Arkansas-class monitor
 USS Arkansas (BM-7), lead monitor of the Arkansas class, painted in wartime gray. | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Builders: |
Newport News SB&DD Arkansas (M-7) |
| Operators: | United States Navy |
| Preceded by: | Monterey-class |
| In commission: | 1902-1926 |
| Completed: | 4 |
| Scrapped: | 4 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Monitor |
| Displacement: | 3,225 long tons (3,277 t) |
| Length: | 255 ft (78 m) |
| Beam: | 50 ft (15 m) |
| Draft: | 12 ft 6 in (3.81 m) |
| Propulsion: | 2 × Triple expansion engines 2 × l6' diameter screws |
| Speed: | Arkansas: 12.3 knots (22.8 km/h; 14.2 mph) Nevada: 13.04 knots (24.15 km/h; 15.01 mph) |
| Complement: | 220 officers and enlisted |
| Armament: | 1 × dual 12 in (300 mm)/40 caliber breach loading rifles 4 × 4 in (100 mm)/50 caliber guns 3 × QF 6 pounder Nordenfelt guns 4 × 1 pounder, rapid fire guns |
| Armor: | Belt: 5–11 in (130–280 mm) Barbettes: 9–11 in (230–280 mm) Turrets: 9–10 in (230–250 mm) Conning tower: 7.5 in (190 mm) |
The Arkansas class monitors were the last class of four monitors ordered for the U.S. Navy. Although the navies of Great Britain and Italy built and used monitors for shore bombardment during World War I and the former used them during World War II as well.
Single turreted monitors, they mounted the most modern heavy guns in the U.S. Navy at the time they were built, 12 inch 40 calibre weapons. The Arkansas-class monitor did not see any combat during World War I and instead served as submarine tenders. Alexander C. Brown, writing in the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers Historical transactions noted in a penetrating comment that:
"Monitors found their final employment as submarine tenders in World War I for which their low freeboard hulls made them well suited. It is significant to note, however, that in this humble capacity they were ministering to the needs of that type of craft which had logically replaced them for as initially envisaged monitors were designed to combine heavy striking power with concealment and the presentation of a negligible target area ..."
References
- This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.