Question: How did the USS North Carolina earn the nickname “Showboat”?
Answer: There are two explanations for how the USS North Carolina (BB-55) earned the nickname “Showboat.” One is connected to the intense media and public attention she received during her construction, fitting out, and sea trials as the first modern U.S. fast battleship commissioned in over 16 years. The other attributes it to the crew of the USS Washington, who jokingly played the Broadway tune Here Comes the Showboat over the radio when the ship joined the fleet.
