When Captain John L. McCrea was the commanding officer of USS Iowa (1943-1944), the ship was like a small city. These pictures taken during that period will give you an idea of the ship’s amenities.

There was a soda fountain…

And a bakery, although there was no case of goodies for customers to admire.

There was a barber shop, but the men didn’t have much choice in hair styles.

The galley prepared meals, but the dining service wasn’t great. You had to wait…

in a chow line and serve yourself.

For the treatment of medical problems, there was the “hospital” known as sick bay. Private rooms were unavailable. For the care of teeth…

there was a dental office. Not too much privacy there either.

As far as I know, Iowa didn’t have a gym, but the men managed to get their exercise anyway…

The men did calisthenics on the quarterdeck…

And there was plenty of deck swabbing to keep them fit.

Photos from the National Archives in College Park, MD.