USS New Jersey (BB-16)

The USS New Jersey (BB-16) was a Virginia-Class battleship, the others being Virginia, Nebraska, Georgia, and Rhode Island.   She was built by Fore River Shipbuilding Company of Quincy, Massachusetts with her keel laid down in May 1902. She was launched in November 1904, and commissioned in May 1906 with Captain William Kimball in command.  After here shakedown cruise she joined other fleet units for the presidential naval review in Oyster Bay in September of 1906.  She remained there until October 13th when she steamed south for the Jamestown Celebration from April 15th to May 14th, 1907.   

 

The  postcard at right was issued by Walden Fawcett utilizing the photography of Enrique Muller.


During the trip around the world, Captain William Southerland was in command as part of First Squadron, Second Division.   

Upon return to the States she began a peacetime routine of maneuvers and training in the Atlantic Fleet.   She spent a full year out of commission until the summer of 1912 and 1913 when she conducted training cruises for the Midshipmen of the Naval Academy.  In late 1913 she was deployed to the 
Caribbean and on April 21, 1914 she supported the American occupation of Veracruz.  On August 13th, 1914 she steamed to Santo Domingo to quell the unrest the gripped the Dominican Republic and Haiti.  She arrived back in Hampton Roads on October 9th, 1914.  For the next three years she resumed routine training.

 

During the War she made four trips between December 1918 and June 1919 carrying almost 5,000 soldiers.  She was decommissioned at the end of the war at Boston Naval Shipyard and disposed of under the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922.  New Jersey, Alabama, and Virginia were used as targets for Billy Mitchell's U.S. Army Air Service off the coast of Diamond Shoals, North Carolina.  On September 5th, 1923, Martin NBS-1 bombers of the 2nd Bombardment Group attacked New Jersey with 600-pound bombs at an altitude of 10,000 feet scoring 4 hits.  Afterwards an attack was made using 2,000 pound bombs at 6,000 feet.  In the final round 1,100 pounds were used, one was a direct hit causing her to sink 24-minutes later.


 


 

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