What Happened to the Ship That Fired the Last Shot of WWII

World War II was the largest military conflict in world history, and all sides built massive war machines to try to outdo the other. Japan built the largest battleships ever built, the Musashi and Yamato, neither of which were very successful, and did not survive the conflict. The United States was also no stranger to battleships, having used 25 different sizes and classes during World War II. One such class, the South Dakota class of fast warships, had the US Navy ship that fired the last shot of the war.

USS Massachusetts (BB-59), also known as “Big Mamie,” was commissioned in May 1942, and participated in many missions throughout the war. As a fast battleship, Massachusetts’ primary role was carrier escort, as aircraft carriers had assumed a dominant position throughout the Pacific after the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor and the Battle of Midway. While serving on this mission, the USS Massachusetts participated in many important missions and battles as Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz continued his island-hopping campaign.

This included operations in the Philippines, Gilbert, and Marshall Islands. In 1945, the USS Massachusetts supported the US Army and Marines during the Battle of Okinawa and continued to fight Japanese forces as the US approached Honshu, Japan’s largest island. When the war ended, the USS Massachusetts was decommissioned until 1962, when it was struck from the Navy list. Three years later, the USS Massachusetts became a museum ship, where it remains open to the public today.

Some of the most interesting details of any major conflict concern the first and last shots. This fascination covers much of human history, and World War II was no different. Regarding the direct involvement of the United States, the first shot was fired by the USS Ward (DD-139) to protect it on December 7, 1941, when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. These attacks destroyed or disabled the warships of the Pacific Fleet while they were in port. The last guns appeared later, on August 9, 1945.

That’s also the day the US dropped “Fat Man,” the second and so far only nuclear weapon used in combat. The second atomic bomb forced Japan to agree to American demands and surrender unconditionally, ending WWII on August 15. Although the bomb and its consequences are one of the worst and most well-known moments in history, other actions were carried out on the same day. USS Massachusetts fired her 16-inch guns at an industrial complex in Hamamatsu, Japan, that same day.

It is believed that the rounds fired at this location were the last rounds of World War II ammunition. It was also the last mission of the USS Massachusetts, which remained in service until it was decommissioned in March 1947. It remained in storage until 1962 and became a museum ship that still exists today. You can visit the historic battleship the next time you’re in Fall River, Massachusetts, where it is permanently docked at Battleship Cove, home of America’s Fleet Museum.