History | History

The Battleship That Went from Pearl Harbor to D-Day

The D-Day landings featured an immense fleet – including seven battleships. One, HMS Rodney, was notable for being the only battleship to torpedo another battleship. However, one of the American battleships came to Normandy via Pearl Harbor, where she was run aground.

I was obsessed with Pearl Harbor when I was a kid. I still have the guide book that I got there when I was seven. I wrote papers about it in school, have visited many times, and have read dozens of books about it. Somewhat weirdly, I was just talking to someone about the USS Nevada a few days ago (really). It's a fascinating story and illustrates perfectly how badly, not just the Japanese, but all of the Axis powers, underestimated the United States.