USS South Carolina, lead ship of a class of two 16,000-ton battleships, was built at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Commissioned in March 1910, she spent most of her career operating off the U.S. east coast and in the Caribbean area. However, the battleship made voyages to Europe in late 1910 and early 1911 and again in mid-1911. During 1913-14, South Carolina was heavily involved in U.S interventions in Haiti and Mexico.
For most of the First World War, both before and after the United States entered the conflict, South Carolina continued her activities in the Western Hemisphere. In September 1918, she escorted a convoy part-way across the Atlantic. Following the end of the fighting, in February-July 1919, she served as troop transport, bringing home over 4,000 servicemen in four voyages from France to the United States.
In June-August 1920, South Carolina carried Naval Academy midshipmen on a training cruise to the Pacific, visiting ports on the U.S. west coast and Hawaii before returning to the east coast by way of the Panama Canal. She made another midshipmen's training cruise, to European waters, in mid-1921. USS South Carolina was decommissioned at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in December 1921. She was stricken from the Navy list in November 1923 and scrapped in accordance with the Washington naval limitations treaty. Her remains were sold in 1924.
This page features selected views concerning USS South Carolina (Battleship # 26, later BB-26).
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 61225 USS South Carolina (BB-26) Underway, circa 1910-14. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 90KB; 740 x 575 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 44252 USS South Carolina (BB-26) Photographed circa 1910-14. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 94KB; 740 x 565 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 44251 USS South Carolina (BB-26) Photographed on 5 March 1910, probably at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. She had been commissioned on 1 March. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 84KB; 740 x 610 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 44250 USS South Carolina (BB-26) In New York Harbor, 3 October 1911. Photographed by the New York Navy Yard. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 67KB; 740 x 600 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 73256 USS South Carolina (BB-26) Off New York City, probably in early October 1911. Courtesy of Donald M. McPherson, 1970. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 59KB; 740 x 490 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 97499 USS South Carolina (BB-26) Crew manning the rails and firing salutes, 28 April 1921. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center. Online Image: 112KB; 740 x 605 pixels |
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Photo #: 19-N-20-12-16 USS South Carolina (BB 26) Bow decoration, photographed by the Philadelphia Navy Yard, 18 November 1909, during the final months of her outfitting. This fancywork had been removed by March 1910. Note anchors. Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives. Online Image: 78KB; 740 x 610 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. |
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Photo #: NH 76012 USS South Carolina (BB-26) and USS Cyclops (1910-1918) Experimental coaling at sea while under way in April 1914. Rigging between the two ships was used to transfer two 800-pound bags of coal at a time. The bags were landed on a platform in front of the battleship's forward 12-inch gun turret, and then carried to the bunkers. Original photo is printed on a postal card, inscribed on the reverse: "This is a picture of us coaling at sea last April. I have put a cross over where I stood. I unhooked bags of coal when they came over. It is raining when this picture was taken. We were out of sight of land off coast of Virginia." The donor, a seaman in South Carolina at the time, comments: "it showed that this was possible but a very slow method of refueling. Nothing was heard of the test afterwards.". Donation of Earle F. Brookins, 1972. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 74KB; 740 x 465 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 76015 USS South Carolina (BB-26) Steaming under forced draft, bound for Vera Cruz, Mexico, in Mid-April 1914. View looks aft and up, with the battleship's "cage" foremast and the top of her starboard boat crane dominating the image. Note searchlights and signal hoists. Donation of Earle F. Brookins, 1972. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 74KB; 740 x 465 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 100832 U.S. Navy Landing Party Photographed on board ship, probably at the time of the Vera Cruz incident, circa April 1914. These sailors are wearing Marine Corps flannel shirts and khaki trousers, with dyed "white hats". They are posing with M1903 "Springfield" rifles and at least one man is wearing an ammunition belt. The ship may be USS South Carolina (BB-26). Courtesy of Carter Rila, 1986. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 108KB; 740 x 465 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 69035 Scrapping Battleships, under the terms of the Naval Limitations Treaty, 1923 Scene at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, Pennsylvania, December 1923, with guns from scrapped battleships in the foreground. One of these guns is marked "Kansas", presumably an indication that it came from USS Kansas (BB-21). Ship being dismantled in the backround is USS South Carolina (BB-26). Courtesy of the San Francisco Maritime Museum, San Francisco, California, 1969. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 116KB; 740 x 610 pixels |
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If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions." |
Page made 26 February 2001
Link added and coding updated 5 May 2007