February 1, 1940
Construction on the USS Alabama began on this day in 1940. The Alabama started its service during World War II, patrolling the Atlantic. However, it played a more crucial role later in the war, helping liberate many Pacific islands from Japanese forces from 1943 through 1945. At 680 feet long and more than 108 feet wide, the USS Alabama was a round-the-clock project for more than 30 months, and involved more than 3,000 workers. After the war, the Alabama was decommissioned, and came very close to being scrapped. However, a fundraising effort spared the ship, which was moved to Mobile, where it anchors the 155-acre Battleship Memorial Park.
Read more at Encyclopedia of Alabama.
Commissioning ceremonies Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Virginia, Aug. 16, 1942. (Naval History and Heritage Command)
Commissioning ceremonies in the Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Virginia, Aug. 16, 1942. (Naval History and Heritage Command)
The battleship USS Alabama is launched from the Norfolk Navy Yard in Portsmouth, Virginia, on Feb. 16, 1942. (From Encyclopedia of Alabama, U.S. Navy)
USS Alabama (BB-60) launching schedule, Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Virginia, Feb. 15, 1942. (National Archives, Naval History and Heritage Command)
Guns are seen on the deck of the battleship USS Alabama during a snowstorm in January 1943. (From Encyclopedia of Alabama)
The battleship USS Alabama is seen anchored in Casco Bay, Maine, in December 1942, where its crew trained before deploying to active duty in the North Atlantic in early 1943. (From Encyclopedia of Alabama, U.S. Navy)
The battleship Alabama and the submarine Drum are tied up at Battleship USS Alabama Memorial Park, where they are permanent exhibits. (National Archives, Naval History and Heritage Command)
For more on Alabama’s Bicentennial, visit Alabama 200.