Saving Big Mamie: How World War II veterans saved the USS Massachusetts from becoming scrap metal

The Massachusetts Veterans’ Fight to Save Their Ship

When the Navy decided to scrap the USS Massachusetts in 1962, her World War II crew refused to let their ship die. These veterans had held reunions since 1945, bound by their service aboard "Big Mamie," the battleship that kept them all safe through 35 major battles.

The crew launched a public campaign and raised funds with help from Massachusetts school children to buy their ship from the Navy. They succeeded in 1965, bringing Big Mamie to Fall River as a floating memorial.

Here’s how their loyalty saved one of America’s most decorated battleships, now preserved at Battleship Cove where visitors can explore her wartime decks.

Big Mamie Gets Her Nickname From 2,500 Loyal Sailors

Workers built Big Mamie at Bethlehem Steel’s Fore River Shipyard in Quincy, Massachusetts, launching her on September 23, 1941 as the heaviest ship.

The Navy put USS Massachusetts into service on May 12, 1942, at Boston Navy Yard with Captain Francis Whiting in charge.

Her crew grew from 1,793 to 2,500 as America got ready for war.

The sailors called her “Big Mamie,” a homey nickname that stuck. Despite tight living space, crew members liked her powerful 16-inch guns and thick armor.

She Fired America’s First 16-inch Shells Against Nazi Allies

Big Mamie left Casco Bay, Maine on October 24, 1942, as the lead ship for Rear Admiral Henry Hewitt during Operation Torch, the Allied attack on North Africa.

On November 8, 1942, at 7:04 AM, Massachusetts fired on the unfinished French battleship Jean Bart in Casablanca harbor.

These shots were the first American 16-inch shells fired in combat during World War II. Massachusetts hit Jean Bart five times, stopping her guns.

The American battleship also sank two French destroyers, two merchant ships, and a floating dry dock while taking only small hits.

Lucky Ship Crosses Panama Canal To Join Pacific Fight

After stopping in Boston for repairs, Massachusetts went through the Panama Canal in February 1943 to join the Pacific Fleet.

She got to New Caledonia on March 4, 1943, and spent months guarding vital supply ships going to the Solomon Islands where fighting raged.

On June 30, 1943, Big Mamie gave heavy gun support for the attack on New Georgia as part of Operation Cartwheel, the Allied plan to cut off the Japanese base at Rabaul.

She worked with sister ships Indiana and North Carolina in the battleship group.

Her Massive Guns Protected Aircraft Carriers From Attack

In November 1943, Massachusetts helped invade the Gilbert Islands, where she guarded fast carrier groups launching air attacks against Japanese bases.

On January 30, 1944, her 16-inch guns blasted Kwajalein before the February 1 landings in the Marshall Islands.

Big Mamie joined the carrier group hitting the Japanese base at Truk on February 17, 1944, helping cause heavy damage.

On March 21-22, she helped fight off waves of Japanese planes while supporting raids on Saipan, Tinian, and Guam, keeping her perfect safety record.

Those 16-inch Cannons Cleared Beaches For 60,000 Troops

Massachusetts joined the Hollandia invasion on April 22, 1944, helping land 60,000 Allied troops on New Guinea.

After winning, her task force attacked Truk again to keep Japanese forces off-guard.

On May 1, 1944, Big Mamie shelled Ponape Island in her last mission before going to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard for needed repairs.

Workers fixed her gun barrels after months of heavy use, while her crew rested in Bremerton, Washington.

The break didn’t last long as fighting picked up in the Pacific.

Kamikazes Couldn’t Break Her Perfect Safety Record

In September 1944, Massachusetts went back to the Pacific battle zone for the invasion of the Palau Islands.

In October 1944, she took part in raids on Okinawa and Formosa while guarding fast carrier groups hitting Japanese airfields.

That same month, Big Mamie fought in the Battle of Leyte Gulf, one of the biggest sea battles ever, as American forces came back to the Philippines.

She used her 5-inch, 40mm, and 20mm guns to defend aircraft carriers from constant kamikaze attacks, keeping her amazing safety record despite the fierce air attacks.

Not One Sailor Lost In 35 Major Battles

In January 1945, Massachusetts helped the invasion of Luzon in the Philippines while still guarding carriers. In February 1945, she hit Iwo Jima with her massive 16-inch guns before Marines stormed the beaches.

The Battle of Okinawa came next, with Big Mamie fighting off many kamikaze attacks that sank or damaged dozens of other American ships.

Through it all, her safety record stayed perfect.

Not a single crew member died from enemy action despite constant combat, making her stand out among American battleships.

American Battleship Shells Rain On Japanese Homeland

In July 1945, Massachusetts sailed with the Third Fleet for direct attacks on the Japanese home islands.

On July 14, 1945, she bombed the Imperial Iron and Steel Works at Kamaishi, Japan’s second-largest steel center, in the first battleship attack on the Japanese mainland.

Later that month, Big Mamie went south to bomb factories at Hamamatsu with the British battleship HMS King George V.

On August 9, 1945, she came back to shell Kamaishi again, likely firing the last 16-inch shells of World War II just days before Japan gave up.

Peacetime Brought Mothballs And Uncertain Future

Japan surrendered on August 15, 1945, ending the fighting, with Massachusetts leaving for Puget Sound on September 1 for repairs.

Workers finished fixing her on January 28, 1946, after which she sailed along the California coast until April 1946.

Big Mamie then went back to the Atlantic and the Navy took her out of service on March 27, 1947, at Norfolk, Virginia.

The Navy put her in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet after she earned 11 battle stars. She never lost a crew member to enemy action through 35 major battles across both oceans.

Navy Orders Scrapping The Ship That Protected 2,500 Lives

The Navy removed Massachusetts from the Naval Vessel Register on June 1, 1962, and ordered her sold for scrap after 15 years in storage.

Her wartime crew had held yearly reunions since 1945 and quickly began working to save their ship as a memorial.

Harold Nye, who cooked on the ship during the war, noted with pride: “We never lost a life during combat. I don’t think any other battleship can claim that.”

Armand Vigeant, the ship’s storekeeper during the war, felt they owed her: “She kept a crew of over 2,000 men safe during battle, and we needed to show appreciation.”

Grateful Veterans Team Up With Schoolkids To Save Their Ship

The Massachusetts Memorial Committee formed with veterans joining forces with an unlikely ally: Massachusetts schoolchildren.

Together they raised funds through a massive donation campaign.

On June 8, 1965, the Navy transferred ownership to the state of Massachusetts for preservation as a museum ship.

Big Mamie anchored at Battleship Cove in Fall River on August 14, 1965, and opened to the public two months later.

Her first year brought more than 250,000 visitors to explore the decks where 2,500 sailors had served without a single combat death.

Visiting USS Massachusetts (BB-59) at Battleship Cove

At Battleship Cove in Fall River, Massachusetts, you can tour the USS Massachusetts, nicknamed “Big Mamie.”

Walk the decks where 2,500 men once served, check out the massive 16-inch guns, and explore the living quarters below.

The museum displays tell how her crew fought to save her from being scrapped in the 1960s. You can even see personal items and photos from the sailors who served on this lucky ship.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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