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USS Kentucky (BB-6)
Encyclopedia
USS Kentucky (BB-6), a Kearsarge-class
battleship
, was launched
on 24 March 1898 by Newport News Shipbuilding
& Dry Dock Company of Newport News, Virginia
, sponsored by Miss Christine Bradley, daughter of Governor William O'Connell Bradley
of Kentucky
, and commissioned
on 15 May 1900, Captain
Colby M. Chester in command.
asked Kentucky Governor
William O. Bradley
to select a member of his family to perform the ceremony. Bradley chose his daughter, Christine, who was attending school in Washington, D. C. The Bradleys as a family were teetotalers
, and Governor Bradley sent a bottle of water from Lincoln Spring in Hodgenville, Kentucky
for Christine to use during the ceremony. Soon after Ms. Bradley broke the bottle of water over the Kentuckys bow, a delegation from the Women's Christian Temperance Union, led by Frances Beauchamp, presented Christine Bradley with a gift of a silver tray, water pitcher, and two goblets. The inscription read, "Kentucky Christian Temperance Union to Miss Christine Bradley, as a tribute to her loyalty to conviction in the christening of the Battleship Kentucky with water. March 10, 1898."
and the Suez Canal
. She joined the other American ships on the Asiatic Station at Manila
in February 1901 and six days later sailed for Hong Kong
where she became flagship of the Southern Squadron under Rear Admiral
Louis Kempff
on 23 March. Throughout the following year, the battleship led her squadron as it watched over American interest in the Far East, visiting principal ports of China and Japan including Chefoo, Taku
, Nanking, Woosung
, Hong Kong
, Amoy
, Nagasaki, Kobe
, and Yokohama
.
Rear Admiral Frank F. Wildes also selected Kentucky as his flagship upon relieving Admiral Kempff on 1 March 1902, but he transferred his flag to Rainbow on 7 April. Rear Admiral Robley D. Evans, Commander in Chief, Asiatic Fleet, chose Kentucky as his flagship at Yokohama
on 4 November; and he continued to direct American naval operations in the Far East from her until she sailed from Manila
for home on 13 March 1904. After retracing her steps through the Suez Canal
and the Strait of Gibraltar
she arrived New York City
on 23 May.
Upon completing overhaul in New York Navy Yard on 26 October, Kentucky devoted the following year for tactics and maneuvers off the Atlantic coast with the North Atlantic Fleet
. The battleship joined the welcome of the British Squadron at Annapolis, Maryland
, and New York City
in the fall of 1905 and then cruised along the eastern seaboard until 23 September 1906. On that day off Provincetown, she embarked Marines
from , , and and landed them at Havana, Cuba, 1 October to protect American interests and property during the Cuban insurrection. She stood by to support forces ashore until 9 October before resuming battle practice and tactics in the North Atlantic.
Kentucky visited Norfolk, Virginia
on 15 April 1907 to attend the Jamestown Exposition
, and, after more exercises off the New England
coast, she returned to Hampton Roads
to join the "Great White Fleet
" of 16 battleship
s for a world cruise that brought great prestige and honor to the Navy and the Nation. Rear Admiral Evans, Kentuckys former Flag Officer, commanded the fleet as it circumnavigated the globe receiving warm and enthusiastic welcomes at each port of call. As the famous voyage got underway from Hampton Roads on 16 December, Kentucky passed in review before President of the United States
Theodore Roosevelt
as a unit in the Second Squadron. After calling at Trinidad
and Rio de Janeiro
, the warships passed in order through the Straits of Magellan to visit Punta Arenas and Valparaíso
, Chile
. A stop at Callao Bay, Peru was followed by a month of target practice out of Magdalena Bay, Mexico. The fleet reached San Diego, California
on 14 April 1908 and moved on to San Francisco, California
on 7 May. Exactly two months later the spotless warships sortied through the Golden Gate
and sailed for Honolulu, Hawaii
. From Hawaii, they set course for Auckland, New Zealand, arriving 8 August. The fleet made Sydney, Australia on 20 August and, after a week of warm and cordial hospitality, sailed for Melbourne.
Kentucky departed Albany, Western Australia
on 10 September for ports in the Philippine Islands, Japan, China, and Ceylon before transiting the Suez Canal
. She departed Port Said
on 8 January 1909 to visit Tripoli
and Algiers
with the 4th Division before reforming with the fleet at Gibraltar
. Underway for home on 6 February, she again passed in review before President Roosevelt upon entering Hampton Roads on 22 February, ending a widely-acclaimed voyage of good will in which she and her sister ships subtly but effectively demonstrated American strength to the world.
After local operations and repairs at Philadelphia Navy Yard, Kentucky decommissioned at Norfolk on 28 August. She recommissioned in the Second Reserve on 4 June 1912, but except for a run to New York, did not operate at sea before being placed in ordinary in Philadelphia Navy Yard on 31 May 1913.
The veteran battleship recommissioned at Philadelphia on 23 June 1915 and sailed on 3 July to train New York militia in a cruise from Long Island
to ports in New England
and Chesapeake Bay
. She debarked the militia at New York and sailed to Portland, Maine
, to embark Maine militia for a training cruise. Returning to Philadelphia on 31 August, she sailed on 11 September for the coast of Mexico
to watch over American interests during the unrest caused by the Mexican Revolution
. She reached Veracruz on 28 September, and but except for a visit to New Orleans, Louisiana
for Mardi Gras
in March 1916, she remained on patrol off the Mexican coast until 2 June 1916.
and Santa Domingo en route home to Philadelphia, where she arrived on 18 June. Following maneuvers and tactics ranging north to Newport, Rhode Island
during the summer, Kentucky arrived New York on 2 October and remained in the North River until the end of the year. She entered New York Naval Shipyard for repairs on 1 January 1917 and was still there when the United States entered World War I
. She arrived at Yorktown, Virginia
on 2 May for duty as a training ship and trained recruits on cruises in Chesapeake Bay and along the Atlantic coast as far north as Long Island Sound. When the Armistice was signed on 11 November 1918, she was training her 15th group of recruits, having already trained several thousand men for service in ships of the war-expanded Navy.
on 20 December for overhaul. She sailed on 18 March 1919 for refresher training out of Guantanamo Bay and then participated in fleet maneuvers and exercises ranging north from Norfolk to the New England coast. She arrived at Annapolis, Maryland
on 29 May to embark midshipmen and got underway on 9 June for a summer practice cruise that took her to Cuba
, the Virgin Islands
, Panama
, New York
, Boston
, and Provincetown. She returned to Annapolis on 27 August to debark her midshipmen and entered Philadelphia Navy Yard on 30 August. She remained there until decommissioning on 29 May 1920. Kentucky was sold for scrap to Dravo Construction Company of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on 23 January 1924 in compliance with US commitments under the Washington Naval Treaty
.
Kearsarge class battleship
The Kearsarge class was a two-ship class of battleships built for the United States Navy at the beginning of the 20th century. Its first ship, the , was commissioned in 1900. The lead ship of this class, USS Kearsarge, was the only United States battleship not named for a state.- Ship history :This...
battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
, was launched
Ship naming and launching
The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch:There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely...
on 24 March 1898 by Newport News Shipbuilding
Northrop Grumman Newport News
Newport News Shipbuilding , originally Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company , was the largest privately-owned shipyard in the United States prior to being purchased by Northrop Grumman in 2001...
& Dry Dock Company of Newport News, Virginia
Newport News, Virginia
Newport News is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia. It is at the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula, on the north shore of the James River extending southeast from Skiffe's Creek along many miles of waterfront to the river's mouth at Newport News...
, sponsored by Miss Christine Bradley, daughter of Governor William O'Connell Bradley
William O'Connell Bradley
William O'Connell Bradley was a politician from the U.S. state of Kentucky. He served as the 32nd Governor of Kentucky and was later elected by the state legislature as a U.S. senator from that state...
of Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, and commissioned
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
on 15 May 1900, Captain
Captain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
Colby M. Chester in command.
Christening
In preparation for the christening of the Kentucky, the NavyUnited States Department of the Navy
The Department of the Navy of the United States of America was established by an Act of Congress on 30 April 1798, to provide a government organizational structure to the United States Navy and, from 1834 onwards, for the United States Marine Corps, and when directed by the President, of the...
asked Kentucky Governor
Governor of Kentucky
The Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the head of the executive branch of government in the U.S. state of Kentucky. Fifty-six men and one woman have served as Governor of Kentucky. The governor's term is four years in length; since 1992, incumbents have been able to seek re-election once...
William O. Bradley
William O'Connell Bradley
William O'Connell Bradley was a politician from the U.S. state of Kentucky. He served as the 32nd Governor of Kentucky and was later elected by the state legislature as a U.S. senator from that state...
to select a member of his family to perform the ceremony. Bradley chose his daughter, Christine, who was attending school in Washington, D. C. The Bradleys as a family were teetotalers
Teetotalism
Teetotalism refers to either the practice of or the promotion of complete abstinence from alcoholic beverages. A person who practices teetotalism is called a teetotaler or is simply said to be teetotal...
, and Governor Bradley sent a bottle of water from Lincoln Spring in Hodgenville, Kentucky
Hodgenville, Kentucky
Hodgenville is a city in and the county seat of LaRue County, Kentucky, United States. It sits along the North Fork of the Nolin River. The population was 2,874 at the 2000 census...
for Christine to use during the ceremony. Soon after Ms. Bradley broke the bottle of water over the Kentuckys bow, a delegation from the Women's Christian Temperance Union, led by Frances Beauchamp, presented Christine Bradley with a gift of a silver tray, water pitcher, and two goblets. The inscription read, "Kentucky Christian Temperance Union to Miss Christine Bradley, as a tribute to her loyalty to conviction in the christening of the Battleship Kentucky with water. March 10, 1898."
Pre-World War I
After fitting out in New York Navy Yard during the summer, Kentucky sailed on 26 October 1900 for the Far East via GibraltarGibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
and the Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
. She joined the other American ships on the Asiatic Station at Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
in February 1901 and six days later sailed for Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
where she became flagship of the Southern Squadron under Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
Louis Kempff
Louis Kempff
-Early life:Louis Kempff was born in 1841 in Belville, Illinois, United States. After passing the entrance exams, he received an appointment to the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland on September 21, 1857.-Civil War:...
on 23 March. Throughout the following year, the battleship led her squadron as it watched over American interest in the Far East, visiting principal ports of China and Japan including Chefoo, Taku
Taku Forts
The Dagu Forts , also called the Peiho Forts are forts located by the Hai River estuary, in Tanggu District, Tianjin municipality, in northeastern China. They are located 60 km southeast of the Tianjin urban center.-History:The first fort was built during the reign of the Ming Jiajing...
, Nanking, Woosung
Wusong
Wusong,Chinese: s , t , p Wúsōng. formerly Woosung, was a port town located fourteen miles downriver from Shanghai.The Battle of Woosung occurred on 16 June 1842 between British and Chinese forces during the First Opium War. It was the site of China's first telegraph wires and first railroad, both...
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, Amoy
Xiamen
Xiamen , also known as Amoy , is a major city on the southeast coast of the People's Republic of China. It is administered as a sub-provincial city of Fujian province with an area of and population of 3.53 million...
, Nagasaki, Kobe
Kobe
, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
, and Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
.
Rear Admiral Frank F. Wildes also selected Kentucky as his flagship upon relieving Admiral Kempff on 1 March 1902, but he transferred his flag to Rainbow on 7 April. Rear Admiral Robley D. Evans, Commander in Chief, Asiatic Fleet, chose Kentucky as his flagship at Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
on 4 November; and he continued to direct American naval operations in the Far East from her until she sailed from Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
for home on 13 March 1904. After retracing her steps through the Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
and the Strait of Gibraltar
Strait of Gibraltar
The Strait of Gibraltar is a narrow strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and separates Spain in Europe from Morocco in Africa. The name comes from Gibraltar, which in turn originates from the Arabic Jebel Tariq , albeit the Arab name for the Strait is Bab el-Zakat or...
she arrived New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
on 23 May.
Upon completing overhaul in New York Navy Yard on 26 October, Kentucky devoted the following year for tactics and maneuvers off the Atlantic coast with the North Atlantic Fleet
North Atlantic Squadron
The North Atlantic Squadron was a section of the United States Navy operating in the North Atlantic. It was renamed as the North Atlantic Fleet in 1902. In 1905 the European and South Atlantic Squadrons were abolished and absorbed into the North Atlantic Fleet. On Jan...
. The battleship joined the welcome of the British Squadron at Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...
, and New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in the fall of 1905 and then cruised along the eastern seaboard until 23 September 1906. On that day off Provincetown, she embarked Marines
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
from , , and and landed them at Havana, Cuba, 1 October to protect American interests and property during the Cuban insurrection. She stood by to support forces ashore until 9 October before resuming battle practice and tactics in the North Atlantic.
Kentucky visited Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
on 15 April 1907 to attend the Jamestown Exposition
Jamestown Exposition
The Jamestown Exposition was one of the many world's fairs and expositions that were popular in the United States in the early part of the 20th century...
, and, after more exercises off the New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
coast, she returned to Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States...
to join the "Great White Fleet
Great White Fleet
The Great White Fleet was the popular nickname for the United States Navy battle fleet that completed a circumnavigation of the globe from 16 December 1907 to 22 February 1909 by order of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt. It consisted of 16 battleships divided into two squadrons, along with...
" of 16 battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
s for a world cruise that brought great prestige and honor to the Navy and the Nation. Rear Admiral Evans, Kentuckys former Flag Officer, commanded the fleet as it circumnavigated the globe receiving warm and enthusiastic welcomes at each port of call. As the famous voyage got underway from Hampton Roads on 16 December, Kentucky passed in review before President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
as a unit in the Second Squadron. After calling at Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
and Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, the warships passed in order through the Straits of Magellan to visit Punta Arenas and Valparaíso
Valparaíso
Valparaíso is a city and commune of Chile, center of its third largest conurbation and one of the country's most important seaports and an increasing cultural center in the Southwest Pacific hemisphere. The city is the capital of the Valparaíso Province and the Valparaíso Region...
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
. A stop at Callao Bay, Peru was followed by a month of target practice out of Magdalena Bay, Mexico. The fleet reached San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
on 14 April 1908 and moved on to San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
on 7 May. Exactly two months later the spotless warships sortied through the Golden Gate
Golden Gate
The Golden Gate is the North American strait connecting San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean. Since 1937 it has been spanned by the Golden Gate Bridge...
and sailed for Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
. From Hawaii, they set course for Auckland, New Zealand, arriving 8 August. The fleet made Sydney, Australia on 20 August and, after a week of warm and cordial hospitality, sailed for Melbourne.
Kentucky departed Albany, Western Australia
Albany, Western Australia
Albany is a port city in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, some 418 km SE of Perth, the state capital. As of 2009, Albany's population was estimated at 33,600, making it the 6th-largest city in the state....
on 10 September for ports in the Philippine Islands, Japan, China, and Ceylon before transiting the Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
. She departed Port Said
Port Said
Port Said is a city that lies in north east Egypt extending about 30 km along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, north of the Suez Canal, with an approximate population of 603,787...
on 8 January 1909 to visit Tripoli
Tripoli
Tripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three...
and Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
with the 4th Division before reforming with the fleet at Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
. Underway for home on 6 February, she again passed in review before President Roosevelt upon entering Hampton Roads on 22 February, ending a widely-acclaimed voyage of good will in which she and her sister ships subtly but effectively demonstrated American strength to the world.
After local operations and repairs at Philadelphia Navy Yard, Kentucky decommissioned at Norfolk on 28 August. She recommissioned in the Second Reserve on 4 June 1912, but except for a run to New York, did not operate at sea before being placed in ordinary in Philadelphia Navy Yard on 31 May 1913.
The veteran battleship recommissioned at Philadelphia on 23 June 1915 and sailed on 3 July to train New York militia in a cruise from Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
to ports in New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
and Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
. She debarked the militia at New York and sailed to Portland, Maine
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
, to embark Maine militia for a training cruise. Returning to Philadelphia on 31 August, she sailed on 11 September for the coast of Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
to watch over American interests during the unrest caused by the Mexican Revolution
Mexican Revolution
The Mexican Revolution was a major armed struggle that started in 1910, with an uprising led by Francisco I. Madero against longtime autocrat Porfirio Díaz. The Revolution was characterized by several socialist, liberal, anarchist, populist, and agrarianist movements. Over time the Revolution...
. She reached Veracruz on 28 September, and but except for a visit to New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
for Mardi Gras
New Orleans Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Louisiana, is a Carnival celebration well-known throughout the world.The New Orleans Carnival season, with roots in preparing for the start of the Christian season of Lent, starts after Twelfth Night, on Epiphany . It is a season of parades, balls , and king cake parties...
in March 1916, she remained on patrol off the Mexican coast until 2 June 1916.
World War I
The battleship called at Guantanamo Bay Naval BaseGuantanamo Bay Naval Base
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base is located on of land and water at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba which the United States leased for use as a coaling station following the Cuban-American Treaty of 1903. The base is located on the shore of Guantánamo Bay at the southeastern end of Cuba. It is the oldest overseas...
and Santa Domingo en route home to Philadelphia, where she arrived on 18 June. Following maneuvers and tactics ranging north to Newport, Rhode Island
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
during the summer, Kentucky arrived New York on 2 October and remained in the North River until the end of the year. She entered New York Naval Shipyard for repairs on 1 January 1917 and was still there when the United States entered World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. She arrived at Yorktown, Virginia
Yorktown, Virginia
Yorktown is a census-designated place in York County, Virginia, United States. The population was 220 in the 2000 census. It is the county seat of York County, one of the eight original shires formed in colonial Virginia in 1634....
on 2 May for duty as a training ship and trained recruits on cruises in Chesapeake Bay and along the Atlantic coast as far north as Long Island Sound. When the Armistice was signed on 11 November 1918, she was training her 15th group of recruits, having already trained several thousand men for service in ships of the war-expanded Navy.
Inter-war period
Kentucky entered Boston Navy YardBoston Navy Yard
The Boston Navy Yard, originally called the Charlestown Navy Yard and later Boston Naval Shipyard, was one of the oldest shipbuilding facilities in the United States Navy. Established in 1801, it was officially closed as an active naval installation on July 1, 1974, and the property was...
on 20 December for overhaul. She sailed on 18 March 1919 for refresher training out of Guantanamo Bay and then participated in fleet maneuvers and exercises ranging north from Norfolk to the New England coast. She arrived at Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...
on 29 May to embark midshipmen and got underway on 9 June for a summer practice cruise that took her to Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, the Virgin Islands
Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands are the western island group of the Leeward Islands, which are the northern part of the Lesser Antilles, which form the border between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean...
, Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, and Provincetown. She returned to Annapolis on 27 August to debark her midshipmen and entered Philadelphia Navy Yard on 30 August. She remained there until decommissioning on 29 May 1920. Kentucky was sold for scrap to Dravo Construction Company of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on 23 January 1924 in compliance with US commitments under the Washington Naval Treaty
Washington Naval Treaty
The Washington Naval Treaty, also known as the Five-Power Treaty, was an attempt to cap and limit, and "prevent 'further' costly escalation" of the naval arms race that had begun after World War I between various International powers, each of which had significant naval fleets. The treaty was...
.