USS Georgia
General Statistics
Displacement: 14,948 tons
Length: 441.3 feet
Beam: 76.3 feet
Draft: 23.8 feet
Speed: 19 knots
Complement: 40 officers and 772 men
Armament: 4 x 12 inch guns
8 x 8 inch guns
12 x 6 inch guns
The first USS Georgia (BB-15) was a Virginia-class battleship.
She was launched by the Bath Iron Works of Bath, Maine, on the 11th of October 1904, sponsored by Miss Stella Tate.
This picture was taken on October 11, 1904 at the launch of the USS Georgia at Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine.
I understand that the Georgia was the only battleship ever built at Bath Iron Works.
She was commissioned at the Boston Navy Yard on the 24th of September 1906, with Captain R. G. Davenport in command.
Here she is making 17.07 knots on Run #9 of her trials on 13 June 1909. Note that her six inch broadside guns have yet to be installed.
After Georgia was fitted out and completed a short shakedown cruise, she joined the U.S. Atlantic Fleet as Flagship of 2nd Division, Squadron 1. Georgia departed Hampton Roads on the 26th of March 1907 for Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where she participated in gunnery practice with the Fleet. After returning briefly to Boston Navy Yard for repairs, Georgia joined with other ships of the Atlantic Fleet in ceremonies opening the Jamestown Exposition. President Theodore Roosevelt and other dignitaries present reviewed the Fleet on the 10th of June 1907, and the 11th of June was proclaimed "Georgia Day" at the exposition in special ceremonies aboard Georgia.
View looking forward from the stern showing the ships after 12”/40 and 8”/45 “superposed” gun turret and her mainmast circa 1907-1908. Note the heavy coal smoke billowing from her stacks.
Georgia next sailed with the Fleet for target practice in Cape Cod Bay, arriving on the15th of June. During these drills, on the 15th of July, a powder charge ignited prematurely in her aft 8 inch turret, killing 10 officers and men and injuring 11. Condolences for the loss from this tragic accident were received from all over the world.
Here is a picture of the aft 8 inch turret where the accident occurred.
The powerful battleship then participated in the tercentenary of the landing of the first English Colonists for the period 16 August to 21 August 1907, after which she rejoined the Fleet for battle maneuvers before mooring at League Island, New York, on the 24 of September, for overhaul.
Here is a fine shot of the Georgia in all her glory:
Arriving in Hampton Roads on the 7th of December 1907, the Georgia gathered with the other battleships of the Great White Fleet.
A photo from the afterdeck of the USS Georgia as the Great White Fleet enter the Straits Magellan, Chile circa 7-8 February 1908. Note the Georgias quaterdeck whaleboat, on davits in left centre and “dotter” gunnery practice aiming device at right.
After her return from the cruise with the Great White Fleet the Georgia was overhauled, and received cage masts that were the hallmark of so many US battleships of this era.
This is a picture of her off Philadelphia on the 19th of June 1909 after modernization with “cage” masts.
The USS Georgia continued to serve with the Atlantic Fleet in exercises and battle maneuvers, with periods of overhaul interspersed, until the 2nd of November 1910 when President William Howard Taft reviewed the Fleet prior to its departure for France. In an elaborate battle and scouting problem, Georgia and the other battleships continued their training, visiting Weymouth, England, and returning to Guantanamo Bay on the 13th of March 1911.
From 1911 to 1913, Georgia continued to train and serve as a ceremonial ship.
This is the Georgia dressed with flags and with crew members manning the rails, during the Naval Review in New York Harbour in October 1912.
On the 5th of June 1913 she participated in a 2-month practice cruise for United States Naval Academy midshipmen. After a long overhaul period in Boston Navy Yard, Georgia arrived off the coast of Mexico on the 14th of January 1914 with other Fleet units to protect American interests in the troubled Veracruz-Tampico area. The battleship returned briefly to Norfolk, Virginia, in March, but was soon back cruising Mexican waters, and from August to October 1914 cruised off Haiti for the protection of American civilians in that country.
After another period of overhaul, Georgia joined the Fleet off Cuba on the 25th of February 1915 for winter maneuvers, and spent the rest of the year in training and ceremonial duties with the Atlantic Fleet Battleship Force. She arrived at Boston Navy Yard for overhaul on the 20th of December 1915 and was decommissioned the 27th of January 1916.
Assigned as a receiving ship at Boston, Georgia was called to duty at the outbreak of World War I, and commissioned again the 6th of April 1917. For the next 18 months, she operated with the 3rd Division, Battleship Force, in fleet tactical exercises and merchant crew gunnery training, based in the York River, Virginia. She joined with Cruiser Force Atlantic briefly in September 1918 to escort convoys to meet their eastern escorts, and beginning on the 10th of December 1918 was fitted out as a transport and attached to the Cruiser and Transport Force for the purpose of returning troops of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) to the United States. Georgia made five voyages to France from December 1918 to June 1919 and brought home nearly 6,000 soldiers.
Georgia was next transferred to the Pacific Fleet as flagship of Division 2, Squadron 1. She left Boston for San Diego, via the Panama Canal, 16 July 1919, and after participating in ceremonial operations for two months, entered Mare Island Navy Yard for repairs on the 20th of September, 1919.
This is a picture looking down from the foremast during coaling, at the Charleston Navy Yard, South Carolina circa 1919.
Note the Georgia’s port 8”/45 gun turret and coal barges alongside with crewman bagging coal to be hoisted on board.
Here Georgia stayed until decommissioning on the 15th of July, 1920. She was eventually sold for scrap on the 1st of November 1923 in accordance with the Washington Naval Treaty for the limitation of naval armaments, and her name was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on the10th of November, 1923.
Regards
Sean
