US Navy photo NH 55013

USS San Diego , lost July 19, 1918, she lies 66 feet deep in waters off of the coast of Long Island New York, thought to have been sunk by a German Mine. The explosion was so violent that she sunk in only 23 minutes, all but six men survived. Originally christened the USS California, she was a Pennsylvania Class armored cruiser. She was commissioned in 1904 and had served off of the coast of California, Hawaii and the Asiatic Station. She also served in Nicaragua and Mexican waters prior to WW1.

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

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 Pensylvania

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.

Other US Battleships:

USS Saratoga Built in 1892, 8,200 ton, 570 crew. Capable of 20 knots and carried 6, 8" and 12, 4" guns. She was renamed the Rochester in 1917.

USS Brooklyn Built in 1896, 9,200 ton, 570 crew and capable of 20 knots.

USS Tennessee Built 1906-08, 14,000 ton, 22 knots and required a crew of 860.

USS Texas was the only battleship to serve in both WWI and WWII

USS Delaware Launched in 1909 and was part of the US squadron that served with the 6th Battle Squadron of British Fleet. 20,380 tons, 20 knots and carried a crew of 933 she served on convoy duty but had no enemy encounters.

USS North Dakota Launched in 1908. 20,000 tons, 20 knots. She bore a crew of 933 and served as a training vessel stateside during the war.

USS Utah

USS Utah U.S. Naval Historical Center photo NH63201.

USS Utah A Florida class, steam turbine driven 20 knot battleship, she served convoy duty in the Atlantic and was part of the honor guard for President Wilson at the Paris Peace Conference. Lost at Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941. U.S. Naval Historical Center photo NH63201.

USS Kansas 1910 - 1924 Connecticut class. 16,000 tons, 18 knots, 4 12", 8 8" 12 7" and 20 3" guns. She carried a crew of 881 and served carrying troops home after the war.

USS Virginia One of five ships of the "Virginia Class". 14,900 tom, 19 knots with 4 12", 8 6" 12 6" guns and a crew of 810.

USS Georgia 1906 - 1923 A Virginia class, She served in the Atlantic, Mexico and Haiti prior to WW1. USS Georgia 1907 She was out of commission until 1917, but served for training duty and convoy duty in 1918. She brought almost 6,000 troops home after the war in five voyages.

USS Georgia Courtesy of the Naval Historical Foundation, Washington, D.C., U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

USS Louisiana 1906-1923, Connecticut class She voyaged around the world from 1907-09 from the Mediterranean, Ceylon, China, Japan, Philippines, Australia, Hawaii, South America and Trinidad as part of the Great White Fleet. in 1906 she carried President Theodore Roosevelt to Panama. Her war service was limited to gunnery and engineering training but participated in convoy duty in the last two months of the war. She served as troop transport in brining the veterans home after the war.

USS Arizona Built in 1913 and was the second and last of the Pennsylvania Class "super-dreadnought" battleships and primarily served stateside during WWI. She was part of the escort of the USS George Washington that carried President Wilson to the Paris Peace Conference on December 13, 1918. 31,400 tons and required a crew of 1,385. She was sunk on December 7, 1941 at Pearl Harbor by the Japanese leading the United States into WWII. 1,177 lives were lost when the Arizona was destroyed.