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Alice Wright-Mann, of Mercer County, is pictured with a large bouquet of flowers and what appears to be a bottle of champagne.Ms. Wright-Mann sponsored the battleship which was built by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co. of Newport News, Va. Wright-Mann was the daughter of a millionaire coalmine operator, Isaac T. Mann.

1. Miss Alice Wright-Mann at Christening and Launch of the U.S.S. West Virginia

Miss Alice Wright-Mann, third from left holding a large bouquet and bottle, poses with a group on the battleship. The rest of the subjects are unidentified.Alice Wright-Mann, of Mercer County, sponsored the battleship which was built by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co. of Newport News, Va. Wright-Mann was the daughter of a millionaire coalmine operator, Isaac T. Mann.

2. Christening and Launch of U.S.S. West Virginia

Captain Thomas J. Senn, U.S.N. commanding officer of the West Virginia which was commissioned on December 1, 1923 at the Norfolk Navy Yard.

3. Captain Thomas J. Senn, U.S.N.

Caption reads, "Captain Thomas J. Senn, U. S. N., who has been placed in command of the new battleship U. S. S. West Virginia, the largest ship of itS kind in the U. S. or any other navy. The ship was placed in commission at the Norfolk Navy Yard, December 1."

4. Captain Thomas J. Senn of the U. S. S. West Virginia

Whale boat crew that won a race near San Pedro, California, on February 4, 1934 with a time of 16 minutes, 7 seconds.  William Hand is identified as front row, far right.

5. U.S.S. West Virginia Whale Boat Crew

Portraits of the men in the U.S.S. West Virginia's S Division, which handled supply, disbursing, and commissary.  All photos are identified with last name and first initials.  Several of the men are also identified by nickname.  William Hand is at bottom center.

6. S-Division, U.S.S. West Virginia

McIlwain was part of the 7th Division Marine Detachment and a crew member on the U.S.S. West Virginia.

7. PFC Russell L. McIlwain, Long Beach, Ca.

Each link in the anchor chain weighs 100 lbs. and is one foot long. The chain falls through the hawse pipes.

8. U.S.S. West Virginia Anchor Chain and Pipes

Crew members walk around the deck while the ship is at sea.

9. Fan Tail of U.S.S. West Virginia at Sea

A sailor stands in the boat while it's being raised by the battleship's crane. The "punt" boat was used only to paint the sides of the ship. The boat pictured on the far left is a whale boat, which is used as a life boat and is also used in racing. The boat on the right  is called a "racing cutter" and is also used as a life boat and in cutter racing.

10. U.S.S. West Virginia Crane Hoisting "Punt" Boat

11. U.S.S. West Virginia at Sea

Two unidentified admirals are pictured in their dress uniforms.

12. Admirals Visiting the U.S.S. West Virginia

L to R: Jack Miller, Frank Kosa, Clifford Olds.Olds and 2 other crew members , Ronald Endicott and Louis Costin were trapped in a sealed compartment in the West Virginia's bow after it sank on December 7th.  Any rescue attempt meant certain death. The 3 stayed alive until December 24th according to a marked calendar found with their bodies which were recovered after the ship was raised from the harbor bottom in May, 1942.

13. U.S.S. West Virginia Sailors Hoist Their Glasses at Monkey Bar, Pearl Harbor, HI

Picture of crew rescuing men of the U.S.S. West Virginia during the attack on Pearl Harbor. Credit Line Navy Department 80-G-19930.

14. Crew Rescuing Men of the U.S.S. West Virginia During the Attack on Pearl Harbor

On the left, only the top deck and caged masts of the U.S.S. West Virginia can be seen. The U.S.S. West Virginia was hit with nine bombs and torpedoes total. In the center is the U.S.S. Arizona and on the right is the U.S.S. Tennessee. All ships are on fire.

15. U.S.S. West Virginia Sinking after Pearl Harbor Attack, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

Men on boats attempt to extinguish the fire on the U.S.S. West Virginia.

16. Crews Fighting Fires on U.S.S. West Virginia after Japanese Attack, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

The photograph was taken at the beginning of the attack. The explosion seen in the center of the photograph is a torpedo that struck the U.S.S. West Virginia.

17. Aerial Photograph taken from Japanese Plane during Attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

An official U.S. Navy photograph. From left to right is the U.S.S. West Virginia, U.S.S. Tennessee, and the U.S.S. Arizona.

18. Burning and Damaged Ships After Japanese Attack, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

Smoke billows from the U.S.S. West Virginia, which is pictured in the back and center of the photograph. The ship eventually sank.Floating on the left is the U.S.S. Maryland. On the right is a capsized U.S.S. Oklahoma.

19. Damaged Battleships following Japanese Attack, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

Smoke rises from the sinking battleship, which was hit by seven torpedoes and two bombs.

20. Damaged U.S.S. West Virginia after Japanese Attack, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

The Japanese hit the "Wee Vee" with nine bombs and torpedoes during the attack. The U.S.S. Tennessee is moored on the right.

21. U.S.S. West Virginia Burning and Sinking after Pearl Harbor Attack, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

Fern Evan's husband, GM3e Woodrow W. Evans was killed aboard the U.S.S. West Virginia during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, leaving Fern to support herself and their 20 month old son.  Subsequently, Mrs. Evans was employed at a West Coast aircraft plant.  She's shown here working on a radio bracket for a bomber.

22. Fern Evans in West Coast Aircraft Plant

The U.S.S. West Virginia looks battered and wounded while docked at the naval shipyard. The "Wee Vee" was hit by nine bombs and torpedoes by the Japanese warplanes during the December 7th attack.

23. Salvaging Operations aboard the U.S.S. West Virginia, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

"This port quarter shot of the W. Va. taken from the capsized Oklahoma, shows a general view of the damage to the W. Va., sunk in the Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 1941."The U.S.S. Tennessee is visible behind the sunken U.S.S. West Virginia.  Part of the U.S.S. Oklahoma is visible in the foreground.

24. U.S.S. West Virginia Sunk in Pearl Harbor, Hi.