U.S.S. INDIANA

BB-58 USS INDIANA

The United States Navy brought USS Indiana into service with her commission in April 1942. After initial operations, the ship reported to the Pacific to help with the war efforts against Japan. The later months of 1942 saw her patrolling the waters of the South Pacific where she remained for almost the next year. As action began to heat up in the Central Pacific, the Navy moved her operating area to that region. USS Indiana participated in the invasion bombardment for the Gilbert Islands and the Marshall Islands. On February 1, 1944, the ship received damage during the Marshalls campaign due to a nighttime collision with USS Washington.

After repairs, USS Indiana participated in the raids of the Carolines. In June 1944, she aided with bombardment during the Marianas campaign with action at Saipan and during the Battle of the Philippine Sea. She assisted with action in the Palaus and the Philippines. A quick overhaul in early 1945 sent her back into action to help with the invasion of Iwo Jima. As the Second World War closed, she participated in bombardments at the Ryukyus and the Japanese home islands. The Navy decommissioned her in 1947 and sold her for scrap in 1963.