Was I the only one that caught it...?

The History Channel got it right in a way I suppose. The Missouri was laid down on 6 January, 1941 and the Wisconsin on 25 January, 1941. So that would make the Missouri seem to the older of the two. BUT...The Wisconsin was launched on 7 December, 1943 whereas the Missouri was launched on 29 January 1944. The Wisconsin was commisioned on 16 April 1944 and the Missouri on 11 June, 1944 making it the last one commisioned.

Thanks for the clarity Subfixer...but now I wonder why the two were launched and commissioned in sequence different from their numbering?

It was common for ships to be built slightly out of sequence according to hull number. Specific warships were assigned their hull numbers long before they were ever built. Contracts were issued to roughly schedule the construction sequence according to hull number, but once the contracts were awarded the realities of wartime production took over. The ships were laid down whenever the allotted way was freed up, regardless of hull number order. Ships were being built as fast as possible, and the yard building the Wisconsin was little bit faster to complete her than the yard building the Missouri.

Regards,

Chris Friedenbach
Crewmember, SS Jeremiah O'Brien

Yeah, what he said.

QUOTE: Originally posted by subfixer Yeah, what he said.

Ditto