Eyewitness to History

Mounted in Turret 1 of the battleship USS New Jersey, this massive gun barrel served during World War II and the Korean War, helping the ship's crew deliver firepower that affected millions. After service in two wars, all nine of New Jersey's 16-inch guns were removed and replaced in 1954, and the removed barrels were relined with new rifled linings so projectiles could spin for greater accuracy. The barrels then remained in storage for more than 60 years at the St. Julien's Creek Annex, Norfolk Naval Base, Virginia, until one of them, Serial Number 292, the left gun of Turret 1, was acquired in 2017 through the efforts of the Battleship New Jersey Museum and Memorial's staff, volunteers, contributors, and veterans. This was the same gun photographed firing at Kaesong, Korea on January 1, 1953, and it may also have been present during the only onboard combat death suffered by New Jersey in her career, when Seaman Robert Osterwind was killed by shrapnel from enemy shore bombardment on May 21, 1951 in the portside area of Turret 1. More than a weapon, it stands as a symbol of the resolve of those who built and manned it and of those lost defending freedom.

Camden, New Jersey · United States