Thanksgiving Dinner Aboard USS Idaho- 1936,1937, and 1945

We recently received several items from a veteran of the battleships USS Idaho (BB-42) and Alabama (BB-60). Two of the items were Thanksgiving Day menus from 1936 and 1937. Click to enlarge any of the images.

When the war ended, Idaho came to Norfolk Naval Shipyard one last time for a post-war inspection before she headed into mothballs. This 1945 Thanksgiving Day menu comes courtesy of the USS Idaho Memorial Website.

German Warships and President Taft in Hampton Roads, 1912

USS Idaho (BB-24) waiting for the German squadron east of Hampton Roads

Those who hold public office know that one must be careful when making a comment within earshot of the media.  In 1910, the battleship USS Minnesota (BB-22) made a port call in England. During an official reception, the mayor of London asked Minnesota's commanding officer, the always outspoken Captain William Simms, what the United States would do if England were attacked by a foreign power. Simms responded, "It is my opinion that you may count on every man, every dollar, every drop of blood of kindred from across the sea."


The German dreadnought SMS Molkte near Fort Monore

This statement infuriated Kaiser Wilhelm who naturally believed he was speaking of the German Empire. Relations between Germany and the United States were lukewarm at best in the early 20th century, particularly with Germany's increased involvement in the Western Hemisphere. Thus, President Howard Taft had to publicly reprimand Simms and apologize to the Kaiser in person.  But that was not good enough for German diplomats. The diplomats also noted in their official protest that the American Navy frequently visited France and Great Britain, but never Germany. 

The German Squadron from left to right-The cruisers SMS

Stettin and Bremen and the battleship Molkte.

The Germans demanded a public showing of goodwill between the United States and the Germans.  Taft agreed. In the Summer 1911, the Navy's Second Division of the Atlantic Fleet travelled to Kiel, Germany where the Kaiser and the entire German fleet greeted them.

In the Summer 1912, the German Navy reciprocated the visit with three ships, the cruisers SMS Stettin and Bremen and the brand new dreadnought-type battleship SMS Moltke. Realizing that Taft was in the middle of a reelection, the Kaiser wanted to send the ships as not to cause distraction to the American election season. Thus he sent them to Hampton Roads from Kiel in May 1912. The three ship squadron arrived off the Virginia Capes in late May, and were saluted by USS Idaho (BB-24) upon arrival. Two divisions of U.S. Battleships lined Hampton Roads to greet the Germans, including Utah (BB-31), Michigan (BB-27), Delaware (BB-28), and South Carolina (BB-26).

The Presidential yacth Mayflower entering Hampton Roads
and approaching the line of U.S. battleships on the left and
the German squadron on  the right.


Taft arrived in the Presidential yacht Mayflower and boarded Molkte. There, Vice Admiral Hubert von Rebeur-Paschwitz greeted the President and his entourage and personally gave him a tour of the ship. Taft remarked "Admiral, I'm glad to welcome you and to have an opportunity of visiting the Moltke, of the finest ships I have ever seen." Upon leaving the ship, Moltke's band struck up the "Star Spangled Banner." Once the Hampton Roads' festivities were over, the senior staff of the German ships proceed to Washington and New York City where they were wined and dined by America's leading politicians and business leaders.

The Washington, D.C. photo studio of Harris and Ewing followed the President to Hampton Roads and took these very vivid shots of the President, the U.S. Navy and the German squadron. Many more of the studio's collection can be found at the Library of Congress' website.

President Taft being given a tour of Moltke by German Vice Admiral Hubert von Rebuer-Pachswitch

USS Idaho (BB-43),1918...Maybe

This is another photo from the collection of Quartermaster Chief Petty Officer J.T. Oliver.  Chief Oliver was a part of the ship's company of USS New Hampshire (BB-25) during World War I.  According to the caption, Oliver states that this is the brand new battleship USS Idaho (BB-43) underway and conducting live fire exercises with her 14-inch rifles in the Chesapeake Bay.  He took the photo from the fan tail of New Hampshire. 

There is a date issue, however, with the photo.  There were two battleships named USS Idaho.  The first one was a "Great White Fleet"-era battleship that the United States sold to the Hellenic Navy (Greece) in 1914 (and later sunk in 1942 by  German bombers).  New York Shipbuilding Corporation launched the second battleship named Idaho in 1917, but the U.S. Navy did not commission the ship into the fleet until 1919. 

It is possible, given the war crisis at hand, that Idaho conducted part of her shakedown cruise with the rest of the fleet.  Any assistance in identifying the photo would be most appreciated.  Below are two positive identified photos of the second Idaho battleship.

USS Idaho, 1927

USS Idaho off of Okinawa, 1945