USS Florida (BB-30) was the lead ship of her class of dreadnought battleships for the US Navy. Launched on 12 May 1910, she was commissioned on 15 September 1911.
During World War One, she was sent to reinforce the British Grand Fleet, where she undertook patrols of the North Sea and escorted convoys to Norway. She did not engage ships of the German High Seas Fleet.
Post-war she was heavily modernised from 1924 to 1926. This included strengthening her deck armour, adding torpedo bulges, the removal of her submerged torpedo tubes and rear lattice mast and trunking her two funnels into one. Four 5″ guns on sponsons were also removed. Her machinery was significantly upgraded by utilising the oil fired boilers removed from battleships and battlecruisers that were scrapped under the Washington Treaty.
The terms of the 1930 London Treaty required the reduction in size of the signatories’ battle fleets. USS Florida was decommissioned on 16 February 1931 and sold for scrap.
USS Florida BB-30 Under ConstructionUSS Florida BB-30 Under Construction May 1910 https://www.loc.gov/resource/ggbain.07963/USS Florida BB-30 Being LaunchedUSS Florida BB-30 Immediately Before Being LaunchedUSS Florida BB-30 Being LaunchedUSS Florida BB-30 Being LaunchedUSS Florida BB-30 Just After Being LaunchedUSS Florida BB-30 Fitting Out 18 January 1911USS Florida BB-30 Fitting OutUSS Florida BB-30 Fitting OutUSS Florida BB-30 Fitting OutUSS Florida BB-30 Fitting Out 31 December 1910USS Florida BB-30 Fitting Out
In Service 1911 to 1924
USS Florida BB-30 Passing Under Brooklyn Bridge 1911USS Florida (BB-30) passing under the Brooklyn Bridge – New YorkUSS Florida (BB-30) New YorkUSS Florida (BB-30) at anchor at Hampton Roads on 2 June 1912Members of the German battle squadron visit the Florida (BB-30) at anchor at Hampton Roads on 2 June 1912USS Florida BB-30 at the Naval Review off New York.Left to right USS Delaware (BB-28) and Florida (BB-30) 20 December 1913 New YorkUSS Florida (BB-30) is on the left and USS Utah (BB-31) on the right 18 December 1913 New YorkFrom Left to right USS Wyoming (BB-32) or Arkansas (BB-33) with Florida (BB-30) and Utah (BB-31) 18 December 1913 New YorkUSS Florida (BB-30) in dry dock, 9 October 1916USS Florida (BB-30) c 1918April 23, 1919 USS Florida BB-30 (closest) and USS Wyoming BB-32USS Florida BB-30 At Guantanamo Bay January 1920USS Florida BB-30 seen in 1921USS Florida (BB-30) Atlantic Fleet, during an exercise in about 1921 with USS Delaware (BB-28) and USS North Dakota (BB-29)USS Florida BB-30, USS Delaware BB-28 and North Dakota BB-29 on a training cruise in the early 1920sUSS Florida with the Oil tanker USS Northwestern along sideUSS Olympia (C-6) & Florida (BB-30) in middle chambers of the Gatun Locks, 13 June 1922USS Florida (BB-30) Entering Halifax Harbor, Nova Scotia, 1923USS Florida BB-30 sometime prior to the 1925-27 modernizationUSS Florida (BB-30)USS Florida (BB-30)USS Florida (BB-30)USS Florida (BB-30)
In Service Post Refit 1927 to 1931
The Florida (BB-30) in 1927USS Florida (BB-30). at the 1927 naval reviewFlorida (BB-30) showing new anti-torpedo blisters on the side, November 1927Tons of chain being loaded onto Florida (BB-30) at Charlestown Navy Yard, 29 April 1928Bow view of Florida (BB-30) at Navy Yard, 7 May 1928USS Florida (BB-30) late 1920sPort side view of USS Florida (BB-30) looking forward when the ship was moored in Boston Navy Yard in January 1929USS Florida (BB-30). In Hampton Roads, Virginia, 25 October 1929USS Florida (BB-30) in February of 1930 in the Canal ZoneUSS Florida (BB-30) At Kiel, Germany, 7 July 1930, during a Midshipman’s training cruiseFlorida (BB-30)The Florida (BB-30)
Armament
Main 12 inch forward battery of USS Florida (BB-30), circa 1917-18 at Scapa Flow, ScotlandUSS Florida BB-30 looking forward from top of aft turret no. 4.View of the aft 12″ gun turrets No. 4 and 5 on USS Florida BB-30The three rear main 12 inch turrets of USS Florida (BB-30), in the Firth of Forth, Scotland, 1918USS Florida BB-30 taken from near the ensign staff on the stern looking forward at 12″ gun turrets no. 5, 4 and 3 in 1912. turret 4 is hidden behind 5 in the foreground and 3 is a level higherRecoil and blast of flame from rear turrets aboard USS Florida (BB-30) during target practiceUSS Florida (BB-30) during WW ILoading 12 inch shells aboard USS Florida (BB-30), most likely in November 1917Rangefinders for the rear turrets of USS Florida (BB-30)USS Florida Loading drill on one of the ship’s 5 inch secondary battery guns, 1915USS Florida casement crew at quarters November 10 1911
Aircraft
One of USS Florida’s (BB-30) seaplanes, a Loening OL Amphibian, is launched from her catapult
Internal
USS Florida (BB-30), Crews compartment, ready for a meal, 19 May 1920
Being Scrapped
The beginning of USS Delaware (BB-28) being scrapped. Florida (BB-30) is to the leftex-Florida (BB-30) being scrapped at the Philadelphia Navy Yard in April, 1932
