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A. E. Wells Photograph of the First Target Practice of the USS Tennessee

 Collection
Identifier: MS-1800

  • Staff Only

This photograph depicts the USS Tennessee's first target practice. In this instance, the ship is firing broadside.

Dates

  • circa 1920

Conditions Governing Access

Collections are stored offsite and must be requested in advance. See www.special.lib.utk.edu for detailed information. Collections must be requested through a registered Special Collections research account.

Conditions Governing Use

The UT Libraries claims only physical ownership of most material in the collections. Persons wishing to broadcast or publish this material must assume all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants on www.special.lib.utk.edu for detailed information. Collections must be requested through a registered Special Collections research account.

Extent

0.1 Linear Feet (1 folder)

Abstract

This photograph depicts the USS Tennessee's first target practice. In this instance, the ship is firing broadside.

Biographical/Historical Note

The 32,300 ton battleship USS Tennessee was constructed in the New York Navy Yard and commissioned in June of 1920. It served in the Atlantic for a year before being transferred to the Pacific, where the ship served for nearly twenty years. During the 1920s and 1930s, the Tennessee participated in regular training and fleet exercises, earning an E (for excellence) in gunnery. On December 7, 1941 the Tennessee was one of the seven ships anchored on Pearl Harbor's Battleship Row. Two of her four gun turrets were damaged by bombs and it was scorched by burning oil from the sinking USS Arizona. Temporary repairs were made on site and the Tennessee was sent to Puget Sound for a full overhaul. It was modernized extensively in 1942 and went on to support numerous campaigns in the Pacific area, including Tarawa, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa despite incurring further damage, including a kamikaze strike in 1945. The Tennessee was mothballed after the war ended and was sold for scrap in July 1959.

Arrangement

This collection consists of a single folder.

Repository Details

Part of the Betsey B. Creekmore Special Collections and University Archives, University of Tennessee, Knoxville Repository

Contact:
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Knoxville TN 37996 USA
865-974-4480