USS Florida (BB-30) - Inter-War Period

Inter-War Period

Florida joined the escort for SS George Washington, President Woodrow Wilson embarked, as she proceeded into Brest, France on 12–13 December. She participated in the Victory Naval Review in the North River, New York City in late December and then returned to Norfolk, Virginia on 4 January 1919 to resume peace time operations. In May, she cruised to the Azores and took weather observations for the first aerial crossing of the Atlantic, to be made by Navy seaplanes.

Florida's operations during the remaining years of her career were highlighted by participation in the tercentenary celebration in August 1920 of the Pilgrims' landing at Provincetown, Massachusetts, a diplomatic voyage to South American and Caribbean ports with Secretary of State Robert Lansing embarked, service as flagship for Commander, Control Force, US Fleet, amphibious operations with Marines in the Caribbean, and midshipman training cruises.

Florida was laid up in June 1924. She was modernized at the Boston Navy Yard from 1 April 1925 – 1 November 1926. The reconstruction included: Heavier deck armor, anti-torpedo blisters along her sides, and a rearranged secondary gun battery. Her twelve coal-fired Babcock boilers were replaced by four White-Forster oil fired boilers. Her two smokestacks were trunked into one. The four Parsons direct-drive turbines were replaced by four Curtis geared turbines. The aft caged mast was replaced with a lower stick mast and relocated aft between Turrets 3 & 4. Four of the 16 5 inch (127 mm)/51 cal secondary battery mounted in sponsons in the hull were removed. The two 21 in (530 mm) underwater mounted torpedo tubes were also removed.

The ship only served a few years in this new guise, as she had to be removed from the fleet to comply with the terms of the London Naval Treaty of 1930. Therefore, she was decommissioned on 16 February 1931 at the Philadelphia Naval Yard, stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 6 April 1932 and scrapped at the Philadelphia Naval Yard on 30 September 1932.

The silver service for Florida is currently on permanent display in the State Dining Room of the Florida Governor's Mansion.

The ship's bell is displayed in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at the University of Florida. For many years, the bell was mounted at the north end zone wall of the stadium. After the north end zone expansion in 1991, the bell was moved to the north end zone concourse for display, but its clapper was removed.

The ship's bridge wheel and builder's model are displayed in the lobby of the Museum of Florida History.