The lead ship of her class of dreadnought battleships for the US Navy, USS South Carolina (BB-26) was launched on 11 July 1908 and commissioned on 1 March 1910. The first dreadnought battleship built for the US Navy, she incorporated several revolutionary aspects, primarily the superfiring guns of her main battery.
USS South Carolina spent much of her career patrolling the east coast of the USA. During the Mexican Revolution, she took part in the United States occupation of Veracruz.
She was mostly used as a training ship after the US entered World War One, while also performing convoy escort duty. Post war she repatriated US Servicemen from Europe.
Along with her sister ship USS Michigan, she was scrapped under the terms of the Washington Treaty. Before being scrapped, the hulk was used to test the effectiveness of anti-torpedo bulges. South Carolina was decommissioned on 15 December 1922 and sold for scrap in 1924.
Touchup work on the stern of the soon to be USS South Carolina BB-26 at the Philadelphia Navy Yard on 1 July, 1909USS South Carolina (BB-26) on 5 March 1910, probably at the Philadelphia Navy YardUSS South Carolina (BB-26). Off New York City, probably in early October 1911USS South Carolina (BB-26), 2 November 1911USS South Carolina (BB-26), 2 November 1911USS South Carolina (BB-26) drydocked at the Brooklyn Navy yard, September 1912USS South Carolina (BB 26). Bow decoration, photographed by the Philadelphia Navy Yard, 18 November 1909USS South Carolina (BB-26) circa 1918USS South Carolina (BB-26) in Gaillard Cut, just South of Cucaracha Slide, Panama Canal 13 June 1920USS South Carolina BB-26. Crew manning the rails and firing salutes, 28 April 1921USS South Carolina BB-26USS South Carolina BB-26 at the New York Navy YardUSS South Carolina (BB-26)USS South Carolina BB-26USS South Carolina BB-26USS South Carolina BB-26Main Armament of USS South Carolina BB-26Main Armament of USS South Carolina BB-26USS South Carolina BB-26 being dismantled in Philadelphia Navy Yard in December 1923South Carolina (BB-26) being used as a test hulk for anti-torpedo bulges on 26 May 1924
Launched on 20 August 1910, Dante Alighieri was the first Italian dreadnought battleship. Commissioned into the Regia Marina on 15 January 1913, she served as the flagship during World War One. Apart from Second Battle of Durazzo in 1918 Dante Alighieri saw no action during the war.
Although refitted in 1923, she was stricken from the navy list in 1928 and sold for scrap the following year.
Dante Alighieri being launchedItalian battleship Dante Alighieri 1913Dante Alighieri rolling in heavy seas, during a cruise from the Azores to Spain, 1913Dante Alighieri performing gunnery exercises off Taranto, 1914Dante Alighieri performing gunnery exercises off Taranto, 1914Dante Alighieri sailing at full speed, ca. 1914Dante Alighieri in 1919Dante Alighieri photographed at Fiume on the Adriatic during the ship’s operations at that port, 20 May 1919 to 6 January 1921Dante Alighieri after being refitted, 1920sDante Alighieri, likely around 1920Dante Alighieri sometime during 1923 to 1927 following refit with a tripod foremastDante AlighieriItalian battleship Dante AlighieriDante AlighieriDante Alighieri, showing her 120 mm (4.7 inch) secondaries mounted in both casemates and powered turretsDante Alighieri, left, and the auxiliary ship Cortellazzo (former armoured cruiser Marco Polo), right, Fiume harbour, December 1920Dante Alighieri passes through Taranto’s Ponte GirevoleDante Alighieri in TarantoItalian battleship Dante Alighieri while it passes through Taranto’s Ponte GirevoleItalian Battleship Dante AlighieriItalian Battleship Dante AlighieriItalian Battleship Dante AlighieriItalian Battleship Dante AlighieriOne of the turbines made for the Italian battleship Dante Alighieri, built by the Stabilimento Meccanico of Sampierdarena (Ansaldo), 1910
The Friedrichshafen FF.54 was an experimental quadraplane fighter that crashed on its first flight on 31 October 1917. Rebuilt as a triplane it crashed again in May 1918 and further development was discontinued.
Friedrichshafen FF.54 in its original configurationFriedrichshafen FF.54 after conversionFriedrichshafen FF.54 after conversion
