USS Alabama (BB-8)

The USS Alabama (BB-8) was a United States Navy Illinois-class pre-dreadnought battleship. She was the second ship of the U.S. Navy to be named in honor of the state of Alabama. BB-8 was authorized by Congress on March 3, 1899, and was built by William Cramp & Sons in Philadelphia. Her keel was laid down on December 2, 1896, she was launched on May 18, 1898, and commissioned on October 15, 1900.

As a pre-dreadnought, the Alabama was armed with a main battery of four 13-inch (330 mm) guns in two twin turrets. Her secondary armament consisted of fourteen 6-inch (152 mm) guns, and she also carried a number of smaller rapid-firing guns for defense against torpedo boats. The Alabama had a displacement of approximately 11,565 long tons (11,751 tonnes) and a top speed of 17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph).

The USS Alabama served actively in the Atlantic Fleet for much of her career, participating in various exercises and deployments. She also saw service during World War I, primarily as a training ship for naval personnel. Decommissioned after the war, she was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on September 15, 1920. The Alabama was used as a target ship for bombing tests in September 1921 and subsequently sunk.