Item #69704 : Original period manufacture. Large content photo album assembled by a sailor who served aboard the USS California during her cruise to Australia, New Zealand, and American Samoa in 1925. Flagship of the Battle Fleet, BB-44 USS California was the second ship of the Tennessee class Battle Wagons. Commissioned in 1921, she served as the Flagship for the Pacific Fleet in the 1920's and 30's. Moored at Pearl Harbor on December 7th 1941, she was struck by an aerial bomb and hit by two torpedoes which caused her eventual sinking three days later. Four of her crew were awarded the Medal of Honor for bravery during the attack. Raised in 1942, she rejoined the fleet in early 1944, hit by a Kamikaze in January 1945 off the Philippines, she remained on station, supporting the troops during the Okinawa invasion. The album content is excellent, with most of the original black and white photos depicting navy life aboard the California, many being candid, non-commercial images. The pages are sound, they are not crumbling to dust, some captions below some of the photos. Great 100 year old album from the Flagship of the Pacific Fleet.