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Photo # NH 106438:  USS Michigan underway, circa 1916-1917

Online Library of Selected Images:
-- U.S. NAVY SHIPS --

USS Michigan (Battleship # 27, later BB-27), 1910-1924

USS Michigan, a 16,000-ton South Carolina class battleship built at Camden, New Jersey, was commissioned in January 1910. After initial operations along the Atlantic coast and in the Caribbean, she steamed across the ocean to visit England and France during November and December 1910. Michigan spent the next eight years taking part in regular Atlantic fleet exercises and cruises off the eastern seaboard, in the Caribbean and off Central America. In April-June 1914, she played a major role in the Vera Cruz incident, with many of her men serving ashore. The battleship suffered two notable accidents, one in September 1916 when a twelve-inch gun of her second turret burst while being fired and the second in January 1918 when her "cage" foremast collapsed during a storm at sea.

Michigan's First World War operations included convoy, training and battle practice operations in the western Atlantic area. In January-April 1919, soon after the war's end, she was employed as a troop transport, bringing home over a thousand veterans of the conflict. In mid-1919, Michigan passed through the Panama Canal to the Pacific on a midshipmen's training cruise that took her as far west as Honolulu. When the Navy formally adopted ship hull numbers in 1920, she was designated BB-27. Michigan made another long-distance training voyage in mid-1921, this time calling on European ports from Norway to Gibraltar. She was decommissioned in February 1922. Made redundant by the Washington naval limitations treaty, USS Michigan was stricken from the Navy list in November 1923 and scrapped during 1924.

This page features, and provides links to, selected views concerning USS Michigan (Battleship # 27, later BB-27).

For more images related to this ship, see:

  • USS Michigan (Battleship # 27, later BB-27) -- Part II.


    If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."

    Click on the small photograph to prompt a larger view of the same image.

    Photo #: NH 46274

    USS Michigan (BB-27)


    Underway, circa 1910.

    U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.

    Online Image: 74KB; 740 x 495 pixels

     
    Photo #: 19-N-61-6-25

    USS Michigan (BB 27)


    Fully dressed with flags and with her crew manning the rails, during the naval review off New York City, 3 October 1911.

    Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives.

    Online Image: 84KB; 740 x 610 pixels

    Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

     
    Photo #: 19-N-13573

    USS Michigan (BB-27)


    In New York Harbor, during the Naval Review, October 1912.

    Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives.

    Online Image: 103KB; 740 x 605 pixels

    Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

     
    Photo #: NH 73772

    USS Michigan (BB-27)


    Photographed circa 1914.

    Courtesy of the Naval Historical Foundation, Washington, D.C.

    U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.

    Online Image: 95KB; 740 x 460 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 106438

    USS Michigan
    (Battleship # 27)

    Photographed circa 1916-1917 by O.W. Waterman, Hampton, Virginia.
    The ship is wearing a horizontal "two-tone" paint scheme, possibly an experimental camouflage.
    This photograph is identical to Photo # NH 86376, but is cropped less tightly.

    The original photograph, given to USS Michigan (SSGN-727) by Mr. Sanford Aronoff, was donated by the ship to the Naval History and Heritage Command in 2008.

    U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.

    Online Image: 67KB; 900 x 540 pixels

    Note: This image has been retouched to eliminate cracks and other flaws in the original print.

     

    High-Resolution JPG
    Photo #: NH 86376

    USS Michigan (BB-27)


    Photographed by O.W. Waterman, Hampton, Virginia, circa 1916-17.
    She is wearing horizontal "two-tone" paint scheme, possibly a camouflage experiment.

    U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.

    Online Image: 72KB; 740 x 390 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 106696

    USS Michigan
    (Battleship # 27)

    Coaling from a U.S. Navy fleet collier, circa 1916-1917.
    The collier appears to be either USS Jupiter (Fuel Ship # 3) or USS Neptune (Fuel Ship # 8).
    Note Michigan's "two-tone" paint, and the "E" award worn on her after smokestack.
    The original image is printed on post card ("AZO") stock.

    Donation of Charles R. Haberlein Jr., 2009.

    U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.

    Online Image: 76KB; 900 x 570 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 75529

    USS Michigan (BB-27)


    Entering Honolulu Harbor, Hawaii, "with the U.S. Fleet Second Observation Group, 7 March 1920".

    Courtesy of the Naval Historical Foundation, Washington, D.C.

    U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.

    Online Image: 143KB; 740 x 610 pixels

     


    For more images related to this ship, see:

  • USS Michigan (Battleship # 27, later BB-27) -- Part II.


    NOTES:

  • To the best of our knowledge, the pictures referenced here are all in the Public Domain, and can therefore be freely downloaded and used for any purpose.

  • Some images linked from this page bear obsolete credit lines citing the organization name: "Naval Historical Center". Effective 1 December 2008 the name should be cited as: "Naval History and Heritage Command".


    If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."


    Return to Naval History and Heritage Command home page.

    Page made 13 February 2001
    New image added 20 December 2009