USS Iowa At War

The lead ship of her class, the last of the battleships–and the best–the USS Iowa (BB 61) marks the beginning and end of a naval era. This book traces the Iowas long and storied career–from her conception in the 1930s as the first of the 45,000-ton class of battleships, through her distinguished service in World War II and Korea and the 1980s, to her historic status today. Along the way, the Iowa earned eleven battle stars and took part in what many consider the last of the great battleship engagements, the Battle of Leyte Gulf in October 1944. USS Iowa at War captures the drama of this historic battle–with the U.S. Navy spoiling for revenge for Pearl Harbor–as well as the other great engagements of the Iowa and the mighty vessels of her class; in particular, the book depicts the ships part in the Battle of the Philippine Sea, where Iowa effectively destroyed all that remained of Japans carrier-based aircraft. 128 pages PB