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Naval History and Heritage Command

Naval History and Heritage Command

NH-54664: USS Delaware (BB 28)
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USS Delaware (BB 28)

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USS Delaware (Battleship # 28, later BB-28), 1910-1924

USS Delaware, first of a class of two 20,000-ton battleships, was built at Newport News, Virginia. Commissioned in April 1910, she cruised to Europe late in that year and to South America during the first part of 1911. Two more trips to European waters followed in 1912 and 1913. Delaware also participated in the Atlantic Fleet's exercises in the western Atlantic and Caribbean area and took part in the Vera Cruz operation in 1914. When the United States entered World War I, she initially performed training and battle readiness missions along the U.S. east coast, then deployed to the North Sea late in 1917. She served with the British Grand Fleet in the U.S. Sixth Battle Squadron from then until late July 1918, when she left for home.


Following the Armistice, Delaware continued to take part in fleet maneuvers. She was designated BB-28 when the Navy formally adopted hull numbers in 1920. During the early '20s, the battleship made two midshipmen training cruises, one in 1922 and the second in 1923. The latter took Delaware to Europe for a final time, where she visited ports from Denmark to Gibraltar. Upon the ship's return to the U.S. in late August 1923 her crew was transferred to the new battleship Colorado and she began demilitarization work at the Boston Navy Yard. USS Delaware decommissioned in November and was sold for scrapping in February 1924.