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NavSource Online: Cruiser Photo Archive

USS CALIFORNIA/SAN DIEGO (Armored Cruiser No. 6/CA 6)


   

Flag Hoist/Radio Call Sign: Nan - Charlie - Zebra
(Courtesy of John Spivey)

CLASS - PENNSYLVANIA
Displacement 13,680 Tons, Dimensions, 503' 11" (oa) x 69' 7" x 26' 6" (Max)
Armament 4 x 8"/40, 14 x 6"/50 18 x 3"/50, 12 x 3pdr, 2 x 1pdr, 2 x 18" tt.
Armor, 6" Belt, 6 1/2" Turrets, 4" Deck, 9" Conning Tower.
Machinery, 23,000 IHP; 2 Vertical, Inverted, Triple Expansion Engines, 2 screws
Speed, 22 Knots, Crew 830.
Operational and Building Data
Launched 28 APR 1904 by Union Iron Works, San Francisco, CA
Commissioned 01 AUG 1907
Renamed San Diego on 1 SEP 1914
Decommissioned 12 FEB 1917
Commissioned 7 APR 1917
Sunk 19 JUL 1918
Stricken 26 AUG 1918
Fate: Struck a mine deployed by the German submarine U-156 southeast of Fire Island. The cruiser sank in 28 minutes with the loss of 6 lives,
the only major warship lost by the United States in World War I. The findings are confirmed in this report.


Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Nicaraguan Campaign Medal - Mexican Service Medal - World War I Victory Medal w/ESCORT Clasp

Click On Image
For Full Size Image
Size Image Description Contributed
By And/Or Copyright
Pittsburgh
acr0628
2.21m News article on the launching of the California from the San Francisco newspaper "On Call" dated 29 April 1904 Michael Mohl
San Diego 135k Commissioning of the USS California (Armored Cruiser No. 6) at Mare Island Navy Yard on 1 August 1907. Darryl Baker
San Diego
acr0603
114k Port bow view, date and location unknown. Note her name in large lighted letters above the bridge. Robert M. Cieri
San Diego
acr0629
574k

USS California (Armored Cruiser # 6) at anchor, 27 October 1907, location unknown. Image was taken by unknown photographer for the National Photo Company.

Library of Congress's Prints and Photographs Division under the digital ID LC-DIG-npcc-32729 (digital file from original).

Robert Hurst
San Diego 32k

USS California (Armored Cruiser No. 6) Photographed circa 1908.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph #NH 55011.

USNHC
San Diego
acr0621
149k

USS California (Armored Cruiser No. 6) is seen in the Mare Island Channel in May 1908.

U.S. Navy Photograph

Darryl Baker

 

San Diego 143k USS Ohio (BB 12), USS California (Armored Cruiser No. 6) and USS South Dakota (Armored Cruiser No. 9) between May and July 1908 at Mare Island Navy Yard while assigned to the Great White Fleet. The cruisers are moored next to the yard's coal sheds. Note the coal handling equipment installed by the Brown Hoisting Machinery Company in 1904 seen above the coal sheds. Darryl Baker
San Diego
acr0614
76k Stern view of USS California (Armored Cruiser No. 6) in San Diego harbor circa 1909. Darryl Baker
San Diego 95k

USS California (Armored Cruiser No. 6) underway in San Pablo Bay, California, 1909. Collection of Rear Admiral Ammen Farenholt, USN(MC).

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph #NH 55009.

USNHC/Scott Dyben
San Diego
acr0622
463k

Starboard quarter view while in drydock at Mare Island, sometime after Lattice mast installed in July 1911.

From the collection of H. G. Froehlich, CPO USN

Herman Froelich
San Diego
acr0615
72k

Starboard bow view, sometime after Lattice mast installed in July 1911, location unknown. Note the draging anchor.

U.S. Navy photo.

David Buell
San Diego
acr0613
145k At anchor in Pearl Harbor, December 1911. Robert M. Cieri
San Diego 28k The USS California (Armored Cruiser No. 6) is seen on 14 December 1911, being escorted into Pearl Harbor. California was the first large warship to enter Pearl Harbor after the dredging of the channel was completed. USNHC
San Diego 74k

USS California (Armored Cruiser No. 6) in San Diego harbor, California, circa 1910-1914. Photographed by the Arcade View Company. Courtesy of Captain Don Fink, 1983.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph #NH 94938.

USNHC
Jupiter
09020324
119k

Jupiter (AC 3) fitting out at Navy Yard Mare Island, 14 August 1912. . The Armored Cruiser USS California is forward of Jupiter

Navy Yard Mare Island photo # AC 3 008-8-12

Darryl Baker
San Diego 27k

USS San Diego (Armored Cruiser No. 6) photographed on 28 January 1915, while serving as flagship of the Pacific Fleet. Her name had been changed from California on 1 September 1914. Note two-star Rear Admiral's flag flying from her mainmast top.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph #NH 55013.

USNHC
San Diego
acr0630
4.6m

USS San Diego (Armored Cruiser No. 6) photographed on 28 January 1915, while serving as flagship of the Pacific Fleet. Her name had been changed from California on 1 September 1914. Note two-star Rear Admiral's flag flying from her mainmast top.

National Archives item #165-WW-335D-20

National Archives
San Diego
acr0620
214k

Port side view of the USS San Diego (Armored Cruiser No. 6) in the Mare Island Channel on 10 September 1915.

U.S. Navy Photo #RM72002

Darryl Baker
San Diego 58k

USS San Diego (Armored Cruiser No. 6) off Guaymas, Mexico, 26 December 1915. Photographed by Hopkins. Note Christmas tree mounted on her forecastle. Collection of Thomas P. Naughton, 1973.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph #NH 92174.

USNHC
San Diego 139k

USS San Diego (Armored Cruiser No.-6) photographed from an airplane in San Diego harbor, California, 28 March 1916. Collection of Thomas P. Naughton, 1973.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph #NH 92175.

USNHC
San Diego
acr0616
166k

Starboard bow view of the USS San Diego (Armored Cruiser No. 6) in Mare Island's dry dock #2 on 4 May 1916.

U.S. Navy Photo.

Darryl Baker
San Diego
acr0617
179k

Stern view of the USS San Diego (Armored Cruiser No. 6) in Mare Island channel on 4 May 1916. Note that she is flying a 4-star pennant from her after mast for the Commander-In-Chief Pacific Fleet.

U.S. Navy Photo.

Darryl Baker
San Diego
acr0618
204k

Starboard bow view of the USS San Diego (Armored Cruiser No. 6) in Mare Island channel on 4 May 1916. Note that she is flying a 4-star pennant from her after mast for the Commander-In-Chief Pacific Fleet.

U.S. Navy Photo.

Darryl Baker
San Diego 135k

Admiral William B. Caperton, USN, Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet (center)

With members of his staff on board USS San Diego (Armored Cruiser No. 6) at San Diego, California, circa 1916-17. The ship's after eight-inch gun turret is behind them. Those present are (from left to right):

Lieutenant (Junior Grade) H.M. Lammers, USN;
Captain R.M. Cutts, USMC;
Medical Inspector E.S. Bogert, USN;
Admiral Caperton;
Pay Inspector J. Fyffe, USN;
Lieutenant A.T. Beauregard, USN; and
Paymaster C.S. Baker, USN.

Courtesy of the Naval Historical Foundation. Collection of Adm. W.B. Caperton.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph #NH 83793.

USNHC
San Diego
acr0627
104k Starboard bow view of the USS San Diego (Armored Cruiser No. 6) anchored in the Atlantic Ocean after transiting the Panama Canal.

US Navy and Marine Corps Museum/Naval Aviation Museum, Photo No.1988.120.001

Mike Green
San Diego
acr0619
160k

Bow ornament of the USS San Diego (Armored Cruiser No. 6) on 27 January 1917.

U.S. Navy Photo #3010.

Darryl Baker
San Diego
acr0623
1.4m

Naval Ball program from 1917 or 1918.

From the collection of H. G. Froehlich, CPO USN

Herman Froelich
San Diego
acr0624
1.4m

Naval Ball program from 1917 or 1918.

From the collection of H. G. Froehlich, CPO USN

Herman Froelich
San Diego
acr0625
1.5m

Naval Ball program from 1917 or 1918.

From the collection of H. G. Froehlich, CPO USN

Herman Froelich
San Diego
acr0626
1.3m

Naval Ball program from 1917 or 1918.

From the collection of H. G. Froehlich, CPO USN

Herman Froelich
San Diego 110k

USS San Diego (Armored Cruiser No. 6) - Painting by Francis Muller, 1920. It depicts the ship sinking off Fire Island, New York, after she was torpedoed by the German submarine U-156, 19 July 1918. Courtesy of the Navy Art Collection, Washington, D.C.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph #NH 55012-KN.

USNHC/Scott Dyben

Commanding Officers
Name/Rank Class Final Rank Dates
Cottman, Vincendon Lezare, CAPT 1872 RADM 08/01/1907 - 09/03/1909
Mayo, Henry Thomas, CAPT 1876 RADM 09/03/1909
Harlow, Charles Henry, CAPT 1879   01/16/1911 - 04/12/1912
Fahs, Charles Morgan, CAPT 1884   04/12/1912 - 06/30/1912
Halstead, Alexander Seaman, CAPT 1883 RADM 06/30/1912 - 09/01/1912
McCully Jr., Newton Alexander, CAPT 1887   09/01/1912
Robertson, Ashley Herman, CAPT 1888 VADM 10/21/1915
Bradshaw, George Brown, CDR 1889   06/08/1916
Decommissioned     02/17/1917 - 04/07/1917
Christy, Harley Hannibal, CAPT 1891 VADM 08/19/1917 - 07/19/1918

(Courtesy of Wolfgang Hechler & Ron Reeves - Photos courtesy of Bill Gonyo)


USS CALIFORNIA/SAN DIEGO (Armored Cruiser No. 6/CA 6) History
View This Vessels DANFS History Entry on the U.S. Navy Historical Center website.

Crew Contact And Reunion Information
Not Applicable To This Ship

Additional Resources
Hazegray & Underway Cruiser Pages By Andrew Toppan.
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