Battleship Blend – The Dynamic Duo of Firepower (Missouri & New Jersey)

Some battleships get decommissioned and fade into history. Others refuse to go quietly, showing up to nearly every major American conflict for half a century just to remind the world who’s in charge. That’s exactly the kind of reputation USS Missouri (BB-63) and USS New Jersey (BB-62) earned. These two didn’t just serve—they thrived in war, from World War II to Korea, Vietnam, and even Desert Storm. One ended the biggest war in history, the other racked up more battle stars than any other U.S. battleship. And thanks to Haze Gray Battleship Blend, every sip of coffee helps keep these steel warhorses preserved for future generations.

USS Missouri: The Showstopper

Missouri, also known as Mighty Mo, is one of the most famous battleships in history—and for good reason. She was launched in 1944, right in time to make an impact on WWII’s final chapters. By early 1945, she was leading the charge in the Pacific, delivering a constant rain of 16-inch shells onto Japanese positions like a floating artillery god. During the Battle of Iwo Jima and the Okinawa campaign, she provided devastating naval gunfire support, ensuring that American troops on the ground had the kind of backup that made enemy forces question their life choices and reconsider their loyalty to the Emperor.

Her service was so legendary that she was chosen as the location for the Japanese surrender on September 2, 1945, in Tokyo Bay. If you think about it, the entire war started with an attack on a U.S. battleship at Pearl Harbor and ended on the deck of another battleship that was now standing victorious over a defeated Japan. That’s some poetic justice—like an action movie with the perfect final scene.

Even after ending a world war, Missouri wasn’t ready to retire. During the Korean War, she was back at it again, bombarding enemy positions and covering amphibious landings. The sight of Mighty Mo unleashing a full broadside must have been a terrifying wake-up call to anyone on the receiving end—probably the maritime equivalent of waking up to find out you’re about to get dunked on by Michael Jordan in his prime. Her combat career wasn’t over yet, though—she was recommissioned in the 1980s, modernized with Tomahawk and Harpoon missiles (because apparently, the Navy thought she needed EVEN MORE FIREPOWER), and sent into action once more during Operation Desert Storm. A ship that fought in WWII, Korea, and the Persian Gulf? Talk about a resume.

Today, she rests at Pearl Harbor, watching over the USS Arizona Memorial—a fitting guardian of the past and a reminder that sometimes, the biggest stick in Teddy Roosevelt’s famous foreign policy was an Iowa-class battleship.

USS New Jersey: The Heavyweight Champion

If Missouri was the showstopper, New Jersey was the heavyweight champion—the battleship that just refused to sit out any major fight. Commissioned in 1943, Big J quickly got to work, hammering Japanese positions during the island-hopping campaigns. From Saipan to the Philippines, she provided relentless gunfire support, reducing enemy strongholds to rubble before U.S. Marines even hit the beaches—because why walk through enemy defenses when you can just erase them from existence?

After WWII, the Navy might have mothballed some battleships, but New Jersey had other plans. She was brought back into service for the Korean War, where she did what she did best—raining down destruction on enemy forces. Her firepower was so effective that even when peace talks were happening, her 16-inch shells were used to remind the North Koreans that negotiations were their best option. Nothing quite says, Let’s work this out diplomatically like a battleship parked offshore ready to deliver a 2,700-pound counterargument.

Fast forward to the Vietnam War, and guess who was called up again? That’s right—New Jersey was the only battleship deployed to the conflict, where she carried out the longest bombardment missions of the war. North Vietnamese forces had little defense against a ship that could send house-sized shells their way from over 20 miles out. One of her most famous missions was shelling supply lines along the Ho Chi Minh Trail, effectively turning the jungle into a lunar landscape.

When the 1980s battleship revival happened, Big J was modernized with Tomahawk and Harpoon missiles, making her a Cold War powerhouse. Because nothing says deterrence quite like a battleship that had already fought in three wars and was still ready for a fourth. Today, she’s a museum ship in Camden, New Jersey, where visitors can walk her decks and appreciate the legacy of the most decorated battleship in U.S. history.

Guns, Firepower, and the Sound of Freedom

Missouri and New Jersey weren’t just famous for their long service—they were floating fortresses armed to the teeth. Both were Iowa-class battleships, meaning they carried:

• Nine 16-inch/50 caliber guns – The same kind of main battery as Massachusetts, but these bad boys had even more range and power. When fired, these shells could travel over 20 miles and land with the force of a small tactical nuke.

• Twenty 5-inch/38 caliber guns – Useful for softening up enemy positions or just making sure nothing got too close.

• Tomahawk cruise missiles (1980s refit) – Because apparently 16-inch shells weren’t enough.

• Harpoon anti-ship missiles (1980s refit) – Because sometimes you need to remind other navies that messing with a battleship is a terrible idea.

When these two ships fired their guns, the entire ocean took notice. Just watching footage of these giants unleashing broadside salvos is enough to make your morning coffee seem weak.

Why This Matters Today

These ships weren’t just built for war—they were built to last. And thanks to places like the Battleship Missouri Memorial in Hawaii and the Battleship New Jersey Museum in Camden, their legacies are preserved for future generations. When you stand on their decks, you’re standing where history happened.

Old Salt Coffee is proud to help keep that history alive by donating $1 from every bag of Haze Gray Battleship Blend sold to the preservation of Missouri and New Jersey. Because when it comes to legendary warships, we think they deserve more than just rusting away in some forgotten shipyard.

So next time you take a sip of Battleship Blend, remember that you’re drinking in the legacy of two of the most badass warships to ever sail the seas. And if you ever visit these ships, be sure to hoist a mug in their honor. After all, they earned it.