Describes the construction and launching of the USS North Carolina and discusses the battleship's participation in major campaigns in the Pacific theater during World War II. Carefully selected photographs illustrate the text, bringing to life the vessel's dramatic history.

Laid down in 1937 and launched on 9 April 1941, the USS North Carolina was the first new-construction battleship to enter service during WWII and took part in every major naval offensive in the Pacific Theater, becoming the most decorated US battleship of WWII. After a brief post-war stint as a training ship, North Carolina (dubbed in the press as the "Showboat") was laid up in reserve before her eventual movement to Wilmington, and her preservation as a war memorial. This volume traces the history of North Carolina, photographically documenting the evolution of armament and electronics that elevated her pre-Pearl Harbor design to its peak, bristling with guns to counter the threat of kamikaze attack. Records the ship's wartime operations that earned her 12 battle stars, her crew, and their work and recreation.

This volume details the design, construction, and operation of the first six of the ten US fast battleships, two of the North Carolina class and four of the South Dakota class. These six battleships were all authorized in 1936 and were the first vessels built in the US since 1923. Consequently, these ships benefitted from enormous technological leaps, with improvements in ship design, power, armor, armament and the single most important improvement the use of radar guided fire control helping to change the course of the war in the Pacific. Packed with first-hand accounts, battle reports, and specially created artwork this book tells the story of these war-winning vessels.

Lavish illustrations (photographs, site drawings, and artifact sketches) complement this informative and highly readable account. Naval warfare buffs, amateurs and professionals involved in maritime archaeology, and Civil War aficionados will be intrigued and informed by USS Monitor A Historic Ship Completes Its Final Voyage.

Journey with author Kala Ambrose as she explores the most terrifying paranormal spots in the state of North Carolina. She begins in the coastal wetlands of East Carolina where she explores haunted lighthouses, battleships, forts, and the shipwrecked beaches where Blackbeard and his pirates still roam. She tours the Piedmont area of NC and visits the most actively haunted capitol in the US and interacts with the ghost of a former NC State Governor. Her journey continues west into the Blue Ridge Mountains where the ghost known as the pink lady and her friends await your presence at the historic Grove Park Inn, where many presidents, celebrities and ghosts have stayed over the decades. Travel information is provided to each haunted location for those brave enough to make the journey in person and for paranormal researchers who are interested in exploring haunted North Carolina. Join Kala Ambrose as your guide to Ghosthunting North Carolina as she takes you behind the scenes with detailed information about each destination.