A Brief History
On February 28, 1893, the United States Navy made an enormous step toward eventually ruling the seas by launching its first ever battleship commensurate with those of other great naval powers. Though the USS Indiana BB-1 was launched on this date, she would not be commissioned until 2 years later.
Digging Deeper
Designed for coastal defense, the Indiana was not intended to throw her weight around the world as her decks were not designed to take heavy seas in the open ocean. About 351 feet long and with a beam of 69 feet, she did not have the size or proportions of later battleships, and she displaced only 10,453 standard tons.
Heavily armed with 4 x 13 inch guns and 8 x 8 inch guns as her heavy batteries, the Indiana also sported 4 x 6 inch guns (later removed in 1908 and replaced by 12 x 3 inch guns in 1910), some smaller guns and 4 x torpedo tubes. The Indiana was also heavily armored, with a belt of armor between 8 and 18 inches thick and 15 inches of armor on her main turrets. Only capable of a speed of 15 knots, the ship was quickly made obsolete by advances in battleship design. She did serve, however, in combat during the Spanish-American War and contributed to the sinking of some Spanish vessels.
Decommissioned in 1903 (Wow, what a waste of money!), she was re-commissioned in 1906, only to be decommissioned again in 1914. In the middle of World War I, she was re-commissioned one last time before being decommissioned for good in 1919. Her designation was changed to “Coast Battleship 1 IN5284” at that time, so that her name could be reused on a newer battleship. She met a sad and glamorous end in 1920 when she was sunk during a test of airplane vs. battleship.
In typical government fashion, the aerial bombing test was conducted with dummy bombs and explosives being set off on the location of the bomb hits. Navy brass pooh-poohed the tests, claiming that airplanes could not sink a battleship, so further tests were conducted with captured German battleships which were indeed sunk with real bombs. Critics, however, still did not believe the results that seemed to prove airplanes could sink large ships, which is probably why the Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, occurred as it did, providing the ultimate proof that airplanes could sink ships.
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Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
Hore, Peter. Battleships: An Illustrated History Of Battleships, Their Origins And Evolution. Lorenz Books, 2015.
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="9745 https://www.historyandheadlines.com/?p=9745">163 Comments
Since this was the first ever Navy battleship, it’s sad that it was sunk rather than preserved for a museum or something along those lines.
I find it interesting that we did not believe ships could be sunk by aircraft.
I found it interesting that the Indiana was so heavily armored, with a belt of armor between 8 and 18 inches thick and 15 inch armor on the main turrets.
I find it fascinating how well built and detailed the Navy ship was.
It’s sad to think that if the Navy would have taken the tests of airplane vs battleship more seriously, they could have been more prepared for the attack on Pearl Harbor. Why didn’t they believe that the German ships had been sunk with an airplane though?
I don’t understand why they thought that the ships couldn’t be sunk by aircraft, they should have done the tests.
What a shame that the battleship sunk during a test.
Interesting that the ship was commissioned and decommissioned more than two times. I wonder why they thought it would become successful after various unsuccessful attempts.
I found it interesting that they thought, they could not sink the ships with their aircraft.
11 years before WWI, there were waste of money, which costs too much during WWI due to the waste happened during 1903. I think Heavily had done some mistakes that costs the country a lot.
First of all, why build a ship that is not meant to do anything more than coastal defense? Then, why use her when it is obvious she can’t take it? It seems like a huge waste of money. Also, if they knew the ships could be sunk way before Pearl Harbor, why did they not take more precautions? They could have prevented many deaths if they hadn’t ignored it.
Its weird that the navy didn’t think and aircraft could sink a boat. In the end, I think it was a waste of money.
That ship seemed to be a waste of money and resources. Why did they think that an aircraft can’t sink a ship?
How did they not know that an aircraft can sink a boat? Oh well guess they had to learn by example.
It’s so weird how they thought an airplane wouldn’t sink a battleship. That doesn’t make any sense.
I understand the need to make advances in technology but this was just a waste
I think that ship was a waste of money because the aircraft could sink it. It couldn’t do anymore than coastal defense.
Just a silly invention like the anti tank dogs. Don’t know what they were thinking when they built the ship.
its great to see how far things have come, but this was a waste.
The start of a dynasty that is the US military!
wow decommissioned three times! They just didn’t know what to do with this ship.
It seems like such a waste of money to build and then decommission this ship, and then destroy it in a test.
This does seem like a waste of money for us to have spent. Hopefully they had learned something in the process of this though!
It confuses me why they did not think that an aircraft could sink a battleship. A lot of money was wasted; however, they must have learned a lot as this was the first US battleship!
It is crazy to think about how much water this ship displaced and that the article says it only displaced that much. Last week we were reading of what were considered large ships that displaced only a fraction of that. Technology advances so fast.
I agree with everyone here that it was such a waste of money to sink a battleship in a test that, to me, seemed like would have an obvious ending. However, that could be someone from the twenty first century talking. I think that it was a marvel for its time so I don’t understand why such a critical piece of history was treated as such.
You would think after decommissioning a ship once or even the second time they would have decommissioned it for good rather than continually putting money into something that continues to not be successful!.
It seems like along with the Indiana, other captured battleships were usually used for testing. Probably a smart idea to use captured ships as test ships and not actually in battle because the opponent probably knows exactly how the ship works and how to sink it.
What a waste of money, then again the government does a lot of wasting money and I can see that it is not only recently that they waste money on something like that.
It is sad to see how our government wasted money on a huge ship like this. If they did not have good use for it then why did they waste the money and time to build this ship?
If the critics were not so skeptical of the bomb tests on this ship and others, then perhaps Pearl Harbor would have been better prepared for an aerial attack.
It is amazing to see how ships have evolved throughout history. After so many ships failing the first battleship seemed like a huge success since it at least did not sink! I wonder what made the battleship be decommissioned and then re-commissioned again so many times.
There seems to be a theme with the government whenever they made some grand new warship. They make these ships and waste millions and then decommission them shortly after. It’s sad that if they had believed bombs could sink ships Pearl Harbor may have played out differently. I guess hindsight is 20/20 and we just need to learn from our past mistakes.
When these battleships were first being created they became obsolete very quickly. New advances in technology and design made it harder to keep an up-to-date fleet of battle ships. The USS Indiana was decommissioned three separate times before finally being put out of service for good. Its name was changed so that the “USS Indiana” could be used for another newer battleship.
Being sunk in a test is a very sad ending for a ship that helped the US Navy climb up next to other superpowers when it comes to sea protection. I am surprised that people did not believe an airplane could sink a ship. A bomb is a bomb. Although, I cant really imagine what the technology could have been like back in the early 1900’s
Many battle ships that we have read about have been wastes of money including this one. The Indiana only to sink a few Spanish ships compared to the amount of money spent on the Indiana is pointless. Then the ship sunk by test bombs as well is a waste of U.S dollars.
This ship seemed to be a huge waste of money. Every article I have read about that includes the making of a grand ship, seems to not be what it is made up to be. This ship ended up sinking just like the others I have read about. I do not know why they thought the ship may be able to withstand an aircraft attack when they were doing their test.
Battleships are one of the most impressive military objects to the day. Surely, battleships in today’s times are much more powerful and advanced than this one. It is interesting to see that even the original battleship was such a force on the sea.
You would think such a ship would have a little more of a sturdier design, but I guess you could say that they were doing a test run on these types of boats. Crazy that she was sunk by her own country!
This ship did not have a lot of time for being used. It was made in 1893 the decommissioned in 1903 but re-commissioned in 1906 just to not be in use by 1914. In addition this ship was not intended to hold lots of heavy objects but was used in the Spanish-American war.
It’s interesting that with the ship being to heavily armed and war-ready that they didn’t have her out immediately after being made but the USS Indiana BB-1 wouldn’t be commissioned until 2 years later. Seems like another great ship going to waste.
Battleships became very important for the United States Navy. Seeing the first battleship is impressive, but the further and more advanced designs of battleships are even more impressive.
While the Indiana’s lifespan does not compare to modern ships, I found it cool how they kept finding ways to recommission it, both in 1906 and during WWI. At least this ship managed to see some combat, opposed to some of the other ships we read about.
I figured as much that the first Battleship would be declared obsolete, but cool to see that it was used so often afterward. I doubt this applies to battleships, but a famous quote I know is, “Be weary of the old man doing a job young men don’t last long doing.” – normally applied to old soldiers
Very interesting to learn about this ship and its participation in the Spanish-American war knocking out a few Spanish vessels!
I would consider this to be a very expensive experiment in the end. Not only was the ship commissioned and decommissioned many times, but it is was used in a test of battleship versus airplanes.
It seems ridiculous to me that they would decommission and recommission the ship so many times over its life. However, it was still an important advancement in naval warfare, and would help the US during WWII.
The battleship was definitely an important development for naval warfare. It would have been cool if they had kept the Indiana as a museum ship being that it was the first of its kind.
Still impressive how advanced some of these battle ships were back then, and obviously impressive how advanced they have become and continue to be.
It just amazes me at how well technology, guns, and ships advance throughout history.
The battleship was a very important part of the time and it helped improve how the nation fought in wars.
A complete waste of money to decommission a ship, re-commission it, then to just decommission the ship again in 1914
Why would they make a battleship that is not going to be used very often? It seems like a waste of money. I would love to see the battleship. I think they are so neat but I could never sail on it.
This ship did not last long but it served a purpose
What I thought was interesting is that the ship was only around for 10 years and aside from that, it was only working for 8! Not very long for such an investment.
Seems like a waste of money for such a ship. It also wasn’t around for a long time.
I find ships such as these very neat, but it only lasted 10 years. This seems like a waste of money for it only lasting such a short time.
Seems like a waste of money for ship that was’t around long
For a ship that was specifically meant for battles, the USS Indiana did not have an ideal size and also was not meant for the open ocean. For not even being around that long, I personally question why the Indiana was even made if it was simply not meant for battle anyway. Although the Indiana was said to be heavily armored, it seemed as if that’s the only thing she had going for her. -ACL
It overall was a waist of money to build a ship that really wasn’t around for that long.
The USS Indiana BB-1 seems like a real waste of money.
wow, the Indiana was one tough ship.
It seems to me that they wasted money and valuable resources on the USS Indiana BB-1, although this was clearly a huge step for America in 1893. It is unfortunately that it had to sink, but in a way expected.
It is cool to know that at least the ship got its use in an experiment showing that airplanes can indeed sink battleships. The sinking of the ship is sad that critics still didn’t think that airplanes could sink battleships until Pearl Harbor.
why build such big and advanced ships just to decommission them 10 years later. smh
It was a waste of money to build such an intense ship that was not going to be used for a long period of time. It’s even more disappointing that the bombing tests conducted on it were dismissed.
It seems that perhaps this was not a well executed plan, a huge misuse of money and resources.
There was a lot of money gone to waste and very unfortunate that the ship had to sink.
I do not think the USS Indiana was a waste of money. It was made for our coastal defense and it sounds like it did its job. The USS Indiana is just like any item that is built, the first time you use it it becomes obsolete and loses value.
This ship was used for a good purpose even though it had a tragic end. They could have used the ship more for the amount they spent on it, but it sounds as if it was not that safe anyway.
Although the ship sank I do not think it was a waste of money. Tests like this show us the safety precautions we need to take for future advance.
The USS Indiana is an example of how advances in research and development change over time.
The making of this ship was not a waste of money because they had to start somewhere to be able to develop battle ships into what they are today. It was still useful during its time, even though its design presented many weaknesses.
I believe that this was not a waste of money. While developing new ideas there are steps that have to be done, and a process to go through. The USS Indiana was a step to make the next steps even better because they would realize what worked, and what didn’t work for this ship.
We had to start some where with battleships and the Indiana served a purpose at the time. This helped us develop better, more efficient ones later on.
One thing that really struck out to me was the number of heavily arms that the boat contained. The article stated that it contained, 4X13 and 8X8 inch guns. This is really significant because it goes to show all of the money and weaponry that had the potential to be used for warfare.
Even in the civil war they started with basic steam battle ships and this would be amazing compaired to them. Yet technology has moved so fast in the last 100 years it is amazing
I found it interesting how many times the ship was commissioned and decommissioned. I’m guessing this was due to the fast advancements of battleships and warfare at the time. Technology was vastly increasing during the WWI era.
The ending of the ship really interested me. I learned a lot about Pearl Harbor in high school and it has always been a subject that fascinated me. I believe the beliefs about ships listed above are why Pearl Harbor occurred.
I did not realize that a ship would have to be put through many tests before it could be used. It’s amazing to see how far our technology has come and how much we can do to protect and defend ourselves when serving.
Pearl Harbor has always interested me and finding the cause of it and what beliefs that people carried about it is incredible. I do not believe that this was a waste of money at all. All of the testing that they did helped to improve the ships and make them stronger. You have to go through a little bit of trial and error to get the results that you desire most.
I never realized that this ship was commissioned and decommissioned, and then re-commissioned so many times. Very interested article to read.
I am so interested in that the ship had to do so many tests before people use it. It must be spent a lot of money. But, military force plays a very important role in a country. Having a strong military force means the country could have more discourse power in the world.
It was not surprising that the USS Indiana was slow, considering the amount of artillery that it carried.
If only critics believed the results of the sunken ship, then maybe Pearl Harbor would have been prevented.
I was not aware of all the testing they did in USS Indiana. It was interesting to learn more about Pearl Harbor.
With all the artillery that the ship was carrying, I am not surprised with all the tests that they had to do.
It was interesting that the battleship was recommissioned two times and finally used in world war 1.
The critics should have paid more attention to the results of the testing.
Wow I was just watching a video about Pearl Harbor today since its been 75 years since the attack. This was very informing.
It amazes me that we could develop a ship such as this one during this time period.
I cannot believe that researchers did not understand that airplane battle could not effect a boat. Weapons are weapons no matter what you are firing them at!
I’m wondering how things may have been different had the critics taken the results more seriously and considered the effects that airplanes had on the battleships. I would be interested to see the Indiana side-by-side with a ship of today.
I think it’s interesting that a such a big things such as a bomb can be taken so lightly and that it could start such a dramatic uproar such as the attack on pearl harbor. I do however think its cool that it happened so long ago as you wouldnt expect such a thing to be made.
It is always the “brass” that makes decisions based on ego rather than to actually test things the way they should be tested.
Sometimes it seems the military is quick to put something out, just to say they have it. It was quickly rendered obsolete, seems ridiculous to have even made it.
This is a great example of not rushing things and taking the time because quality is more important than quantity.
I don’t think it was a waste of money if we were able to learn from it and make them better. If we an a military didn’t learn from our mistakes then we would have never become the best.
Building the USS Indiana BB-1 was a huge step forward for the US Navy. Even though she wasn’t designed to take on the deep ocean waters, she was heavily armed. Personally I don’t feel that this ship was a waste of money, as it set a precedent for future navy battle ships.
I agree she was armed and we did learn from I look at the ships we have now. We always learn from mistakes and better our selves. The U.S always comes out strong and that showed us how to get stronger.
I think that the building of the USS Indiana was a learning experience for the ship designers and the U.S. Navy. By realizing that the USS Indiana wasn’t a ship that operates well enough for combat in the long term, the Navy was able to identify how to build better ships in the future.
I think it was a great Idea and not a waste of money. Sometimes you have to spend money to get what you want. Yes it was commissioned and decommissioned several times but now we learn what needs done and how to make great war ships. We learn from our mistakes. Now if you look Trump wants to build more ships to protect our county. It is a great idea to better our selves before something happens.
Sounds familiar, the government didn’t think something could happen and it happens to us (us as in United States). Great article I find some of the old ships and equipment we used in our military to be interesting.
I am a bit confused as to how they could believe that bombs could not sink a ship. Seems to be an excersize in poor judgement
This confused me as well. However, I just wonder if they thought that the Japanese did not have the technology that the United States had therefore making it impossible?
Although the Indiana did not see lengthy service, the government had to start somewhere. They learned what worked and did not work. Our navy is now the strongest in the world.
Very interesting and we I feel like we are seeing similar things like this in todays world.
All great things have to start somewhere. As in the Indiana, it was a new frontier for the U.S. Navy. Thank goodness the people of the time were willing to take a gamble on an expensive project. The battleship changed the war would be conducted throughout the world.
I hate to read that she was sunk during a test in 1920. The Indiana BB-1 was such a historic ship that should have found its way into a museum. At least she served her purpose in carving the way for improvements for future battleships.
Seems like an awfully expensive test to me. Losing a whole ship to experiment does not prove to be the smartest choice.
It doesn’t seem like the ship ever had much practical use but it definitely paved the way for future advancements.
Two things shocked me about this article. The first one, I think that the amount of money and armour that went into the Indiana was incredibly insane, especially when it was being commissioned but to be decommissioned again. The second shock to me was that I did not know that U.S. officials did not think a plane could sink a ship. It makes a person wonder that if they had, what would have been different from the attack?
This article is true about the military in the way they waste money. But there is a logic behind it, they rather throw money away then use equipment that is not going to protect soldiers lives in the battle field. I think they should take more time conducting study before the equipment comes out, but sometimes we don’t have time to wait (war). The good thing was that they did not destroy the ship and was able to use it a few more times.
I learned something from this article about battleships that are taken out of commission. I always wondered what was done with the battleships that weren’t used anymore and didn’t take on any damage from the opposing side. I didn’t realize that they used them in testing bombs. Of course, I wouldn’t like this idea if the ship was used in war and was a piece of history because it would seem wrong to destroy the ship in that manner.
The amount of money put into these ships is extensive, but I believe it is a good investment to ensure we have good quality ships.
It amazes me the time and effort that was put into the ship along with the expenses, to only retire the ship every couple of years. Ultimately the equipment should have been tested before use.
I found it interesting that they would rename a ship so that they could use that same name on a newer ship. Why not just give the new ship a new name of its own?
I read the article, I found it interesting until, they mentioned that they considered the ship a waste of money, and kept recommissioning the ship over aand over to suit their own needs.
I find it interesting that the ship was retired you would think they would have put the effort in to check the ship to see if it was still usable, especially since the cost is enormous.
Definitely a waste of money. Sad they had to let it sink instead of making a monument or tour boat to make some of the money back.
Imagine that, the Navy wasting money! The Navy still spends money on questionable ships, “fixing” the Whidbey Island class LSD (Dock Landing Ships) and doing hull swaps across the globe. This class of ship started construction in 1981 and frankly, has never been useful. It’s a Marine taxi and a floating target. Humanitarian efforts are the only mission this type of ship can ever shine in, technology is too advanced to storm a beach with amphibious assault vehicles (LCACS and AAVs) and troops. I had the “pleasure” of being attached to LSD 48 during my time in the Navy, she took me across the Atlantic and I was able to see six countries while deployed, but it was rough to say the least!
I find it very interesting that the Navy would waste such money. How would they not know that the ship would not be good enough. I also find it odd that even after the ship was “no longer a ship” they renamed it so they could use the name on the new ship. Wouldn’t that get confusing while doing research later in life?
I found this article interesting, but what a waste of money! Why wasn’t the ship used for educational purposes, or something where they could have made some money off of it?
I think then as now technology surpasses the ability to build it fast enough.
I find it hard to believe that in the late 1800’s they were not more savvy. There had to have been a better alternative for this piece of history. That is a lot of time and money wasted, when it would be welcomed at many historical sights.
I was surprised with relatively short time period the USS Indiana was commissioned and then decommissioned, only to be commissioned and decommissioned two more times. I would be interested to learn more on why the Navy got rid of the ship so soon the first time. Perhaps, someone dropped the ball with planning the Navy’s needs when the USS Indiana was first built.
A lot of time and money wasted but that is probably why this particular battle ship was in commission very long. New, more advanced ships became available. I do find it interesting that, regardless of the tests conducted, the Navy felt aircraft could not sink a ship.
Talk about being inept. What’s the point of the testing if you are going to use fake bombs and be off the mark on where the bombs hit in the first place?
The interesting part about this article is the complete waste of money by the government. It seems that the ship was built, and was then decommissioned twice without any real use. Eventually, we just sank it ourselves in an experimental exercise that didn’t even prove useful, proven by Pearl Harbor.
WOW! I believe the government had good intentions but this was a flop to say the least. Though, overall it provided a good learning opportunity for better!
Interesting statement about the reason Pearl Harbor happened the way it did.
This was very interesting article to read. I couldn’t believe the money that was wasted during this time.
Sure a waste of money but sometimes it is necessary to take risks. She sure was a huge, dead in the water, target. So even with the armory and guns it was deemed too risky to even maintain her. Is that why they decided to sink her?
Even though it did wasting a lot of money, but the more expensive thing you buy, the better qualities you get. She did contribute her best part in her life. Finally, it was sad she was broken during the test period.
That was a lot of money to throw into a project that eventually ended up being useless.
may be it was a processing to develop in American. it was really waste money, because the ship was quickly made obsolete by advances in battleship design, but it maintained in history.
This article seems to fit the idea that making mistakes is how you learn. This first battleship may not have worked out very well, but it showed the people what worked and what didn’t so improvements could be made.
It amazes me how large vessels are now. It is interesting that something that large can still float. I have been on very large ships and the amount of detail and structure involved is amazing.
I think that even though the USS Indiana BB-1 went on quite a roller coaster of being recommissioned and decommissioned, is was still a crucial invention for the United States Navy because it served as the first battleship to learn and improve from. Even though it’s life was short lived, I liked learning about how it was actually used in the Spanish-American War and destroyed a few Spanish vessels.
The USS Indiana BB-1 was a huge step in the United States history. To think that this was such an achievement but also could have been the cause of the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
It is amazing to see how far our technology and advancements in history have led to such incredible vessels being made!
I thought it was interesting to learn about the different battle ships and the possible cause for starting the attack on Pearl Harbor.
I find it strange that the U.S. was so ignorant of a planes ability to sink a ship. In addition, it was probably mind-blowing for people back in the day to see a battleship for the first time.
Chester. Arthur.
This isn’t a topic that I have a huge interest in, but I enjoyed learning about the different ships.
The advancement in technology from this time period to now is amazing. Vessels today are so huge and advanced, it really is hard to believe.
I found it interesting how often the ship had been decommissioned, as if they had been desperately trying to make it work until eventually giving up on it.
This was an interesting article. Learning about the history of our naval vessels goes to show just how powerful they have become.
I think it is insane how the use of navy ships have change the battles so much! Now, we can fight on the water.
This battleship was decommissioned several times and eventually was sunk during a test against airplanes. While it does not seem it was very useful, it probably gave the builders of future battleships ideas on how to improve their new designs.
This battleship had quite the decommission/ re-commission life. I wonder what happened with testing the boats, and I wonder if Pearl Harbor would have the same out come if the test had been different.
The Indiana paved the way for advanced battle but the testing techniques for ship versus plane was what captured my attention.
I think it is very interesting learning about this battleship. I have visited many battle ships and find them intriguing. The testing techniques was very informational.
This article is very interesting to me because I love to learn bout war crafts and war ships. I have learned about many battleships and can tell from the picture of the Indiana that it was not made for large open seas. But it still is very intriguing to see the US’s first battleship.
I think it’s very interesting how many different weapons were put on the ship and then changed as well as how many times the ship was decommissioned and then recommissioned.
I did not know much about battle ships but it is interesting how many weapons the ship held.
I think it is sad that the first battleship never got to achieve what it was made to do and was destroyed during testing.
Although the first battleship never fulfilled what it was meant to do, I think it was a good leaning experience that was necessary to make future advancements.
It is very interesting that someone had to initially think of this. The thought of having the gumption to not only think, but act on making a massive ship holding so many weapons is insane to me.
The Indiana was a great start for many naval innovations to come. Though it was decommissioned and recommissioned many times. It was a great step forward for strengthening our nation’s navy.
This is a pretty cool thing to talk about in the fact that after the ship had been commissioned and decommissioned so many times that it ended up being used to test theories about if a bomb could sink a battleship. I just feel sorry for the Indiana that it met such a sad demise.
These are some awesome facts! I find it interesting that this ship was such a vital part in the Spanish-American War.
I would say this battleship had a very short life from 1893-1920. It didn’t seem like it served much use other than to prove an aircraft could sink a ship.