Editing Kearsarge-class battleship (section)

==Service histories==
=== USS ''Kearsarge'' (BB-5) ===
{{main|USS Kearsarge (BB-5)}}

''Kearsarge'' was laid down on 30 June 1896. She was launched on 24 March 1898 and was commissioned on 20 February 1900.{{sfn|Reilly & Scheina|p=83}} From 1900 to 1905, ''Kearsarge'' served as [[flagship]] of the [[North Atlantic Squadron]], except for a short period in 1904 when she was reassigned as flagship of the [[European Squadron]]. In 1905, the battleship {{USS|Maine|BB-10|2}} replaced ''Kearsarge'' as flagship of the North Atlantic Fleet, although she remained with the fleet. In April, the ship suffered an explosion in her forward 13-inch turret that killed ten of its crew; [[Isadore Nordstrom]] and [[George Breeman]] both received the [[Medal of Honor]], the former for rescuing several badly wounded men and the latter for preventing the fire from reaching the propellant magazines.{{sfn|DANFS Kearsarge (BB-5)}}

[[File:USS Kearsarge as crane ship AB-1 transiting Panama canal.jpg|thumb|left|alt=Kearsarge with a large crane on her deck|''Kearsarge'' as ''Crane Ship No. 1'' passing through the [[Panama Canal]]]]

In 1907, the [[Great White Fleet]] was ordered by [[President of the United States|U.S. President]] [[Theodore Roosevelt]] to circle the world as a demonstration of the might of the United States Navy. ''Kearsarge'' was attached to the Fourth Division of the Second Squadron. The fleet left from [[Hampton Roads]] on 16 December 1907, circled South America, passed through San Francisco, and arrived at [[Hawaii]]. From there they sailed to New Zealand and Australia, visited the [[Philippine Islands]], Japan, China, and [[Ceylon]] before transiting the [[Suez Canal]]. The fleet split at [[Port Said]] to visit various ports, with ''Kearsarge'' leaving for [[Malta]] and [[Algiers]], before reforming with the rest of the fleet at [[Gibraltar]]. The ships arrived back in Hampton Roads on 22 February 1908.{{sfn|Albertson|pp=26, 46, 181–192}}

Between 1909 and 1911, ''Kearsarge'' was modernized at the [[Philadelphia Naval Shipyard]],{{sfn|Friedman 1985|pp=82–83}} and thereafter was placed in [[reserve fleet|reserve]]. She was recommissioned on 23 June 1915 and operated along the Atlantic coast for the next two years as a [[training ship]] for [[naval militia]] from Massachusetts and Maine. After the United States entered [[World War I]] in April 1917, she was used to train armed guard crews and [[naval engineer]]s during cruises along the Atlantic seaboard. Following the end of the war, she continued training duties until being decommissioned at the Philadelphia Navy Yard on either 10 May{{sfn|DANFS Kearsarge (BB-5)}}{{sfn|Friedman 1985|p=419}}{{sfn|Albertson|p=179}} or 18 May 1920.{{sfn|Reilly & Scheina|p=83}}{{sfn|NVR Crane Ship No. 1 (AB 1)}}

''Kearsarge'' was converted into a [[crane vessel|crane ship]], and was given [[hull classification symbol]] IX-16 on 17 July 1920,{{sfn|Bauer & Roberts|p=103}} but it was changed to AB-1 on 5 August.{{sfn|Friedman 1985|p=419}} Her turrets, superstructure, and armor were removed, and were replaced by a large revolving crane with a lifting capacity of {{convert|250|LT|t|0}}, as well as {{convert|10|ft|adj=on|0}} blisters, which improved her stability. The crane ship was used often over the next 20&nbsp;years, including the raising of {{USS|Squalus|SS-192|6}} in 1939. On 6 November 1941, ''Kearsarge'' was renamed ''Crane Ship No. 1'', allowing her name to be given to the [[aircraft carrier]] that was eventually renamed {{USS|Hornet|CV-12|2}}, and later to the carrier {{USS|Kearsarge|CV-33|2}}. She continued her service, however, handling guns, turrets, armor, and other heavy lifts for vessels such as the battleships {{USS|Indiana|BB-58|2}}, {{USS|Alabama|BB-60|2}}, and  {{USS|Pennsylvania|BB-38|2}} and the cruisers {{USS|Savannah|CL-42|2}} and {{USS|Chicago|CA-29|2}}. She was transferred to the [[San Francisco Naval Shipyard]] in 1945, where she participated in the construction of ''Hornet'', the carrier {{USS|Boxer|CV-21|2}}, and the re-construction of the carrier {{USS|Saratoga|CV-3|2}}. In 1948, she left the [[West Coast of the United States|West Coast]] for the [[Boston Naval Shipyard]]. On 22 June 1955, her name was struck from the [[Naval Vessel Register]], and she was sold for scrap on 9 August.{{sfn|DANFS Kearsarge (BB-5)}}{{sfn|Albertson|pp=177, 179}}

=== USS ''Kentucky'' (BB-6) ===
[[File:KENTUCKY LCCN2014704670.tif|thumb|''Kentucky'' at anchor, c. 1900]]
{{main|USS Kentucky (BB-6)}}

''Kentucky'' laid down on the same day as her [[sister ship]], and was launched the same day as well. She was commissioned on 15 May 1900.{{sfn|Reilly & Scheina|p=83}} Later that year, she left for China to join the [[Eight Nation Alliance]] then in the process of suppressing the [[Boxer Rebellion]]. ''Kentucky'' arrived in [[East Asia]] in early 1901 and she saw no action during the final stage of the uprising. The ship operated in the region until early 1904. After returning to the United States, she joined the North Atlantic Squadron in 1905. During the [[History of cuba#Cuba in the early 20th century|1906 Cuban Insurrection]], she carried [[United States Marine Corps|Marines]] to the island, embarking them in [[Provincetown]] and landing them at [[Havana, Cuba]] for the [[Second Occupation of Cuba]].{{sfn|DANFS Kentucky (BB-6)}}

In 1907, ''Kentucky'' participated in the Great White Fleet, as part of the Fourth Division with her sister. The fleet left from Hampton Roads on 16 December 1907, circled South America, passed through San Francisco, and arrived at Hawaii. From there, they sailed to New Zealand and Australia, visited the Philippine Islands, Japan, China, and Ceylon before transiting the Suez Canal. The fleet split at Port Said, with ''Kentucky'' visiting [[Tripoli, Libya|Tripoli]] and Algiers, before reforming with the fleet at Gibraltar. She returned to Hampton Roads on 22 February.{{sfn|Albertson|pp=46, 181–192}}

From 1909–1911, ''Kentucky'' was modernized at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard.{{sfn|Friedman 1985|pp=82–83}} She was thereafter placed in reserve, where she remained until she was recommissioned at Philadelphia on 23 June 1915. Following the [[United States occupation of Veracruz]], she sailed to [[Mexico]], patrolling the coast off [[Veracruz, Veracruz|Veracruz]] until 1916. She then returned to New York, where she laid until the United States [[American entry into World War I|entered World War I]]. During the war, she operated as a training ship as part of the [[mobilization]] effort, training several thousand men along the Atlantic coast.{{sfn|DANFS Kentucky (BB-6)}}

In late 1918 and early 1919, ''Kentucky'' was overhauled at the [[Boston Navy Yard]]. She then left for exercises in Guantanamo Bay, Norfolk, and along the [[New England]] coast, and later trained [[United States Naval Academy]] [[midshipman|midshipmen]]. ''Kentucky'' was decommissioned on 29 March 1920; the Navy briefly considered rebuilding her into a crane ship as well, but ultimately decided against it. Her name was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 27 May 1922 and she was sold for scrap to [[Dravo Corporation]] on 24 March 1923.{{sfn|DANFS Kentucky (BB-6)}}