From the personal blueprint collection of Edward H. Wiswesser.

Size: 11.5 x 26 inches

This blueprint comes from the blueprint collection of the famous Edward H. Wiswesser. From 1940-1946, Edward H. Wiswesser worked at the Philadelphia Naval Yard designing warships for the United States Navy, specalizing in Iowa-class battleships including his direct hand in designing the Battleships USS New Jersey and the USS Wisconsin. His design of the USS New Jersey was one of the Iowa-class "fast battleship" designs planned in 1938 by the Preliminary Design Branch at the Bureau of Construction and Repair. She was launched on December 7th of 1942 (the first anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor) and was commissioned on 23 May 1943. The ship was the second of the Iowa class to be commissioned by the U.S. Navy. The USS New Jersey (BB-62) ("Big J" or "Black Dragon") was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named after the US state of New Jersey. New Jersey earned more battle stars for combat actions than the other three completed Iowa-class battleships, and was the only US battleship providing gunfire support during the Vietnam War. During World War II, New Jersey shelled targets on Guam and Okinawa, and screened aircraft carriers conducting raids in the Marshall Islands. Edward H. Wiswesser other design of the USS Wisconsin (BB-64) is an Iowa-class battleship, the second ship of the United States Navy to be named in honor of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. She was built at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and launched on December 7, 1943 (the second anniversary of the Pearl Harbor raid), sponsored by the wife of Governor Walter Goodland of Wisconsin. During her career, Wisconsin served in the Pacific Theater of World War II, where she shelled Japanese fortifications and screened United States aircraft carriers as they conducted air raids against enemy positions. 

This specific blueprint is labeled as drawing number 433 and is titled “Battleship U.S.S. Colorado’. The blueprint itself is also title ‘Warship Drawings’ and contains the name of Edward H. Wiswesser himself. The blueprints for this specific battleship are in conjunction with BB 45 Colorado and BB 46 Mayland and BB 48 West Virginia that were ‘Arrgt. As of Dec. 1941’. The blueprint contains some of the most detailed and intricate constructional layouts of the ship as well as detailed measurements of its length, knot speed, arraignment, guns and turret attachments. The blueprint itself is in relatively good condition for its age with minor creasing and tears.

This United States Navy blueprint of one of the most infamous ships of WWII would make an amazing addition to any World War II or U.S. Navy collection.

USS Colorado (BB-45):

USS Colorado (BB-45) was a battleship of the United States Navy that was in service from 1923 to 1947. She had the toughest armor plating for her time. She was the lead ship of the Colorado class of battleships.

From 27 January 1941, Colorado was based in Pearl Harbor undergoing intensive training exercises and taking part in several war games until 25 June, when she departed Hawaii for the West Coast. Undergoing overhaul at the Puget Sound Navy Yard, she was not present for the attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December. During the refit, which was completed on 31 March 1942, two of the 12 original 5 in/51 caliber guns were removed, and were replaced by an equal number of 5 in/38 caliber guns.

After refit Colorado carried out extensive training maneuvers along the West Coast. On 31 May, she and Maryland patrolled near Golden Gate Bridge to protect San Francisco from any Japanese attack. Some time after this she returned to Pearl Harbor to complete her final preparations for action. She operated in the vicinity of the Fiji Islands and New Hebrides from 8 November 1942 to 17 September 1943 to prevent any further Japanese expansion in the Pacific. She sailed from Pearl Harbor on 21 October 1943 to provide pre-invasion shelling and fire support for the invasion of Tarawa, returning to port on 7 December 1943. After another overhaul on the West Coast, Colorado returned to Lahaina Roads, in the Hawaiian Islands, on 21 January 1944 and sortied the next day for the Marshall Islands. She provided the pre-invasion bombardment and fire support for the invasions of Kwajalein and Eniwetok until 23 February, when she headed for the Puget Sound Navy Yard for another overhaul.

She joined other units going for the Mariana Islands at the harbor at San Francisco. She departed on 5 May passing Pearl Harbor and Kwajalein to the pre-invasion shelling at Saipan, Guam, and Tinian after 14 June. During the shelling of Tinian on 24 July she was damaged, 43 men were killed, and 198 wounded by 22 shell hits from 150mm Japanese shore batteries; she continued shelling the island and providing fire support for the invasion troops. After undergoing extensive repairs along the West Coast, she arrived in Leyte Gulf to begin the invasion of Leyte. A week after her arrival she was struck by two kamikaze bombers, which killed 19 crewmembers, injured 72, and moderately damaged the ship. Despite the damage, she bombarded Mindoro on schedule from 12 to 17 December 1944. She then proceeded to Manus Island for urgent repairs.

She returned to Luzon on New Year's Day 1945 to participate in the pre-invasion shelling of the Lingayen Gulf. She was hit by accidental gunfire eight days later. The gunfire hit her superstructure, and caused 69 casualties (18 killed, 51 wounded). After a few repairs at the island of Ulithi, she joined Task Force 54 (TF 54), the pre-invasion shelling group for the invasion of Okinawa, at Kerama Retto. She stayed at Okinawa until 22 May, providing anti-aircraft cover and fire support for the invasion troops. On 6 August, she returned to the occupied Okinawa to sail to Japan for its occupation. On 27 August, she covered the airborne occupation of Atsugi Airfield.

Colorado was awarded seven battle stars for her World War II service.