USS Delaware (BB-28) - World War I

World War I

When the US entered World War I, Delaware returned to Hampton Roads from winter maneuvers in the Caribbean to train armed guard crews and engineers, as well as join in exercises to ready the Fleet for war. On 25 November 1917, she sailed from Lynnhaven Roads with Battleship Division 9 (BatDiv 9), bound for Scapa Flow, Scotland. After battling bad weather in the North Atlantic, she joined the 6th Battle Squadron of the British Grand Fleet on 14 December for exercises to coordinate the operations of the Allied force.

The 6th Battle Squadron got underway on 6 February 1918 with an escort of eight British destroyers to convoy a large group of merchant ships to Norway. Cruising off Stavanger two days later, Delaware was attacked twice by a submarine, but each time skillful handling enabled the battleship to evade the torpedoes. The squadron returned to its home base at Scapa Flow on 10 February. Delaware participated in two more convoy voyages in March and April, then sailed with the Grand Fleet on 24 April to reinforce the 2nd Battlecruiser Squadron which was on convoy duty and expected contact with the enemy. Only the vessels of the advance screen made any contact, and the chance for action faded.

From 30 June – 2 July, the 6th Battle Squadron, with a division of British destroyers as escort, went to sea to screen American ships laying the North Sea mine barrage. On 22 July, George V inspected the ships of the Grand Fleet at Rosyth, Scotland, and eight days later, after being relieved by Arkansas, Delaware sailed for Hampton Roads, arriving on 12 August.