GEORGIA BB-15

From: DICTIONARY OF AMERICAN NAVAL FIGHTING SHIPS, James L. 
Mooney, ed., Naval Historical Center, Department of the Navy, 
Washington, DC., 1968

displacement. 14,948 (n.)
length. 441'3"
beam. 76'3"
speed. 19 k.
complement. 812
armament. 4 12", 8 8", 12 6"

GEORGIA was launched by the Bath Iron Works of Bath, Maine, 11 
October 1904, sponsored by Miss Stella Tate, and commissioned at 
Boston Navy Yard 24 September 1906, Captain R. G. Davenport in 
command.

After GEORGIA was fitted out and completed a short shakedown 
cruise, she joined the Atlantic Fleet as flagship  of Division 
2, Squadron 1. GEORGIA departed  Hampton Road's 26 March 1907 
for Guantanamo Bag, Cuba, where she participated in gunnery 
practice with the fleet. After returning briefly to Boston Navy 
Yard for repairs, GEORGIA joined with other ships of the 
Atlantic Fleet in ceremonies opening the Jamestown Exposition.  
President Roosevelt and dignitaries present reviewed the fleet 
10 June 1907, and 11 June was proclaimed "GEORGIA Day" at the 
exposition in special ceremonies aboard GEORGIA.

GEORGIA next sailed with the fleet for target practice in Cape 
Cod Bay, arriving 15 June. During these drills 15 July, a powder 
charge ignited prematurely in her aft 8" turret, killing 10 
officers and men and injuring 11. Condolences for the loss from 
this tragic accident were received from all over the world.

The powerful battleship then participated in the  tercentenary 
of the landing of the first English Colonists 16 to 21 August 
1907, after which she rejoined the fleet for battle maneuvers 
before mooring at League Island, N.Y., 24 September, for 
overhaul.

Arriving in Hampton Roads 7 December 1907, GEORGIA gathered with 
15 other battleships, a torpedo boat  squadron, and transports 
for the great naval review preceding the cruise of the Atlantic 
Fleet to the West Coast. On 16 December President Roosevelt 
reviewed the assembled "Great White Fleet" and sent it on the 
first leg of an around-the-world voyage of training, and 
building of American prestige and good will. Visiting many South 
American countries an their highly successful cruise, the fleet 
met with ships of the Pacific Fleet in another review in San 
Francisco Bag for the Secretary of the Navy 8 May 1908. Then 
GEORGIA, in company with other  battleships and supply vessels, 
departed San Francisco 7 July 1908 for the second leg of the 
cruise, showing the flag and bringing the message of American 
sea power to many parts of the world, including the Philippine 
islands, Australia, Japan, and Mediterranean ports. The fleet 
returned to Hampton Roads 22 February 1909.

GEORGIA continued to serve with the Atlantic Fleet in exercises 
and battle maneuvers, with periods of overhaul interspersed, 
until 2 November 1910 when President Taft reviewed the fleet 
prior to its departure for France. In an elaborate battle and 
scouting problem, GEORGIA and the other battleships continued 
their training, visiting Weymouth, England, and returning to 
Guantanamo Bag, Cuba, 13 March 1911.

From 1911 to 1913, GEORGIA continued to train and serve as a 
ceremonial ship, and 5 June 1913 participated in a 2-month 
practice cruise for Naval Academy Midshipmen. After a long 
overhaul period in Boston Navy Yard, GEORGIA arrived off the 
coast of Mexico 14 January 1914 with other fleet units to 
protect American interests in the troubled Vera Cruz-Tampico 
area. The busy  battleship returned briefly to Norfolk, Va., in 
March, but was soon back cruising Mexican waters, and from 
August to October 1914 cruised off Haiti for the protection of  
American civilians in that country.

After another period of overhaul, GEORGIA joined the fleet off 
Cuba 25 February 1915 for winter maneuvers, and spent the rest 
of the year in training and ceremonial duties with the Atlantic 
Fleet Battleship Force. She arrived at Boston Navy Yard for 
overhaul 20 December 1915 and decommissioned 27 January 1916.

Assigned as a receiving ship at Boston, GEORGIA was called to 
duty at the outbreak of World War 1, and  commissioned again 6 
April 1917. For the next 18 months, she operated with the 3d 
Division, Battleship Force, in fleet tactical exercises and 
merchant crew gunnery  training, based in the York River, Va. 
She joined with Cruiser Force Atlantic briefly in September 1918 
to escort  convoys to meet their eastern escorts, and beginning 
10 December 1918 was fitted out as a transport and attached to 
the Cruiser and Transport Force for the purpose of returning 
troops of the A.E.F. to the United States. GEORGIA made five 
voyages to France from December 1918 to June 1919 and brought 
home nearly 6,000 soldiers.

GEORGIA was next transferred to the Pacific Fleet as flagship of 
Division 2, Squadron 1. She left Boston for San Diego, via the 
Panama Canal, 16 July 1919, and after participating in 
ceremonial operations for 2 months, entered Mare Island Naval 
shipyard for repairs 20  September 1919. Here GEORGIA staged 
until decommissioning 15 July 1920. She was eventually sold for 
scrap 1  November 1923 in accordance with the Washington Treaty 
for the limitation of naval armaments, and her name was struck 
from the Navy List 10 November 1923.

Transcribed and edited by:
Larry W. Jewell
jewell@mace.cc.purdue.edu