Admiral's Flag Bridge

The flag bridge on New Jersey was reserved for admirals, allowing an admiral to command fleets arrayed around the ship while the captain remained directly responsible for the battleship itself. Completed in 1943 with a flag bridge and advanced long-range communications gear, New Jersey was also one of the Navy's fastest warships, making her an ideal fleet flagship. She served at sea as fleet flagship for prominent American admirals including William Halsey, Raymond Spruance, Oscar Badger, and Willis Lee. During World War II, the flag plot just aft of the bridge served as the nerve center of Halsey's 3rd Fleet, where ship and enemy contacts were tracked and where staff worked in the Flag Communications Center as radio traffic shaped operations. In October 1944, radiomen monitored the airwaves for messages to Halsey, handling signals that could affect the fate of thousands of men and ships. When New Jersey was recommissioned for service in Vietnam, the flag bridge was reserved for visiting admirals, generals, and other distinguished guests. The five stars on the deck date to 1968 and were paid for from personal crew funds as a token of respect for Fleet Admiral Halsey, who had walked the deck during some of the most critical naval battles of World War II. In the 1980s the flag bridge was used by visiting admirals, and in 1990 Rear Admiral Paul Reason became the last admiral to fly his flag from New Jersey's historic decks.

Camden, New Jersey · United States