 On 6 April 1917 , the United States declared war on Germany owing to the unrestricted submarine warfare campaign Germany initiated earlier that year . New Jersey was employed as a training ship for naval draftees , based in Chesapeake Bay . In November 1918 , Germany signed the Armistice that ended the war ; New Jersey was thereafter used to transport American soldiers back from Europe . In the course of four voyages between late 1918 and 9 June 1919 , she carried some 5 @,@ 000 soldiers . New Jersey was decommissioned on 6 August 1920 at the Boston Naval Shipyard , and was to be disposed of under the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty signed in 1922 . New Jersey , along with her sister Virginia and the battleship Alabama were allocated for weapons tests conducted with the US Army Air Service , under the supervision of General Billy Mitchell . 
