Delaware class battleship
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 USS Delaware, the lead ship of the class |
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Delaware class battleship |
| Operators: |  United States |
| Preceded by: | South Carolina class battleship |
| Succeeded by: | Florida class battleship |
| Completed: | 2 |
| Retired: | 2 |
| Preserved: | 0 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Battleship |
| 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 |
| Propulsion: | 25,000 ihp (18,650 kW) |
| Speed: | 21 knots (39 km/h) |
| Range: | 9,750 nautical miles (18,060 km) at 10 knots (North Dakota 6,560 nautical miles (12,150 km) at 10 knots.) Coal: 1000/2500 tons |
| Complement: | 933 officers and men |
| Armor: | Belt: 11 in Bulkheads: 9 in Barbettes: 10 in Turrets: 12 in Decks: 1.5-2 in |
The Delaware-class battleships of the United States Navy were the second class of "Dreadnoughts", carrying a battery of ten 12-inch (305 mm) guns in five turrets, and capable of exceeding 20 knots (40 km/h). The two ships of the class were launched in 1908 and 1909:
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[edit] Conception
Prompted by the launch of the HMS Dreadnought, and a lack of correct information, the US 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. This was the last time the US Congress would impose tonnage limits on a battleship outside of treaty limitations.[1] In fact the South Carolinas were inferior only in speed.[2] The language of the authorizing act of June 26, 1906 was for a battleship "carrying as heavy armor and as powerful armament as any known vessel of its class, to have the highest practicable speed and the greatest practicable radius of action."[3]
[edit] The Design
The Delawares were significantly more powerful than their predecessors; the only limit Congress placed on the battleships was in the fact that the hull and machinery could not exceed 6 Million USD.[3] The Delaware class ships had two more 12-inch (305 mm) guns, a secondary battery of 5-inch (127 mm) guns instead of 3-inch (76 mm) types, and 2.5 knots (4.6 km/h) more speed. As an experiment, the ships had different powerplants; the Delaware received 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 30% (5000 nm vs. 7000 nm) shorter range than the USS Delaware (BB-28). A recurrent theme throughout all US battleship designs was that a large radius of action was required. All US battleships were designed to travel across the Pacific Ocean and engage Japan's naval forces.[4] The Delaware class had the full deck restored to the aft of the design and had a forecastle installed to reduce wetness. The hull of the Delaware Class was fuller to better support the weight of the extra turrets.
Experience with the class proved that the hull form was a very "wet" design in all but the calmest seas. The primary anti-destroyer armament was a battery of 5-inch / 50 caliber naval cannons mounted in sponsons. The 5"/50 was able to penetrate most effectively at 5,000 yards (5,000 m), which was the deciding factor in the decision to equip the Delaware class with them.[1] Fourteen 5"/50 guns were mounted 2 forward on the main deck, 10 in sponsons on the side and 2 aft on the main deck abeam #5 turret, the forward guns being moved into the superstructure after the sea trails.[1] The sponson mounted secondary armament was one deck below the main deck and provided the majority of the complaints from shipping water from the forward positions and breaking the flow of the bow wave imparting extra drag on the design.[1] As in the designs of all early dreadnoughts deck armor was very thin at 1.5 inches and 2 inches over machinery and magazine spaces. These ships were expected to do most of their firing at 10,000 yards (10,000 m) and under. At such distances, deck strikes would be a rare event.[5] Such was the pace of battleship design that by 10 years after being built they were seen as obsolete.
[edit] Operations
The USS Delaware was run at 21 knots (39 km/h) for 24 hours to prove that it could provide the speed and reliability required of it with a vertical triple expansion steam engine. In operational experience all VTE engines performed poorly in the Pacific.[6] The ships were widely traveled on the Atlantic seaboard and became part of the Sixth Battleship Squadron of the British Grand Fleet in WWI.[7] By 1919 both ships were under gunned; most contemporary battleships used 13.5", 14", or 15" main batteries. Both ships of the class were kept close to US home waters and used as training vessels towards the end of their careers. USS Delaware was scrapped in 1924 and USS North Dakota in 1931. USS North Dakota's geared turbines were later fitted into USS Nevada whose engines had worn out.[7]
[edit] Sources
Source: U.S. Battleships: An Illustrated Design History Norman Friedman ISBN 0-87021-715-1
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ a b c d U.S. Battleships: An Illustrated Design History Norman Friedman P65 ISBN 0-87021-715-1
- ^ U.S. Battleships: An Illustrated Design History Norman Friedman P64 ISBN 0-87021-715-1
- ^ a b U.S. Battleships: An Illustrated Design History Norman Friedman P63 ISBN 0-87021-715-1
- ^ U.S. Battleships: An Illustrated Design History Norman Friedman P69 ISBN 0-87021-715-1
- ^ U.S. Battleships: An Illustrated Design History Norman Friedman P101 ISBN 0-87021-715-1
- ^ U.S. Battleships: An Illustrated Design History Norman Friedman P69 ISBN 0-87021-715-1
[edit] External links
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