navy’s sheer might. We’re talking 16 inch guns, thick armor, reconnaissance aircraft, excellent secondary and anti-aircraft weaponry and importantly, incredible speed. Let’s break it down!
A big ship of course needs big guns, and that’s exactly what Iowa has! Featuring three main turrets with a total of nine 406 mm (16 inch) Mk.7 cannons, the rate of fire of these beasts is 2 rounds per minute, which is near enough bog-standard. What is also standard with most battleships is the decent aiming speeds and the ability to fire AP and HE fragmentation rounds that Iowa has, great for use against a wide range of enemies. Moving onto secondary weapons, where Iowa also shines. Featuring 20 universal 127 mm guns in twin mounts that can fire at both ships and aircraft, an experienced crew can fire 22 rounds per minute from the first-stage ammo racks. In addition to this, Iowa features 19 four-barreled 40 mm Bofors mounts and 52 20 mm Oerlikon cannons, which is a great combined amount to take out annoying enemy aircraft. The cherry on top is a pair of new-to-the-game SC-1 Seahawk hydroplanes, armed with bombs and capable of laying smoke screens.
Did you know? USS Iowa has several nicknames, one of which includes “The Battleship of Presidents” since she hosted many Presidents throughout her service life. She notably sailed President Roosevelt to the Tehran Conference to meet Churchill and Stalin in 1943.
We now turn our attention to Iowa’s armor layout. The thickness of the main armor belt reaches 307 mm near the waterline, which is significantly lower than the Sovetsky Soyuz for example. Having said this, it’s not all doom and gloom as the plates are placed at an angle to the keel, increasing the armor values. Next, the main armor belt is covered by 38 mm plates which form spaced armor helping further to protect against enemy shells. Where the armor really gets thick though is around the bridge, the elevators and the cheeks of the main turrets that all reach 440 mm thickness. The main 121 mm armor deck is covered by a 38 mm upper and additional anti-fragmentation deck below, which is in fact insurmountable protection against both bombs and shells hitting from above.
Despite having a displacement of over 57,500 tons, Iowa is still capable of accelerating to an incredible 32 knots (about 60 km/h), allowing her to quickly change positions and engage in any battle against ships at any distance, even alone. Only the best battleships at rank VII will be capable of dueling this monster on equal terms!
USS Iowa is one of the new iconic ships coming to the new rank VII in Bluewater fleet trees soon. That’s this one done, keep an eye out for more dev blogs coming your way!
Please note that this vehicle’s characteristics may be changed before it is added to the game.
