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Post by knightraf on Jan 18, 2020 14:59:03 GMT -6
July 1916
Second Hague Naval Disarmament Treaty Signed
Once again the politicians have sent an entire generation of capital warships to the scrap yard before they were even launched The new treaty limits new capital ships to 26kt and 14" guns. The treaty has a duration of 17 years. In addition to the pair of Ticonderoga-class ships and the pair of Oriskany-class ships, the two new units of the Kersage-class had to be scrapped under treaty restrictions. These units (Kersage and United States) would have had eight of the new 15" guns and displaced 30kt.
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Post by knightraf on Jan 18, 2020 16:01:44 GMT -6
January 1917
World Situation: The Hague II disarmament treaty was supposed to lower tensions. It seems to have been a failure, tensions are elevated with all other nations at the moment. The expected build-down of pre-dreadnaught strength has been slowed by the disarmament treaties scrapping two generations of replacement ships. The US Navy is currently debating the desirability of rebuilding it's oldest Battlecruisers vs building new replacements as such replacements probably won't even be started for half a decade or more at this point given the scale of the navy's worldwide commitment and the number of even more obsolescent hulls still in service.
Ships Scrapped:
The remaining units of the Bainbridge-class destroyers and all of the Cummings-class destroyers were scrapped. The New York-class and Oklahoma-class pre-dreadnaught battleships were also scrapped. All five remaining Chicago-class protected cruisers and two of the Chattanooga-class protected cruisers were scrapped.
New Construction:
Eighteen additional Walke-class destroyers were ordered to replace the destroyers scrapped this year. Two additional Tallahassee-class light cruisers were ordered to continue the process of retiring all the old protected cruisers.
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Post by knightraf on Jan 18, 2020 16:06:48 GMT -6
Essex-class Battlecruisers Ship Name
| Status | In Service
| Essex | Rebuilt
| Jun 1919 - Jan 1935
| Bon Homme Richard
| Rebuilt
| Jun 1919 - Jan 1935
| Kearsage | Rebuilt | Jul 1919 - Jan 1935
| Ticonderoga
| Rebuilt
| Oct 1919 - Jan 1935
| Oriskany
| Rebuilt
| Aug 1920 - Jul 1935
| Lake Champlain
| Rebuilt
| Jan 1921 - Jul 1935
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The Essex-class ships represent a modification of the Ticonderoga-class design to comply with the new treaty restrictions. These ships have improved armor relative to the Ticonderoga design using the weight saved scaling down to 14" guns from the old 15" guns. The Ticonderoga-class was chosen as the base design as it was closest to the new treaty limits of the ships that had to be scrapped.
On trials these ships exceeded designed speed by 1 knot.
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Post by knightraf on Jan 18, 2020 16:39:48 GMT -6
January 1918
World Situation: Tensions remain high between the US and Germany, France, and Japan. Even though replacements are not available as of yet, a significant number of hulls will probably be scrapped in the coming year or two as they are so obsolescent as to be totally useless in the event of war. The US Navy has begun to develop an air arm, and constructed several land bases for aircraft.
Ships Scrapped:
The two remaining Chattanooga-class protected cruisers, the two Tacoma-class protected cruisers, and the protected cruiser Flint were scrapped this year.
New Construction:
One additional Essex-class battlecruiser was ordered.
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Post by knightraf on Jan 18, 2020 16:43:15 GMT -6
Denver-class Light Cruisers
Ship Name
| Status | In Service
| Denver | Scrapped
| May 1919 - Mar 1941
| San Juan
| Sunk | Jun 1919 - Dec 1919
| Chattanooga
| Scrapped
| Oct 1919 - Mar 1941
| Tacoma
| Scrapped
| Nov 1919 - Mar 1941
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The Denver-class represent a complete reworking of US light cruisers, placing all turrets on the center line which allows for the total number of guns to be reduced without a reduction in broadside firepower, and utilizing above-deck torpedo launchers instead of submerged tubes. This allowed for increased firepower, an extra knot of speed, increased magazine space, and a lower total cost on only 200 tons more displacement compared to the Tallahassee-class units.
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Post by knightraf on Jan 18, 2020 17:45:07 GMT -6
January 1919
World Situation: Tensions are very high right now, war with either Germany, France, or Japan is very possible at any time. The past year has seen all but the very best of the per-dreadnoughts from all nations finally scrapped. The remaining ships will probably be scrapped over the coming year. The armored cruisers seem to be rapidly following, though they are likely to take an additional year or so to disappear. All nations are beginning to experiment with naval aviation, though the US and Japan seem to be more aggressively investigating the possibilities than others. Due to all the ships scrapped in the Hague and Hague II treaties the US Navy is still at a significant deficit of capital warships compared to Britain and Germany despite similar budgets.
Ships Scrapped:
The US Navy scrapped the pre-dreadnought battleship Nevada, the four California-class pre-dreadnought battleships, both Ohio-class pre-dreadnought battleships, the armored cruisers Pueblo and Fredrick, two of the Columbia-class protected cruisers, and both Tuscon-class protected cruisers.
New Construction:
Two additional Essex-class battlecruisers and two additional Denver-class light cruisers were ordered.
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Post by knightraf on Jan 18, 2020 18:04:45 GMT -6
Constellation-class Battlecruisers (1918 Rebuild) Ship Name
| Status | In Service
| Constellation | Rebuilt | Dec 1907 - Dec 1918 / May 1920 - Jul 1934
| Ranger
| Rebuilt
| May 1908 - Oct 1919 / May 1921 - Jan 1935
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This rebuild is quite extensive. The main battery has been replaced with new model 12" guns offering significantly improved performance, Directors have been installed for fire control, the ship has had anti-torpedo bulges fitted, the machinery has been replaced allowing for a 1 knot increase in speed in spite of the bulges, and a tertiary battery of 3" DP guns has been fitted to offer anti-aircraft protection. The torpedo tubes have also been removed.
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Post by knightraf on Jan 18, 2020 18:10:24 GMT -6
May 1919
War has broken out between the United States and France!
Tensions are high enough that it is totally possible either Germany or Japan may join the war.
August 1919
In a furious cruiser action off Cape Lookout two US Tallahassee-class light cruisers engaged and sunk three French mine laying light cruisers of the Forbin-class in exchange for only light damage.
September 1919
The new battlecruisers Essex and Kersage caught the French battlecruiser Dunkerque attempting to raid merchant shipping off Long Island and sank her in return for minimal damage.
The French armored cruiser Sully was torpedoed and sunk by a US Navy submarine.
November 1919
The protected cruiser Columbia engaged and sunk the French protected cruiser Isly and the armed merchant cruiser Ville De Bougie off the coast of the US Virgin Islands.
December 1919
The US cruisers San Juan and Olympia with accompanying destroyers caught five french light cruisers raiding the US coast off Cape Henry. In a confused night action two of the French Forbin-class light cruisers were struck by torpedoes and sunk as was the San Juan.
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Post by knightraf on Jan 18, 2020 19:58:05 GMT -6
January 1920
World Situation: The war with France continues. There remains the possibility that Japan will join the war, however US/German and US/Britain relations have improved enough that their intervention looks unlikely, at least in the short term. Britain retains one last pre-dreadnought battleship, otherwise all of them have been scrapped. The old armored cruisers are also disappearing rapidly and will probably be gone in a year or two. New heavy cruisers are beginning to appear to take their place however, with both the US and France building a few ships in the 13kt range.
Ships Scrapped: The New Mexico-class and South Carolina-class pre-dreadnought battleships were scrapped.
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Post by knightraf on Jan 18, 2020 20:06:44 GMT -6
New Construction:
The remaining unit of the Constellation-class battlecruisers was taken in hand for rebuilding.
North Dakota-class Battleships
Ship Name
| Status | In Service
| North Dakota
| Rebuilt
| Jul 1922 - Aug 1935
| Illinois | Rebuilt
| Jul 1922 - Dec 1935
| New York
| Rebuilt
| Mar 1923 - Mar 1936
| Michigan
| Rebuilt
| May 1923 - Mar 1936
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The North Dakota-class fast battleships represent an updated evolution of the cancelled Kearsage-class battlecruisers.
Seattle-class Heavy Cruisers Ship Name
| Status | In Service
| Seattle | Rebuilt | Jun 1921 - Nov 1921
| Pueblo | Rebuilt
| May 1921 - Nov 1921
| Fredrick | Rebuilt | Jun 1921 - Dec 1921
| Salt Lake City
| Rebuilt
| Sep 1921 - Dec 1921
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As it has proven to be impossible to build enough battlecruisers to fulfill both the obsolescent pre-dreadnought and armored cruisers roles the US Navy has decided to trial a new type, the heavy cruiser. These ships should hopefully prove to be capable of standing up to old enemy battlecruisers with a numerical advantage while also providing superior security to overseas stations from raiding cruisers without having to disperse the battle line.
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Post by knightraf on Jan 18, 2020 20:11:17 GMT -6
Chester-class Light Carrier Ship Name
| Status | In Service
| Chester | Scrapped
| Jan 1901 - Dec 1918 / Aug 1920 - Jan 1937
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It was decided to convert several of the obsolete armored cruisers into experimental aircraft carriers. As the largest armored cruiser the US Navy had, the Chester was selected for the first conversion.
Huron-class Light Carrier Ship Name
| Status | In Service
| Huron
| Scrapped
| Mar 1901 - Sep 1921 / Mar 1923 - Jan 1937
| Northampton | Scrapped
| Feb 1901 - Dec 1919 / Aug 1921 - Jan 1937
| Charlotte
| Scrapped
| Mar 1901 - May 1921 / Dec 1922 - Jan 1937
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The Huron-class armored cruisers were also selected for conversion to aircraft carriers.
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Post by knightraf on Jan 18, 2020 20:12:57 GMT -6
Dirigo-class Corvettes
In Service: May 1920 - Mar 1941
This is an update of the Annie F. Conlon-class to fill out trade protection hulls.
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Post by knightraf on Jan 18, 2020 20:37:22 GMT -6
August 1920
Two French cruisers, one old armored cruiser (the Gloire) and one of the new French heavy cruisers (the Ernest Renan) attempted to raid US shipping off the Maine Coast. The US battlecruisers Kearsage, Ticonderoga, and Saratoga together with their escorts cornered these raiders near Penobscot Bay and sank both of them in exchange for the loss of a couple of patrol boats.
On a more negative note, the cruiser Galveston struck a mine and sank in the central Pacific.
September 1920
The US battlecruisers Yorktown and Independence were hunting enemy shipping off Da Nang when a storm hit reducing visibility to minimal levels. Two French destroyers stumbled into the US formation in the rain and managed to launch torpedoes. The Independence sank almost immediately and the Yorktown took heavy damage. One French destroyer was sunk.
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Post by knightraf on Jan 18, 2020 21:46:45 GMT -6
January 1922
US and French battlecruisers engaged off of Samar. The Yorktown was lost, and one French battlecruiser was sunk.
World Situation
The war with France is approaching the three year mark, and Japan still may intervene at any time. Losses on both sides continue to mount.
New Construction
Many new Dirigo-class corvettes have been built to replace losses.
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Post by knightraf on Jan 18, 2020 21:50:49 GMT -6
Raleigh-class Light Cruisers Ship Name
| Status | In Service
| Raleigh | Scrapped
| Jul 1923 - Mar 1941
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These ships represent incremental upgrades over the Denver-class units
Lexington-class Battleships Ship Name
| Status | In Service
| Lexington | Scrapped
| Sep 1908 - Jun 1921 / Aug 1922 - Jan 1936
| Saratoga | Scrapped
| Mar 1909 - Jun 1921 / Sep 1922 - Jan 1937
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These ships are being rebuilt along the same lines as the Constellation-class, though they are now classified as battleships due to their low speed.
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