Dunkerque-Class Battleship

The Dunkerque-class battleship was one of a series of two French fast battleships, which were commissioned right before World War II. They had originally been designed in 1928 as battlecruiser (Croiseur de Bataille de 35,000t). However, after the lead ship of the class (Le Dunkerque) was laid down in 1932, the original plan was redesigned during its construction, giving her better armor protection, especially at the belt, and more powerful main guns. The reason for this change was the emergence of the German Deutschland-class heavy cruisers. Thus, these French capital ships were the answer to Germany's 'pocket battleships' as the Royal Navy referred to them. Launched in 1936, Le Strasbourg was the second warship of the class.

The intended role of the Dunkerque class battleships was the protection of the French merchant shipping in time of war from German raiders, specifically the Deutschland class panzerschiffe. The Le Dunkerque was launched in 1935 and commissioned in 1937, while Le Strasbourg was commissioned in 1938. They were both deployed in the Atlantic at the start of World War II, where they took part in operations to catch and destroy the Deutschland and Graf Spee. This was precisely the type of hunt they had been designed for. In April 1940, one month before the German Invasion of France, they were both transferred to the Mediterranean Theater and they moored in the naval base of Mers-el-Kebir.

When France surrendered to Germany and the pro-German Vichy Government was set up, Great Britain demanded the total surrender of the French Fleet. When the Vichy Government rejected this demand, the Royal Navy attacked the French Fleet in the Mediterranean. As a result, Dunkerque was first hit and damaged by British 380-mm guns; then she would be further damaged in an air attack. However, Dunkerque was repaired and, in November 1942, she returned to Toulon, where she joined her sister Strasbourg. Shortly after her arrival, both ships were scuttled on November 27, 1942, but Strasbourg would be later recovered and repaired by the Italian Navy only to be sunk during an Allied air raid on August 18, 1944.

Technical Description

The propulsion system of the Dunkerque class battleship consisted of four Parsons geared turbines, which were fed by six boilers. These turbines drove four shafts, generating a total of 112,500 sHP. The ships had a high speed (29.5 knots) and heavy armament of eight 13-in (330-mm) main guns, which were mounted in two quadruple turrets located on fore deck but 90 feet apart to avoid them being put out of action by a single hit. Within the turrets, the guns were mounted in pairs, with each pair elevating together to a maximum of 35°, at which they had a range of 38 km (32,800 yards). The ships belt were protected by 240-mm thick armor. The main mast and bridge was located amid ship, while the exhaust funnel was situated behind the main mast.

Specifications

Type: battleship

Displacement: 26,500 tons; 35,500 tons (full-loaded)

Length: 214.5 m (703.8 ft)

Beam: 31.1 m (103 ft)

Draft: 9.6 m (31.5 ft)

Propulsion: four Parsons geared steam turbines, with four shafts and six boilers.

Maximum Speed: 29.5 knots

Range: 7,500 nautical miles (13,900 km)

Complement: 1,400 sailors and officers

Armament: eight 330-mm (13-inch) naval guns; sixteen 130-mm (5.1-inch) guns.

Above, the Le Dunkerque battleship in 1939.

The Strasbourg in the Mediterranean in April 1940.

The Le Dunkerque in 1938.

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USS Maine (ACR-1)

The USS Maine (ACR-1) was an American, pre-dreadnought battleship that was in active service with the US Navy only three years, from 1895 to 1898. She was sunk by a massive explosion while she was lying at anchor in Havana harbor. This incident would be the spark that ignited the Spanish-American War. The USS Maine was an advanced, well-protected capital ship of the time, which was fitted with a modern propulsion system capable of generating 9,293 horsepower. She was a symbol the American steel industry of the second industrial revolution and its sinking remained a source of controversy ever since.

The USS Maine (ACR-1) was ordered in August 1886 as a need to modernize the US Navy and catch up with the European nations', which were competing in the arms race for the European and world geopolitical hegemony. Designed by the US Navy Department, she was laid down on October 17, 1888, at New York Naval Shipyard, and launched on November 18, 1890. After five years of sea trials, the USS Maine would be commissioned for service with the US Navy on September 17, 1895. In January 1898, the USS Maine paid a good-will visit to Cuba in an attempt to lower the US-Spanish political tension. On February 15, she was anchored in Havana harbor when she was suddenly destroyed and sunk by a powerful explosion which killed 260 men. Without tangible proof, a US court of inquiry quickly concluded on April 21 that the ship had been sunk by the explosion of a mine that had been placed beneath the ship. This conclusion led the United States to declare war on Spain.

Technical Description

With a length of 96.9 m (318 feet) and a beam of 17.4 m, the USS Maine was slightly larger than the Brazilian battleship Riachuelo, which was a modern warship that had been built in the United Kingdom. The American capital ship was armed with four 254-mm main guns, which were mounted in two twin turrets, en echelon, with the forward one set up to starboard and the after one to port. They were sponsoned to fire dead ahead and astern. She also featured six 152-mm guns as secondary naval ordnance. The ship was propelled by two vertical, triple-expansion steam engines, with the boilers combustion gases being exhausted through two smokestacks.

Specifications

Type: pre-dreadnought battleship

Completed: 1895

Number in Class: 1

Displacement: 6,682 tons (standard); 7,180 tons (full-loaded).

Length: 96.9 m (318 feet)

Beam: 17.4 m (57 feet)

Draft: 6.6 m (21.5 feet)

Propulsion System: two triple-expansion steam engines, with two shafts, fed by 8 boilers, generating 9,293 iHP.

Maximum Speed: 16.45 knots (30.47 km/h, or 18.93 mph)

Range: 3,600 nautical miles (6,670 km) sailing at 10 knots.

Armor: Harvey and nickel steel; ship belt: 305-mm; deck: 76 and 51-mm; barbetts: 305 and 254-mm thick.

Armament: four 254-mm main guns; six 152-mm secondary guns.

Compliment: 374 men.

Above, starboard view of the USS Maine, showing two of her four 254-mm naval guns.

The USS Maine battleship sailing into Havana harbor in 1898.

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Battleship

The battleship was a heavily armored and massively armed capital ship employed as a front line war vessel in a naval engagement. This type of warship first entered service in 1895 with the British Royal Navy. She was HMS Majestic, which was the lead vessel of her class of 9 pre-dreadnought battleships. These early battleships were armed with four 305-mm and twelve 152-mm naval guns, while her belt armor was 229-mm thick. They were the first naval vessels to be propelled by 3-cylinder, triple expansion, steam engines, fed by 8 boilers. This class was followed by the King Edward VII-class of 8 pre-dreadnought battleships, the first of which was commissioned in 1905; these were also armed with 305-mm naval guns.

Commissioned in 1906, HMS Dreadnought introduced advanced technical innovation. She was the first battleship to be propelled by the modern and more efficient Parsons direct-drive steam turbines fed by 18 boilers instead of 8. Her number of main guns was increased to ten 305-mm (12-inch) naval ordnance, instead of the four on the Majestic and King Edward VII class. HMS Dreadnought was also faster and had thicker armor. The Imperial Japanese Navy was the first navy to acquire a dreadnought type battleship when the battleship Satsuma was commissioned in 1910. However, the Satsuma was still powered by the older triple-expansion steam engines. Meanwhile Germany introduced her first dreadnought type battleship in 1911, when the SMS Helgoland was commissioned along with three other battleships of her class. Most of the European navies took part in World War I deploying dreadnought type battleships. The United States Navy, on the other hand, had been reinforced with the New York-class battleships. The 1916 Battle of Jutland was famous because of the number of battleships involved in this naval engagement.

By the start of World War II battleships had a standard displacement of 20,000–64,000 tons and were armed with up to 12 turret guns of the main caliber (between 356 and 406 mm), up to 20 torpedo-defense, antiaircraft, or multipurpose artillery guns with calibers of 100–127 mm, and up to 80–140 small-caliber automatic antiaircraft cannons and large-caliber antiaircraft machine guns. The US Navy entered World War II equipped with the Iowa-class battleship, which was more advanced and faster war vessel and it was armed with more powerful guns; 406-mm (16-inch). The British Royal Navy deployed the King George V class battleships in World War II; however, HMS Vanguard, which was completed in 1946, would be the last battleship used by the Royal Navy. During Word War II, however, because of the increased role of naval aviation (especially carrier-based) and submarine forces and the loss of many battleships to aviation and submarines, these ships lost their importance. After the war all navies scrapped almost all their battleships.

Above, Pennsylvania-class battleships sailing in the North Atlantic.

IJN Mikasa a pre-dreadnought battleship, which took part in the Russo-Japanese War.

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Bellerophon-Class Battleship

The Bellerophon-class battleship was one of a series of three British dreadnought battleships, which were in service with the Royal Navy between 1909 and 1921. The class consisted of the HMS Bellerophon, HMS Superb, and HMS Temeraire. They were built between 1906 and 1909 by the Royal Navy Dockyards and Armstrong-Whitworth shipbuilding company. As soon as they were commissioned in 1909, they were assigned to the 1st Division of the Home Fleet in Scapa Flow. In 1916, all three warships took part in the Battle of Jutland, under Admiral Sir John Jellicoe. Having survived World War I, they were scrapped in 1921.

Technical Description

The Bellerophon class battleship was a virtual repeat of the HMS Dreadnought, with the same main armament and propulsion system. Her main battery consisted of ten 12-inch (305-mm) naval guns, which were mounted in five twin turrets. Her power plant was composed of two sets of Parsons steam turbines, with four shafts. These turbines featured a direct drive mechanism. These steam engines were fed by eighteen water-tube boilers. Although her armor belt was slightly thinner than that on the HMS Dreadnought, it was better disposed.

The overall protection of the Bellerophon class battleship was considerably enhanced by new armored anti-torpedo bulkheads, which covered the machinery spaces and magazines, extending down to the double-bottoms. Her conning towers were also protected by 11-inch steel armor plate. Combustion gases were exhausted through two funnels. The tripod foremast was located ahead of the forward funnel and the tripod mainmast was in front of the rear funnel.

Specifications

Type: Dreadnought-type battleship

Displacement: 18,800 tons; 22,100 tons (full load)

Length: 160.3 m (526 feet)

Beam: 25.2 m (82 feet, 5 inches)

Draft: 8.3 m (27 feet, 3 inches)

Propulsion: four Parsons steam turbines, with 4 shafts and 18 boilers, generating 23,000 sHP.

Maximum Speed: 20.8 knots (39 km/h)

Range: 5,720 nautical miles (10,590 km), sailing at 10 knots.

Armor: belt between 250 and 130-mm thick; bulkheads: 203-mm

Armament: ten 305-mm (12-inch) naval guns; sixteen 102-mm guns.

Complement: 733 sailors and officers

Above, HMS Superb at the end of the war.

HMS Bellerophon in May 1914.

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IJN Fuji

IJN Fuji was a Japanese pre-dreadnought battleship which was completed in 1897. She was the first of several Japanese capital ships to be built in the United Kingdom. Being the lead vessel of her class of two battleships, she was also the first Japanese warship to be armed with 305-mm (12-inch) naval guns and to be powered by modern steam engines. The Fuji was not a unique design, though, as she had been developed from the British Royal Sovereign class battleships built at the end of the 19th century. Although the Japanese vessel did not have the powerful 343-mm guns of her British counterparts, she was longer and protected by thicker belt armor.

The construction of both IJN Fuji and Yashima had been ordered under the 1893 Program, which planned to build up a powerful Japanese fleet to counter the Chinese Navy, which had acquired two modern German-built battleships. Laid down in 1894, the two Fuji-class battleships were commissioned in 1897. Both battleships were refitted in 1901, and they would later take part in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905. Fuji fired the last shell at the Battle of Tsushima on May 27, 1905, to sink the Russian battleship Borodino. Yashima had struck a mine off Port Arthur on May 15, 1904, and capsized later on the afternoon of the same day. After World War I, Fuji was re-boilered and refitted as she would be used as a naval school ship for training Japanese officers. She was scrapped in 1948.

Technical Description

The Fuji class battleships were propelled by two triple-expansion steam engines, which were 3-cylinder, compound machines that expanded the steam in three stages. These engines were fed by 10 single-ended cylindrical boilers in Fuji and by 14 boilers in Yashima, with a water pressure of 155-lb per square inch. The combustion gases were drawn out of the vessels through two smokestacks located right at the center of ship, between the two masts. The Yashima had a much smaller turning circle than the Fuji on account of her builders having cut away the aft portion of the keel towards the rudder. The four 305-mm guns were mounted in heavily-armored twin turrets, two on the bow deck and the other two on the stern deck. The Fuji was also fitted with ten 153-mm guns, five on starboard deck and five on port.

Specifications (Fuji)

Type: pre-dreadnought battleship

Builders: Thames Iron Works

Displacement: 12,320 tons; 13,000 tons (full load)

Length: 125.5 m (412 feet)

Beam: 22.4 m (74 feet)

Draft: 8.1 m (26.3 feet)

Propulsion: two reciprocating vertical, triple-expansion steam engines, with two shafts and 10 boilers, generating 14,000 sHP.

Maximum Speed: 18 knots

Range: 8,000 nautical miles

Armament: four 305-mm and ten 153-mm naval guns, and twenty 3-pdr cannons.

Compliment: 637 men

The IJN Fuji moored in Tokyo Bay in 1906, after the Russo-Japanese War.

Side view of drawing of Fuji.

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Satsuma Class Battleship

The Satsuma class battleship was one of two pre-dreadnought battleships in service with the Imperial Japanese Navy between 1910 and 1922. They were both built locally, at Japanese shipyards, by the Japanese Navy industry and designed by their own engineers. They were fitted with four 305-mm (12-inch) and six 254-mm (10-inch) naval guns. Both IJN Satsuma and IJN Aki took part in World War I, but they saw limited war-time service. Satsuma was named in honor of one of the greatest Japanese clans. They succeeded the Kashima class battleships.

Designed in Japan, IJN Satsuma was laid down at the Kure Naval Yard, Honshu, on May 15, 1905, five months before the British HMS Dreadnought. IJN Aki would be laid down the following year, on March 15, 1906. After five years of sea trials, they were finally commissioned in 1910 and 1911 respectively. Although they are classified as pre-dreadnought battleships, they were modern capital ships, featuring the same type of propulsion system and armament as the British HMS Dreadnought. They were the first Japanese warships to be powered by modern steam machines. Both armored vessels would be disarmed in 1922; then they were used as targets for gunnery practice by other battleships. This is how they were sunk in 1924.

Technical Description

With an overall length of 147 m (482 feet), the Satsuma class battleship had a 230-mm-thick belt armor, with a 50-mm thick deck steel plates. The vessel was propelled by two, Japanese-made, vertical triple expansion steam engines, which were 3-cylinder, compound machines that expanded the steam in three stages, each driving two shafts. They were fed steam by 20 Miyabara, water-tube boilers. This propulsion system could deliver 17,300 sHP as it could reach the maximum speed of 18.50 knots. However, her sister ship, IJN Aki, was powered by two Curtiss steam turbines.

Specifications

Type: pre-dreadnought battleship

Displacement: 19,372 tons; 19,750 tons (full load)

Length: 147 m (482 feet)

Beam: 25.4 m (83 feet)

Draft: 8.4 m (27.5 feet)

Propulsion: two vertical triple expansion steam engines, with two shafts.

Maximum Speed: 18.5 knots

Range: 8,500 nautical miles

Compliment: 887 men

Armament: four 305-mm (12-inch) naval guns mounted in two twin turrets, one on the bow deck, the other on the stern deck; twelve 254-mm (10-inch) guns in six twin turrets, three on the starboard and three on the port deck; twelve 120-mm guns.

IJN Satsuma at anchor in 1914, the year World War I broke out.

IJN Aki in 1911

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Kashima Class Battleships

The Kashima class battleships were a series of two pre-dreadnought, armored capital ships in service with Imperial Japanese Navy. In 1906, when they were completed, they were the most powerful battleships in the world, surpassing even their direct contemporaries; the Royal Navy's King Edward VII class. The IJN Kashima was built by Vickers at Barrow shipyards, while the IJN Katori was produced by Armstrong at Elswick. Thus, they were the last Japanese battleships to be built in the United Kingdom by a British firm, succeeding IJN Mikasa, which had taken part in the Russo-Japanese War.

Technical Description

Although they had been designed nine years before World War I broke out, the Kashima class battleships were advanced and powerful war vessels, equipped with 305-mm (12-inch) guns intended specifically for long-range naval engagements. Their main armament could be either electrically or hydraulically operated. Aside from their 305-mm naval ordnance, their weapons also included four 254-mm (10-inch) guns. The armor covered the whole length of the hull, from below the waterline all the way up to the upper deck. Both ships were powered by two vertical, triple-expansion steam engines, supplied by 20 boilers. The boilers used coal, whose combustion gases were exhausted out through two funnels located at the center of ship.

When World War I broke out, IJN Kashima was the flagship of the 2nd Battleship Squadron, while her sister Katori was assigned to the 5th Battleship Squadron. After this armed conflict, they were stricken in 1922 and broken up in 1925.

Specifications

Type: pre-dreadnought battleship

Displacement: 16,400 metric tons; 17,500 tons when full-loaded.

Length: 128 m (474 feet)

Beam: 23.8 m (78 feet)

Draft: 8.1 m (26 feet)

Propulsion: two, 4-cylinder, vertical triple-expansion steam engines, with two shafts, 20 boilers, generating 16,000 SHP.

Maximum Speed: 18 knots

Range: 10,000 nautical miles

Armor: 230-mm (9-inch) thick on belt.

Armament: four 305-mm naval guns mounted in two twin turrets, one on bow deck, the other other set up on stern deck; four 254-mm (10-inch) guns in individual turrets; twelve 152-mm (6-inch) guns.

Compliment: 865 men

Above, the IJN Kashima cruising along in the Pacific. Her 305-mm guns on the bow deck are being trained sideways, to starboard, and can hardly be noticed because of the dark background.

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IJN Mikasa

IJN Mikasa was a pre-dreadnought battleship, which was in service with the Imperial Japanese Navy between 1902 and 1923. It got a firm place in naval history as Vice-Admiral Togo's flagship. From the bridge of Mikasa, he commanded a combined fleet at the Battle of Tsushima on May 27, 1905, when he thoroughly defeated the Pacific fleet of the Imperial Russian Navy. As a flagship, this Japanese battleship drew heavy enemy fire. However, her thick armor, sturdy construction, and skillful handling made her survive the battle, without suffering serious damage.

Mikasa was one of the four battleships ordered by the Imperial Japanese Navy from the British shipbuilding industry under the 1896 expansion program. Laid down in 1899, she was built by Armstrong shipyards at Elswick. She was armed with four 305-mm guns (12-inch) set up in two turrets, one on the fore portion of deck, the other aft. These guns could be loaded at any angle of elevation, as there were three alternative means of loading: electric, hydraulic, and manual, with the ship carrying a total of 240 rounds. She was powered by two reciprocating, triple-expansion steam engines.

During World War I, IJN Mikasa carried out coastal defense patrol missions. In 1922, she was stripped of her guns and, in 1923, her hull was encased in concrete and converted into a national museum. It miraculously survived World War II allied bombing of Japan.

Specifications

Type: battleship

Displacement: 15,370 tons

Length: 131.7 m (432 feet)

Beam: 23.2 m (76 feet)

Draft: 8.3 m (27 feet)

Propulsion: two reciprocating, vertical, triple-expansion, steam engines, with two shaft, and fed by 25 boilers, generating a total of 15,000 iHP (indicated horsepower).

Maximum Speed: 18 knots

Range: 8,000 nautical miles

Armament: four 305-mm (12-inch) guns; fourteen 152-mm (6-inch) and twenty 76.2-mm (3-inch) guns.

Armor: 229-mm-thick on belt; 51-mm on deck.

Below, photo of the IJN Mikasa in 1905, after the Battle of Tsushima.

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USS Tennessee (BB-43)

USS Tennessee (BB-43) was an American battleship, which was in service with the US Navy between 1920 and 1947. She was severely damaged on December 7, 1941, by Japanese dive-bombers when she was moored at Pearl Harbor naval base. However, she would be repaired and upgraded, taking part in the Island-Hopping Campaign of the Pacific Theater of Operations of World War II as she provided fire support to landing US Marines with her powerful twelve 14-in (356-mm) guns.

USS Tennessee (BB-43) had been laid down on May 14, 1917, at the New York Naval Shipyard, being launched on April 30, 1919. She was commissioned on June 3, 1920, and became the lead ship of her class, which consisted of two battleships, the other being USS California (BB-44). They both were basically a repeat of the New Mexico class, with the exception that they had modern features, such as turbo-electric machinery and had two funnels in contrast to the New Mexico's one funnel. The hull of the Tennessee was flush-sided as they were designed from the start to carry secondary armament at upper deck level.

Right after repair and modernization, USS Tennessee (BB-43) was recommissioned in May 1943. She was assigned to Task Force 1, under Rear Admiral William S. Pye, participating in the major naval operations of the Pacific Theater, such as the Aleutian Island Campaign, the Battle of Tarawa, Battle of Saipan, and Battle of Iwo Jima, as well as the naval battle of Leyte Gulf. After the war, she would serve two more years, being decommissioned in 1947.

Specifications

Type: battleship

Displacement: 32,818 tons (33,150 tons full-load)

Length: 190 m (624 ft)

Beam: 29.7 m (97 ft, 5 in)

Draft: 9.1 m (30 ft, 2 in)

Propulsion: two steam turbine-driven Westinghouse electric generators; four General Electric AC motors, with four shafts, delivering a total of 27,500 shp. The steam turbines were fed by 9 boilers.

Maximum Speed: 21 knots (24 mph)

Range: 8,000 nautical miles (9,200 miles/ 15,000 km)

Armor: 343-mm-thick steel plate on the belt; 330-mm-thick on barbettes (gun emplacement); and 76-mm on deck.

Armament: twelve 14-in (356-mm) naval guns set up in four towers (two fore and two aft); fourteen 5-in (127-mm) guns.

Crew: 1,085

Below, a photo of the Tennessee battleship taken around 1938. You can notice the three Curtiss SOC-3 scout observation biplane aircraft she carried aboard.

The BB-43 in 1921 after she had been commissioned.

Below, the Tennessee under construction at New York Naval Shipyard in 1918.

The mighty battleship right after having been launched. The photo was taken in May 1919.

Below, the USS Tennessee (B-43) anchored in Buckner Bay, Okinawa, in July 1945.

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USS Nevada (BB-36)

USS Nevada (BB-36) was a battleship in service with the US Navy during WW1 and WW2. She was moored at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, when the Japanese torpedo-bombers attacked the American naval base. Although she was was damaged, she did not sink, surviving this air raid as she would be used both in the Atlantic and the Pacific Theater of Operations in World War II, going on to serve as a convoy escort. However, her sister ship, the USS Oklahoma (BB-37) was badly struck and sank.

The BB-36 was a Nevada class battleship and she was the lead vessel of her class of two; the other was the USS Oklahoma. Launched on July 14, 1914, she was the first American warship to be powered by geared turbines (steam turbines connected to a set of reduction gears). Thus, when she was commissioned on March 11, 1916, she was more advanced than the Dreadnought type battleship. She introduced the 'all-or-nothing' armor protection, which was based on the proposition that armor-piercing shell should be either completely stopped, or not at all. Since she had been built right before WW1, she was fitted with ten 14-inch (356-mm) naval guns, instead of the 16-inch (406-mm)-caliber guns on the deck of the Colorado class battleships.

Between 1926 and 1927, USS Nevada (BB-36) underwent a major refit, during which a new taller superstructure was added as all the casemate guns were removed and replaced with a new battery of sixteen 5-inch (127-mm) guns mounted in eight twin turrets. One of the most prominent feature was a tall funnel cap, which was raked aft to keep fumes away from the new higher bridge. After she was repaired from the damage sustained at Pearl Harbor, she was assigned to the Atlantic Fleet, operating as an escort. In November 1942, however, USS Nevada covered the Allied landings on the North African shores near Casablanca known as Operation Torch. At the end of 1944, she would be re-deployed to the Pacific in time to take part in the Iwo Jima and Okinawa landing operations. After the war, in 1946, she was a target ship for an A-bomb test.

Specifications

Type: battleship

Displacement: 29,000 tons/or 34,000 tons full load.

Length: 175.3 m (575 feet).

Beam: 29 m (95.25 feet)

Draft: 9.7 m (32 feet)

Power Plant: geared Curtis turbines, with two shaft; these were fed from twelve boilers, generating 26,500 SHP.

Maximum Speed: 20.5 knots.

Range: 10,000 nautical miles (18,520 km) sailing at 18 knots.

Armor: 18-13-inch (203-343mm)-thick on main belt; 13.5-inch (343mm) on bulkheads.

Armament: ten 14-inch (356mm) naval guns; sixteen 5-inch (127mm) guns; eight 127mm AA; two 21-inch (533mm) torpedo tubes.

Crew: 864 sailors and officers.

Below, the USS Nevada (BB-36) on dry dock at Pearl Harbor in 1935.

The battleship sailing on the Atlantic in February 1942.

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Orion Class Battleship

An Orion class battleship was one of a series of four British super-dreadnoughts in service with the Royal Navy from 1912 to 1922. They featured ten 343-mm (13.5-inch) guns as they were the first British battleships to mount all their main armament on the centerline, allowing for a ten-gun broadside. They were set up in five twin turrets. This class consisted of HMS Orion, Conqueror, Monarch, and Thunderer, which had been preceded by the Colossus class.

The HMS Orion had been laid down in 1909, while her sister ships were laid down in 1910. Each one of them was built by different ship builders; HMNB Dockyard (Portsmouth), Armstrong Whitworth (Elswick), William Beardmore (Dalmuire), and Thames Ironworks (Lodon). However, they all were commissioned in 1912. These dreadnoughts displayed the best British battleship design to date as they represented a significant increase in capabilities over previous designs.

Below, the 13.5-inch guns on the fore deck of HMS Monarch. All five twin turrets were set up on ship centerline.

They took part in World War I, especially in the Battle of Jutland in 1916. All four had been assigned to the Grand Fleet where they sustained no damage or casualties. Indeed, their only wartime damage came from other friendly ships, when HMS Conqueror and HMS Monarch collided with each other in December 1914, or when HMS Orion was hit by HMS Revenge after the latter had broken free from her moorings. After the war, all four fell victims to the Washington Naval Treaty, by which the Royal Navy had to reduce the number of warship. Thus, all Orion Class Battleships were scrapped in 1922.

Specifications

Type: super-dreadnought

Displacement: 22,200 tons;  25,870 tons (full loaded)

Length: 177.1 m (581 ft)

Beam: 27 m (88.5 ft)

Draft: 7.6 m (24.9 ft)

Propulsion: four Parsons direct-drive steam engines, mounted in two sets, with four shafts. They were fed by 18 boilers, generating 27,000 HP. Two funnels.

Maximum Speed: 21 knots

Range: 6,730 nautical miles, sailing at 10 knots.

Armor: 300/200mm thick steel plates on belt; 100mm on deck.

Armament: ten 13.5-inch (343mm) naval guns; sixteen 4-inch (102mm) and four 47mm guns.

Crew: 823 sailors and officers.

Below, HMS Conqueror in 1913. It was the second Orion class battleship to be commissioned.

HMS Thunderer during the war.

Below, HMS Orion in1918.

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Iron Duke Class Battleship

An Iron Duke class battleship was one of a series of four British dreadnoughts which were commissioned in 1914. All four saw combat action during World War I. They were heavily armed with ten 13.5-inch (343mm) guns mounted in five twin turrets and well protected by 300mm-thick belt armor. They were HMS Iron Duke, Marlborough, Benbow, and Emperor of India.

The design of the Iron Duke class battleship was based on that of the King George V class. However, her hull was 7.6 m (25 ft) longer than that of the King George V dreadnought, with a slightly wider beam and a deeper draft. They also had identical main armament consisting of ten 343-mm guns set up in five double centerline turrets, but the secondary armament was recast, with a battery of twelve 152-mm (6-inch) guns replacing the less powerful 102mm (4-inch). Ten of the 152-mm guns were placed in single casemates forward and close to the waterline, making them subject to interference from heavy seas and spray.

All four Iron Duke class battleships took part in the Battle of Jutland in 1916. During this naval engagement, HMS Marlborough was torpedoed amidships. The explosion tore out a gaping hole about 21 m long and 6 m deep in her side abreast the boiler room. Then speed had to be reduced to 17 knots, yet she remained in action until a starboard list prevented her guns from bearing on the enemy ships. Next she sailed at 10 knots under her own steam until she reached Humber, where she would be repaired.

After the war, all four dreadnought battleships were in the Gran Fleet in 1919, when they were assigned to the Mediterranean Sea, and, in 1926, they were attached to the Atlantic Fleet. Three of them were sold for scrap in 1932 and 1933. HMS Iron Duke served as a depot ship during World War II, until she was finally scrapped in 1946.

Specifications

Type: dreadnought battleship

Displacement: 25,000 tons (standard); 29,560 tons (full loaded)

Length: 189.8 m (623 ft)

Beam: 27.4 m (90 ft)

Draft: 9 m (29.5 ft)

Propulsion: four Parsons steam turbines, with four shafts, fed by 18 boilers, generating 29,000 HP.

Maximum Speed: 21 knots

Range: 7,780 nautical miles at 10 knots

Crew: 1,102 sailors and officers.

Below, the Iron Duke class battleships, with HMS Benbow spearheading the pack in 1916.

A colorized photo of HMS Emperor of India in 1918.

Below, HMS Iron Duke in 1914.

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Bayern Class Battleship

The Bayern class battleship was one of a series of two German dreadnoughts which saw combat action in World War I. Although a total of four battleships had originally been planned, only two entered service with the Kaiserliche Marine; the SMS Bayern and the SMS Baden, with the former being commissioned in July 1916, and the latter in March 1917. SMS Sachsen and Würtemberg were never completed.

The Bayern class battleship was the last battleship class to be built for the Kaiserliche Marine (Imperial German Navy). They marked a shift in German naval thinking, with both firepower and armor being equal to those on the British Royal Navy capital ships. The major feature was the new eight 380-mm (15-inch) naval guns, which were set up in four twin turrets. These had a maximum elevation of 16 degrees, firing 750-kg shells to a distance of 20 km (22,200 yards).

The hull of the Bayern class battleship was slightly longer than that of the König class, and all four gun turrets were mounted on the ship centerline, with two located fore, on the bow portion deck, and two aft. Another innovation of these two new dreadnoughts was the use of a heavy tripod foremast, rather than a pole, to support the fire-control position.

SMS Bayern joined the High Seas Fleet of the Kaiserliche Marine just after the Battle of Jutland. During patrol missions in the Baltic Sea, she hit a mine and was damaged. However, she managed to sail back to home port for repairs. After the war, she was scuttled at Scapa Flow and recovered for scrapping in the 1930s. SMS Baden, on the other hand, joined the German fleet in March 1917 and served as the German Navy flagship until the end of the war. She was also scuttled at Scapa Flow.

Specifications

Type: Super dreadnought

Displacement: 28,074 tons (standard); 31,690 tons (full loaded)

Length: 179.8 m (589.8 feet)

Beam: 30 m (98.4 feet)

Draft: 9.4 m (30.8 feet)

Propulsion: 3 Parsons steam turbines, with 3 shafts, fed by 14 boilers, generating 48,000 HP.

Maximum Speed: 21 knots

Range: 5,000 nautical miles at 13 knots

Armament: eight 380-mm guns; sixteen 150-mm and eight 88-mm secondary guns.

Crew: 1,271 sailors and officers

Below, a clear aerial view of SMS Bayern in August 1916.

SMS Baden in the Summer of 1918.

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Helgoland Class Battleship

A Helgoland class battleship was one of four German dreadnoughts used by the Kaiserliche Marine during World War I. These battleships succeeded the Nassau class and they all took part in the Battle of Jutland. This new series of dreadnoughts comprised SMS Ostfriesland, Thuringen, Helgoland, and Oldenburg, which were in service between 1912 and 1919.

The Helgoland class were the first battleships in the Imperial German Navy to be equipped with the 305-mm (12-inch/50 cal.) naval guns, which had the same performance and effects as the British 13.5-in guns of the Orion and Iron Duke class. Developed from the Nassau series of dreadnoughts, they had basically the same layout. The difference lied in their armament and their hull length, with the Helgoland's being longer and having three exhaust funnels instead of the two in the Nassau class. These all four battleships still relied on the three triple-expansion steam engines of their preceding class.

All four Helgoland class battleships served with Battle Squadron 1 of the High Seas Fleet of the Kaiserliche Marine and they all saw combat action at the Battle of Jutland on May 31/June 1, 1916. SMS Oldenburg and Helgoland were damaged during this naval engagement. However, they were subsequently repaired in the shipyards at Kiel. Also, all four were stricken on November 5, 1919, after the war, and they were handed over to the Allies. Helgoland, Thuringen, and Oldenburg were given up to Great Britain, France, and Japan respectively and were scrapped. SMS Ostfriesland, on the other hand, was relinquished to the United States of America, where she would eventually be used as a target and sunk in 1921.

Specifications

Type: dreadnought

Length:166.4 m

Beam: 28.5 m

Draft: 8.4 m

Displacement: 22,800 tons (empty)

Propulsion/Machinery: 3 triple-expansion steam engines, with three screw propellers, fed by 15 boilers, producing 28,000 HP.

Maximum Speed: 20 knots.

Range: 9,400 nautical miles at 10 knots.

Armor: 300-mm on belt; 65-mm on deck, 305-mm on barbettes.

Armament:  twelve 305mm (12-inch) guns; fourteen 150mm (5.9-inch) guns.

Compliment: 1,390 sailors and officers

Below, SMS Helgoland, the lead ship of her class, in 1914, as part of Battle Squadron 1.

 SMS Ostfriesland in 1918, before it was handed over to the US Navy.

Below, SMS Thuringen before the war.

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SMS Ostfriesland

The SMS Ostfriesland was a German dreadnought battleship in service with the Kaiserliche Marine from 1911 to 1919. She belonged to the Helgoland class, which comprised four battleships; SMS Helgoland, Ostfriesland, Thuringen, and Oldenburg. Although these vessels were based on the Nassau class, with exactly the same layout, they were longer, had bigger-caliber guns (twelve 12-inch) and had improved triple-expansion engines. They all saw combat action during World War I.

The SMS Ostfriesland was laid down on October 19, 1908, in the shipyards of Wilhelmshaven and built by Kaiserliche Werft. She was launched on September 30, 1909, and commissioned on August 1, 1912. She would be assigned to the 1st Division of the Battle Squadron 1 of the German High Sees Fleet, participating in a number of naval engagements during World War I. Together with the rest of warships of Battle Squadron 1, Ostfriesland took part in the raid on Scarborough and Hartlepool.

She and her sister ships also participated in the Battle of Jutland on May 31, 1916. Although she came out unscathed, Helgoland and Oldenburg were damaged. In 1917, SMS Ostfriesland was given the mission of patrolling the German Bight. Later, she and her sister ships participated in Operation Albion, which was the landing and capturing the Russian-held islands in the Gulf of Riga. After the war, in 1919, she was decommissioned, disarmed and handed over to one of the victor nations; the United States, where she would be sunk while being used as a target during naval drills.

Specifications

Type: dreadnought battleship

Displacement: 22,800 tons (empty)

Length: 166.40 m (546 feet)

Beam: 28.5 m (93.5 feet)

Draft: 8.4 m (27.5 feet)

Propulsion: three vertical, 4-cylinder triple-expansion steam engines, with three shafts, fed by 15 boilers, generating 28,000 HP. Exhaust: three funnels.

Maximum Speed: 20 knots

Range: 9,400 nautical miles at 10 knots

Armament: twelve 305-mm (12-inch) guns, set up in twin turrets; fourteen 150-mm (5.9-inch) guns.

Armor: 300-mm-thick on belt; 77-mm on deck; 305-mm on barbettes.

Compliment: 1,390 sailors and officers.

Below, the SMS Ostfriesland in 1917.

In this aerial view of the German battleship after the war, in 1920, you can see the layout of the 12-inch gun turrets

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HMS Majestic (1895)

HMS Majestic (1895) was a British first class battleship, which was in service with the Royal Navy between 1895 and 1915. She was the first capital ship of the Royal Fleet to be protected by steel armor instead of iron plates used for the iron-clad types. Using steel instead of iron as armor saved her a lot of weight; otherwise she would have had more displacement and draft. She was also fitted with modern steam engines, with twin smoke funnels set up side by side. She was the lead vessel of the Majestic class, which comprised a total of nine battleships.

HMS Majestic boasted four 12-in (305-mm) and twelve 6-in (152-mm) guns. Being a development of the Royal Sovereign class, she was laid down at the Portsmouth's shipyards in February 1894. She was launched on January 31, 1895, entering service in December 1895. She assigned to the Channel Fleet as the flagship, carrying out patrol duties off the coast of the British Isles. When World War I broke out, she and her sister ship HMS Prince George took part in the Gallipoli Campaign in March 1915. That year, on May 27, HMS Majestic was hit by torpedoes fired from a German U-boats and sank within fifteen minutes, with the loss of forty human lives; the other members of her compliment were rescued.

Specifications

Type: first class battleship (pre-dreadnought)

Displacement:  14.560 tons (empty)

Length: 128.3 m (421 feet)

Beam: 22.9 m (75 feet)

Draft: 8.2 m (27 feet)

Propulsion: two 3-cylinder, triple-expansion steam engines, with two shafts, fed by 8 boilers, generating 10,000 HP

Maximum Speed: 17 knots

Range: 4,000 nautical miles

Armor: 299-mm-thick on belt; 102-mm on deck; 360-mm on barbettes.

Compliment: 672 sailors and officers

Below, a photo of HMS Majestic taken in April 1905 in the Aegean Sea, a few weeks before she was sunk.

The Majestic battleship in 1901.

The lead ship of her class sinking in the waters of the Dardanelles on May 27, 1915.

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