USS PENNSYLVANIA (SSBN 735)

USS Pennsylvania (1837 - 1861) Ship-of-the-Line
 

 As a Ship of the Line, the first USS Pennsylvania represented the might of a new nation. Approved by Congress in April of 1816, Pennsylvania was designed and built by Samuel Humphreys in the Philadelphia Navy Yard. Specified to carry no fewer than 74 guns, her ports numbered 136. With four gun decks she was the largest sailing warship ever built for the U.S. Navy. Construction began in 1821, but was delayed due to budget restrictions (History does repeat itself!). Pennsylvania was commissioned in 1837 and served in numerous capacities until 1861. In that year she was burned to the waterline to prevent her capture by the Confederacy.

USS Pennsylvania (1905 - 1916 ) ACR-4
 

The name Pennsylvania sailed again in 1905 as the Armored Cruiser 4. Sailing from Philadelphia, she ushered in a new era of naval aviation by launching and retrieving an aircraft on her afterdeck. The name of Armored Cruiser 4 would soon be changed to Pittsburgh to make way for a new and larger Pennsylvania.

USS Pennsylvania (1916 - 1946) BB-38

The battleship Pennsylvania (BB 38) was commissioned into naval service in 1916. She quickly became known for her power and high standard of excellence. She served in both the Atlantic and Pacific fleets, acting as a flagship and embarking such dignitaries as President Woodrow Wilson, Vice President Thomas Marshall, and various Cabinet members. Dry-docked in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941, Pennsylvania was one of the first ships to provide defensive fire against the attacking Japanese torpedo planes and bombers. Following repairs in San Francisco, she returned to service in the Aleutian and Pacific campaigns. A Japanese torpedo plane attack removed her from active service and she became a target ship for atomic tests at Bikini Atoll until decommissioning in 1946. She received 8 battle stars for her service during WWII.

USS Pennsylvania (1997 - Present) SSBN-735

The submarine USS PENNSYLVANIA (SSBN 735) is the fourth U.S. Naval vessel to be named in honor of the second state, and is the tenth Trident Submarine to be commissioned.

Keel Layed:  23 October 1992
Christening Date:  27 July 1996
Commissioning Date:  6 September 1997
Currently:  In Active Service

USS PENNSYLVANIA PHOTOGRAPHS

USS PENNSYLVANIA (Ship of the Line)

USS PENNSYLVANIA (SSBN 735)

USS PENNSYLVANIA (BB-38)

USS PENNSYLVANIA (Ship of the Line)