The new USS Massachusetts submarine shares a name with a “lucky” battleship of World War II—and an exceptionally unlucky one a half-century earlier.

In the 250-year history of the US Navy, eight warships have been named after the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, including a topsail schooner, a sloop, a wooden steam, an iron crew steamer, and two battleships. The eighth USS Massachusetts—the seventh Block IV Virginia-class fast attack submarine—was commissioned at a ceremony in Boston Harbor on Saturday.

“To the crew, the plankowners, the Iron Patriots of the USS Massachusetts, we did it,” said Commander Michael Siedsma, commanding officer of the newly commissioned nuclear-powered boat. “Your hard work and unshakable dedication are evident. I am amazed and humbled by what we have accomplished.”

USS Massachusetts (SSN-798) could be described as a “team effort,” with General Dynamics Electric Boat and HII-Newport News Shipbuilding each contributing to her construction. Even so, the submarine’s delivery to the US Navy was more than a year late—a reminder of the challenges the service faces in maintaining a modern and capable fleet.

SSN-798 is the 25th submarine of the Virginia class and the 12th boat delivered by NNS.

“Massachusetts is playing an incredible role in our security,” said Admiral William Houston, director of Naval Reactors, who highlighted the crew’s hard work and the unit’s role in national defense on Saturday. “Your crew represents the best that our Navy and our nation has. You train relentlessly to bring this warship to life and earn the trust placed in you.”

The Virginia-Class Submarine’s Specifications

• Year Introduced: 2004
• Number Built: 24 (69 planned)
• Length: 377 ft (115 m)
• Beam (Width): 34 ft (10.4 m)
• Displacement: 7,800 tons
• Propulsion: S9G nuclear reactor; auxiliary diesel engine
• Top Speed: 25 knots (28.8 mph, 46 km/h)
• Range: Unlimited
• Armaments: 12 VLS tubes, four 21-inch (530mm) torpedo tubes for Mk-48 torpedoes; BGM-109 Tomahawk missiles
• Crew: 135 (15 officers, 120 enlisted)

The Block IV boats incorporate design changes focused on reducing total ownership cost. By making these smaller-scale design changes to extend the component-level lifecycle of the submarine, the US Navy was able to increase the rate of depot maintenance availability and the number of deployments. The main improvement of the Block IV over the preceding Block III is the reduction of major maintenance periods from 4 to 3, increasing each boat’s total time available to be spent at sea.

Each of the Block IV boats can dive to more than 800 feet.

The Virginia-class boats are the US Navy’s primary attack submarine for land, surface, and anti-submarine attack missions, and their armaments include cruise missiles and torpedoes. Each is also equipped with large lock-in/lock-out chambers that allow Navy SEALs to operate from the boat, and plans call for using it to launch underwater drones. Instead of traditional periscopes, this class of submarines uses two photonics masts that host visible- and infrared-band digital cameras atop telescoping arms.

Two Battleships Have Been Named After Massachusetts

Of the two battleships named for the state of Massachusetts, one—the South Dakota-class USS Massachusetts (BB-59)—is fondly remembered for her meritorious service. The other Massachusetts (BB-2) is a battleship that the US Navy probably would rather forget altogether.

USS Massachusetts (BB-2)

USS Massachusetts (BB-2) was a battleship in name only, as she was fitted with heavy armor and ordnance. However, the Indiana-class pre-dreadnought had been designed for coastal defense, and her decks were not safe from high waves on the open ocean!

USS Massachusetts (BB-2) was authorized in 1890 and commissioned six years later, becoming the second “modern” battleship built for the US Navy. In addition to barely being able to head out to sea, her turrets lacked counterweights, and if both of the twin 13-inch guns were turned to one side, she would list severely to that side. Similarly, the vessel’s main belt armor was placed too low to be effective against enemy fire.

In addition to its poor design, the ship could be described as being truly “unlucky.” During a training maneuver and gunnery practice, an explosion in one of her 8-inch gun turrets killed nine sailors. She also ran aground twice, requiring months of repairs each time.

She spent much of her service laid up in the reserve fleet and was recommissioned to serve as a training ship for gun crews during World War I. Arguably the ship’s most valuable service to the Navy came in 1921, when she was scuttled in shallow water off Pensacola, Florida, and used as a target for experimental artillery. The wreck remains a popular diving spot, regarded as the oldest battleship still in existence in any form.

USS Massachusetts (BB-59)

The second USS Massachusetts (BB-59) is the centerpiece of, and the largest vessel in, the museum fleet at Battleship Cove in Fall River, Massachusetts. Known as “Big Mamie” to her crewmembers, she was the seventh ship of the United States Navy to be named for the Bay State. Her keel was laid down in July 1939, and she was launched in September 1941. Commissioned in May 1942 with Captain Francis E. M. Whiting in command, the battleship went on to receive a total of 11 battle stars for her service during World War II.

Built by Bethlehem Steel Company in Quincy, Massachusetts, the warship measures 681 feet in length with a 108-foot beam and weighs 35,000 tons. She is representative of the South Dakota class of American battleships that fought against Japan in World War II. 

It has been reported that “Big Mamie” fired both the first US Navy’s 16-inch (406mm) guns for the first time during the war when the US battle wagon fired at the Vichy French battleship Jean Bart during the Battle of Casablanca in November 1942 as part of the Allied invasion of Vichy France-controlled North Africa during Operation Torch. The warship also had the distinction of conducting the last firing of 16-inch guns during World War II, when the warship targeted a Japanese steel works facility in Hamamatsu just hours before the Japanese surrender.

The ship earned the reputation “Work Horse of the Fleet.” Unlike her cursed predecessor, the Massachusetts also acquired a reputation for good luck; during the war, no US Navy personnel were ever killed in action on board the warship. After the war, she was transferred to the reserve fleet, and while plans were drawn up to convert the vessel into a guided missile battleship, she was instead stricken from the Naval Vessel Register. A group of her former crew successfully lobbied to have her preserved as a museum ship.

The newest USS Massachusetts will carry on the tradition of BB-59—and hopefully have a more successful career than BB-2!

About the Author: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu has contributed to dozens of newspapers, magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.

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