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134.107
Figure 19-1.-Aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) under way with embarked aircraft.
134.108
Figure 19-2.-USS Iowa (BB-61) firing its no. 2 turret.
Surface Combatants
Surface combatant ships are battleships,
cruisers, destroyers, and frigates.
BATTLESHIPS. —Battleships (BBs) partici-
pated in few surface engagements in World War
II. However, with their large number of
antiaircraft guns, they proved to be excellent
support ships in carrier task forces. They provided
gunfire support for amphibious landings in both
the Pacific and European theaters—only their
large-caliber guns could knock out heavily
reinforced gun emplacements. They also provided
gunfire support in the Korean War. The New
Jersey was activated for a short period of service
during the Vietnam War and was then
decommissioned. Today, four, BBs, the Iowa (fig
19-2), New Jersey, Missouri, and Wisconsin, are in
active service.
19-5
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