USS Maryland (BB-46)

USS Maryland underway in 1935
History
United States
Name:	Maryland
Namesake:	State of Maryland
Ordered:	5 December 1916
Builder:	Newport News Shipbuilding
Laid down:	24 April 1917
Launched:	20 March 1920
Sponsored by:	Mrs. E. Brook Lee daughter-in-law of U.S. Senator from Maryland Blair Lee
Commissioned:	21 July 1921
Decommissioned:	3 April 1947
Nickname(s):	"Old Mary" and "Fighting Mary"
Honors and awards:	7 Battle Stars
Fate:	Sold for scrap on 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 (24.36 mph; 39.21 km/h)
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 (20–34 cm) Barbettes: 13 in (33 cm) Turret face: 18 in (46 cm) Turret sides: 9–10 in (23–25 cm) Turret top: 5 in (13 cm) Turret rear 9 in (23 cm) Conning tower: 11.5 in (29 cm) Decks: 3.5 in (8.9 cm)
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.

She is most notable for her service in World War II. She was present 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, and was under repair at the end of World War II.

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.