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Tennessee file photo [3645]

Tennessee

CountryUnited States
Ship ClassTennessee-class Battleship
Hull NumberBB-43
BuilderNewport News Shipbuilding
Ordered28 Dec 1915
Laid Down14 May 1917
Launched30 Apr 1919
Commissioned3 Jun 1920
Decommissioned14 Feb 1947
Displacement32,300 tons standard; 33,723 tons full
Length624 feet
Beam97 feet
Draft30 feet
Machinery8 Babcock & Wilcox boilers, 2 Westinghouse electric generators, 4 electric motors, 4 screws
Power Output28,600 shaft horsepower
Speed21 knots
Range8,000nm at 10 knots
Crew1,083
Armament4x3x14in guns, 14x5in guns, 4x3in guns, 2x21in torpedo tubes
Armor8-13.5in belt, 13in barbettes, 18in turret face, 16in conning tower, 3.5in decks

Contributor:

ww2dbaseUSS Tennessee, a 32,300-ton battleship, was built at the New York Navy Yard. Commissioned in June 1920, she operated in the Atlantic area for a year and then transferred to the U.S. Pacific coast, where she was based for nearly two decades. As a unit of the Battleship Force, she participated in regular training and fleet exercises, winning the "E" for excellence in gunnery during the mid-1920s. In 1925, Tennessee transited the Pacific to visit New Zealand and Australia. With tensions with Japan rising, her base was moved forward to Pearl Harbor in 1940.

ww2dbaseOn 7 December 1941, Tennessee was one of eight battleships present when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Moored inboard of USS West Virginia (BB-48), she was hit by two bombs, which damaged two of her four gun turrets, and was scorched by burning oil from the sunken USS Arizona. In late December, after temporary repairs, Tennessee steamed to the Puget Sound Navy Yard, Washington, for an overhaul. From February through August 1942, she operated off the U.S. west coast, then briefly went to Pearl Harbor before returning to Puget Sound for extensive modernization.

ww2dbaseWith her appearance completely changed and her weapons, combat systems and protection considerably enhanced, Tennessee emerged from the shipyard in May 1943. She almost immediately moved up to the Aleutians area, where her 14-inch guns bombarded Kiska when that island was invaded in August. During the next year, from November 1943 into September 1944, she participated in bombardments of Tarawa, Kwajalein, Eniwetok, New Ireland, Saipan (where she was damaged by Japanese counter-fire), Guam, Tinian, Anguar and Pelieu. In October, Tennessee's guns pounded the Leyte invasion area as U.S. forces returned to the Philippines, and, on the night of 24-25 October, she helped sink the Japanese battleship Yamashiro in the Battle of Surigao Strait.

ww2dbaseAfter a Stateside overhaul, Tennessee supported the Iwo Jima operation in February and March 1945, firing nearly 1400 fourteen-inch and over 6000 five-inch shells at targets on the small, but fiercely defended island. Beginning in late March, she bombarded Okinawa. Hit by a suicide plane on 12 April, Tennessee remained in action until 1 May, when she went to Ulithi for repairs, then returned to Okinawa to continue her gunfire support during June. In July and August, she operated in the waters off China. Following Japan's surrender, the battleship took part in the occupation effort before returning to the United States via the Cape of Good Hope, arriving at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, Pennsylvania, early December 1946. Through the next year, she underwent the "mothballing" process and was decommissioned in February 1947. USS Tennessee was part of the Atlantic Reserve Fleet for twelve more years and was sold for scrapping in July 1959.

ww2dbaseSource: Naval Historical Center

Last Major Revision: Jan 2005

Battleship Tennessee (BB-43) Interactive Map

Photographs

Tennessee anchored in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, circa Feb 1921Battleship USS Tennessee in drydock at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Washington, United States, late in 1921.
See all 46 photographs of Battleship Tennessee (BB-43)

Tennessee Operational Timeline

3 Jun 1920 USS Tennessee was commissioned into service.
29 Dec 1941 Battleships USS Tennessee and USS Maryland, both damaged in the Pearl Harbor attack, arrived at Puget Sound Navy Yard for repairs.
25 Feb 1942 Battleships USS Tennessee and USS Maryland depart Puget Sound Naval Shipyard after repairs.
27 Aug 1942 Battleship USS Tennessee arrived at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard for modernization.
22 May 1943 Battleship USS Tennessee departed Puget Sound Naval Shipyard.
9 Oct 1943 USS Bailey arrived at San Pedro, California and later that same day, Bailey departed San Pedro bound for Pearl Harbor, Hawaii escorting battleship USS Tennessee.
12 Oct 1944 Task Group 77.2 consisting of battleships USS Tennessee, USS California, USS Pennsylvania, USS Maryland, USS West Virginia, and USS Mississippi with cruisers USS Honolulu, USS Portland, USS Minneapolis, USS Denver, and USS Columbia departed Seeadler Harbor, Manus bound Leyte Gulf, Philippines.
19 Oct 1944 USS Honolulu, USS Tennessee, USS California, and USS Portland began two days of shore bombardments on Leyte, Philippines in advance of Army landings.
26 Nov 1944 Battleship USS Tennessee arrived at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard for an overhaul.
2 Feb 1945 Battleship USS Tennessee departed Puget Sound Naval Shipyard.
14 Feb 1947 USS Tennessee was decommissioned from service.




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Visitor Submitted Comments

1. hiro says:
3 Apr 2021 04:28:49 AM

she was launched in 1919. please add here and on list page, launch column.
length 624 feet so please add here.
2. R moore says:
4 Dec 2021 04:49:27 AM

Trying to verify one of my cousins was a member of the crew on Dec 7, 1941. Was told he was wounded on that day. Hospitalized and died of those wounds about Six months later. How can I locate prof he was a member? Family history project only. Thank You
3. Diana Morris says:
31 May 2022 07:39:28 PM

My uncle was station on the USS Tennessee during WWII. According to family stories he was wounded and evacuated from the ship around 1943. His name was Joseph Murray Fletcher.
4. Anonymous says:
31 Jan 2023 07:19:50 PM

My grandfather and his twin brother were stationed on the USS Tennessee. My grandfather passed 4 years ago, however, his twin brother is still alive. He will be 100 this year.
5. Anonymous says:
21 Jul 2023 05:57:20 PM

My Father in law was at Peal Harbor in Dec 07 1941 on the USS Tennessee. Want to know what was his duty?

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More on Tennessee
Event(s) Participated:
» Attack on Pearl Harbor
» Battle of Iwo Jima

Document(s):
» US Navy Report of Japanese Raid on Pearl Harbor, Enclosure E, USS Tennessee

Battleship Tennessee (BB-43) Photo Gallery
Tennessee anchored in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, circa Feb 1921Battleship USS Tennessee in drydock at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Washington, United States, late in 1921.
See all 46 photographs of Battleship Tennessee (BB-43)


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