It was built in 1914, was 476 feet long, 56 feet wide and displaced 14,500 tons. The ship was sunk in 1943 by bombs from Japanese aircraft.
The ship is huge so dives are conducted from either the bow or the stern. Because of the depth of this wreck, all dives are decompression dives which require the appropriate training and experience. For safety reasons, twin tanks with a separate regulator and gauges on each tank, and a dive computer are required for diving on this wreck.
There is much to see on this wreck on the deck level at about 150 feet (45 m) and around the bridge. Penetrations should be avoided due to the risk of entanglement in hanging cables.
Diving to the bow, there are three large guns and anchors on the deck. The bridge was severely damaged by bombs and fire. Diving from the stern, there are more large guns and anti-aircraft turrets. The engine room can be entered via some very large holes. Other areas of interest are the kitchens, tool rooms and crew quarters.
For more information on the USS Kanawha and archival photos, see the NavSource Naval History website and the Ships of the US Navy website.
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