Delaware class battleship

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Delaware-class battleship

Class Overview
Class type:	Battleship
Class name	The State of Delaware
Preceded by:	South Carolina class
Succeeded by:	Florida class
Ships of the line:	Delaware (BB-28), North Dakota (BB-29)
General Characteristics (USS Delaware)
Displacement:	Standard: 20,380 tons Mean War Service: 22,400 tons
Length:	518 ft 9 in
Beam:	85 ft 3 in
Draft:	27 ft 4 in
Speed:	21 knots
Complement:	933 officers and men
Max. cruising radius
Power:	25,000 ihp (18,650 kW)
Drive:
Fuel:
Armour	Belt: 11 in Bulkheads: 9 in Barbettes: 10 in Turrets: 12 in Decks: 3 in

The Delaware-class battleships of the United States Navy were its first true "Dreadnoughts", carrying a battery of ten 12-inch guns in five turrets, and capable of exceeding 20 knots. The two ships of the class were launched in 1908 and 1909:

Prompted by the launch of the HMS Dreadnought, and a lack of correct information, The U.S. Navy and the U.S. Congress faced what they thought was a vastly better battleship than the two South Carolina Class battleships that had yet to complete construction. In fact the South Carolinas were inferior only in speed. The Delaware's were significantly more powerful than their predecessors, the Congress only limit on the battleships was in the fact that the hull and machinery could not exceed 6 Million USD, with two more 12-inch guns, a secondary battery of 5-inch guns instead of 3-inch types, and 2.5 knots more speed. As an experiment, the ships had different powerplants, with the Delaware getting a triple-expansion reciprocating engine, while North Dakota was fitted with a Curtiss turbine engine, initially a direct drive design, later replaced with a geared turbine. The USS North Dakota (BB-29) proved to have a shorter range than the USS Delaware (BB-28).

Source: U.S. Battleships: An Illustrated Design History Norman Friedman IBSN 0-87021-715-1