View source for USS Alabama (BB-8)

{{Short description|Pre-dreadnought battleship of the United States Navy}}
{{other ships|USS Alabama}}
{{good article}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}
{| {{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=USS Alabama (BB-8) 1912.jpg
|Ship image size=300px
|Ship caption=''Alabama'' off New York City in 1912
}}
{{Infobox ship career
| Hide header =
| Ship country = United States
| Ship flag = {{USN flag|1920}}
| Ship name = ''Alabama''
| Ship namesake =[[Alabama]]
| Ship builder =[[William Cramp & Sons]], [[Philadelphia]]
| Ship laid down = 1 December 1896
| Ship launched = 18 May 1898
| Ship commissioned = 16 October 1900
| Ship decommissioned = 7 May 1920
| Ship yard number = 290
| Ship struck =Transferred to War Department, 15 September 1921
| Ship fate =*Sunk as a target by [[United States Army Air Service|Army Air Service]], 27 September 1921
*Sold for [[ship breaking|scrap]], 19 March 1924
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
| Hide header =
| Header caption =
| Ship class = {{sclass|Illinois|battleship}}
| Ship displacement = 
*[[normal displacement|Normal]]: {{convert|11565|LT|lk=on}}
*[[Full load]]: {{convert|12250|LT}}
| Ship length = {{convert|374|ft|abbr=on}} [[length overall|loa]]
| Ship beam = {{convert|72|ft|3|in|abbr=on}}
| Ship draft = {{convert|23|ft|6|in|abbr=on}}
| Ship power = 
*8 × [[fire-tube boiler]]s
*{{convert|10000|ihp|abbr=on|lk=on}}
| Ship propulsion =
*2 × [[triple-expansion steam engine]]s
*2 × screw [[propeller]]s
| Ship speed = {{convert|16|kn|lk=in}}
| Ship range =
| Ship crew =536
| Ship armament =*  4 × [[13"/35 caliber gun|{{convert|13|in|mm|abbr=on|0}}/35 caliber guns]]
* 14 × [[6"/40 caliber gun|{{convert|6|in|mm|abbr=on|0}}/40 caliber guns]]
* 16 × [[QF 6-pounder Hotchkiss|6-pounder guns]] ({{convert|57|mm|in|abbr=on}})
*  6 × [[QF 1-pounder pom-pom|1-pounder guns]] ({{convert|37|mm|in|abbr=on}})
*  4 × [[American 18 inch torpedo|{{cvt|18|in|0}}]] [[torpedo tube]]s
| Ship armor =
* [[Belt armor|Belt]]: {{cvt|4|to|16.5|in|0}}
* [[Gun turret|Turrets]]: {{cvt|14|in|0}}
* [[Barbette]]s: {{cvt|15|in|0}}
* [[Casemate]]s: {{cvt|6|in|0}}
* [[Conning tower]]: {{cvt|10|in|0}}  
| Ship notes =
}}
|}

'''USS ''Alabama'' (BB-8)''' was an {{sclass|Illinois|battleship|0}} [[pre-dreadnought battleship]] built for the [[United States Navy]]. She was the second ship of her [[ship class|class]], and the second to carry her name. Her [[keel]] was [[keel laying|laid down]] in December 1896 at the [[William Cramp & Sons]] shipyard, and she was [[ship launching|launched]] in May 1898. She was [[ship commissioning|commissioned]] into the fleet in October 1900. The ship was armed with a [[main battery]] of four {{convert|13|in|adj=on|0}} guns and she had a top speed of {{convert|16|kn|lk=in}}.

''Alabama'' spent the first seven years of her career in the [[North Atlantic Fleet]] conducting peacetime training. In 1904, she made a visit to Europe and toured the Mediterranean. She took part in the cruise of the [[Great White Fleet]] until damage to her machinery forced her to leave the cruise in San Francisco. She instead completed a shorter circumnavigation in company with the battleship {{USS|Maine|BB-10|2}}. The ship received an extensive modernization from 1909 to 1912, after which she was used as a [[training ship]] in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. She continued in this role during [[World War I]]. After the war, ''Alabama'' was stricken from the [[naval register]] and allocated to bombing tests that were conducted in September 1921. She was sunk in the tests by [[US Army Air Service]] bombers and later sold for scrap in March 1924.

==Description==
{{main|Illinois-class battleship}}

Design work on the {{sclass|Illinois|battleship|4}} of [[pre-dreadnought battleship]]s began in 1896, at which time the [[United States Navy]] had few modern battleships in service. Initial debate over whether to build a new low-[[freeboard (nautical)|freeboard]] design like the {{sclass|Indiana|battleship|1}}s in service or a higher-freeboard vessel like {{USS|Iowa|BB-4|2}} (then under construction) led to a decision to adopt the latter type. The mixed secondary armament of {{cvt|6|and|8|in|0}} guns of previous classes was standardized to just 6-inch weapons to save weight and simplify ammunition supplies. Another major change was the introduction of modern, balanced turrets with [[sloped armor|sloped faces]] instead of the older [[USS Monitor|"Monitor"]]-style turrets of earlier American battleships.{{sfn|Friedman|pp=37–38}}

[[File:Illinois-class battleship plan and profile.jpg|thumb|Plan and profile drawing of the ''Illinois'' class|left]]

''Alabama'' was {{convert|374|ft}} [[length overall|long overall]] and had a [[beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|72|ft|3|in|abbr=on}} and a [[draft (nautical)|draft]] of {{convert|23|ft|6|in|abbr=on}}. She [[Displacement (ship)|displaced]] {{convert|11565|LT|lk=on}} as designed and up to {{convert|12250|LT}} at [[full load]]. The ship was powered by two-shaft [[triple-expansion engine|triple-expansion]] [[steam engine]]s rated at {{convert|10000|ihp|lk=in}}, driving two screw [[propeller]]s. Steam was provided by eight coal-fired [[fire-tube boiler]]s, which were ducted into a pair of [[funnel (ship)|funnels]] placed side by side. The propulsion system generated a top speed of {{convert|16|kn|lk=in}}. As built, she was fitted with heavy [[military mast]]s, but these were replaced by [[cage mast]]s in 1909. She had a crew of 536&nbsp;officers and enlisted men, which increased to 690&ndash;713.{{sfn|Campbell|p=142}}

The ship was armed with a [[main battery]] of four [[13"/35 caliber gun|{{convert|13|in|mm|abbr=on|0}}/35 caliber guns]]{{efn|/35 refers to the length of the gun in terms of [[Caliber (artillery)|calibers]]. A /35 gun is 35 times long as it is in bore diameter.}} in two twin-[[gun turret]]s on the [[Centerline (nautical)|centerline]], one forward and aft. The [[secondary armament|secondary battery]] consisted of fourteen [[6"/40 caliber gun|{{convert|6|in|mm|abbr=on|0}}/40 caliber Mark IV guns]], which were placed in [[casemates]] in the [[hull (watercraft)|hull]]. For close-range defense against [[torpedo boat]]s, she carried sixteen 6-pounder guns mounted in casemates along the side of the hull and six [[QF 1-pounder pom-pom|1-pounder guns]]. As was standard for [[capital ship]]s of the period, ''Alabama'' carried four [[American 18 inch torpedo|{{convert|18|in|abbr=on|0}}]] [[torpedo tube]]s in deck mounted launchers.{{sfn|Campbell|p=142}}

''Alabama''{{'}}s main [[armored belt]] was {{convert|16.5|in|abbr=on|0}} thick over the [[magazine (artillery)|magazines]] and the propulsion machinery spaces and {{convert|4|in|abbr=on|0}} elsewhere. The main battery gun turrets had {{convert|14|in|adj=on|0}} thick faces, and the supporting [[barbette]]s had {{convert|15|in|abbr=on|0}} of armor plating on their exposed sides. Armor that was 6&nbsp;in thick protected the secondary battery. The [[conning tower]] had {{convert|10|in|abbr=on|0}} thick sides.{{sfn|Campbell|p=142}}

==Service history==
===Construction – 1911===
[[File:USS Alabama (BB-8) 1904.jpg|thumb|left|''Alabama'' in 1904.]]
''Alabama'' was [[keel laying|laid down]] at the [[William Cramp & Sons]] shipyard in [[Philadelphia]] on 2 December 1896 and was [[ship launching|launched]] on 18 May 1898. She was [[ship commissioning|commissioned]] on 16 October 1900, the first member of her class to enter service.{{sfn|Campbell|p=142}} The ship's first commander was Captain [[Willard H. Brownson]]. ''Alabama'' was assigned to the [[North Atlantic Squadron]], though she remained at Philadelphia until 13 December, when she made a visit to New York, where she remained through January 1901. On the 27th, ''Alabama'' steamed south for the [[Gulf of Mexico]], where she joined the rest of the North Atlantic Squadron for training exercises off [[Pensacola, Florida]].{{sfn|DANFS Alabama}} In August 1901, while the North Atlantic Squadron conducted target practice off of Nantucket Island, ''Alabama'' experienced an outbreak of mumps and was placed in quarantine, unable to participate.{{sfn|''Boston Globe''|1901}}

For the next six years, she followed a pattern of fleet training in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean during the winter, followed by repairs and then operations off the east coast of the United States from the middle of the year onward. The only interruption came in 1904, when she, the battleships {{USS|Kearsarge|BB-5|2}}, {{USS|Maine|BB-10|2}}, and ''Iowa'', and the [[protected cruiser]]s {{USS|Olympia|C-6|2}}, {{USS|Baltimore|C-3|2}}, and {{USS|Cleveland|C-19|2}} made a visit to southern Europe. During the trip, they stopped in [[Lisbon]], Portugal, before touring the Mediterranean until mid-August. They then recrossed the Atlantic, stopping in the [[Azores]] while en route, and arrived in [[Newport, Rhode Island]] on 29 August. Toward the end of September, ''Alabama'' went into [[dry dock]] at the [[League Island Navy Yard]] for repairs, which were completed by early December.{{sfn|DANFS Alabama}} On 31 July 1906, the ship was involved in a collision with her [[sister ship|sister]] {{USS|Illinois|BB-7|2}}.{{sfn|Silverstone|p=9}}

''Alabama''{{'}}s next significant action was the cruise of the [[Great White Fleet]] around the world, which started with a [[naval review]] for President [[Theodore Roosevelt]] in [[Hampton Roads]].{{sfn|DANFS Alabama}} The cruise of the Great White Fleet was conceived as a way to demonstrate American military power, particularly to Japan. Tensions had begun to rise between the United States and Japan after the latter's victory in the [[Russo-Japanese War]] in 1905, particularly over racist opposition to Japanese immigration to the United States. The press in both countries began to call for war, and Roosevelt hoped to use the demonstration of naval might to deter Japanese aggression.{{sfn|Hendrix|pp=XIII, XIV}}

On 17 December, the fleet steamed out of Hampton Roads and cruised south to the [[Caribbean]] and then to South America, making stops in [[Port of Spain]], [[Rio de Janeiro]], [[Punta Arenas]], and [[Valparaíso]], among other cities. After arriving in Mexico in March 1908, the fleet spent three weeks conducting gunnery practice.{{sfn|Albertson|pp=41&ndash;46}} The fleet then resumed its voyage up the Pacific coast of the Americas, stopping in [[San Francisco]], where ''Alabama'' was detached from the rest of the fleet. The ship could not keep up with the fleet due to a cracked cylinder head, which necessitated repairs at the [[Mare Island Navy Yard]]. The battleship ''Maine'' also left the fleet, as her boilers had proved to be badly inefficient, requiring excessive amounts of coal.{{sfn|Albertson|p=49}}

On 8 June, ''Alabama'' and ''Maine'' began their crossing of the Pacific independently, via [[Honolulu]], Hawaii, [[Guam]], and [[Manila]] in the Philippines. They then cruised south to [[Singapore]] in August and crossed the Indian Ocean, stopping in [[Colombo]], Ceylon, and [[Aden]] on the Arabian peninsula on the way. The ships then steamed through the Mediterranean, stopping only in [[Naples]], Italy, before calling at [[Gibraltar]] and then proceeding across the Atlantic in early October. They stopped in the Azores before arriving off the east coast of the United States on 19 October; the two ships then parted company, with ''Alabama'' steaming to New York, while ''Maine'' went to [[Portsmouth, New Hampshire]]. Both ships arrived the following day. Following her arrival, ''Alabama'' was reduced to reserve status on 3 November. She remained in New York, and on 17 August 1909, she was decommissioned for a major overhaul that lasted until early 1912.{{sfn|DANFS Alabama}}

===1912–1919===
[[File:USS Alabama - NH 8.jpg|thumb|left|''Alabama'' in Philadelphia in 1919]]
''Alabama'' returned to service on 17 April 1912 in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, under [[Commander (United States)|Commander]] [[Charles F. Preston]]. The ships of the Atlantic Reserve Fleet—which included eight other battleships and three cruisers—were kept in service with reduced crews that could be fleshed out with [[naval militia]]men and volunteers in the event of an emergency. There were enough officers and men in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet to fully man two or three ships, which allowed them to take them to sea in rotating groups to ensure that the ships were in good condition. On 25 July, ''Alabama'' was temporarily placed in full commission for service with the Atlantic Fleet during the summer training exercises, before returning to reserve status on 10 September. In mid-1913, the Navy began to use the Atlantic Reserve Fleet to train naval militia units. ''Alabama'' operated off the east coast of the United States and made two training cruises to [[Bermuda]] that summer to train men from the naval militias of several states. These operations ended on 2 September, and on 31 October she was again [[:wikt:laid up|laid up]].{{sfn|DANFS Alabama}}

The ship remained largely inactive in Philadelphia for the next three years. On 22 January 1917, she became a [[receiving ship]] for naval recruits. ''Alabama'' was transferred to the southern Chesapeake to begin training recruits in the middle of March. Shortly thereafter, on 6 April, the United States declared war on Germany. Two days later, ''Alabama'' became the flagship of the 1st Division, Atlantic Fleet, and for the rest of the war she continued her training mission of the east coast of the United States. During this period, she made one cruise to the Gulf of Mexico from late June to early July 1918. On 11 November, Germany signed the [[Armistice of 11 November 1918|Armistice]] that ended the fighting in Europe; ''Alabama'' continued training naval recruits, though at a reduced level of intensity. She took part in fleet maneuvers in February and March 1919 in the [[West Indies]] before returning to Philadelphia in April for repairs. A summer training cruise for [[midshipmen]] from the [[US Naval Academy]] followed; ''Alabama'' departed Philadelphia on 28 May bound for [[Annapolis]], where she arrived the next day. After taking on a contingent of 184 midshipmen, she steamed out of Annapolis on 9 June. The cruise went to the West Indies and passed through the [[Panama Canal]] and back. By mid-July, the ship was cruising off the coast of [[New England]]. She returned south in August for maneuvers, and at the end of the month she returned the midshipmen to Annapolis before docking in Philadelphia.{{sfn|DANFS Alabama}}

===Bombing tests===
[[File:Ex-USS Alabama (BB-8) - NH 924.jpg|thumb|''Alabama'' struck by a [[white phosphorus]] bomb]]
''Alabama'' was decommissioned for the final time on 7 May 1920, having spent the previous nine months inactive at Philadelphia. The ship was transferred to the [[United States Department of War|War Department]] for use as a [[target ship]] on 15 September 1921, and she was stricken from the [[naval register]]. She was allocated to bombing tests conducted by the [[US Army Air Service]] on 27 September 1921, under the supervision of General [[Billy Mitchell]]. In addition to ''Alabama'', the old battleships {{USS|New Jersey|BB-16|2}} and {{USS|Virginia|BB-13|2}} were to be sunk in the tests.{{sfn|DANFS Alabama}}{{sfn|Wildenberg|pp=114&ndash;115}} The first phase of the testing began on 23 September, and included tests with chemical bombs, including [[tear gas]] and [[white phosphorus]], to demonstrate how such weapons could be used to disable command and control systems and kill exposed personnel. That night, another test with 300&nbsp;lb (136&nbsp;kg) demolition bombs took place, the purpose of which was to determine whether flares could sufficiently illuminate a target for precise bombing.{{sfn|Wildenberg|p=89}} The second phase took place the next morning, and it was a much larger operation. The [[1st Provisional Air Brigade]] took part in the tests, which were to simulate a combat scenario. A group of eight [[Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5]]s, armed with 25&nbsp;lb (11&nbsp;kg) bombs attacked first; their bombs and [[machine gun]] fire were intended to simulate clearing the decks of anti-aircraft gunners in preparation for the heavy bombers. Four [[Martin NBS-1]] bombers attacked next, with 300&nbsp;lb (136&nbsp;kg) bombs at an altitude of 1500&nbsp;ft (457 m). Two of the bombs hit the deck toward the bow. Three more NBS-1s followed with 1100&nbsp;lb (499&nbsp;kg) [[armor-piercing]] bombs, though none of these hit.{{sfn|Wildenberg|pp=89&ndash;90}}

On 25 September 1921, the last round of tests took place. Seven more NBS-1s attacked the ship; three carried 1,100&nbsp;lb (499&nbsp;kg) bombs, while the other four carried one {{convert|2000|lb|abbr=on}} bomb each. One of the 2,000&nbsp;lb (907&nbsp;kg) bombs landed close to the ship on the port side; the mining effect caused considerable damage,{{efn|Bombs that explode underwater are identical in effect to [[naval mine]]s; the damage to a ship inflicted derives from the relative incompressibility of water, which transmits the force of the blast directly to the hull.{{sfn|Wildenberg|p=90}}}} and ''Alabama'' began listing to port. The bombers scored two more near-misses with the 2,000&nbsp;lb (907&nbsp;kg) bombs, followed by a direct hit and two near misses with the 1,100&nbsp;lb (499&nbsp;kg) bombs. The last bomb, a 2,000&nbsp;lb (907&nbsp;kg) weapon, struck the ship at her stern. The blast broke her anchor chains, and the battered ship began to drift toward the wrecks of [[USS Texas (1892)|''San Marcos'']] and {{USS|Indiana|BB-1|2}}, the latter having been sunk in bombing tests earlier that year.{{sfn|Wildenberg|p=90}} The ship remained afloat for another two days before finally sinking in shallow water on 27 September 1921.{{sfn|DANFS Alabama}} Mitchell attempted to use the sinking as evidence of the predominance of the bomber in his efforts to secure an independent [[air force]], though the Navy pointed out that the ship was stationary, undefended, unmanned, and was not protected with the latest [[All or nothing (armor)|"all or nothing"]] armor scheme.{{sfn|Wildenberg|p=90}} The sunken wreck was sold for scrap on 19 March 1924.{{sfn|DANFS Alabama}}

== Salvage ==
[[File:Salvage of USS Alabama in 1926.png|thumb|Sunken-ex ''Alabama'', center, with two salvage vessels in 1926. ''Arbutus'' on right.]]
The wreck of ex-''Alabama'' contained tons of steel which were valuable as scrap metal. The Navy sold the salvage rights to the wrecks of ex-''Alabama'', ex-''Indiana'', and ex-''San Marcos'' to [[Merritt-Chapman & Scott]] Corporation of New York for $10,600.<ref>{{Cite news |date=20 March 1924 |title=Battleship Indiana Goes To Junk Pile |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/104827225/?match=1&terms=%22battleship%20Alabama%22%20bid |work=Indianapolis Star |pages=4}}</ref> In July 1925 officials of Union Shipbuilding Company of Baltimore Maryland made an inspection cruise of ex-''Alabama'' to consider the feasibility of salvage.<ref>{{Cite news |date=31 July 1925 |title=To Scrap Steamers |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/373300759/?match=1&terms=%22union%20shipbuilding%22%20battleship%20alabama |work=Baltimore Sun |pages=19}}</ref> It bought the right to salvage ex-''Alabama'' from Merritt-Chapman & Scott. [[United States Secretary of War|Secretary of War]] [[Dwight F. Davis]] approved the transaction and granted permission for Union Shipbuilding to raise and remove ex-''Alabama'' on 23 April 1926.<ref>{{Cite news |date=23 April 1926 |title=Permission Granted To Raise And Remove Battleship 'Alabama" |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/101489035/?match=1&terms=%22union%20shipbuilding%22%20battleship%20alabama |work=The Anniston Star |pages=1}}</ref>
[[File:Wreck of ex-USS Alabama towed in to Baltimore for scrapping in 1927.png|thumb|Ex-''Alabama'' as she was towed to the scrapyard in 1927]]
The company's effort to raise the ship began in May 1926. It dispatched one of its steamers, ''[[USLHT Arbutus (1879 ship)|Arbutus]]'', to examine the wreck. Ex-''Alabama'' was resting on the bottom in about {{Convert|30|ft|m}} of water. She had a 13 degree list to port. Two divers were sent down to examine the sunken hull. They found the ship deeply embedded in the sand.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |date=17 December 1927 |title=Alabama Raised From Ocean's Bed After Much Work |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/992689079/?match=1&terms=%22union%20shipbuilding%22%20battleship%20alabama |work=Times-Record |pages=3}}</ref> Once the sand was cleared away, two enormous holes were discovered below the waterline. The Navy had not reported these holes, likely because the sand hid them. Their discovery both changed the assessment of the bombing trials and substantially lengthened the salvage effort. In mid-December 1926 Union Shipbuilding paused the salvage effort due to winter weather.<ref>{{Cite news |date=15 December 1926 |title=Local Port News And Ship Activity |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/373244337/?match=1&terms=%22union%20shipbuilding%22%20battleship%20alabama |work=Baltimore Sun |pages=18}}</ref> The War Department's original license to salvage the ship had a term of one year. Due to the newly discovered holes, it extended its permission for five months, giving the company until 30 September 1927 to complete the removal.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1 July 1927 |title=Additional Time Given For Removal Of Alabama |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/230971493/?match=1&terms=%22union%20shipbuilding%22%20battleship%20alabama |work=Daily Press |pages=9}}</ref>
[[File:Hull of ex-USS Alabama during scrapping in 1928.jpg|thumb|Ex-''Alabama'' on the marine railway at Union Shipbuilding. Note the large patch placed by the salvors.]]
Two steel patches, one {{Convert|72|ft|m}} long and {{Convert|36|ft|m}} wide, the other {{Convert|50|ft|m}} long and {{Convert|40|ft|m}} wide, covered the large holes,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Delich |first=Helen |date=25 February 1950 |title=Ship Aground Ahoy! |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/370912145/?match=1&terms=%22union%20shipbuilding%22%20battleship%20alabama |work=Baltimore Sun |pages=8}}</ref> and crude cement plugs filled smaller holes.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=11 June 1928 |title="Billy" Mitchell Points Out What Flyers Do To Battleships |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/372765206/?match=1&terms=%22union%20shipbuilding%22%20battleship%20alabama |work=Baltimore Sun |pages=24}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=8 August 1926 |title=Ship In Bomb Test Defends Mitchell |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/618530188/?match=1&terms=%22union%20shipbuilding%22%20battleship%20alabama |work=Evening Star |pages=3}}</ref> After the holes were patched, the ship was pumped out and refloated four times between 19 June and 10 September 1927. Weather and safety issues caused her to sink back to the bottom on the first three attempts.<ref name=":1" /> The hulk was surveyed prior to being granted permission to enter Baltimore Harbor, lest the wreck sink and block the channel.<ref>{{Cite news |date=10 September 1927 |title=Port Paragraphs |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/372699997/?match=1&terms=%22union%20shipbuilding%22%20battleship%20alabama |work=The Sun |location=Baltimore, MD |page=19}}</ref> Towed by three tugs, the wreck of ex-''Alabama'' left the spot where she sank on 10 September 1927 and was anchored at Baltimore the next day. A skeleton crew was aboard throughout, to keep electric pumps running lest the ship sink again.<ref>{{Cite news |date=14 September 1927 |title=Battleship Sunk In Chesapeake By Airplane Bombs Now Here |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/372715971/?match=1&terms=%22union%20shipbuilding%22%20battleship%20alabama |work=Baltimore Sun |pages=26}}</ref>

The hulk was pulled on shore on Union Shipbuilding's [[Patent slip|marine railway]] to begin the scrapping process.<ref name=":0" />

==Footnotes==
===Notes ===

{{notes}}

===Citations===

{{reflist|20em}}

==References==
* {{cite web
  |url=http://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/a/alabama-ii.html
  |title=Alabama II (Battleship No. 8)
  |work=[[Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships]]
  |publisher=[[Naval History & Heritage Command]]
  |date=9 November 2004
  |access-date=27 June 2015
  |ref={{sfnRef|DANFS Alabama}}
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last = Albertson
  | first = Mark
  | title = U.S.S. Connecticut: Constitution State Battleship
  | location = Mustang
  | publisher = [[Tate Publishing & Enterprises|Tate Publishing]]
  | year = 2007
  | isbn = 978-1-59886-739-8
  | ref={{sfnRef|Albertson}}
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last = Campbell
  | first = N. J. M.
  | chapter = United States of America
  | pages = 114–169
  | editor1-last = Chesneau
  | editor1-first = Roger
  | editor2-last = Kolesnik
  | editor2-first = Eugene M.
  | year = 1979
  | title = Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905
  | publisher = Conway Maritime Press
  | location = Greenwich
  | isbn = 978-0-85177-133-5
  | ref = {{sfnRef|Campbell}}
  | url-access = registration
  | url = https://archive.org/details/conwaysallworlds0000unse_l2e2
  | name-list-style=amp
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last = Friedman
  | first = Norman
  | year = 1985
  | title = U.S. Battleships: An Illustrated Design History
  | location = Annapolis
  | publisher = [[Naval Institute Press]]
  | isbn = 978-0-87021-715-9
  | ref = {{sfnRef|Friedman}}
  }}
* {{cite book
  |last=Hendrix
  |first=Henry
  |title=Theodore Roosevelt's Naval Diplomacy: The U.S. Navy and the Birth of the American Century
  |year=2009
  |location=Annapolis
  |publisher=Naval Institute Press
  |ref={{sfnRef|Hendrix}}
  |isbn=978-1-61251-831-2
  }}
* {{cite news
  |ref= {{sfnRef|''Boston Globe''|1901}}
  |author= <!-- staff writer(s), no by-line -->
  |date= 11 August 1901
  |title= Mumps on the ''Alabama''
  |newspaper= [[The Boston Globe]]
  |page= 3
  |url= https://bostonglobe.newspapers.com/image/430661271
  |url-access= subscription
  |via= Newspapers.com
  }}
* {{cite book
  |last=Silverstone
  |first=Paul H.
  |year=2013
  |title=The New Navy, 1883–1922
  |publisher=Routledge
  |location=New York
  |isbn=978-0-415-97871-2
  |ref={{sfnRef|Silverstone}}
  }}
* {{cite book
  |last=Wildenberg
  |first=Thomas
  |title=Billy Mitchell's War with the Navy: The Army Air Corps and the Challenge to Seapower
  |location=Annapolis
  |publisher=Naval Institute Press
  |year=2014
  |isbn=978-1-61251-332-4
  |ref={{sfnRef|Wildenberg}}
  }}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book
  | last = Alden
  | first = John D.
  | year = 1989
  | title = American Steel Navy: A Photographic History of the U.S. Navy from the Introduction of the Steel Hull in 1883 to the Cruise of the Great White Fleet
  | location = Annapolis
  | publisher = [[Naval Institute Press]]
  | isbn = 978-0-87021-248-2
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last1 = Reilly
  | first1 = John C.
  | last2 = Scheina
  | first2 = Robert L.
  | year = 1980
  | title = American Battleships 1886–1923: Predreadnought Design and Construction
  | publisher = Naval Institute Press
  | location = Annapolis
  | isbn = 978-0-87021-524-7
  }}

== External links ==

{{Commons category-inline|USS Alabama (BB-8)}}
* {{navsource|01/08a|Alabama}}

{{Illinois class battleship}}
{{1921 shipwrecks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Alabama (BB-8}}
[[Category:Illinois-class battleships]]
[[Category:Ships built by William Cramp & Sons]]
[[Category:1898 ships]]
[[Category:World War I battleships of the United States]]
[[Category:Battleships sunk by aircraft as targets]]
[[Category:Ships sunk by US aircraft]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 1921]]
[[Category:Shipwrecks of the Virginia coast]]