USS Illinois (BB-7) was an American battleship (pre-dreadnought), the keel of which was laid in February 1897, launched in October 1898, and was completely completed in 1901. The total length of the ship at the time of launching was 114.4 m, width 22 m, with a full displacement of about 12,500 tons. The maximum speed, on the other hand, did not exceed 16 knots. The unit was armed with: 4 330mm guns, 14 152mm guns and 16 57mm rapid-fire guns. USS Illinois (BB-7) was the first of three Illinois-class battleships. Units of this type, as the first battleships in the US Navy, received modern main artillery turrets, as well as medium artillery, very efficient for their time. They were also characterized by correctly placed artillery and general design. They therefore represented some progress in the design of battleships for the US fleet. USS Illinois (BB-7) was built at Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia. After entering the service, he operated mainly in the Atlantic, and in the period 1907-1909 he was part of the so-called The Great White Fleet, which circumnavigated the globe, thus demonstrating the growing importance of the USA in world politics. However, with the rapid development of naval technology, from 1912, the USS Illinois (BB-7) acted as a training ship, and after the signing of the Washington Treaty, it was withdrawn from active service, although it remained in the naval reserve until 1956!