Description

USS OHIO TALL SHIP WITH SAILS

FULLY BUILT AND READY TO DISPLAY QUALITY SHIP MODEL

Dimension Approx.: 32″ (high) x 7″ (wide) x 28″ (high)
The model is already built, NOT a model ship kit

Across two centuries of American naval history, the name USS Ohio has been carried by vessels that reflect the changing face of maritime power — from a majestic 19th‑century ship of the line to one of the most formidable nuclear‑powered submarines ever built. Together, their stories trace the evolution of the U.S. Navy from wind and sail to the silent precision of the nuclear age.

The Sailing Ship of the Line (1820)

The first USS Ohio was born in the aftermath of the War of 1812, when the young republic sought to strengthen its naval presence on the world stage. Built by master shipwright Henry Eckford at the Brooklyn Navy Yard and launched in 1820, she was designed as a 74‑gun ship of the line — the battleship of her era. In practice, she carried 104 guns, including 34 heavy carronades, making her one of the most powerful warships in the American fleet.

For years she lay in ordinary, awaiting the moment when her strength would be needed. When finally commissioned in 1838, Ohio quickly earned a reputation as an exceptional sailor, capable of exceeding 12 knots, a remarkable speed for a wooden warship of her size. She served with the Mediterranean Squadron, protecting American commerce and projecting U.S. influence abroad. Later, she joined anti‑slavery patrols off Africa, part of the Navy’s growing role in suppressing the transatlantic slave trade.

Her most dramatic service came during the Mexican–American War. Recommissioned in 1846, Ohio supported the siege of Veracruz and took part in the Tuxpan River Expedition, bringing her heavy guns to bear in coastal operations that helped secure American victory. After decades of intermittent service, she was decommissioned in 1875, sold in 1883, and burned the following year — closing the life of one of the last great American ships of the line.

The Modern USS Ohio (SSGN‑726)

More than a century later, the name Ohio returned on a vessel unlike anything imagined in the age of sail. USS Ohio (SSGN‑726), launched in 1979 and commissioned in 1981, was the lead ship of the Ohio‑class, the largest and most powerful fleet ballistic missile submarines ever built by the United States. Ordered during the Cold War, she embodied the era’s strategic doctrine: silent deterrence beneath the sea.

Originally designated SSBN‑726, Ohio carried 24 Trident C4 ballistic missiles, each capable of delivering multiple nuclear warheads. She completed more than 50 strategic deterrent patrols, operating invisibly in the world’s oceans as a cornerstone of America’s nuclear triad. Her commissioning ceremony, attended by Vice President George H. W. Bush, underscored her importance to national defense.

In 2003, Ohio began a dramatic transformation. At Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, she was converted into a guided‑missile submarine (SSGN) — a new role for a new century. Twenty‑two of her missile tubes were refitted to carry up to 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles, giving her immense conventional strike capability. The remaining two tubes were rebuilt as lock‑in/lock‑out chambers for Special Operations Forces, allowing her to deploy Navy SEALs and other elite units covertly. She rejoined the fleet in 2006 as SSGN‑726, a versatile platform for precision strike and clandestine missions.

A Name That Spans Eras

From a towering wooden ship of the line to a stealthy nuclear submarine, the vessels named USS Ohio reflect the Navy’s evolution from broadside warfare to strategic deterrence and precision strike. Each, in its time, represented the height of American naval capability — a legacy carried forward under a name that has stood for strength, innovation, and service across two centuries.