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NavSource Online: Battleship Photo Archive

BB-54 MASSACHUSETTS

Radio Call Sign: November - India - Romeo - Quebec

South Dakota Class Battleship: Displacement: 43,200 tons. Dimensions: 684' (length overall); 106' (maximum beam). Powerplant: 60,000 horsepower steam turbines with electric drive, producing a 23 knot maximum speed. Armament (Main Battery): Twelve 16"/50 guns in four triple turrets. Armament (Secondary Battery): Sixteen 6"/53 guns in single mountings (eight guns on each side of the ship). 8 3"/50cal AA, 2 21 inch torpedo tubes (submerged). Armor: 8-13.5 inch belt, 3.5 inch deck, 4.5-13.5 inch barbettes, 5-18 inch turrets, 8-16 inch CT.Crew: 1191.

Operational and Building Data: Laid down by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp., Quincy, Mass., 4 April 1921. In accordance with provisions of the Washington Naval Treaty, which was signed by the United States 6 February 1922, construction was suspended 8 February 1922; and the contract was canceled 17 August 1923. Her unfinished hull was sold 8 November 1923 to the Steel Scrap Co., Philadelphia, Pa. for scrap, and her name was struck from the Navy List 10 November 1923.

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Planning & Models

Click On Image For Full Size	Size	Image Description	Source
Construction 1920 - 1922
	1.23k	Massachusetts - Quincy: Photo dated 1921, but no month is listed. There is probably a 50/60 % chance that the Massachusetts (BB-54) appears here in some form, being laid at Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp., Quincy, Mass. Fore River Plant on 7 July 1921.	File Unit: Massachusetts - Quincy Record Hierarchy Record Group 18: Records of the Army Air Forces, ca. 1902 - 1964 Series: "Airscapes" of American and Foreign Areas, 1917 - 1964 National Archives Identifier: 23941353 Local Identifier:18-AA-71-58 Photo courtesy of catalog.archives.gov via Chadd Smith.
	183k	The Massachusetts (BB-54) was the last of the South Dakota (BB-49 - 54) class battleships to be laid down. The keel section of the *Massachusetts* being laid at Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp., Quincy, Mass. Fore River Plant on 7 July 1921.	Photo # 19-N-9240, from National Archives & Record Administration (NARA), Record Group (RG-19-LC) Box 21. Courtesy of Dan Treadwell.
	163k	This is a general view of the port side of the Massachusetts (BB-54) at Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp., on 1 October 1921. Her keel had been laid down only half a year earlier.	Photo from National Archives & Record Administration (NARA), Record Group (RG-19-LC) Box 21. Courtesy of Dan Treadwell.
	252k	Full-length portrait of Edwin Denby standing, inspecting a 16-inch, 50 caliber gun at the Naval Gun Factory, Washington, D.C. on 17 December 1921.	Digital ID: # cph 3a42380, LC-USZ62-42057.Washington, D.C., 1922, v. 2, Herbert E. French, National Photo Company. Source: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.
	301k	Navy Secretary Edwin Denby and staff touring Washington Navy Yard, inspecting large guns for battleships yet to be built on 17 December 1921.	Digital ID: # cph 3b10973, LC-USZ62-63358.Washington, D.C., 1922, v. 2, Herbert E. French, National Photo Company. Source: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.
	NR	SECRETARY DENBY MAKES TOUR OF INSPECTION OF WASHINGTON NAVY YARD. As a result of the conference on limitation of armament, this spot in the Washington navy yard may become the "graveyard" of the Navy Department. Photograph shows finished guns of various calibers. Intended for battleships yet to be built by Uncle Sam. The Secretary is accompanied by Admiral Coontz, chief of naval operations; Admiral McVay, chief of the bureau of ordnance, and other Navy officials.	Image and text provided by Library of Congress, Washington, DC. Photo & text by Evening Star.([volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 19 December 1921, Image 2, courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
	162k	General view of the Massachusetts (BB-54) at Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp., Quincy, Mass. on 14 February 1922. Work had been stopped on her 6 days earlier. She was 11% completed at this time.	Photo # 19-N-9239, from National Archives & Record Administration (NARA), Record Group (RG-19-LC) Box 21. Courtesy of Dan Treadwell.
	168k	General view of the Massachusetts (BB-54) at Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp., Quincy, Mass. on 14 February 1922. Work had been stopped on her 6 days earlier. She was 11% completed at this time.	Photo # 19-N-9239, from National Archives & Record Administration (NARA), Record Group (RG-19-LC) Box 21. Courtesy of Dan Treadwell.
	324k	Scene in the Naval Gun Shop, Washington, D.C. 1922 February 10. 16-inch guns under construction. "Shop is idle today, employees numbering 1350 having been laid off yesterday." (Result of Naval Disarmament Treaty.)	Digital ID: # cph 3b01777u, LC-USZ62-53813. Washington, D.C., 1922, v. 2, Herbert E. French, National Photo Company. Source: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.
015405	441k	One of the turret shells of Massachusetts (BB-54) at the Bethlehem Steel factory, 1920's.	Photo courtesy of 64.media.tumblr.com via Daniel Hacker.
	64k	Artist's sketch of this class of ship underway. Painting by Rose Stokes, 1922.	USN Historical Center # NH 63502-KN
	329k	Oil on canvas painting by the artist Wayne Scarpaci showing a South Dakota class (BB-49 /54) battleship as it probable would have appeared circa 1938. The piece is entitled "Clearing St George's Light".	Photo and text courtesy of artbywayne.com
	161k	On display in East Willard Park, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., in October 1974. This gun is Number 111, built at the Washington Navy Yard in 1922 for planned installation on the abortive South Dakota class (BB-49 /54) battleships and Lexington (CC-1-6) class battle cruisers. Note railway trucks supporting the gun barrel. The two sixteen-inch projectiles displayed alongside the gun are inert shells fired by New Jersey (BB-62) into San Clemente Island, California, during shore bombardment practice in 1968.	USN Historical Center # NH 81481
	181k	Sixteen-inch, 50 Caliber, Mark 2, Mod. 1 Gun Barrel On display in East Willard Park, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., in October 1974. This gun is Number 111, built at the Washington Navy Yard in 1922 for planned installation on the abortive South Dakota class (BB-49 /54) battleships and Lexington (CC-1-6) class battle cruisers. Note railway trucks supporting the gun barrel. The two sixteen-inch projectiles displayed alongside the gun are inert shells fired by New Jersey (BB-62) into San Clemente Island, California, during shore bombardment practice in 1968.	USN Historical Center # NH 81482
	371k	A guest studies a painting depicting the history of battleships. The artwork was painted by George Skybeck and presented to the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association during their annual banquet at Honolulu, Hawaii, on 8 December 1991.	USN photo # DN-SC-92-05391, by PHC Carolyn Harris, courtesy of dodmedia.osd.mil, Defense Visual Information Center.

BB-54 MASSACHUSETTS History
View This Vessels DANFS History Entry
(Located On The Hazegray & Underway Web Site, This Is The Main Archive For The DANFS Online Project.)

Crew Contact And Reunion Information

Not Applicable To This Ship.

Additional Resources
Hazegray & Underway Battleship Pages By Andrew Toppan.

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