Battleships of WW1
Battleships did not play a major roll in World War 1 due to the fuel shortages caused by the years of European conflict prior to the US entry into WW1.
Their immense guns were cannibalized by the Coastal Artillery Corps and gave them a great advantage in artillery range against the Germans.
Naval guns of ten inch caliber, effective at range of 15 miles.
National Archives photo CN3122 Group 64, IWM
The big guns of the Naval battleships were removed from the ship decks and mounted on railroad cars for use in the inland battlefields of Europe.
USS San Diego (banner photo above) was launched in 1904 and served as the flagship of the Pacific fleet. She was brought to the Atlantic as WW 1 began in Europe to serve as an escort for the convoys navigating the dangerous waters of the Atlantic. She never lost a ship under her watch.
The San Diego was originally christened the California. She was over 500 ft in length and carried three 18" guns and could travel at a speed of over 22 knots.
She was sunk by a massive explosion of her boilers off the coast of Nantucket. The boilers were a secondary but fatal explosion and it is uncertain what caused the initial explosion. Later investigations believe she fell victim to a German service mine laid by the U-156. Six lives were lost.
The San Diego still rests off of the coast of Fire Island as a living, artificial reef.
See: http://www.ecophotoexplorers.com/sandiego.asp
USS Pennsylvania
National Archives Photo, IWM
The United States battleship Pennsylvania, showing an unusual view of some of her heavy guns. This vessel is the pride of the Navy and was selected to escort President Wilson on his voyage to Europe to attend the Peace Conference. She led the way across the Atlantic, steaming ahead of the George Washington, on which the President and his party of 200 were passengers. She carries twelve 14-inch and twenty-two 5 inch guns.