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The second West Virginia (BB-48) was authorized by Congress in 1916 as part of the great U. S. naval building program. The hull was laid down on April 12, 1920 in Newport News, Virginia. |
The ship, which was the length of two football fields and stood eight stories high, was launched on November 19, 1921, sponsored by Alice Wright Mann, daughter of West Virginia millionaire Isaac T. Mann. The mood of the occasion was darkened by the possibility that the ship would not be completed due to the proposed reduction of naval forces worldwide in the post-war era.
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Although another battleship was destroyed following the international arms limitation agreement reached at the 1921-22 Washington Conference, the USS West Virginia was commissioned on December 1, 1923. It was the last American battleship constructed prior to World War II.
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| During her first year of service, the ship ran aground off Hampton Roads. After repairs were completed, the West Virginia became the flagship for the Commander, Battleship Divisions, Battle Fleet. The ship won numerous awards and participated in annual large-scale exercises. During 1926, she took part in maneuvers to test the defenses of Hawaii and joined the fleet for a cruise to Australia and New Zealand. The West Virginia also participated in exercises from Hawaii to the Caribbean and the Atlantic, and from Alaskan waters to Panama. |
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Airplanes on the USS West Virginia, 1927
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