USS Pennsylvania (BB-38) was the lead ship of the Pennsylvania class of super-dreadnought battleships built for the United States Navy in the 1910s. The Pennsylvanias were part of the standard-type battleship series, and marked an incremental improvement over the preceding Nevada class, carrying an extra pair of 14-inch (356 mm) guns for a total of twelve guns. Named for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, she was laid down at the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in October 1913, was launched in March 1915, and was commissioned in June 1916. Equipped with an oil-burning propulsion system, Pennsylvania was not sent to European waters during World War I, since the necessary fuel oil was not as readily available as coal. Instead, she remained in American waters and took part in training exercises; in 1918, she escorted President Woodrow Wilson to France to take part in peace negotiations.
USS Pennsylvania under way off New York City on 31 May 1934
Fitting-out deck area around forward turrets in early weeks of 1916
Pennsylvania in her original configuration, December 1916
Pennsylvania underway, c. 1920
Pennsylvania-class battleship
The Pennsylvania class consisted of two super-dreadnought battleships built for the United States Navy just before the First World War. Named Pennsylvania and Arizona, after the American states of the same names, the two battleships were the United States' second battleship design to adhere to the "all or nothing" armor scheme. They were the newest American capital ships when the United States entered the First World War.
Arizona at the United States' post-First World War naval review in New York, December 1918
The Nevada class, represented here by Oklahoma in 1916, were the first American battleship class with triple gun turrets, the "all or nothing" armor concept, oil fuel, and steam turbines with geared cruising turbines (albeit the latter only in Nevada); all of these innovations were continued in the Pennsylvania class.
Arizona's starboard propeller shaft
Pennsylvania on a visit to Australia, 1925