USS Indiana BB-58
History of the USS Indiana Battleship
The USS Indiana (BB-58) was ordered for the U.S. Navy on December 15, 1938. Her keel was laid down at Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company in Virginia on November 20, 1939. She was launched two years later on November 21, 1941 and commissioned on April 30, 1942 under the command of Captain A.A. Merrill.
After shakedown in Casco Bay, Maine, USS Indiana joined the Navy’s Pacific Fleet via the Panama Canal. She became part of Rear Admiral Lee’s aircraft carrier screening force in November 1942, protecting the USS Enterprise and USS Saratoga before supporting forces in the Solomon Islands.
On November 11, 1943, the USS Indiana helped support the invasion of the Gilbert Islands. She screened the carriers supporting the invasion of Tarawa before bombarding Kwajalein for eight days. While maneuvering to refuel the destroyers on February 1, 1944, she collided with the USS Washington, killing several men. The battleship made temporary repairs to her starboard side at Majuro Atoll, but had to go to Pearl Harbor for permanent repairs. The captain of the ship admitted his fault in the collision, and he was replaced by Admiral Nimitz in command.
In late April 1944, USS Indiana took part in the Truk Atoll raids as part of Task Force 58. The next day, she bombarded Ponape Island. One month later in June, the battleship supported the invasion of the Mariana Islands. The battleship bombarded Saipan Island and participated in the Battle of the Philippine Sea. During the Battle, USS Indiana shot down several Japanese planes and survived two near misses by torpedo strikes.
The USS Indiana continued to support the Marianas invasion until August, when she joined Task Group 38.3. She bombarded the Palau Islands and the Philippines and screened strikes on enemy shore installations before the invasion of Leyte Island. The battleship missed the Battle of Leyte Gulf when she headed off for a major overhaul and armament upgrade at the Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington.
After her overhaul was complete, USS Indiana rejoined the fleet at Pearl Harbor. She took part in the bombardment of Iwo Jima on January 24, 1945 and supported the invasion efforts there the following month. She also supported the air strike on Okinawa and the invasion operations. The battleship turned away kamikazes and survived a typhoon. In late summer 1945, she supported air strikes against Japan and bombarded coastal targets before returning home to San Francisco, California.
When World War II was over, the USS Indiana was placed in reserve status. She received nine battle stars for her service in World War II. The battleship was decommissioned on September 11, 1947 and sold for scrap in October 1963.
The use of asbestos was common in shipbuilding components for much of the 20th Century because of its resistance to heat, fire, water and corrosion. Because of their asbestos exposure onboard ship and in the shipyards, seaman, shipyard workers and longshoreman are at risk for developing asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma.
Sources include:
John Hedley-Whyte and Debra R Milamed, “Asbestos and Ship-Building: Fatal Consequences,” Ulster Med. J. 77(3):191-200 (Sep 2008)
Naval Historical Center, Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships – USS Indiana
