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1916 - 1919 Construction - Launching
1920 - Fitting Out
July 1921 - Launching Program - Mare Island History
August - December 1921 Commissioning / Shakedown
1922 - Scenes from the Ship's Welfare Fund
1926 - 1940
Pearl Harbor - 1942
1943 - 1945
1946 - 1959
| Click On Image For Full Size Image | Size | Image Description | Contributed By And/Or Copyright |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 167k | Flags flying from California's (BB-44) masts fore and aft on "Decoration Day", 1924. | USN photo courtesy of Robert M. Cieri. | |
 | 227k | California (BB-44) lies at anchor, circa 1924. | USN photo courtesy of Robert M. Cieri. | |
 | 97k | A post card of the California (BB-44) from the Mare Island Fighting Ships series, circa 1924. | Photo courtesy of Robert M. Cieri. | |
 | 39k | Admiral's gigs tied up alongside the California (BB-44), circa 1925. | Courtesy of John D. Fielden, MM2, USN (ssb)Northridge, CA | |
 | 272k | The 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 floatplanes 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. Photo added 12/02/07. | |
 | 11meg | In the summer of 1925, 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. This is a PDF of the voyage. It includes 41 pages & is entitled "Crossing the Line with the U.S.S. California". | USN photo courtesy of Robert M. Cieri. Text courtesy of DANFS. | |
 | 89k | In 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. | |
 | 90k | View 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. | |
 | 54k | View of the California (BB-44), July 27, 1925 in Sydney Harbor, Austraila from another ship. | Courtesy of George Weir. |  | 67k | Starboard view of the California (BB-44), July 27, 1925 in Sydney Harbor, Austraila. | Courtesy of George Weir. |  | 146k | Port side view transiting the Panama Canal, circa 1925. | Courtesy of Manuel D. Tafoya Sr. |
 | 43k | Main control room of the California (BB-44), circa 1925.For a description of the room (see also John D. Goebele's explanation below) John D. Fielden writes: "From my personal experience working as a Machinist Mate in an Engine Room on an auxiliary ship San Jose AFS-7, I was qualified Machinist Mate of the Watch (MMOW) the engine room supervisor, junior only to the Engineering Officer of the Watch (EEOW) this is what I see: Diagonally across the bottom are the Engine Order Telegraphs connected to the Conn on the bridge. The sailor with his hand on the wheel is the Throttle man. He has his hand on the AHEAD turbine throttle to the High Pressure Turbine. The wheel to the right is the ASTERN throttle to the Low Pressure Turbine. The main elecrtic travels through the HP Turbine thru a crossover pipe to the ahead element in the LP turbine. It is probable that this is one of FOUR control rooms, for four "main engines". I served on three ships, but I am not familiar with the BB configurations. The gauges in the very center of the picture are the Main Engine Gauge Board where all pressure and remote thermometers readings are displayed. I speculate that the older looking gentleman with the bald spot is the EEOW (usually a CPO or higher in rank, rarely higher than a Lt.), the senior watch position in main control. I do not know if the fire room and engine room were separate on this class of ship. I do know that in most conventional steam plants had separate rooms, but a good number of ships could have both in one space/compartment. If this class has both in one space, the sailor in the arm extended on a lever could be the Boiler Technician of the Watch (BTOW). The BTOW is in charge of all the Boilers and responsible for the proper operation of those boilers. The BTOW is Junior to the MMOW. I'd also speculate the younger looking sailor with the whitecap on is the Messenger. The messenger was required to roam the space to record other equipment reading from gauges not found on the Mn. Engine Gauge Bd. The "CLOCK" is what is known as a "REPEATER" of the engine order telegraph. The engine order telegraph at the top of the picture indicates STOP, and in respects to the group of pictures I have (although not certain) this would imply the ship is in the "999" (Niner-Niner-Niner) Maneuvering mode or "Prepare for all possible bells from the Conn" which would be indicative that they are in and maneuvering through the Lochs at that exact time. An added indicator of this is the sailor with the sound-powered phones, a station that is required during Maneuvering evolutions, but I'm not sure if they had "Squawk Boxes" or what we called "Bitch Boxes" in this era. The horizontal indicators (white with black stripe) appear to be liquid level indicators, but I have my doubts. The square box that is taller than it is wide appears the RPM Indicator. This displays the revolutions per minute of the shafts turning the propellers. Normally in Main Control there is also an Electrician of the watch responsible for the Electrical Load on the Main Switchboard and Ship Service Turbo-Generators, and to alert the EEOW and MMOW when it becomes unstable. I speculate that this main control space is in the open atmosphere of the engine room. My clue is that all but one are in there t-shirts indicating HEAT from the boilers and Mn. Turbines. In a conventional steam plant standard/operational atmosphere temperatures exceeded 110 degrees Fahrenheit. The ship I was on was documented at 117 degrees. Again, I am only analyzing the picture with my limited experience (3 ships/7 yrs at sea in engineering 1984-1991)". John D. Goebel, who served in a similar position aboard the New Jersey(BB-62), but with more experience, adds: " 1. California was a turbo electric propulsion system. This system was an experimental system that was used during the 1920's.The steam powered the SPTG Ship's Propulsion Turbo Generators, which in turn generated electricity for the propulsion motors. In other words, the propellors were driven by electric motors. This was to provide better control over the engineering plant and eliminated the reduction gears. 2. Having served in the engineroom on the New Jersey, the steam pressure was considered high and that was a 600 psi plant. 1200 psi was brought in during the fifties as a way to improve acceleration. It would be extremely unlikely that it would have steam pressure above 600 psi. 3. Therefore, the controls that are being handled in this picture are electrical not steam." V/RGSCM(SW) Goebel | Courtesy of John D. Fielden, MM2, USN (ssb)Northridge, CA. | |
 | 31k | California (BB-44) firing her 5" secondary battery at night, circa 1925. | Courtesy of John D. Fielden, MM2, USN (ssb)Northridge, CA | |
 | 34k | Torpedo room of the California (BB-44), circa 1925. | Courtesy of John D. Fielden, MM2, USN (ssb)Northridge, CA | |
 | 74k | Stern view of the California (BB-44) transiting the Panama Canal, circa 1925. Note the scout plane on her rear top turret. | USN photo courtesy of Robert M. Cieri. | |
 | 86k | Port side bow view of the California (BB-44) transiting the Panama Canal, 1925. | USN photo courtesy of Robert M. Cieri. | |
 | 33k | The California (BB-44) transiting the Panama Canal Locks, circa 1925. | Courtesy of John D. Fielden, MM2, USN (ssb)Northridge, CA | |
 | 27k | The California (BB-44) transiting the Panama Canal Locks, circa 1925. | Courtesy of John D. Fielden, MM2, USN (ssb)Northridge, CA | |
 | 61k | The California's (BB-44)officers pose with silent-film actress Dorothy DeVore, on board the ship at San Pedro, California, 1925. Lieutenant Abraham DeSomer is third from right. | USNHC photo # NH 103839, from the collection of Lieutenant Commander Abraham DeSomer, USN. Donated by Lieutenant Colonel Russell DeSomer, U.S. Air Force (Retired), 1975. Photo added 04/05/07. | |
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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