Battleship Comeback Shocks Iraq

Two World War II–era battleships opened Desert Storm with missiles and ended it with 1,083 giant shells—then the Navy parked them as museum pieces.

Story Highlights

USS Missouri and USS Wisconsin launched the opening Tomahawks of Desert Storm and directed early strikes.
The battleships fired 1,083 sixteen-inch shells in support of coalition forces, according to Navy records.
The pair launched 52 Tomahawk land-attack missiles during the war, then left service soon after.
Their combat use reignited a still-live debate: performance in war versus long-term cost and fit.

What The Battleships Actually Did In Desert Storm

USS Wisconsin and USS Missouri joined the Gulf War in January 1991 with a clear task. The ships carried Tomahawk missiles and six turrets of sixteen-inch guns. Early on January 17, Wisconsin served as Tomahawk Strike Warfare Commander in the Persian Gulf. The ship helped direct the first wave of cruise missile launches that opened the air war against Iraq’s defenses. Over the weeks that followed, Missouri and Wisconsin supported coalition ground forces with sustained naval gunfire.

Naval History and Heritage Command records state the two battleships fired a combined 1,083 sixteen-inch shells during the campaign. Those rounds hit targets like bunkers, artillery, and supply points along the Kuwaiti coast and inland. The Navy compared that weight of fire to thousands of conventional bombs, showing how much steel the ships could send downrange with each mission. The battleships also used Tomahawk missiles for deep strikes on fixed targets across Iraq, adding reach far beyond their guns.

Missiles, Drones, And The End Of An Era

Navy histories and veteran accounts credit Missouri and Wisconsin with a total of 52 Tomahawk land-attack missile launches in Desert Storm. Wisconsin also fired her own missiles while directing other ships’ salvos in the opening hours. Missouri launched her first Tomahawk at 1:40 a.m. local time on January 17, then added more strikes over the next several days, as part of the wider air and missile campaign. Together, the two ships paired old guns with modern precision reach.

Their gunfire was not blind. The crews used spotting from unmanned aerial vehicles to adjust aim and confirm hits, a notable blend of old hulls and new tools. The heavy guns hammered Iraqi positions that threatened Marines and coalition troops moving north. By late February, ground combat moved past the guns’ maximum range. The ships had done their part, and the campaign’s center of gravity shifted inland and to the air. Soon after, the Navy stood them down and moved toward decommissioning.

Why They Were Retired After Combat Success

Supporters pointed to results. The ships fired on time, hit assigned targets, launched cruise missiles, and even led strike coordination. That record became a symbol of American industrial might that still worked when needed. To many, this proved value: keep proven tools ready, even if they are old. The sixteen-inch guns offered shock effect and a low-cost shell for heavy fire compared to some aircraft sorties, at least during the short war window.

Critics focused on cost and fit. Government Accountability Office reviews highlighted high manning needs and operating costs. They also noted the Navy’s view that battleships did not meet evolving naval surface fire support needs without major upgrades. The Congressional Budget Office’s history of reactivations flagged that bringing back old ships can cost a significant share of a new ship, especially once modern combat systems are added. The core question was not “did they work,” but “is this the best way to get the effect.”

The Lasting Lesson For Today’s Force Debates

The Desert Storm record shows two facts can be true at once. First, the battleships delivered real combat value: 52 Tomahawks, 1,083 big shells, and command roles at the war’s start. Second, the Navy and budget analysts still weighed cost, crew size, and future missions, and decided to retire them. This mirrors many defense fights today. Leaders must choose between proven but heavy systems and newer, smaller, often networked tools that promise flexibility.

For readers frustrated with government waste or with short-term thinking, this story cuts both ways. The fleet got clear, measurable results in war. Then Washington moved on, citing costs and changing needs. The deeper issue is discipline: define the mission, buy the right tools, and keep them ready. Desert Storm proved the battleships could still hit hard. The years after asked a tougher question: what should America keep in the toolbox for the next fight, and at what price.