Full-screen images are linked from the images in the text below.
Statistics:
Displacement: 16,094 tons
Length: 441'3"
Beam: 76'2"
Draft: 25'10"
Speed: 19 knots
Complement: 1,108
Armament: Four 12" guns; eight 8" guns; twelve 6" guns; eleven 3" guns, four 21" torpedo tubes
Class: Virginia
Text from The Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships published by the Naval Historical Center
Nebraska (BB-14), ex-Pennsylvania, was laid down by Moran
Brothers, Seattle, Washington, 4 July 1902; launched
7 October 1904; sponsored by Miss Mary N. Mickey, daughter
of Governor John H. Mickey of Nebraska; and commissioned
1 July 1907, Captain Reginald F. Nicholson in command.
After shakedown and alterations, the new battleship joined the
"Great White Fleet" at San Francisco after 6 May 1908, replacing
USS Alabama (BB-8).
Departing San Francisco 7 July 1908, the Fleet visited Honolulu,
Hawaii; Auckland, New Zealand; Sydney and Melbourne, Australia;
Manila, Philippine Islands; Yokohama, Japan; and Colombo,
Ceylon, arriving Suez, Egypt, 3 January 1909. Departing Messina,
Italy, on the 9th, the Fleet visited Naples, Italy, then
Gibraltar, arriving Hampton Roads 22 February where President
Theodore Roosevelt reviewed the fleet as it passed into the
roadstead.
Nebraska continued duty with the Atlantic Fleet. She attended
the Hudson-Fulton Celebration in 1910 and the Louisiana
Centennial during 1912. She earned the Mexican Service Medal for
operations at Vera Cruz, Mexico, from 1 May to 21 June 1914 and
1 June to 13 October 1916. After a period of reduced
commissioned service, she was again placed in full commission 3
April 1917.
When war was declared 6 April 1917, Nebraska was undergoing
repairs at the Boston Navy Yard, attached to the 3d Division,
Battleship Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet. On 13 April 1917 she
departed Boston to engage in maneuvers and battle practice with
the fleet in the Chesapeake Bay area. She operated along the
east coast, primarily training armed guard crews for American
merchantmen, until entering the Norfolk Navy Yard 15 April 1918
for repairs.
At Hampton Roads 16 May 1917, she received on board the body of
the late Carlos M. DePena, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister
Plenipotentiary from Uruguay, with full honors, departing
Hampton Roads the same day and arriving Montevideo 10 June in
company with USS Pittsburgh (ACR-4), flagship of the Pacific Fleet.
The Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet, came on board for
the ceremonies and the body of the late Uruguyan Minister to the
United States was transferred with full honors. Nebraska
departed Montevideo 15 June for home, arriving Hampton Roads 26
July.
The battleship departed New York 17 September 1917 as principal
escort for a fast merchant convoy of 18 ships to an eastern
Atlantic rendezvous, returning to Hampton Roads 3 October.
Nebraska made two more convoy voyages in the Atlantic, returning
from the latter 2 December to prepare for service in returning
American troops from France.
Nebraska made four voyages from the United States to Brest,
France, transporting 4,540 troops to and from the United States.
On the first trip, she departed Hampton Roads 30 December 1918,
arrived Brest 11 January 1919, and returned Newport News 28
January. The final voyage to return veterans from France ended
when she arrived Newport News, Virginia, 21 June with 1,279
troops.
On 22 June 1919 Nebraska was detached from the transport service
and shortly thereafter sailed to join Division 2, Squadron 1,
U.S. Pacific Fleet, for operations along the west coast under
command of Captain P. N. Olmstead until she decommissioned 2
July 1920.
In accordance with the Washington Treaty limiting naval
armament, Nebraska was rendered incapable of further warlike
service 9 November 1923 and sold for scrap a few weeks later.
-USN-
Updated: 12 May 2000
Return to the Battleship List
