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NavSource Online: Battleship Photo Archive

BB-43 USS TENNESSEE
1922 - 1929

Radio Call Sign: November - India - Delta - November
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1917 - 1921
1930 - 1941
Pearl Harbor Attack
Puget Sound Rebuild / 1942 - May 1943
June 1943 - 1945
1946 - 1959

Tennessee Class Battleship: Displacement 32,300 Tons, Dimensions, 624' (oa) x 97' 4" x 31' (Max). Armament 12 x 14"/50 14 x 5"/51, 4 x 3"/50AA 2 x 21" tt. Armor, 13 1/2" Belt, 18" Turrets, 3 1/2" +1 1/2" Decks, 16" Conning Tower. Machinery, 26,800 SHP; Turbines with electric drive, 4 screws. Speed, 21 Knots, Crew 1083.

Operational and Building Data: Laid down by New York Naval Ship Yard, May 14, 1917. Launched April 30, 1919. Commissioned June 3, 1920. Decommissioned February 14, 1947. Stricken March 1, 1959.
Fate: Sold July 16, 1959 and broken up for scrap.
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BB-41 Mississippi 230k Tennessee (BB-43) & other members of the battleforce, circa 1920. USN photo courtesy of Paul & Barbara Rebold. Photo i.d. courtesy of Huxley Miller.
BB-43 Tennessee 923k In the dry dock at Bremerton WA, post June 1921. Photo from the James R. Nehez, Sr. collection, courtesy of James R. Nehez, III.
BB-43 Tennessee 923k Rudder of the Tennessee (BB-43) at the dry dock, Bremerton WA, post June 1921. Photo from the James R. Nehez, Sr. collection, courtesy of James R. Nehez, III.
(BB-43/44) 260k Tennessee (BB-43) with her main guns trained to port and turret markings on her fore and aft top turrets. Circa early 1920's. USN photo courtesy of Robert M. Cieri.
BB-43 Tennessee 81k Tennessee (BB-43) photographed in 1922 with YC-159 alongside. Across the Pier is the Canadian Pacific Liner Empress of Austraila.
The markings on turrets II & III were bearing marks by which the ships ahead and behind in the battle line could determine on which relative bearing the main battery was training. The black strip at the waterline is the 14in-thick armor belt. 		Photo i.d. courtesy of Tom Jacobs.
USN photo NH 44254, courtesy of Myron J. Smith Jr, from his book "Volunteer State Battleground", from Pictorial Histories Publishing, Missoula, Montana. Text courtesy of Warships in Profile, Volume 2, by John Wingate, Profile Publications LTD, Windsor, Berkshire, U.K.
BB-43 Tennessee1.4kKeeping the Navy at play is a serious job aboard the Tennessee (BB-43) at Gitmo, 19 November 1922. Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
PDF courtesy of New-York Tribune. (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 19 November 1922, Page 3, Image 63 via chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
McNamee106kCaptain Luke R. McNamee was the commanding officer of the battleship Tennessee (BB-43) from 1923 to 1924. Under Captain McNamee the Tennessee made the fleet's highest score in gunnery for the years 1923 to 1924; she won the Efficiency Pennant for the highest combined score in gunnery and engineering in the latter year. Photo from the Library of Congress & via Bill Gonyo.
BB-43 Tennessee 782k The Shenandoah (ZR-1) flies over the Tennessee (BB-43). Photo from the James R. Nehez, Sr. collection, courtesy of James R. Nehez, III.
BB-43 Tennessee 73k The Shenandoah (ZR-1) in flight, circa 1924, during operations with the U.S. Fleet. Photographed by Browne, from the foredeck of Tennessee (BB-43). Note fire control arrangements on the battleship, among them the rangefinder atop the pilothouse and the foremast concentration dial. USNHC photo # NH 80545, courtesy of the Naval Historical Foundation. Collection of Captain Frank Brooks Upham.
(BB-43/44) 154k Captain Frank Brooks Upham commanded the battleship Tennessee (BB-43) from September 1924 to March 1926. He stands alongside of R. Admiral N.R. Usher.Digital ID: ggbain # 30567. Source: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Divisio, courtesy of Bill Gonyo.
BB-43 Tennessee 47k View of the Quarter deck. Left to right: Captain Frank Brooks Upham & Cmdr J.N. Ferguson. Note the markings on the main battery. USNHC # NH 80554, courtesy of the Naval Historical Foundation. Collection of Captain Frank Brooks Upham.
BB-43 Tennessee 54k Stern view of the Tennessee (BB-43) with another battleship of the pre-war fleet, possibly the California (BB-44). Note the planes on the stern. Circa post 1924. USN photo courtesy of Myron J. Smith Jr, from his book "Volunteer State Battlewagon", from Pictorial Histories Publishing, Missoula, Montana.
BB-43 Tennessee 93k Tennessee (BB-43) crewmen pose with a well-hit target, after main battery gunnery practice in about 1925. USNHC # NH 80540, courtesy of the Naval Historical Foundation. Collection of Captain Frank Brooks Upham.
BB-43 Tennessee 43k One of Tennessee's (BB-43) boat cranes. Sitting on the deck beyond is one of the 5in/51 secondary battery and behind that is a 3in anti-aircraft gun. USN photo and text courtesy of Warships in Profile, Volume 2, by John Wingate, Profile Publications LTD, Windsor, Berkshire, U.K.
Southern Cruise89kIn the summer of 1925, the California (BB-44) led the Battle Fleet and a division of cruisers from the Scouting Fleet on a very successful good-will cruise to Australia and New Zealand. The following vessels might be the Colorado (BB-45), Maryland (BB-46) and West Virginia (BB-48) followed by Tennessee (BB-43) and three older battleships, the New Mexico (BB-40), Mississippi (BB-41) & Idaho (BB-42). Photograph probably taken from the California.U.S. Navy photograph courtesy of Robert M. Cieri. Partial text courtesy of DANFS.
BB-43 Tennessee 75k Stern view of the Tennessee (BB-43) in Port Jackson, Sydney, Australia, 1925. This photo is part of the Australian National Maritime Museum’s Samuel J. Hood Studio Collection in Flicker.
Sam Hood (1870-1956) was a Sydney photographer with a passion for ships. His 72-year career spanned the romantic age of sail and two world wars. The photos in the collection were taken mainly in Sydney and Newcastle during the first half of the 20th century.
Photo courtesy of Pieter Bakkels.
Sam Hood 37k Night time stern view of the Tennessee (BB-43), Mississippi (BB-41), California (BB-44) and or Idaho (BB-42) in Port Jackson, Sydney, Australia, 1925. This photo is part of the Australian National Maritime Museum’s Samuel J. Hood Studio Collection in Flicker.
Sam Hood (1870-1956) was a Sydney photographer with a passion for ships. His 72-year career spanned the romantic age of sail and two world wars. The photos in the collection were taken mainly in Sydney and Newcastle during the first half of the 20th century.
Photo courtesy of Pieter Bakkels.
BB-48 West Virginia272kThe West Virginia (BB-48) as flagship for the Commander, Battleship Divisions, Battle Fleet, followed by other battleships steaming in line ahead during the middle through later 1920's. Note SOC float-planes on the catapults.
The four leading ships behind her are (in no particular order) Colorado (BB-45), Maryland (BB-46), California (BB-44) & Tennessee (BB-43). 		Photo courtesy of Pieter Bakels.
BB-43 Tennessee 180k Navy Seaplane # 6-3-26 taking off from the stern of the Tennessee (BB-43) in 1926. USN photo courtesy of Paul & Barbara Rebold.
Southern Cruise90kView from the deck of a one of the battleships looking aft of the Battle Fleet and a division of cruisers from the Scouting Fleet cruise to Australia and New Zealand. U.S. Navy photograph courtesy of Robert M. Cieri. Partial text courtesy of DANFS.
BB-45 Colorado106kThe United States Battle Fleet steaming in column off the California coast during the middle or later 1920s. The three leading ships are (in no particular order) Colorado (BB-45), Maryland (BB-46) and West Virginia (BB-48) followed by Tennessee (BB-43) and three older battleships. Photograph taken from California (BB-44).Official U.S. Navy Photograph, USNHC # 80-G-695093, now in the collections of the National Archives.
BB-45 Colorado54kThe photo here might be on the same occasion as the above, but from a different angle. Then again maybe not. It was taken off a 16mm film. Official U.S. Navy Photograph courtesy of periscopefilm.com.
Battlefleet44kThe U.S. battle-fleet framed through a porthole. It was taken off a 16mm film. Photo might be from the same sequence as above.Official U.S. Navy Photograph courtesy of periscopefilm.com.
BB-43 Tennessee 96k Firing her 14"/50 main battery, during gunnery practice in the 1920s. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, USNHC # NH 84665, now in the collections of the National Archives.
BB-43 Tennessee 256k Tennessee (BB-43) & the Langley (CV-1) traverse the Panama Canal in the Pedro Miguel (Miraflores) Locks.
The tell-tale signs on the Tennessee are the AA battery and the secondary main battery range finder on the No. 2 Turret. I have a source which states that the secondary main battery range finder (the primary is atop the bridge) was moved from the top of Turret No. 3 to No 2 when the Type "P" catapult was added atop No. 3. By the mid 30's (exact date unknown), this rangefinder is gone. This would be around 1924 or early 1925. In 1922 the two after 5"/51 "wet" mounts on the 02 deck were replaced by 4 3"/50 AA guns. In 1928 this battery was replaced with 8 5"/25 arranged 3 guns aft of the boat davits P&S and 1 forward of the boats but aft of the forward 5"/51 "wet" mount all on the 02 deck.
What I see is the a rangefinder on the No. 2 Turret and two AA gun barrels pointing outboard abaft the boats. This together the full decked Langley gives us a rough range of 1925-1937. The questions now becomes whether the AA guns are 3" or 5". I can distinguish the 5"/51 gun forward on the 02 deck. I cannot distinguish the taller and bulkier form of a 5"/25 which should be directly abaft of it if this is post-1928. Add to that, to my eye, the AA gun barrels look too long for the snob-nosed 5"/25's. Unfortunately none of the 5"/51 are pointed out board for comparison. My opinion: 1925-1928.		 USN photo courtesy of Paul & Barbara Rebold. Photo i.d. & text courtesy of Chris Hoehn.
BB-43 Tennessee 206k Tennessee (BB-43) & the Langley (CV-1) traverse the Panama Canal in the Pedro Miguel (Miraflores) Locks.
From what Chris explains, and if we take into account the relatively large number of planes aboard Langley (a consequence of CAPT Reeves being Commander, Aircraft Squadrons, Battle Fleet) and the fact that the ships are bound for the Pacific, a plausible date is circa March 1927, when the Battle Fleet returned to the West Coast after Fleet Problem VII. 		USN photo courtesy of Fabio Pena.
Battlefleet122kWatercolor 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.
Battlefleet56kView of the U.S. Battle-fleet from above, possibly from the airship Los Angeles (ZR-3). Photo courtesy of periscopefilm.com.
USS TENNESSEE BB-43 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
Contact Name: Bud Galow
Address: 521 Inman Terrace, Willow Grove, PA 19090-3613
Phone: (215) 784-9885
E-mail:budgalow@comcast.net
Mail to USS Tennessee Reunion Association can be sent to: P.O. Box 1174, Willow Grove, PA 19090-0704

Note About Contacts.

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.
Additional Resources
Hazegray & Underway Battleship Pages By Andrew Toppan.
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