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BB-37 USS OKLAHOMA
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1912 - 1916
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1930 - Dec 6, 1941
Dec 7, 1941 - October 1943
Nov 1943 - May 1947
Post War
| Click On Image For Full Size Image |
Size | Image Description | Contributed By And/Or Copyright |
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 | 780k | COMMANDER ANDREWS Adolphus Andrews, U. S. N., who is commander of the American battleship Oklahoma (BB-37). |
Image and text provided by Ohio Historical Society, Columbus, OH. Photo & text by The Mahoning Dispatch. (Canfield, Mahoning County, Ohio) 1877-1968, 22 June, 1917, Image 3, courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov. |
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 | 67k | Captain Roger Welles was the commanding officer of the battleship Oklahoma (BB-37) from 2 May 1916 to 6 June 1917. | Photo courtesy of the James Melville Gilliss Library via Bill Gonyo. | |
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85k | Captain Spencer S. Wood was the commanding officer of the battleship Oklahoma (BB-37) from 6 June 1917 to 1 February 1918. | Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress via of Bill Gonyo. | |
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607k | Photographed circa 1917, while painted in an experimental camouflage pattern. | Text courtesy of USNHC # NH 44401. US National Archives photo # 80G-1035101 from NARA, College Park, Maryland, courtesy of Sean Hert. Photo added 03/27/12. | |
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478k | Starboard view, circa 1917. | Photo courtesy of John A. Wetherington via George Wetherington. | |
 | 554k | "Teuton High Fliers must be aware of Uncle Sam's Eagle Eye." While equipped with latest devices to destroy enemy submarines, the men behind the anti-aircraft gun on the battleship Oklahoma (BB-37) know how to use that weapon. |
Image and text provided by Penn State University Libraries; University Park, PA. Photo & text by Evening Public Ledger. (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 29 June 1917, Final, Pictorial Section, Image 21, courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov. |
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 | 53k | THE EYES OF THE NAVY. A naval observation balloon hovering over the fighting mast of the Oklahoma (BB-37). | Image provided by: Penn State University Libraries; University Park, PA. Photo by Evening Public Ledger. (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 29 June 1917, Final, Pictorial Section, Image 22, courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov. |
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 | 394k | SOMETHING WE SELDOM SEE. Few persons ever see this view of one of Uncle Sam's fighting ships. The photograph was taken from one of the fighting tops on the military mast of the dreadnought Oklahoma (BB-37), and shows her steel decks covered with their snow-white planking. Some idea of the immense size of this craft may be obtained by comparison with the officers standing on the deck near the stern. | Image and text provided by Library of Congress, Washington, DC. Photo & text by The Washington Times. (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 03 July 1917, Image 7, courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov. | |
 | 183k | DREADNOUGHT OKLAHOMA(BB-37) FIRES AT IMAGINARY FOE The dreadnought Oklahoma at battle practice. "Somewhere on the Atlantic" this huge sea fighter is waiting for the chance to try conclusions with the flower of the kaiser's navy. The kaiser's ships probably will not venture out just because Uncle Sam and John Bull have many floating fortresses like this. The gunners on the Oklahoma are among the best in the world. |
Image and text provided by University of Utah, Marriott Library. Photo & text by The Ogden Standard. (Ogden City, Utah) 1913-1920, 10 September 1917, 4 P.M. CITY EDITION, Image 5, courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov. | |
 | 58k | "Armor piercing shells weighing half a ton or more apiece being loaded on an American Dreadnought that is preparing to sail for European waters." | Photo by Central News Photo Service, text courtesy of N.Y. Times, Page 363 from The War of the Nations (New York), 31 December 1919, courtesy of memory.loc.gov. | |
 | 177k | Oklahoma (BB-37) anchored in the waterways of New York City during the late teens. | USN photo courtesy of Robert M. Cieri. | |
 | 148k | Capt. Mark L. Bristol was the commanding officer of the battleship Oklahoma (BB-37) from 2 March 1918 to 14 Oct. 1918. | Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress via Bill Gonyo. | |
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72k | Oklahoma (BB-37) underway off Brest, France, on 13 December 1918, while escorting President Woodrow Wilson's transport, George Washington (ID-3018) into port. A Brest pilot boat is under sail in the foreground. | USNHC # NH 57233. | |
 | 72k |
Battleships of the Sixth Battle Squadron
(anchored in column in the left half of the photograph) included the: Florida (BB-30) Utah (BB-31) Wyoming (BB-32) Arkansas (BB-33) New York (BB-34) Texas (BB-35) Nevada (BB-36) Oklahoma (BB-37) Pennsylvania (BB-38) & Arizona (BB-39) at one time or another. There are only three of the battleships present in this photo at Brest, France, on 13 December 1918. George Washington (ID-3018), which had just carried President Woodrow Wilson from the United States to France, is in the right background. Photographed by Zimmer | USNHC # NH 63454. | |
 | 314k | The picture is clearly labeled as Florida (BB-30), but there are several characteristics of this ship that don’t seem to match the Florida (BB-30/31) class. First, the picture in question clearly has one stack, while the Florida had two until her modernization in 1926. Second, the Florida had five turrets, with turrets D & E being mounted back-to-back, with turret C mounted one level above. However, the picture in question clearly has four turrets, with turret C superimposed above turret D. Third, the twelve-inch turrets of the Florida class had flat tops. However, if you look closely at the turrets of the ship in this picture (especially at the rear part of turret D), you can see that the turrets on this ship have curved tops. As a result of the ship in this picture having a single stack and four turrets with curved tops, this would limit the choices to a Nevada or Pennsylvania class (BB-38/9) ship. However, based on two primary characteristics of the ship in this picture, I believe this is a Nevada class ship. First, the notch at the stern of the ship, which I don't believe I've ever seen in a picture of a Pennsylvania class ship, but is clearly visible in the picture of the Oklahoma (BB-37). Second, the location of the stack very close to the foremast, as shown in this picture of the Nevada. The picture of the Arizona (BB-39) shows that the stack was a little further back from the mainmast in a Pennsylvania class. If you focus in on the stern of the ship, just forward of the step and just below the main deck edge the ship's name is visible. Though the letters are not readable, what is evident is that it is a long name. Having narrowed the vessel down to 2 ships, one of whose name is twice as long as her sister, I think it is safe to identify this ship as Oklahoma and not Nevada . The Oklahoma in port with the destroyer Fairfax (DD-93), sometime after 27 October 1918, when she arrived at Brest for patrol and escort duty in European waters. On 3 December 1918, Fairfax arrived in the Azores to meet and escort to Brest, the transport George Washington (ID-3018) carrying President W. Wilson to the Peace Conference. She sailed for home 21 December, reaching Norfolk 8 January 1919. | Text courtesy of DANFS. Photo i.d. & text courtesy of Ronald J. Nash & Chris Hoehn. USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com. |
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 | 94k | Oklahoma (BB-37) anchored in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, 1 April 1919. Panoramic photograph by L.C. Grant with Falk Photo Company, Boston, Massachusetts. Note the steam launch in the center foreground, and the wavy nature of the image, the result of the rocking of the photographer's boat as the panoramic camera scanned along Oklahoma's length. | U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph # NH 105064. | |
 | 1.78k | "American dreadnoughts & super-dreadnoughts 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 12th photo from the bottom on the New York 1919-1926 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, page 481, from The War of the Nations (New York), 31 December 1919, courtesy of memory.loc.gov. Text i.d. courtesy of Chris Hoehn. |
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 | 975k | How the Atlantic Fleet looked to the camera man in a seaplane flying over lower Manhattan a week ago yesterday morning as the mighty armada came up the bay to anchorage in the Hudson off Riverside Drive for a two weeks' vacation after months of strenuous maneuvers in Southern waters. The destroyers
Dale (DD-290) and Flusser (DD-289) are shown leading the column of eight dreadnoughts: Oklahoma (BB-37), Nevada (BB-36), Arizona (BB-39), flagship Pennsylvania (BB-38), Utah (BB-31), Florida (BB-30), North Dakota (BB-29) and Delaware (BB-28) past the Statue of Liberty at a fifteen-knot clip. In
addition to the big battleships, the fleet includes thirty-two destroyers, numerous supply ships and several submarines. The Atlantic battleship fleet is home: again. Here are the twelve great first line fighting ships that are paying Father Knickerbocker a two weeks' visit. Over a hundred of Uncle Sam's grim sea warriors gray the North River, while their 30,000 sailor-men are given the freedom of the city in a royal welcome home. The Battleship Mississippi (BB-41) leading the fleet into the harbor, as photographed from an airplane. Note the airplanes atop the forward and aft turrets. |
Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC. Photo & text by New-York Tribune. (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 20 April 1919, Image 48. courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov. |
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46k | "The towering hull of the Oklahoma (BB-37) has a keel that is very heavily weighted to offset the ponderous armament above." | Photo by International News Agency, text courtesy from The War of the Nations (New York) N.Y. Times, 31 December 1919, Page 376, courtesy of memory.loc.gov. |  |
71k | "Part of the main battery of five fourteen inch guns on one of the latest and most formidable of United States dreadnoughts." | Photo by Central News, text courtesy from The War of the Nations (New York) N.Y. Times, 31 December 1919, Page 376, courtesy of memory.loc.gov. |  |
93k | "Torpedo of the 21 inch type being gotten ready to be lowered into the hold of the Oklahoma (BB-37). Expelled from the tube by compressed air, is self propelling, explodes on contact and has charge of 200 pounds of gun powder." | Photo by Central News, Partial text from The War of the Nations (New York) N.Y. Times, 31 December 1919, courtesy of memory.loc.gov. |
 | 71k | Halftone reproduction of a photograph taken on the ship's main deck, looking aft along the starboard side, circa 1918-1919. This view was published circa 1919 as one of ten images in a "Souvenir Folder" concerning Oklahoma (BB-37). | USNHC # NH 105735. Donation of Dr. Mark Kulikowski, 2008. | |
 | 67k | Halftone reproduction of a photograph taken in the ship's officers' ward room, circa 1918-1919. This view was published circa 1919 as one of ten images in a "Souvenir Folder" concerning Oklahoma (BB-37). | USNHC # NH 105734. Donation of Dr. Mark Kulikowski, 2008. | |
 | 69k | Halftone reproduction of a photograph looking forward from near the ship's stern, showing her after 14"/45 guns, circa 1918-1919. Note the destroyers tied up alongside. This view was published circa 1919 as one of ten images in a "Souvenir Folder" concerning Oklahoma (BB-37). | USNHC # NH 105736. Donation of Dr. Mark Kulikowski, 2008. | |
 | 73k | Halftone reproduction of a photograph taken in the crew's galley, circa 1918-1919. This view was published circa 1919 as one of ten images in a "Souvenir Folder" concerning Oklahoma (BB-37). | USNHC # NH 105737. Donation of Dr. Mark Kulikowski, 2008. | |
 | 73k | Halftone reproduction of a photograph taken in a crew's compartment, circa 1918-1919. Note the 5"/51 gun at far right and hammock hooks mounted on the beams overhead. This view was published circa 1919 as one of ten images in a "Souvenir Folder" concerning Oklahoma (BB-37). | USNHC # NH 105738. Donation of Dr. Mark Kulikowski, 2008. | |
 | 71k | Halftone reproduction of a photograph taken in the ship's surgical operating room, circa 1918-1919. This view was published circa 1919 as one of ten images in a "Souvenir Folder" concerning Oklahoma (BB-37). | USNHC # NH 105739. Donation of Dr. Mark Kulikowski, 2008. | |
 | 74k | Halftone reproduction of a photograph taken in the ship's sick bay, circa 1918-1919 This view was published circa 1919 as one of ten images in a "Souvenir Folder" concerning Oklahoma (BB-37). | USNHC # NH 105740. Donation of Dr. Mark Kulikowski, 2008. | |
 | 71k | Halftone reproduction of a photograph taken on the ship's forecastle, looking aft toward her forward 14"/45 guns and bridge, circa 1918-1919. Note the anchor handling facilities in the foreground. This view was published circa 1919 as one of ten images in a "Souvenir Folder" concerning Oklahoma (BB-37). | USNHC # NH 105741. Donation of Dr. Mark Kulikowski, 2008. | |
 | 77k | Halftone reproduction of a photograph looking toward the bow from the ship's bridge, with her forward 14"/45 gun turrets in the foreground, circa 1918-1919. Note what appears to be a gun-leveling device placed across the two guns of Turret # 2. This view was published circa 1919 as one of ten images in a "Souvenir Folder" concerning Oklahoma (BB-37). | USNHC # NH 105742. Donation of Dr. Mark Kulikowski, 2008. | |
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76k | Underway, 1919. | Larry Bonn / USN photo. | |
The contact listed, Was the contact at the time for this ship when located. If another person now is the contact, E-mail me and I will update this entry. These contacts are compiled from various sources over a long period of time and may or may not be correct. Every effort has been made to list the newest contact if more than one contact was found.
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