Kilkis 1914
Limnos 1935
| Name | No | Yard No | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Comp | Fate |
| Κιλκίς [Kilkis] (ex-BB23 Mississippi) | Cramp, Philadelphia, USA | 12.5.1904 | 30.9.1905 | 1.2.1908 // 30.7.1914 | gunnery drill hulk 1935, floating battery 1940, sunk 23.4.1941 | ||
| Λήμνος [Limnos] (ex-BB24 Idaho) | Cramp, Philadelphia, USA | 12.5.1904 | 9.12.1905 | 1.4.1908 // 30.7.1914 | hulk 1932 |
|
Displacement normal, t |
13000 |
|
Displacement full, t |
14465 |
|
Length, m |
114.3 pp 116.4 oa |
|
Breadth, m |
23.5 |
|
Draught, m |
7.52 mean |
|
No of shafts |
2 |
|
Machinery |
2 VTE, 8 Babcock & Wilcox boilers |
|
Power, h. p. |
10000 |
|
Max speed, kts |
17 |
|
Fuel, t |
coal 1800 |
| Endurance, nm(kts) | 5775(10) |
|
Armour, mm |
Krupp and Harvey steel; belt: 229-178 (178-102 at ship ends), bulkheads: 178, main gun turrets: 305 - 63, main gun barbettes: 254 - 152, medium gun turrets: 164 - 51, medium gun barbettes: 152, casemates: 178, CT: 229, deck: 37 with 76mm slopes |
|
Armament |
2 x 2 - 305/45 Mk V, 4 x 2 - 203/45 Mk VI, 8 x 1 - 178/45 Mk II, 12 x 1 - 76/50 Mk VI, 6 x 1 - 47/40 Mk I/II, 2 x 1 - 37/40 Mk II/III/V/VIII, 2 - 533 TT (beam) |
|
Complement |
744 |
Project history: Former
American battleships ВВ-23 Mississippi and ВВ-24
Idaho: last
pre-dreadnought battleships, built in the USA. They were bought by Greece 23.6.1914 as Vassilefs Georgios and Vassilissa Olga, but by transfer 30.7.1914 received
names Kilkis and Limnos (writing Lemnos is often used).
Structurally they were typical American battleships with lattice masts and
two-calibres medium artillery, when 203mm guns placed in turrets, and 178mm guns in casemates. On trials Idaho shown 17.11kts.
Ship protection: Main belt had 2.82m height (1.3m over and 1.52m under waterline). 74.4m long amidships part of belt was 229mm thick. Next 14.9m fore and aft parts of belt were 229mm at upper edge tapering to 178mm at lower edge. Ship ends were closed by 2.43m in height (0.91m over and 1.52m under waterline) 178-127mm, later 127mm and finally 102mm armour. Belt was connected with main gun barbettes by 178mm bulkheads. Upper belt between main barbettes had 178mm thickness. 38mm armoured deck over citadel had 76mm slopes and connected with lower edge of main belt. It was 76mm in flat part and had 76mm slopes at ship ends. Main gun turrets had 305mm faces, 203mm sides and rears and 64mm crowns, their barbettes had 254mm sides (190mm at inner side and 152mm between main and armour decks). Secondary gun turrets had 165mm faces, 152mm sides and rears and 51mm crowns, their barbettes had 152mm thickness (102mm at inner sides). 178mm guns were protected by 178mm casemate. CT had 229mm sides and 51mm roof.
Modernizations: 1926-1928, both: - 1 x 1 - 76/50, 6 x 1 - 47/40, 2 x 1 - 37/40; + 2 x 1 - 76/40 12pdr 12cwt QF Mk I/II, 4 x 1 - 57/40 6pdr QF Mk I
Naval service: In 1932 Limnos was disarmed and
converted to a hulk. Kilkis in 1932 was
laid up into reserve, but in 1935 she was temporarily commissioned again for action
against risen cruiser Averof. After 1935 Kilkis lost
light guns, but kept basic armament and was used as gunnery drill hulk.
23.4.1941 both (Kilkis and Limnos) were sunk by
German aircraft at Salamis (according to some information, Kilkis was
really sunk 24.4.1941).
Kilkis 1914
Thanks to Chris Latour (www.supremeruler.com) for fixing an erroneous data on this page.
© Ivan Gogin, 2011-14