ussalabama

According to Wikipedia, USS Alabama BB-8 was being used as a target ship and was sunk on or about September 27, 1921. I can't tell the source of this photo. I'm unsure of Rohr's relationship to the image.

The First Brigade, including the 96th Bombardment Squadron and the 49th Pursuit Squadron, commanded by Major Henry J. F. Miller, had been sent to Langley Field, Virginia by train to take part in Naval ordnance tests between the Air Service and the Navy to be held in the vicinity of Langley Field from June 20 to July 21, 1921. During this practice bombing exercise, they sank the German battleship Ostfriesland on July 21.

Here is an article from Wikipedia about the USS Alabama (BB-8) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Alabama_(BB-8)

This may not be the Alabama. It may be the Wisconsin BB-9.

We work with glass negatives occasionally at my work. It never fails to utterly amaze me that something so old can make such a fine image to this day. And that in turn always leads me to wonder about the permanence of the images we are making today. This is amazing.

See the Naval Historical Center page on Alabama. In particular, this image (#NH 57753) shows the same ship viewed from the port side at, apparently, the same event--note the number 9 on the banner and the canopy and large US flag at the rear. The caption on that photo says: "Off New York City, during the October 1912 Naval Review." That sounds like the date for this series of photos, perhaps. Why the number 9? Perhaps it is misidentified, but if so, it would seem the photo at the Naval Historical Center is as well. Note that this photo (linked from this page) shows Michigan (BB-27) at the October 1912 review in New York, and Michigan has a banner with the number 17. (So the banner does not appear to correspond to the ship's designation.) Perhaps the banner was some particular number for the event, keyed to a program or something like that? Note added: The Wikipedia article on Naval Review gives details of the event: "14 October 1912, North River, ships including USS Delaware (BB-28) and USS E-1 (SS-24) passed before the President (Taft) and the Secretary of the Navy George von L. Meyer." The date is also given as 14 October 1912 in this article from the New York Times, February 19, 1914.

This list: www.geocities.com/scs028a/1912List.html suggests that both vessels were present at the review.