The USS Alabama is a World War II-era battleship that first served in the Atlantic theater but was better known for helping to take Japanese-held islands in the Pacific between 1943 and 1945. During the Battle of the Philippine Sea, the Alabama’s state of the art radar alerted the fleet to incoming aircraft – providing the Americans enough time to scramble fighters and decimate the attacking force. Later the Alabama served during the Battle of Leyte Gulf and anchored in Tokyo Bay to unload Allied occupation forces. In 1964, the state of Alabama took possession of the battleship. Alabama schoolchildren raised $100,000 in nickels and dimes to help bring the ship to Mobile and create Battleship Memorial Park. The Park features the Alabama, the World War II era submarine USS Drum, and an American military aircraft collection. Battleship Memorial Park is one of the state’s most visited attractions.
Photos courtesy of: Alabama Department of Archives and History