Overview
USS Pennsylvania was a member of the Pennsylvania class (1916).
USS Pennsylvania is associated with United States and United States Navy. It belonged to Pennsylvania class (1916), so the class page provides the shared design history while this page concentrates on the individual ship.
Construction and identity
The available construction record identifies USS Pennsylvania as built by Newport News Shipbuilding, laid down on 1913-10-27, launched on 1915-03-16, and completed on 1916-06-12.
The ship's documented identity includes hull or pennant identifiers Battleship No. 38, alternate or later names BB-38 and Battleship No. 38, and service with United States Navy.
Service history
Served as an Atlantic Fleet flagship during World War I and later fought extensively in the Pacific.
The ship's configuration should be interpreted through the documented class and the dates attached to this individual vessel; equipment should not be assumed to have remained unchanged throughout service.
Class context: Pennsylvania class (1916)
The Pennsylvania class enlarged the Standard-type concept with twelve 14-inch guns in four triple turrets.
As a member of Pennsylvania class (1916), USS Pennsylvania shared the class's documented design framework and intended roles of Fleet combatant. Individual refits, transfers, and wartime changes belong to this ship only when separately documented.
Later service and disposition
scuttled after postwar weapons tests. The associated date is 1948-02-10. The recorded location is Pacific Ocean.
USS Pennsylvania matters as an individual career within Pennsylvania class (1916), allowing class-wide design history to be separated from this ship's own construction, identities, service, and fate.
Class relationship
This ship is recorded as a member of Pennsylvania class (1916). Shared design history belongs on the class page; this page concentrates on the individual hull where evidence is available.
Sources and further reading
- Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1906–1921Conway Maritime Press
- Pennsylvania III (Battleship No. 38) ↗Naval History and Heritage Command · accessed 2026-09-18
- Arizona II (Battleship No. 39) ↗Naval History and Heritage Command · accessed 2026-09-18