The USS Massachusetts was one of a class
of three pre-dreadnoughts that were the United
State's first battleships. Launched in 1893,
she served in the Spanish-American War in
the blockade of Cuba and the bombardment
of Santiago, but missed the Battle of Santiago
while she was coaling at Guantanamo Bay.
The vessel served first as a front line unit,
and then as a gunnery training ship, until
1919.
The ship was stripped of all armament and
usable equipment in 1921, and used as a gunnery
target. She was scuttled at the entrance
to Pensacola Bay for use by the local Army
artillery school, a duty she continued to
perform until 1925. Her ownership was returned
to the Navy, who offered her for sale as
scrap. There were no takers, and the hulk
sat until the mid 1950s. At that time several
companies wanted to break up the wreck, but
with the support of locals the State of Florida
won title to the hulk in a 1956 Supreme Court
ruling. The site was declared to be an underwater
archaeological preserve on June 10, 1993,
on the 100th anniversary of the ship's launching.
The wreck is 350-feet long, and is located
a mile and a half south-southwest of Pensacola
Pass, at Latitude 30 deg 17 min 45 sec N
and Longitude 87 deg 18 min 45 sec W. The
remains of the USS Massachusetts are in 26
feet of water, and the LORAN coordinates
for the wreck are 13215.0 and 47108.9. The
site is easily located because the ship's
two main gun turrets are awash most of the
time, a red bell buoy is positioned over
it, and its location is shown on nautical
charts.
The water is clearest at high tide, and the
currents are much more manageable at low
or slack high tide. The wreck is very cluttered
and structurally unstable, so it should not
be entered. But it is still a great dive,
as after 75+ years underwater the hull has
formed quite an artificial reef. It is partially
buried in the white sands, marine life abounds,
and the water is warm with manageable currents.
Because of the shallow water, wave action
in even moderate seas makes the dive a struggle.
The wreck is part of the Fort Pickens State
Archaeological Preserve, so go to any local
dive shop for a map and go on a self-guided
tour of the area.
 USS Massachusetts in the 1898 Spanish-American War Victory Parade |
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| The turrets of the USS Massachusetts are
awash at low tide . |
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 A site map of the wreck provided by the Florida Dept. of State, Division of Historical Resources. |
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