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Commemorating one of the most historically significant battleships in United States Navy history, the COMMANDO USS Missouri BB-63 Cap Patch celebrates the service and legacy of the famous Iowa-class battleship known as the “Mighty Mo”. The ship played a major role in three conflicts and became internationally recognised as the location where Japan formally surrendered to the Allied Powers, bringing the Second World War to an end. Measuring 150 x 77 mm, this woven cloth patch is a substantial piece for naval history enthusiasts and military memorabilia collectors.
The History of USS Missouri (BB-63)
The fourth United States Navy vessel to carry the name Missouri, BB-63 was built at the New York Navy Yard in Brooklyn. Her keel was laid on 6 January 1941, she was launched on 29 January 1944 and commissioned on 11 June 1944. As one of four Iowa-class battleships, Missouri was designed to combine heavy firepower, armour protection and high speed. Her main armament consisted of nine 16-inch guns arranged in three triple turrets.
Missouri entered the Pacific theatre during the final stages of the Second World War. In early 1945 she supported the invasion of Iwo Jima, took part in operations around Okinawa and participated in naval strikes against the Japanese home islands. Her heavy guns provided bombardment support for Allied operations, while her position within the fleet also helped protect aircraft carriers and other naval vessels.
Her most enduring place in history came on 2 September 1945. Anchored in Tokyo Bay, Missouri hosted the formal Japanese surrender ceremony on her decks. Representatives of Japan signed the Instrument of Surrender before Allied military and naval leaders, including General Douglas MacArthur and Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz. The ceremony was witnessed by representatives from the Allied nations and broadcast around the world. The event made the battleship an enduring symbol of the conclusion of the Second World War.
Missouri returned to active combat during the Korean War, providing naval gunfire support to United Nations forces between 1950 and 1953. She was decommissioned in February 1955 and remained in reserve for approximately three decades. During the 1980s, the ship underwent a major modernisation and was recommissioned in May 1986. Her updated capabilities included modern weapons systems, and she returned to combat during Operation Desert Storm in 1991, firing Tomahawk cruise missiles and providing naval gunfire support against Iraqi targets.
The battleship was finally decommissioned on 31 March 1992 and removed from the Naval Vessel Register in January 1995. In 1998 she was transferred to the USS Missouri Memorial Association and became a permanent museum and memorial at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Today, the ship remains preserved near the USS Arizona Memorial, allowing visitors to explore the vessel and the decks where one of the defining events of the twentieth century took place.
Features
- USS Missouri (BB-63) commemorative cap patch
- Recognises the historic Iowa-class battleship
- Associated with the Japanese surrender ceremony of 2 September 1945
- Commemorates service during World War II, the Korean War and Operation Desert Storm
- Woven cloth construction
- Large rectangular design
- Suitable for naval history and military memorabilia collections
Specifications
Brand: COMMANDO
Product Code: BD0022
Barcode / GTIN: 9357994008408
Design: U.S. Navy USS Missouri BB-63
Construction: Woven cloth patch
Dimensions: 150 x 77 mm
A fitting tribute to the “Mighty Mo”, this USS Missouri patch celebrates a battleship whose long service and place in world history made her one of the most recognisable vessels of the United States Navy.