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USS Alabama (BB-8)

1900 WORLD WAR 1

History of USS Alabama (BB-8)

USS Alabama (BB-8) was a turn of the century "pre-dreadnought" battleship built for the United States Navy (USN) before World War I (1914-1918). The type was the second of the three-man Illinois-class battleships led by USS Illinois (BB-7) and booked by USS Wisconsin (BB-9).

The aircraft carrier USS Alabama was built by William Cramp and Son of Philadelphia on December 1, 1896, launched on May 18, 1898, and officially commissioned on October 16, 1900.

When complete, the USS Alabama will have a full displacement of 12,450 tons, an overall length of 374 feet, a beam of 72.2 feet, and a draft of 23.5 feet. Power comes from 8 fire tube boiler units feeding 2 10,000 hp vertical triple expansion steam engines on 2 shafts under the stern.

This gave the warship a straight-line speed of 16 knots.

An operator of 536 employees on board.

Armament consists of 4 x 13" (330 mm) / 35 caliber main guns, 14 x 6" (152 mm) / 40 caliber secondary guns and 16 x 6 pound (57 mm) three guns. There are also 6 x 1 lb (37 mm) guns and 4 x 18 in (450 mm) torpedo tubes.

Armor protection up to 16.5", 14" turret, 15" turret, 6" turret and 10" turret.

All in all, this warship is well equipped with usable sea speed and a large crew.

The "pre-dreadnought" classification mentioned above stems from the fact that Alabama was a "hybrid gun" battleship that appeared before the British-born HMS Dreadnought splashed into the naval scene. HMS Dreadnought appeared in 1906 and completely rewrote the accepted frontline/capital ship scheme, namely due to her unified main guns and complete reliance on steam power - by the standards of the time she proved both capable and fast, while being relatively well armored and survivability. The appearance of this particular warship prompted a naval arms race in Europe prior to (and greatly contributed to) World War I.

The Illinois class is considered an interim solution, while a more advanced modern design is in development. As a result, the three warships incorporated modern and early qualities of the time, including fire tube boiler installations and antiquated armor protection systems.

More modern features include a new turret design and greatly improved performance specs, making it a worthwhile investment as we enter the new century.

During her early departure, USS Alabama spent seven years participating in peacetime exercises in North Atlantic waters, making stops at Allied ports throughout Europe and the Mediterranean. From December 1907 to February 1909, Alabama became part of the mighty fleet that traversed the globe as the "Great White Fleet" was put in place to show the world the power of the U.S. Navy - however, its mechanical problems forced it stay in the US.

Unable to complete the journey.

From 1909 to 1912, the warship underwent an overhaul/modernization to maintain it as a viable floating deterrent for the foreseeable future. In the years following the reconstruction, she was used as a training platform for the Atlantic Reserve Fleet and remained in that position when World War I broke out in Europe in July 1914.

The USS Alabama did not see any combat action during World War I and so survived unscathed. Her seafaring service ended on May 7, 1920, when she officially retired. After being hit from the Navy register, it was stripped of its wartime use and subsequently used as a bombing target for U.S.

Army Air Service pilots in September 1921. The rest of her was scrapped in March 1924an unremarkable end to a key pre-war U.S. Navy warship.