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fighting ships of the world

UNITED STATES NAVY (UNITED STATES OF AMERICA)

CAPITAL SHIPS & MONITORS

PENNSYLVANIA battleships (1916)

Pennsylvania 1916

Arizona 1931

Pennsylvania 1945

No Name Yard No Builder Laid down Launched Comm Fate
BB38 Pennsylvania 171 Newport News 27.10.1913 16.3.1915 12.6.1916 target for nuclear tests 2.1946
BB39 Arizona   New York N Yd, Brooklyn 16.3.1914 19.6.1915 17.10.1916 sunk 7.12.1941
  
Data variant as commissioned

Displacement normal, t

31400

Displacement full, t

32567

Length, m

182.9 wl 185.4 oa

Breadth, m

29.6

Draught, m

8.80

No of shafts

4

Machinery

BB38: 4 Curtis steam turbines, 12 Babcock & Wilcox boilers

BB39: 4 Parsons steam turbines, 12 Babcock & Wilcox boilers

Power, h. p.

31500

Max speed, kts

21

Fuel, t

oil 2300

Endurance, nm(kts) 6070(12)

Armour, mm

belt: 343 - 203, deck: 76, 63 over steering gear, splinter deck: 51 - 25, barbettes: 330 - 114, turrets: 457 face, 254 - 229 sides, 229 rear, 127 crowns, CT: 406 sides, 127 roof

Armament

4 x 3 - 356/45 Mk I/III, 22 x 1 - 127/51 Mk VIII, 4 x 1 - 76/52 Mk X, 2 - 533 TT (beam)

Complement

915

Project history: This was essentially an enlarged Nevada with four triple turrets rather than the previous two twin and two triple mounts. This was what the General Board had originally wanted for the Nevada class; Congress had been unwilling to appropriate enough money. In addition, the secondary battery was increased from 21 to 22 127mm/51 guns, the weapon right aft being abandoned because it was too difficult to assign for fire control purposes. Pennsylvania was built under 1913 programme and Arizona under 1914.

    This class also incorporated special underwater protection, consisting of a 76mm torpedo bulkhead 2.9m inboard of the shell plating, with a retaining bulkhead 0.8m inboard of it. Tests showed that this system could withstand about 136kg of TNT.

    Pennsylvania was ordered as a flagship, with a special two-level CT.

Ship protection: 125m-long belt had 5.3m height and was 343mm thick at upper part tapering to 203mm at lower edge. Belt was connected with end barbettes by 320mm bulkheads. There was 2.6m in height 203mm belt at 18.3m length aft from aft bulkhead, protecting steering gear, it was closed aft by 343mm bulkhead. Flat main armour deck was connected with upper edge of belt and was 89mm over citadel. One level lower there was 38mm splinter deck with 51mm slopes, slopes were connected with lower edge of belt. This deck was 63mm thick aft from citadel, protecting steering gear. Main gun turrets had 457mm faces, 254-229mm sides, 229mm rears and 127mm crowns. Barbettes were 330mm over and 114mm under main deck. CT had 406mm sides and 127mm roof. Underwater protection was 3.6m deep. There was 76mm longitudinal bulkhead.

Ship protection after modernization: 125m-long belt had 5.3m height and was 343mm thick at upper part tapering to 203mm at lower edge. Belt was connected with end barbettes by 320mm bulkheads. There was 2.6m in height 203mm belt at 18.3m length aft from aft bulkhead, protecting steering gear, it was closed aft by 343mm bulkhead. Flat main armour deck was connected with upper edge of belt and was 121mm over citadel. One level lower there was 38mm splinter deck with 76mm slopes, slopes were connected with lower edge of belt. This deck was 63mm thick aft from citadel, protecting steering gear. Main gun turrets had 457mm faces, 254-229mm sides, 229mm rears and 127mm crowns. Barbettes were 330mm over and 114mm under main deck. CT had 406mm sides and 203mm roof. Underwater protection was 5.8m deep. There was 76mm longitudinal bulkhead.

Modernizations: 1919 - 1920, both: + 4 x 1 - 76/52 Mk X

1925, both: + 1 catapult with 1 seaplane (MO, UO, VE or OL)

(6/1929 - 5.1931, Philadelphia NYd) Pennsylvania, (5/1929 - 3.1931, Norfolk NYd) Arizona: were modernized as follows. New machinery and boilers were fitted, horizontal armour was strengthened, part of secondary guns was moved one deck up. Maximal main guns elevation angle was increased up to 30°.

Data variant 1931 modernization

Displacement standard, t

33384

Displacement full, t

35929

Length, m

182.9 wl 185.3 oa

Breadth, m

32.4

Draught, m

9.19 full load

No of shafts

4

Machinery

BB38: 4 sets Westinghouse geared steam turbines, 5 White-Foster & 1 Bureau Express boilers

BB39: 2 Parsons steam turbines, 2 sets Westinghouse geared steam turbines, 6 Bureau Express boilers

Power, h. p.

33375

Max speed, kts

21

Fuel, t

oil 3778 (6274 max)

Endurance, nm(kts) 19900(10)

Armour, mm

belt: 343 - 203, bulkheads: 330, deck: 121, 63 over steering gear, splinter deck: 51 - 25, barbettes: 330 - 114, turrets: 457 face, 254 - 229 sides, 229 rear, 127 crowns, CT: 406 sides, 203 roof

Armament

4 x 3 - 356/45 Mk 10, 12 x 1 - 127/51 Mk 8.15, 8 x 1 - 127/25 Mk 10.11.13, 2 catapults, 3 seaplanes (OJ, O2U, O3U)

Complement

1052

mid-1941, both: + (8 - 9) x 1 - 12.7/90

mid-1941, Pennsylvania: + 4 x 1 - 76/50 Mk 20

early 1942, Pennsylvania: - 4 x 1 - 76/50; + 4 x 4 - 28/75 Mk 1, 16 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 4, CXAM, Mk 3 radars

1/1943, Pennsylvania: CT was removed; - 12 x 1 - 127/51, 8 x 1 - 127/25, 4 x 4 - 28/75, 1 catapult, CXAM radar; + 8 x 2 - 127/38 Mk 12, 10 x 4 - 40/56 Mk 1.2, 34 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 4, SG, SK, SR, Mk 3 (2nd), 2x Mk 4 radars

7/1945, Pennsylvania: - 23 x 1 - 20/70, Mk 3 radar; + 1 x 2 - 40/56 Mk 1.2, 22 x 2 - 20/70 Mk 4, SC-2, SP, Mk 8 radars

1/1946, BB38 Pennsylvania: 4 x 3 - 356/45 Mk 10, 8 x 2 - 127/38 Mk 28, 10 x 4 - 40/60 Mk 2, 1 x 2 - 40/60 Mk 1, 22 x 2 - 20/70 Mk 24, 27 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 10, 9 x 1 - 12.7/90, 1 catapult, 3 seaplanes, SG, SK, SR, SC-2, SP, Mk 3, 2x Mk 4, Mk 8 radars

Naval service: Arizona was hit in Pearl Harbor by 1 torpedo and 5 - 8 bombs from B5N2 bombers from Japanese carrier Kaga, received hit of a bomb into magazine, blown up and sunk. Sunken wreck is preserved as a military memorial. Pennsylvania was lightly damaged 7.12.1941 during raid of Japanese carriers to Pearl Harbour and was under repair till the end of March, 1942; 12.8.1945 she was damaged by Japanese air torpedo; partial repair was completed in October, 1945.

Arizona 5.1918

Arizona 1941 (Navypedia)

Pennsylvania 1945 (Navypedia)

Pennsylvania

Arizona at Seattle 1940

Arizona sunk at Pearl Harbour

Pennsylvania on Mare Island 1942

Pennsylvania on Pacific 1944

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