| Click On Image For Full Size Image | Size | Image Description | Contributed By And/Or Copyright |
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 | 377k | Taken from the U.S. battleship Michigan (BB-27), the target, anchored in Chesapeake Bay, with the Rhode Island (BB-17) standing by passing a line to take it in tow. The ships take turns at towing the target. | Photo by Enrique Mueller Jr. Image and text provided by Library of Congress, Washington, DC. Photo from New-York Tribune. (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 9 May 1915, Image 51, courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov. | |
 | 377k | The fourth division of the U.S. Battleship Fleet on the firing line, Southern Drill grounds. This photo is taken from the Nebraska (BB-14), the name of which is written on a life preserver. The lower photo shows the U.S. battleship Michigan (BB-27) taking aboard a drenching spray from a heavy swell. |
Photo by Enrique Mueller Jr. Image and text provided by Library of Congress, Washington, DC. Photo from New-York Tribune. (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 9 May 1915, Image 51, courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov. | |
 | 250k | OUTLINED AGAINST A CURTAIN OF DARKNESS A fleet of destroyers and torpedo-boats has now arrived at New York to join the heavy ships of the line. Altogether, about 50 vessels will be assembled when the ceremonies began next Monday. It is promised that the strained international relations will have no effect on the parade. | Photo by International News Service. Image and text provided by Penn State University Libraries; University Park, PA. Photo & text by Evening Public Ledger. (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 13 May 1915, Night Extra, Image 16, courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov. | |
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62k | "Sam Taylor of the Michigan (BB-27) winning the middle weight championship of the Atlantic Fleet from Mike Davis of the New Hampshire (BB-25)." | Text courtesy of N.Y. Times 16 May 1915, Page 1. Photo by International News Agency, courtesy of memory.loc.gov. | |
 | 196k | Michigan in the lead followed by Nebraska, (BB-14) exercise together between 1910 & 1915. | Digital ID # ggbain 09626, LC-B2-2272-9. Source: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, from the George Grantham Bain Collection. | |
 | 62k | "Battleship South Carolina (BB-26) at a distance of nine miles, firing on a target seen between the towers of water during the naval games in Chesapeake Bay, just concluded. The observers on a sister ship in the foreground are only a few hundred yards away." | Text courtesy of N.Y. Times 31 October 1915, page 8. USN photo by Enrique Muller Jr, courtesy of memory.loc.gov. | |
 | 715k | NEW GUNS FOR BATTLESHIP MICHIGAN (BB-27) AT NAVY YARD Defects have been found in her main battery, these new 12-inch guns are being placed aboard the Michigan (BB-27), which is undergoing repairs at Leauge Island under rush orders. | Image provided by: Penn State University Libraries; University Park, PA. Photo from The Evening Public Ledger. (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942,Night Extra, 26 April 1916, Image 1, PDF courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov. |
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 | 482k | Exclusive photograph showing how a 12-inch gun on battleship Michigan (BB-27) cracked along virtually its entire length in recent firing practice off Guantanamo Bay. As a result of the discovery of this defect, all four big guns in the forward turrets have been discarded and new ones are being mounted while the ship is undergoing repairs at the Navy Yard. | Image provided by: Penn State University Libraries; University Park, PA. Photo from The Evening Public Ledger. (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942,Postscript Edition, 27 April 1916, Image 16. PDF courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov. |
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 | 75k | View looking aft along the port side, showing barrel of burst 12-inch gun on deck with the gun's rear portion in Turret # 2. Photographed at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, Pennsylvania, 25 September 1916. Note holes in superstructure and in the "cage" foremast caused by this accident. | U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph # NH 61254. | |
 | 100k | View of damage to upper deck and winch received when the left 12" gun mount of Turret Two burst. Taken at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, 28 Sept. 1916. | U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph # NH 46293. | |
 | 56k | U.S. Atlantic Fleet at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, circa 1916-1917. Second section from left (of six) of a panoramic photograph taken from the Naval Station radio tower. Among the ships present are: battleships South Carolina (BB-26) and Michigan (BB-27)(toward the left, in no particular order); destroyers Drayton (left center) and Aylwin (center, middle distance); and a battleship that is either Wyoming (BB-32) or Arkansas (BB-33) (right foreground). | U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph # NH 76418, courtesy of the Naval Historical Foundation, Washington, D.C. Donation of MMC Jesse Forton, USN (Retired), 1972. | |
 | 2.6m | Photographed by O.W. Waterman, Hampton, Virginia, circa 1916-17. She is wearing horizontal "two-tone" paint scheme, possibly a camouflage experiment. | U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph # NH 106438. The original photograph, given to Michigan (SSGN-727) by Mr. Sanford Aronoff, was donated by the ship to the Naval History and Heritage Command in 2008. | |
 | 322k | Port side view of the Michigan (BB-27) underway, circa 1916. | Photo by E. Muller, Jr. Contributed by Roy C. Thomas from the book,"The United States Navy", published in 1919. | |
 | 2.7m | Michigan's (BB-27) Officers and Crew, photographed on board in 1918 by O.W. Waterman, Hampton, Virginia. Note the ship's bandsmen seated in the front row with their musical instruments. | U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph # NH 106439. The original photograph, given to Michigan (SSGN-727) by Mr. Sanford Aronoff, was donated by the ship to the Naval History and Heritage Command in 2008. | |
 | 126k | View looking aft from atop Turret # 2, showing Michigan's (BB-27) collapsed "cage" foremast, which had buckled in an Atlantic storm on 15 January 1918. Photographed at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, Pennsylvania, 28 January 1918. Note details of armored conning tower, and tripod-mounted rangefinder atop it. | U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph # NH 46283. | |
 | 412k | Michigan (BB-27) in port, soon after her "cage" foremast collapsed in an Atlantic storm on 15 January 1918. | U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph # NH 106440. The original photograph, given to Michigan (SSGN-727) by Mr. Sanford Aronoff, was donated by the ship to the Naval History and Heritage Command in 2008. | |
 | 1.28k | HERCULES This great derrick, called "Hercules," is here seen lifting a steel mast at the plant of the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company. It is said to be one of the largest electrically operated revolving derricks in the world. The photograph, with others of a similar nature, appeared in The National Marine. Assuming this photograph wasn't aging in a camera somewhere, the mast most likely belongs to the Michigan (BB-27). The only other battleship built within a year of this date was the Mississippi (BB-41), which was commissioned 18 December 1917. |
Image and text provided by Library of Congress, Washington, DC. Photo from New-York Tribune. (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 14 April 1918, Image 43, courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov. | |
 | 243k | Looking forward from the main turrets. | Photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com. | |
 | 65k | Leviathan (ID # 1326) in New York Harbor, 1918, with a tug steaming by on the right and a battleship in the left background.
Photographed by E. Muller, Jr., 198 Broadway, New York City, and printed on postcard stock. The ship in the photo is either South Carolina (BB-26) or Michigan (BB-27) (this is the after portion of the ship we see). The significant tell-tales are the "step-in" on visible funnel and its distance from the main mast (other dreadnought classes crowded the funnels and mast together) and the location of end of the foredeck. The foredeck for the Delaware class(BB-28 / 29) and Florida class(BB-30 / 31) ended near the fore mast, whereas here we see most of the secondary battery gun-house atop the foredeck (rather than case-mates in the hull) and the foredeck continuing aft to the mainmast before stepping down to the main weather deck. The structure between the funnel and mast is the king-post of the port-side boat crane with a 3" gun platform on top; in this class the starboard side crane was situated outboard of the forward funnel. The size and shape of the fighting top is also consistent with the a South Carolina Class. The barrels of the No. 4 are concealed by the bow of the Leviathan but the turret is visible. The structure sitting above where the No. 3 turret should be as well as that, which extends from it to the Leviathan's bow above the No. 4 Turret would seem to belong to another ship anchored beyond the BB, its funnel being visible above the Leviathan's foredeck (note the black funnel cap). Throughout 1918, both ships were on training duty and convoy escort along the East coast until the Armistice when both were used as transports to bring troops home. To determine which of the 2 BB's this is, it would be helpful to know when each would have made port in NYC at the same time as the Leviathan. The Leviathan reportedly received her dazzle scheme in March 1918 at Liverpool, while postwar photos (March 1919) show her sporting an overall drab (probably gray) scheme. As the photo does not show her decks teeming with GI's we can assume that the photo shows her entering harbor after taking a load of troops to Europe (i.e. pre-armistice). During this time she made 8 trips to Europe. NHC attributes dazzle photos of the Leviathan in NYC in early July and Mid April. Leviathan was painted out of camouflage by 16 December 1918, when she arrived at N.Y. with 8000 homeward-bound troops on board, and was almost certainly painted overall gray before leaving for France to pick up that batch of Soldiers, which (given her transit speed of about 23 knots) would have been about two weeks earlier (say, late November or very early December). As for what Leviathan was doing at the time the photo was taken, I can't say for sure. It is possible that the Leviathan was returning to New York (actually across the Hudson River at Hoboken, N.J., which was her base) after taking troops to France. However, she might also just be shifting position in N.Y. Harbor. | U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph # NH 105389. Donation of Charles R. Haberlein Jr., 2007. Photo I.d. courtesy of Chris Hoehn & David C. Nilsen. Additional text courtesy of Charles R. Haberlein Jr. | |
 | 77k | Firing 12 inch guns aboard U.S. dreadnought Michigan (BB-27) at night. The white part is flame, the black gas, which disappears instantaneously. | Photo by Enrique Mueller Jr. Image and text provided by Library of Congress, Washington, DC. Photo from New-York Tribune. (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 10 Feb. 1918, Image 55, courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov. | |
 | 2.2m | "Four gun salvo at the instant of fire." Looking forward from the maintop of the Michigan (BB-27). The concussion of the guns at the moment of discharge released the shutter of the camera lens, thus producing this remarkable view of actual gunfire. | USN photo # 22474-8-54 by Enrique Muller Jr, courtesy of Darryl Baker. | |
 | 59k | Michigan (BB-27) with decks cleared for action. A striking an intimate picture that gives one a definite impression of this sea fighter's businesslike efficiency. | Image & text provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC. PDF courtesy of New-York Tribune. (New York [N.Y.])1866-1924, 14 March 1920, Image 53, via chroniclingamerica.loc.gov. | |
 | 367k | Steam launches parked off her port side while at anchor with awnings over her rear turrets. | USN photo courtesy of David Buell. | |
 | 77k | Underway 1919. | USN photo courtesy of Larry Bonn. | |
 | 377k | A Navy wedding at League Island aboard the Michigan (BB-27). | Image provided by: Penn State University Libraries; University Park, PA. Photo from The Evening Public Ledger. (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 27 May 1919, via chroniclingamerica.loc.gov. |
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298k | Two battleships lay before a dry-dock with a collier in the distance before the mountains, probably in the Pacific after 1919 docked near one of the locks of the Panama Canal (Pedro Miguel?). The Ships both have 2 funnels between two cage masts and at least two flat roofed two-gunned super-firing turrets (One turret mounted high enough to fire over the top of its neighbor) facing aft which means that they are not pre-dreadnoughts. The flat roofed turrets makes them 12" guns. By comparing the relative distances between the two mast and the distance between the after-most mast the the most forward after turret and it becomes evident that there not enough room for an additional turret between the mast and the turret, therefore, there can be only 4 turrets total (2 forward and 2 aft). This leaves us with only 2 ships (America's first dreadnoughts South Carolina (BB-26) & Michigan (BB-27). Following overhaul at Philadelphia during May and June, Michigan resumed training exercises in the Atlantic until 6 August, when she was placed in limited commission at Philadelphia Navy Yard. She next put to sea 19 May 1919, sailing to Annapolis to embark midshipmen for a training cruise through the Panama Canal to Honolulu, Hawaii, arriving 3 July. The cruise continued to major west coast naval bases and Guantanamo Bay before the battleship returned home in September. Following an overhaul at the Norfolk Navy Yard, South Carolina embarked midshipmen at Annapolis for a cruise to the Pacific. She departed Annapolis on 5 June 1920, transited the Panama Canal, sailed to Hawaii, and then to the west coast. She visited Seattle, San Francisco, and San Diego as she sailed down the western seaboard. South Carolina cleared San Diego on 11 August, re-transited the canal, and sailed for Annapolis on 2 September; then she headed on to Philadelphia, where she remained for seven months. |
Photo i.d. & text courtesy of Chris Hoehn. Partial text courtesy of DANFS. Photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com. |
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 | 69k | Philadelphia Navy Yard, Pennsylvania. Older warships in the Reserve Basin, 18 November 1919, as seen by a Philadelphia Evening Ledger photographer. Ships are (front row, left to right): Missouri (BB-11); one Connecticut class battleship; Michigan (BB-27); and Saint Louis (C-20). Those in the back row are (left to right): Maine (BB-10); Kentucky (BB-6);Kearsarge (BB-5); Indiana (BB-1); Massachusetts (BB-2); Iowa (BB-4); Wisconsin (BB-9); and Illinois (BB-7). | U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph # NH 42525. | |
 | 143k | Entering Honolulu Harbor, Hawaii, "with the U.S. Fleet Second Observation Group," 7 March 1920 photo showing the ship in her final appearance. Range clocks and turret deflection scales have been added. Due to her short length superstructure, boats are carried amidships. Broadside 3" gun shutter doors are open here, but the guns have been removed. | USN photo. | |
 | 697k | Removing gun from forward 12" turret; Lifting sling in place,Michigan (BB-27) PNY, 26 September 1923. | US National Archives photo # 19LC-21-G-3632, from NARA, College Park, Maryland, courtesy of Sean Hert, Webmaster & Editor ModelWarships.com. Photo added 11/08/11. |
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 | 556k | Hauling out gun from forward 12" turret; Lifting sling in place, Michigan (BB-27) PNY, 9 October 1923. | US National Archives photo # 19LC-21-G-3627, from NARA, College Park, Maryland, courtesy of Sean Hert, Webmaster & Editor ModelWarships.com. Photo added 11/08/11. |
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 | 608k | Gun rotated ready for hauling out; forward 12" turret, Michigan (BB-27) PNY, 9 October 1923. | US National Archives photo # 19LC-21-G-3630, from NARA, College Park, Maryland, courtesy of Sean Hert, Webmaster & Editor ModelWarships.com. Photo added 11/08/11. |
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 | 512k | Broadside of Michigan (BB-27) dimantled for sale, PNY, 16 October 1923. The battleship in the background is the South Carolina (BB-26). |
US National Archives photo # 19LC-21-G-3634, from NARA, College Park, Maryland, courtesy of Sean Hert, Webmaster & Editor ModelWarships.com. Photo added 11/08/11. |
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 | 768k | Forward deck of Michigan (BB-27), dimantled for sale, PNY, 16 October 1923. | US National Archives photo # 19LC-21-G-3635, from NARA, College Park, Maryland, courtesy of Sean Hert, Webmaster & Editor ModelWarships.com. Photo added 11/08/11. |
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 | 768k | After deck of Michigan (BB-27), dimantled for sale, PNY, 16 October 1923. | US National Archives photo # 19LC-21-G-3636, from NARA, College Park, Maryland, courtesy of Sean Hert, Webmaster & Editor ModelWarships.com. Photo added 11/08/11. |
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 | 746k | Amidship of Michigan (BB-27), dismantled for sale, PNY, 26 October 1923. Details of her bridge and upper deck are clear. Note the small chart house at the base of her mast and the flimsiness of the weather protection around her flying bridge. Many photos of this type were taken to prove the U.S. was complying in accordance with the Washington Naval Treaty. | Text courtesy of U.S. Battleships: An Illustrated Design History by Norman Friedman. US National Archives photo # 19LC-21-G-3637, from NARA, College Park, Maryland, courtesy of Sean Hert, Webmaster & Editor ModelWarships.com. Photo added 11/08/11. |
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 | 82k | 5 January 1925 photo of the Michigan (BB-27) being scrapped at the Philadelphia Navy Yard in accordance with the Washington Naval Treaty. | USN photo. | |
 | 371k | A guest studies a painting depicting the history of battleships. The artwork was painted by George Skybeck and presented to the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association during their annual banquet at Honolulu, Hawaii, on 8 Dec 1991. | USN photo # DN-SC-92-05391, by PHC Carolyn Harris, from the Department of Defense Still Media Collection, courtesy of dodmedia.osd.mil. | |
Additional Michigan Images
2 General Views Of Michigan From The Library Of Congress Server.
USS MICHIGAN BB-27 History
View This Vessels DANFS History Entry
(Located On The Hazegray & Underway Web Site, This Is The Main Archive For The DANFS Online Project.)
Crew Contact And Reunion Information
Not Applicable To This Ship
Additional Resources
Hazegray & Underway Battleship Pages By Andrew Toppan.
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