Wilmington in New Hanover County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

Sky II

U.S.S. North Carolina

Photographed by Brandon D Cross

1. Sky II Marker

Inscription. This is one of four Mark 37 fire control directors for the secondary battery (5-inch guns). They were called Sky I, II, III, and IV. The gun directors tracked range and bearing to both surface and air targets. They also determined the altitude of air targets. Antennas for the different fire control radars were mounted on top. Despite radar, the men used the 15-foot stereoscopic range finder to get more accurate information.

Each Sky Director had a crew of eight: two officers and six enlisted men.

Erected by Friends of the Battleship North Carolina.

Topics. This memorial is listed in these topic lists: War, World II • Waterways & Vessels.

Location. 34° 14.188′ N, 77° 57.261′ W. Memorial is in Wilmington, North Carolina, in New Hanover County. It is on Battleship Road NE 0.1 miles south of U.S.S. North Carolina Road, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Memorial is at or near this postal address: 1 Battleship Road NE, Wilmington NC 28401, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this memorial is in North Carolina’s Coastal Plain and on the Cape Fear Coast.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

and in the Tidewater.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Magnetic Compass (here, next to this marker); Friendly Fire (here, next to this marker); Flag Plot (here, next to this marker); In the Beginning: 15 Boats

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(a few steps from this marker); U.S.S. North Carolina Battleship Memorial (a few steps from this marker); Battle Ribbons and Kill Board (a few steps from this marker); The Navigators (a few steps from this marker); Boats on the Move: Large Boat Cranes (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Wilmington.

Also see . . . Directors / General Description and Operation Mark I Mod. I Comuter. (Submitted on April 15, 2025, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.)

Photographed by Brandon D Cross

2. Sky II Marker

Photographed by Brandon D Cross, April 12, 2025

3. Sky II

Mark 37 fire control director interior image. Click for full size.

Photographed by NavSource, April 12, 2025

4. Mark 37 fire control director interior

USS North Carolina (BB-55), 1941-1961 image. Click for more information.

via Naval History and Heritage Command, 1944

5. USS North Carolina (BB-55), 1941-1961

Naval History and Heritage Command website entry
Click for more information.

Credits. This page was last revised on May 7, 2025. It was originally submitted on April 15, 2025, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 141 times since then and 15 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on April 15, 2025, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. 5. submitted on May 7, 2025, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.