Battleship New Jersey completes move to Philadelphia Navy Yard for maintenance

PHILADELPHIA - The USS New Jersey completed its journey to the Philadelphia Navy Yard on Wednesday.

There, the vessel will be undergoing extensive maintenance work that is expected to take about two months to complete. 

The ship was first guided by tugboats to Paulsboro Marine Terminal where it was balanced to prepare for dry docking. Wednesday, tugboats guided it through the final stretch into the Navy Yard. 

Three major repair projects are planned, including repainting the ship’s hull, fixing the anti-corrosion system underneath the ship and inspecting through-hull openings.

The battleship, which was built in the 1940s in Philadelphia, served for about 50 years before its retirement in February 1991. It has been a floating museum since 2001. The ship was built at the former Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and was launched from there on Dec. 7, 1942, the first anniversary of the Japanese air attack on Pearl Harbor.

The ship is the most decorated battleship in Navy history, earning distinction in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War and conflicts in the Middle East, according to its website. The ship steamed more miles, fought in more battles and fired more shells in combat than any other battleship.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.