Battleship Dispatch
News, Stories, and Updates
Battleship North Carolina 65th Berth-Day Celebration | Oct. 2–4
The Showboat is celebrating 65 years in Wilmington--her Berth-Day--all weekend long! Join us October 2–4 for special tours, live music, patriotic...
Built in Brooklyn: Honoring the New Yorkers Who Built USS NORTH CAROLINA
One of the most celebrated warships in American history--USS North Carolina--began not on North Carolina’s Cape Fear River, but at the Brooklyn Navy...
A Captain’s Farewell: Richard Worsam Meade II, Luigi de Perini and The Adieu March
In 1864, Captain Richard Worsam Meade II prepared to leave USS North Carolina for a new command. His departure was marked in an unusual way: with a...
A Runaway Kingfisher and a Remarkable Rescue: August 10, 1945
In the final days of World War II, as the war in the Pacific moved toward its conclusion, USS North Carolina (BB-55) was still in action off the...
The USS NORTH CAROLINA That Never Sailed
When you hear the name USS North Carolina, chances are you picture the battleship that now sits across the Cape Fear River from downtown Wilmington....
Captain John Paul Jones and the Value of a Fast Ship
John Paul Jones believed that great ships should be fast because they were meant to "go in harm's way." It's a philosophy that feels especially...
Before Streaming and Superheroes: The WWII Adventure Stories That Captivated America
Long before television dominated American living rooms and decades before superheroes filled movie theaters, young readers eagerly followed the...
A Weekend of Reunion, Remembrance, and Connection Aboard Battleship North Carolina
Each spring, something special happens aboard the Battleship North Carolina. The ship becomes more than a place of history—it becomes a place of...
USS North Carolina Commission Day (April 9, 1941)
On April 9, 1941, USS North Carolina officially entered service at the New York Navy Yard—marking a major moment in the ship’s history. At 11:30...
The Battleship NORTH CAROLINA License Plate Project
The Battleship North Carolina Memorial has launched the Battleship North Carolina License Plate Project, a statewide campaign to bring a new North...