This battleship crew fired history’s last WWII shot not knowing the war was already ending in August 1945

The Final Bombardment of Japan by USS Massachusett

On August 9, 1945, USS Massachusetts fired the final shots of World War II’s naval battles.

The massive battleship attacked Japanese steel factories at Kamaishi while the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Nagasaki the same morning.

Hours after the nuclear attack, Massachusetts opened fire with her enormous 16-inch guns. Her crew fired what historians believe was the last 16-inch shell ever used in combat.

This bombardment came as Japan faced overwhelming pressure to surrender from atomic bombs, Soviet invasion, and naval attacks on their homeland.

Japan’s Vital Steel Production Hub

Kamaishi was home to one of Japan’s largest steel plants, crucial for making weapons and military equipment.

The city held 40,000 people, with thousands working at the massive Japan Iron Works. This facility produced the steel needed for ships, tanks, and artillery throughout the war.

By 1945, the plant struggled to keep running. Shortages of coal and raw materials meant production dropped to less than half capacity.

Allied submarines and bombers had cut off Japan’s supply lines, starving the steel works of essential materials. The Americans knew Allied prisoners worked as slaves at the plant.

These captured soldiers lived in two camps near the factory, forced to help Japan’s war effort while enduring brutal conditions.

Admiral Shafroth Returns with More Firepower

Rear Admiral John F. Shafroth Jr. led the naval task force back to Kamaishi for a second attack.

His ships had first bombarded the steel works on July 14, marking the first time enemy warships had shelled Japan’s main islands.

Now he returned with even more destructive power. The core force included three American battleships: South Dakota, Indiana, and Massachusetts.

Heavy cruisers Quincy and Chicago joined them, along with nine destroyers. These fast battleships could keep pace with aircraft carriers while delivering devastating firepower against shore targets.

For the August assault, Shafroth added more ships to ensure complete destruction. Heavy cruisers Boston and Saint Paul reinforced the American squadron.

British light cruiser HMS Newfoundland and New Zealand’s HMNZS Gambia brought international firepower to the attack.

Moving Into Position for the Final Strike

The Allied warships approached Kamaishi in the early afternoon and opened fire at 12:54 PM.

This timing placed the naval bombardment just hours after the atomic bomb had destroyed much of Nagasaki.

The ships positioned themselves 14,000 yards offshore, close enough for accurate shooting while staying beyond range of Japanese coastal guns.

The task force used careful formations to maintain continuous fire on the target.

Ships made four separate passes across Kamaishi harbor, allowing different vessels to aim at specific buildings and equipment within the steel complex.

HMS King George V was supposed to join the attack but couldn’t participate. Mechanical problems with two of her propeller shafts prevented the British battleship from keeping up with the bombardment force.

A Costly Intelligence Mistake

American commanders ordered the second attack based on wrong information about the July bombardment’s effectiveness.

Intelligence analysts believed the steel works hadn’t been badly damaged, but they were mistaken. Photo interpreters had underestimated how much destruction the first attack actually caused.

The error came from limitations in analyzing aerial photographs. Without modern technology, determining battle damage required guesswork from grainy pictures taken by reconnaissance planes.

The images didn’t clearly show the extensive internal damage to machinery and production equipment. The July bombardment had actually devastated the facility.

Ships fired over 800 16-inch shells, 700 8-inch shells, and 800 5-inch shells during two hours of continuous shelling. The attack had already crippled steel production at Japan’s second-largest industrial center.

Big Mamie Unleashes Her Guns

USS Massachusetts, nicknamed “Big Mamie” by her crew, brought devastating firepower to the final bombardment.

Her nine 16-inch guns could hurl 2,700-pound shells over 20 miles with deadly accuracy. Each shell weighed as much as a small car and created massive explosions upon impact.

The combined Allied force delivered crushing firepower onto the Japanese target. Ships fired 803 16-inch shells, 1,383 8-inch shells, and 733 6-inch shells during the attack.

The largest shells could penetrate thick concrete or punch through heavy armor, while smaller rounds targeted specific buildings and equipment.

The bombardment created spectacular displays of naval firepower.

A photographer aboard USS Indiana captured dramatic images showing massive muzzle flashes and smoke clouds as the battleships fired their final salvos of the war.

The War’s Final Naval Gunfire

USS Massachusetts achieved a grim milestone during the afternoon bombardment by firing the last 16-inch shell used in World War II combat.

The massive projectile marked the end of the battleship era and the conclusion of naval warfare between major powers.

HMNZS Gambia actually fired the final shots of the attack using her 6-inch guns. The New Zealand cruiser delivered the last rounds before the task force ceased fire and turned away from the Japanese coast after nearly two hours of continuous shelling.

This bombardment represented the end of battleship warfare as navies had known it for decades. Never again would these massive warships engage in their designed role of ship-to-ship combat or shore bombardment against a major industrial power.

Devastating the Steel Complex

The second attack proved far more destructive than the July bombardment. Ships destroyed large quantities of pig iron, the raw material used to produce steel.

Without pig iron, the facility couldn’t manufacture military equipment even if other machinery survived the shelling.

The shells didn’t just hit industrial targets but devastated surrounding neighborhoods. The bombardment destroyed 1,471 houses and killed 281 civilians.

Exploding shells caused fires throughout the city as kitchen stoves and heating systems were damaged by the concussion. The attack also claimed Allied lives.

One prisoner of war camp was destroyed, killing 27 captured soldiers who had been forced to work at the very facility now being demolished.

The Japanese military offered no resistance, lacking fuel and ammunition to challenge the Allied fleet.

America Hears the Final Battle

The bombardment became the first naval battle broadcast live to the American public.

USS Iowa served as a floating radio station, transmitting the thunderous roar of naval gunfire across the Pacific.

Americans could hear their ships delivering the final blows against Japan’s war machine. The lack of Japanese response demonstrated their military’s complete collapse.

The Imperial Japanese Navy, once a formidable force, had been reduced to hiding its few remaining ships in port.

Fuel shortages and overwhelming Allied superiority made resistance impossible.

American, British, and New Zealand warships operated freely in Japanese home waters, systematically destroying industrial targets without facing organized opposition.

The one-sided nature of the attack showed Japan’s inability to defend even their most important facilities.

Nuclear and Naval Pressure Combined

The naval bombardment unfolded against the backdrop of unprecedented atomic destruction.

The plutonium bomb “Fat Man” had detonated over Nagasaki at 11:02 AM, approximately two hours before the ships opened fire.

Both attacks were part of a coordinated campaign to force Japan’s surrender. The Soviet Union had also declared war on Japan just hours earlier, invading Manchuria after midnight on August 9.

This three-pronged assault left Japan facing attack from all directions: atomic bombs from the air, Soviet armies from the north, and Allied fleets from the sea.

Japanese leaders found themselves overwhelmed by the scale of destruction.

The combination of nuclear weapons, massive Soviet ground forces, and unopposed Allied naval operations in home waters made continued resistance appear hopeless.

The Attack That Never Happened

Plans for additional bombardments were already underway when the war suddenly ended.

HMS King George V was scheduled to lead three light cruisers and destroyers against another Japanese target on August 13. This attack would have continued the systematic destruction of Japanese industrial capacity.

Multiple factors led to the cancellation of further naval operations. King George V’s propeller shaft problems prevented her from leading the attack, while the atomic bombs accelerated Japan’s decision to surrender.

The rapid pace of events overtook military planning. Emperor Hirohito announced Japan’s surrender on August 15, just six days after the Kamaishi bombardment.

The war ended before any additional naval attacks could take place, making the August 9 bombardment the final naval battle of World War II.

Visiting Battleship Cove, Fall River, Massachusetts

Battleship Cove is located at 5 Water Street, Fall River, Massachusetts, beneath the Braga Bridge on Mount Hope Bay.

The museum features five historic naval vessels including USS Massachusetts, destroyer USS Joseph P. Kennedy Jr., submarine USS Lionfish, and two PT boats.

Read More from This Brand:

• The oldest warship in America was so tough, British cannonballs just bounced off “Old Ironsides”
• The Boston riot that left five colonists dead and gave birth to the American Revolution
• This Massachusetts house from 1637 is an authentic snapshot of 17th-century life