USS Maryland (BB-46)

USS Maryland (BB-46) underway in 1935
History
United States
Name	Maryland
Namesake	Maryland
Ordered	5 December 1916
Builder	Newport News Shipbuilding
Laid down	24 April 1917
Launched	20 March 1920
Commissioned	21 July 1921
Decommissioned	3 April 1947
Fate	Sold for scrap, 8 July 1959
General characteristics
Class and type	Colorado-class battleship
Displacement	32,600 long tons (33,100 t)
Length	624 ft (190 m)
Beam	97 ft 6 in (29.72 m)
Draft	30 ft 6 in (9.30 m)
Speed	21.17 kn (39.21 km/h; 24.36 mph)
Complement	1,080 officers and enlisted
Armament	8 × 16 in (406 mm)/45 caliber guns 12 × 5 in (127 mm)/51 caliber guns 4 × 3 in (76 mm)/23 caliber guns 2 × 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes
Armor	Belt: 8–13.5 in (200–340 mm) Barbettes: 13 in (330 mm) Turret face: 18 in (460 mm) Turret sides: 9–10 in (230–250 mm) Turret top: 5 in (130 mm) Turret rear 9 in (230 mm) Conning tower: 11.5 in (290 mm) Decks: 3.5 in (89 mm)
Aircraft carried	4 × floatplanes
Aviation facilities	2 × aircraft catapults

USS Maryland (BB-46), also known as "Old Mary" or "Fighting Mary" to her crewmates, was a Colorado-class battleship. She was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named in honor of the seventh state. She was commissioned in 1921, and serving as the flagship of the fleet, cruised to Australia, New Zealand, and Brazil.

During World War II, she was on Battleship Row during the Attack on Pearl Harbor, and was lightly damaged by Japanese bombs. Returning to duty in 1942, she saw service in the Pacific War, first supporting the rest of the fleet at the Battle of Midway, and then patrolling the Fiji Islands to guard against Japanese incursion. Next, she went on the offensive, commencing shore bombardments in the Battle of Tarawa and later in the Battle of Kwajalein. During the Battle of Saipan she took torpedo damage to her bow, necessitating repairs and refits. She then participated in the Battle of Leyte Gulf where she was hit by a kamikaze. She took another kamikaze hit at the Battle of Okinawa, then completed repairs and upgrades at Bremerton, WA. She was sailing back to the Pacific Theater when word was received that the war had ended, so she turned around and returned to the Port of Long Beach, CA.

After service in Operation Magic Carpet, she was decommissioned in 1947, and sold for scrap in 1959. She received seven battle stars for World War II service.