| Click On Image For Full Size Image | Size | Image Description | Contributed By And/Or Copyright |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 42k | "The huge Florida (BB-30) crowding and shouldering her way into New York Harbor waters in the winter's first snow storm." | Photo by Paul Thompson, text courtesy of N.Y. Times, 5 January 1919, Page 6, courtesy of memory.loc.gov. | |
 | 46k | "American dreadnoughts & superdreadnoughts steaming into New York harbor 14 April 1919." The Texas (BB-35) leads the procession with a airplane on her turret catapult. Note the escorting biplane. The "escorting" aircraft is either a Curtiss HS-1 or HS-2 (note the single engine) can't tell which from the photo. The aircraft on a fly-off platform atop the No. 2 turret of the Texas is 1 of 6 Sopwith Camels purchased from Britain at the end of the war. The platforms were a British concept designed to provide the fleet with an aircraft capable of reaching the high flying Zeppelins which the German Navy occasionally used as scouts. The Texas was the only US Battleship to be fitted with turret fly-off platforms while in Europe and was the test bed for this program in the US Navy. Not visible in this view is a stripped down (No fabric and no wings) Sopwith 1-1/2 Strutter lashed atop the No. 3 Turret. The platforms were eventually mounted on all 14" gun BB's through the New Mexico class (with mixed reviews from their commanders) and carried either a Hanriot HD-1 or a Neiuport 28. Though equipped inflatable floats for water landings, this tended to do a lot of damage not the least of which was dowsing a hot engine in cold salt water. By 1920 a successful compressed air catapult was developed and were being mounted on the aft deck of all 4 turreted battleships and fly-off platforms were removed. The Texas and New York (BB-34), because of their 5 Turrets, lacked the deck space for the catapult and had to make do with a float plane (Vought VE-7) sitting on the aft deck which would be launched by lowering it over the side for a surface take-off. If you look carefully at the fourth photo from the top on the New York 1920-1941 page, you see the VE-7 on the deck and the A-frame hoist used for handling it. | Photo by Paul Thompson, text courtesy of N.Y. Times, 31 December 1919, courtesy of memory.loc.gov. Text i.d. courtesy of Chris Hoehn. | |
 | 98k | Damage after a storm, circa 1919. | Courtesy of Larry Yungk. | |
 | 136k | Florida (BB-30) off New York City on 23 April 1919. Here you can see the top masts extended to their proper height and the bridge wings stowed. She carries only a minimal number of boats as their number was reduced for war duty. Plane wing tips are visible at the right side of the photo. A hospital ship is in the background. | USN | |
 | 105k | Photographed from the air, off New York City on 23 April 1919. Wyoming (BB-32) is in the background. | USNHC # NH 61257. | |
 | 84k | Florida (BB-30) at St. Kitts Island, 1919. | Courtesy of Larry Yungk. | |
 | 138k | Postcard of the Florida's (BB-30) crew manning the rail as she enters harbor, circa 1919. | Courtesy of Larry Yungk. | |
 | 51k | Florida (BB-30) and North Dakota (BB-29) at St. Kitts Island,West Indies, circa 1919-20. | Philip H. Robare RMCS, USN - RET | |
 | 126k | Baseball & band at St. Kitts Island, West Indies, circa 1919-20. | Courtesy of Larry Yungk. | |
 | 87k | St. Kitts Island waterfront. | Courtesy of Larry Yungk. | |
 | 154k | This is a Florida Class (BB-30 / 31)(5 turrets w/ nos. 4 & 5 back to back and 2 funnels between the masts) the reduced 5" battery, small enclosed pilothouse and the training maks on the turret dates the photo 1919 or early 1920's. The enclosed pilothouse was enlarged on both ship of the class around 1923. My best guess as to the identity of the ship would be Florida (BB-30). This is based on the absence of the lower of the two 5" casement guns that are mounted one above other. The Utah (BB-31) seems to have retained this gun mount when her secondary battery was reduced at the beginning of WW I. (All BB's gave up some of their 5" guns to arm Merchants). This photo is possibly in Norfolk, VA. Note another battleship in the background. | Photo courtesy of Thomas W. Heinohen. Photo I.d. & text courtesy of Chris Hoehn. Photo added 10/11/09. | |
 | 106k | The Navy Canteen at Guantanamo Bay in January, 1920. Probably a little crowded inside. | Courtesy of Larry Yungk. | |
 | 134k | The Shore Patrol, there might not be enough of them if they need to deal with the crowd from the above photo. Guantanamo Bay in January, 1920. | Courtesy of Larry Yungk. | |
 | 224k | Baseball game between the crews of the Florida (BB-30) & the Wyoming (BB-32) circa 1 February following winter maneuvers in Cuban waters through 14 April, 1919. | Photo courtesy of Larry Yungk. Text courtesy of DANFS. | |
 | 99k | Florida (BB-30) entering Halifax harbor, Nova Scotia in 1923. She is followed by two other U.S. Navy battleships. The other two battleships might be the Delaware (BB-28) & North Dakota (BB-29). DANFS records that they made midshipmen cruises to Europe during that time before they were decommissioned later in the fall. |
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph # NH 54180. | |
 | 99k | Postcard showing the crew of one of the Florida's (BB-30) 5"/51 guns, circa 1920-30. | Photo courtesy of Carole Steele. | |
 | 141k | Seen here at Guantanamo Bay in January, 1920 the Florida (BB-30) sports a fully enclosed navigating bridge with her secondary range finder atop it. The windowed structure just behind the secondary range finder is the searchlight control platform. | USN photo. | |
 | 88k | Florida (BB-30) steaming in line abreast with two other ships of Battleship Division FIVE, Atlantic Fleet, during an exercise in about 1921. The other ships are Delaware (BB-28) and North Dakota (BB-29). Photographed by A.E. Wells. | USNHC # NH 93421. | |
 | 96k | Florida (BB-30) gives Naval Academy Midshipmen a "taste of salt water" on their annual cruise, during the early 1920s. She is followed by Delaware (BB-28) and North Dakota (BB-29). | USNHC # NH 54181 | |
 | 819k | Panaromic photo of the U.S. fleet in Panana Bay (Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal) on 1 March 1923. 70 vessels are viewed; the Battle Fleet consists of all U.S. battleships from the Delaware (BB-28) through the Idaho (BB-42) . | Source: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, courtesy of Tom Kermen. Copyright R.G. Lewis, Y Photo Shop, Balboa, C.Z." | |
 | 108k | Three USN Battleships anchored at Target Bay, Culebra, West Indies, circa Jan-Feb 1924. The closest of the three is a Wyoming (BB-32 / 33) class battleship. The two ships in the background are the Florida (BB-30) and the Utah (BB-31), but again which is which is anybody's guess. | USN photo courtesy of Robert M. Cieri. Photo I.d. and partialtext courtesy of Chris Hoehn. | |
 | 38k | Florida Class (BB-30 / 31) ship deck piled with coal from her adjoining coalier. | USN photo courtesy of Pieter Bakels. Photo I.d. & text courtesy of Chris Hoehn. | |
 | 166k | During her modernization at the Boston Navy Yard between 1925 and 1927, Florida (BB-30) enters Dry Dock 3 at the yard's South Boston Annex in June 1926. Note that to overcome the lack of shop facilities at South Boston, the yard's floating workshop, YR-15, was also docked with the ship. | U.S. Navy photograph, National Park Service, Boston National Historical Park, cat. no. BOSTS-11134,courtesy of Stephen P. Carlson, Preservation Specialist, Boston NHP, Charlestown Navy Yard. | |
 | 44k | Florida (BB-30) appears here after her modernization at the Boston Navy Yard, circa 1926. | U.S. Navy photograph courtesy of Robert Hurst. | |
 | 27k | The following six photos are from the Log Album of Seaman 1st Class Horace Justin Hill, born in AR. and lived in PA. He served on the Florida (BB-30) from 1927 to his discharge date of 26 Jan. 1931. The Florida appears here after being converted to oil burning, she lost her cage mainmast and a funnel in the process. | Photo courtesy of Barbara Starling. | |
 | 49k | Crew photo of the Florida (BB-30), circa 1927-31. | Photo from the Log Album of Seaman 1st Class Horace Justin Hill, 1927-31, courtesy of Barbara Starling. | |
 | 45k | Looking aft between the crane and above the 3 rear 12"/45 turrets of the Florida (BB-30), at her seaplane, a Loening OL Amphibian. | Photo from the Log Album of Seaman 1st Class Horace Justin Hill, 1927-31, courtesy of Barbara Starling. Airplane photo i.d courtesy of Ray Fazzio '57 and classmates of the USN Academy. Source: "U.S. Naval Aviation", p.76, published by the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation, Pensacola, 2001. | |
 | 41k | One of Florida's (BB-30) seaplanes, a Loening OL Amphibian is perched atop her number 3 12"/45 turret ready for launching. | Photo from the Log Album of Seaman 1st Class Horace Justin Hill, 1927-31, courtesy of Barbara Starling. Airplane photo i.d courtesy of Ray Fazzio '57 and classmates of the USN Academy. Source: "U.S. Naval Aviation", p.76, published by the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation, Pensacola, 2001. | |
 | 24k | One of Florida's (BB-30) seaplanes, a Loening OL Amphibian, is launched from her catapault. | Photo from the Log Album of Seaman 1st Class Horace Justin Hill, 1927-31, courtesy of Barbara Starling. Airplane photo i.d courtesy of Ray Fazzio '57 and classmates of the USN Academy. Source: "U.S. Naval Aviation", p.76, published by the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation, Pensacola, 2001. | |
 | 51k | 5"/51 gun crew loading a shell and charge into the breech for a test aboard the Florida (BB-30). | Photo from the Log Album of Seaman 1st Class Horace Justin Hill, 1927-31, courtesy of Barbara Starling. | |
 | 190k | Starboard Beam, underway on 4 June 1927. | National Archives photo # 19-N-41041. | |
 | 101k | Picturesque bow view of the Florida (BB-30) from between the after turrets of the New York (BB-34). A fleet of 41 ships arrived in New York on 5 Feb. 1929 from southern waters for a two week visit fresh from winter manuvers. | Courtesy of Stan Svec. | |
 | 68k | Florida (BB-30) at Hampton Roads on 25 October 1929. Turret mounted rangefinders are clear in this photo and were necessary as there are no rangefinders built into the turrets. After being converted to oil burning, the Florida lost her cage mainmast and a funnel in the process. A radio direction finder loop and a secondary 12 foot range finder are visible on top of the enclosed pilot house. | USNHC # NH 64515. | |
 | 113k | At Kiel, Germany, 7 July 1930, during a Midshipman's training cruise. | Official U.S. Navy Photograph, USNHC # 80-G-1025114, now in the collections of the National Archives. | |
 | 262k | Florida (BB-30) taking water over the bow, circa 1930-31. | Courtesy of Bob Mabin. | |
 | 122k | Watercolor of a Presidential review during President Hoover's term of office, 1928-32. Crews line the rails of a Colorado class (BB-45-48) battleship as the ships pass in line astern of the reviewing stand with the airship Los Angeles (ZR-3) piercing the clouds accompanied by 9 biplanes. | Courtesy of Michael Schwarz. | |
 | 56k | View of the U.S. Battlefleet from above, possibly from the airship Los Angeles (ZR-3). | Photo courtesy of periscopefilm.com. | |
 | 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, courtesy of dodmedia.osd.mil, Defense Visual Information Center. | |
Additional Florida Images
1 General View Of Florida From The Library Of Congress Server.
USS FLORIDA BB-30 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.
U.S.S. Florida BB-30 Home Port By Benjamin M. Givens, Jr.
| Back To The Main Photo Index | Back To The Battleship Photo Index Page |
This Page Is Created And Maintained By Michael Mohl
All Pages Copyright © 1996-2009 Paul R. Yarnall © 2009NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.