U.S.S. WYOMING

BB-32 USS WYOMING

Brought into service in September 1912, USS Wyoming served her first few years in the Atlantic Fleet. She made cruises along the Eastern Seaboard and into the Caribbean. In late 1917, after World War I commenced, she joined other ships with the Grand Fleet patrolling and working in the North Sea. After the close of the War, the ship began a decade of service alternating between the Atlantic and Pacific fleets. In 1927, she underwent a major modernization project. The 1930s brought USS Wyoming a new mission. Her designation changed to AG-17 and she became a training ship.

USS Wyoming’s largest contribution to the Second World War was the experience she provided to troops during amphibious training exercises in the late 1930s. This experience ended up being priceless in the next few years when the U.S. entered the War. During World War II, USS Wyoming served as a training ship for sailors in how to use battleship guns of different types. These ranged from the larger twelve-inch guns down to the smaller five-inch. Thousands of sailors learned on her decks. After the War concluded, the ship became part of the Operational Development Force until her decommission in August 1947. The Navy sold her for scrap in October of that same year.