USS Missouri BB-63 , USN Iowa Class Battleship 1944

Legendary Battleships 1:1250  241944

The USS Missouri is perhaps the most famous battleship of WWII, not so much for its wartime activities - which were heroic enough - but because on September 2nd, 1945, the formal surrender of the Japanese was signed upon the Missouri's deck, finally bringing an end to the worst war the world has yet known.

The USS Missouri was commissioned in June 1944, and after shakedown in the Atlantic spent most of her career in Pacific. She arrived at Okinawa on April 1st, 1945, in time to take part in the storming of the island by American forces. Twice she was hit by Kamikaze planes: The first - a zeke fighter plane - crashing into the starboard side about 20 feet behind the number three gunmount and the second, a damaged plane that spun out of control, hitting the aircraft crane and exploding. In both cases, damage to the ship was superficial. After operations in Okinawa and Japan proper, the ship was used for the momentous signing of the Japanese surrender.

When the Korean war broke out, the USS Missouri Battleship, was the only battleship operational at the time and was the first to become involved in the operations there.

Placed out of commission in reserve on February 26, 1955, the USS Missouri remained at the Puget Sound shipyards until 1984 when plans for the battleship's re-activation began. Currently the USS Missouri Battleship is on display at Pearl Harbor.

Iowa-class Battleship

In 1939 and 1940, the United States Navy ordered a class of six battleships for service in the Pacific Theater of WWII. Because there were no cost restrictions in the development of these ships, the Iowa battleships were fearsome-fast enough to provide support to aircraft carriers and heavily armed for shore bombardment. The long service careers of these battleships included participation in every major war of the second half of the 20th century, from WWII to Korea and from Vietnam to the first Gulf War. Decommissioned in the early 1990s, two Iowa ships were mothballed for a decade and three now serve as military museums.

Motor City Classics Legendary Battleships

The Motor City Classics "Legendary Battleships" range presents affordable, ready-made diecast models of Warships in 1:1250 scale.

Motor City Classics "Legendary Battleships"Warships" diecast models feature:

• Diecast metal construction with some plastic components.
• Pad printed markings and placards that won't fade or peel like decals.
• Clear acrylic display case to protect model.