Post by exltcmts on Apr 7, 2021 6:46:19 GMT -6
The US Navy on 1 January 1920 was 14 months from the end of the Great War, but several building programs were still being completed, primarily because funds had been appropriated and contract cancellation fees were greater than the remaining costs for the ships. The Washington Treaty was still almost three years in the future.
The US Navy was managed by the President, the Secretary of the Navy, the CNO, the COMINCH, US Fleet and the General Board in cooperation with Congress. The Fleet specified needs to the General Board, which determined ship characteristics, often after consulting the NWC, which gamed the proposed ships within the context of "Plan Orange". The General Board handed off the desired types, numbers and characteristics to the SecNav, who negotiated for their inclusion in the President's Budget and then advocated the requirements to Congress. Congress then authorized the building of ships and appropriated funds to have them built, either in Navy Yards or commercial shipbuilders. Often, Congress would specify in language the size, numbers and even characteristics of ships. The primary acts governing the building programs was that of 1916, the "Navy Second to None" Act and the acts of 1917 and 1918 that were responses to the American participation in the Great War and the 1919 Act, which got the 1916 program back on track.
At this time, the primary limits to US shipbuilding were the size of the locks of the Panama Canal, available drydocks of similar size (6 on the East Coast, 2 on the West) and the building docks and slips, of which six at this time could handle the largest ships. The supporting industries had expanded for the production of power plants, guns, armor and fire controls. Between 1920 and 1922, the US built 40 16" Mk.I (L/45) and completed over 90 16" Gun Mk.2 (L/50), while building 12 turbo-electric plants (four at a nominal 30,000 shp, six at 60,000 shp and two at 180,000 shp). Domestic production of coal and oil insured that sufficient supplies were available for even the largest navy.
Yet with the war ended, Congress began cutting back on funding, so that the USN had to take a hard look at its older ships so it could finish and man the authorized and funded ships of the future.
Battleships (all tonnage is in standard tons and displacement is standard IAW the Washington Treaty, no US dreadnoughts, super-dreadnoughts or ultra-dreadnoughts featured 'wing' turrets, speed is maximum sustained at battle displacement)
Completed
New Mexico, Mississippi, Idaho - 31,000 tons, 12 x 14" L/50 (four three gun turrets, 15 degree elevation, 2 fore, 2 aft, 2 superfiring), 22 x 5" L/51 in casemates in the hull and on main deck, 4 x 3" L/50 AA guns, 13.5" belt (the US could produce thicker belt armor plates, but the USN believed that 13.5" was the limit for cemented Krupp type armor to ensure quality), 21 knots (oil fired boilers). New Mexico had the prototype turbo-electric plant. In the 1920s, the AA guns would be doubled, the 5" guns reduced to 14, a catapult and crane would appear on the quarterdeck. These three would be heavily modified as rebuilt in 1930-34.
Pennsylvania, Arizona - 30,000 tons, 12 x 14" L/45 ( four triple turrets, 15 degree elevation, guns were in a common cradle and elevated together), 22 x 5" L/51, 13.5" belt, oil fired boilers, 21 knots. Same mods in 1920s, reduced to 14 x 5". Rebuilt 1928-1931.
Nevada, Oklahoma - 28,500 tons, 10 x 14" L/45 (two triple, two twin turrets as above), 21 x 5" L/51, 13.5" belt, oil fired boilers (Nevada had geared cruising turbines, Oklahoma had reciprocating machinery, Nevada could make just over 20 knots, but Oklahoma could not touch 20 knots. Continued steaming at 15 knots, the cruising speed adopted in the 1930s in response to the big, fast Japanese cruiser-subs, would vibrate the machinery apart). Same mods in the 1920s. Nevada introduced both the 'all or nothing' concept of ship protection and the 'raft body' concept, in which sufficient hull space would be enclosed in a 'protected' raft which would allow the ship to remain afloat despite the unprotected areas of the ship flooding. The constrained size of these ships and the machinery was the result of Congressional language in the funding act. Rebuilt 1927-1929.
New York, Texas - 28,000 tons, 10 x 14" L/45 in five two-gun turrets, one in the center, two at each end. 21 x 5" L/51. 12" belt, coal fired, 21 knots, but the comments about Oklahoma applied to the reciprocating machinery of these ships.
Arkansas, Wyoming - 27,000 tons, 12 x 12" L/50 in six two-gun turrets, 2 in superfiring arrangements fore, aft and center. 21 x 5" L/51, 11" belt, direct action turbines, coal fired, 20-21 knots.
Florida, Utah - 22,000 tons, 10 x 12" L/45 guns, as with New York, 16 x 5" L/51, 11" belt, coal fired boilers, DA turbines, 20-21 knots
Delaware, North Dakota - 21,000 tons, 10 x 12" L/45, same as Florida, 14 x 5" L/50, 11" belt, coal fired boilers, Delaware had experimental geared turbines, which were saved and stored when she was scrapped. 21 knots,
South Carolina, Michigan - 16,000 tons, 8x 12" L/45, 22 x 3" L/50 (reduced during the war to 14 to provide guns to arm merchant ships), 11" belt, coal fired, reciprocating engines, 18 knots. This class was severely restricted by Congress to the size of previous pre-dreadnoughts.
Building
Tennessee (completed 1920), California (completed 1921) - 32,000 tons, 12 x 14" L/50 as in New Mexico, 14 x 5" L/51 on the main deck, 4 x 3" L/50 AA guns (soon doubled), 13.5" belt and turbo-electric machinery, 21 knots. Introduced thicker and heavier cage masts with fire control "howdas", enclosing new directors. California introduced AC powered fire control system with synchros and stable vertical along with Rangekeeper Mk.8.
Colorado (completed 1923), Maryland (completed 1921), Washington (1923?), West Virginia (completed 1923) would be laid down in 1920. 32,400 tons, 8 x 16" L/45, 12 x 5" L/51, 8 x 3" L/50, 13.5" belt, turbo-electric, 21 knots.
South Dakota, Indiana, Montana, North Carolina, Iowa, all laid down in 1920, Massachusetts in 1921, with completion between 1924-1925, ~40,000 tons, 12 x 16" L/50, 16 x 6" L/53, 8 x 3" L/50 AA, 13.5" belt, turbo-electric (~60,000 shp), 23 knots
Constellation, Saratoga, Constitution, United States, laid down in 1920, Lexington and Ranger in 1921, with completion 1925-1926, ~ 40,000 tons, 8 x 16" L/50, 16 x 6" L/53, 8 x 3" L/50 AA, 7.75" belt at 15 degrees (~9.2"), turbo-electric, nominal 180,000 shp ( converted ships exceeded 200,000), 33 knots - These were controversial ships. They were NOT battlecruisers. Their designation was "large scout cruisers". In combination with the "Omaha" class light cruisers, they would be the scouts and screen for the Fleet, strong enough to fight through Japanese light forces for information and fast enough to get out of trouble. The rise of aviation put their mission set in doubt, which might have led to the entire class being converted to aircraft carriers, replaced by the ten battleships authorized in the Act of 1918, which combined the firepower and protection of the "South Dakota" with the machinery of the "Lexington", 53,000 tons, 12 x 16" L/50, 16 x 6" L/51, 8 x 3" L/50 AA, 13.5" belt, 200,000 shp, 30 knots. Had they been funded, they would have been laid down between 1922-23 and completed between 1926-27 in time to face four British G3 and four N3 completed 1926-28 and two "Kagas" and four "Amagis" completed by the Japanese between 1923 and 1928.
As a side note, the so-called "Tillman" battleships were not fantasy designs. They were within the ability of the US to construct if laid down in 1919, the earliest the designs could be ready if authorized and funded in 1917. The US could have proofed an 18" gun in 1918. They would have had turbo-electric machinery between 120,000 to 180,000 shp. Belt armor would not exceed 16", the thickest Krupp type cemented armor plates the US could produce at the time. Given the available slips and based on the 1916 program, the US could have built nine 60,000 ton ships or six 80,000 ton ships. It was the limited ability of the USN's then current infrastructure to support such ships that would have limited the USN's desire to build them.
Aircraft Carriers
The USN had watched the RN's experiments in carrier aviation in fascination and were kept fully informed on the RN's progress from 1917-1919 and even into 1921. The USN was converting a collier, ex-Jupiter, into a small carrier. But the NWC had been gaming carriers since 1917 and the USN became convinced that they were essential, if not critical to future seapower. Even though current USN battleships were limited to the visual horizon (22-26,000 yards), late capital ships would range to at least 40,000 yards, OTH weapons. Aerial spotting became essential at such ranges. Even at the visual horizon, the USN could lay a smoke screen to cover its battle line then use aerial spotting to fire over it while the enemy battle line was blind. Scouting too, became critical to finding the enemy in the first place, in the vast Pacific. This then led to fighters, to attain and hold air superiority over the battle area and bombers to destroy the enemies' carriers. Carriers were the priority ships in the USN's shipbuilding request to Congress from 1919 to 1921. The NWC informed the General Board, which decided the optimum carrier was ~27,000 tons, could make better than 30 knots, was armored and armed against cruisers and carried around 60-72 aircraft. The Langley would be a poor second best at ~12,000 tons, 15 knots w/turbo-electric machinery, no armor and 4 x 5" L/51 guns and able, initially to operate 15 aircraft. It was her second commander's ideas around using a deck park, that revolutionized USN thinking on air group size. The IJN and RN continued to size air groups to hanger space, while the USN sized them to flight deck size, doubling Langley to 33 aircraft. This is why the USN was so interested in converting at least some of the Lexington class to carriers, which in combination with the unconverted ships would allow all-weather, around the clock scouting and screening of the Fleet.
More to follow.
The US Navy was managed by the President, the Secretary of the Navy, the CNO, the COMINCH, US Fleet and the General Board in cooperation with Congress. The Fleet specified needs to the General Board, which determined ship characteristics, often after consulting the NWC, which gamed the proposed ships within the context of "Plan Orange". The General Board handed off the desired types, numbers and characteristics to the SecNav, who negotiated for their inclusion in the President's Budget and then advocated the requirements to Congress. Congress then authorized the building of ships and appropriated funds to have them built, either in Navy Yards or commercial shipbuilders. Often, Congress would specify in language the size, numbers and even characteristics of ships. The primary acts governing the building programs was that of 1916, the "Navy Second to None" Act and the acts of 1917 and 1918 that were responses to the American participation in the Great War and the 1919 Act, which got the 1916 program back on track.
At this time, the primary limits to US shipbuilding were the size of the locks of the Panama Canal, available drydocks of similar size (6 on the East Coast, 2 on the West) and the building docks and slips, of which six at this time could handle the largest ships. The supporting industries had expanded for the production of power plants, guns, armor and fire controls. Between 1920 and 1922, the US built 40 16" Mk.I (L/45) and completed over 90 16" Gun Mk.2 (L/50), while building 12 turbo-electric plants (four at a nominal 30,000 shp, six at 60,000 shp and two at 180,000 shp). Domestic production of coal and oil insured that sufficient supplies were available for even the largest navy.
Yet with the war ended, Congress began cutting back on funding, so that the USN had to take a hard look at its older ships so it could finish and man the authorized and funded ships of the future.
Battleships (all tonnage is in standard tons and displacement is standard IAW the Washington Treaty, no US dreadnoughts, super-dreadnoughts or ultra-dreadnoughts featured 'wing' turrets, speed is maximum sustained at battle displacement)
Completed
New Mexico, Mississippi, Idaho - 31,000 tons, 12 x 14" L/50 (four three gun turrets, 15 degree elevation, 2 fore, 2 aft, 2 superfiring), 22 x 5" L/51 in casemates in the hull and on main deck, 4 x 3" L/50 AA guns, 13.5" belt (the US could produce thicker belt armor plates, but the USN believed that 13.5" was the limit for cemented Krupp type armor to ensure quality), 21 knots (oil fired boilers). New Mexico had the prototype turbo-electric plant. In the 1920s, the AA guns would be doubled, the 5" guns reduced to 14, a catapult and crane would appear on the quarterdeck. These three would be heavily modified as rebuilt in 1930-34.
Pennsylvania, Arizona - 30,000 tons, 12 x 14" L/45 ( four triple turrets, 15 degree elevation, guns were in a common cradle and elevated together), 22 x 5" L/51, 13.5" belt, oil fired boilers, 21 knots. Same mods in 1920s, reduced to 14 x 5". Rebuilt 1928-1931.
Nevada, Oklahoma - 28,500 tons, 10 x 14" L/45 (two triple, two twin turrets as above), 21 x 5" L/51, 13.5" belt, oil fired boilers (Nevada had geared cruising turbines, Oklahoma had reciprocating machinery, Nevada could make just over 20 knots, but Oklahoma could not touch 20 knots. Continued steaming at 15 knots, the cruising speed adopted in the 1930s in response to the big, fast Japanese cruiser-subs, would vibrate the machinery apart). Same mods in the 1920s. Nevada introduced both the 'all or nothing' concept of ship protection and the 'raft body' concept, in which sufficient hull space would be enclosed in a 'protected' raft which would allow the ship to remain afloat despite the unprotected areas of the ship flooding. The constrained size of these ships and the machinery was the result of Congressional language in the funding act. Rebuilt 1927-1929.
New York, Texas - 28,000 tons, 10 x 14" L/45 in five two-gun turrets, one in the center, two at each end. 21 x 5" L/51. 12" belt, coal fired, 21 knots, but the comments about Oklahoma applied to the reciprocating machinery of these ships.
Arkansas, Wyoming - 27,000 tons, 12 x 12" L/50 in six two-gun turrets, 2 in superfiring arrangements fore, aft and center. 21 x 5" L/51, 11" belt, direct action turbines, coal fired, 20-21 knots.
Florida, Utah - 22,000 tons, 10 x 12" L/45 guns, as with New York, 16 x 5" L/51, 11" belt, coal fired boilers, DA turbines, 20-21 knots
Delaware, North Dakota - 21,000 tons, 10 x 12" L/45, same as Florida, 14 x 5" L/50, 11" belt, coal fired boilers, Delaware had experimental geared turbines, which were saved and stored when she was scrapped. 21 knots,
South Carolina, Michigan - 16,000 tons, 8x 12" L/45, 22 x 3" L/50 (reduced during the war to 14 to provide guns to arm merchant ships), 11" belt, coal fired, reciprocating engines, 18 knots. This class was severely restricted by Congress to the size of previous pre-dreadnoughts.
Building
Tennessee (completed 1920), California (completed 1921) - 32,000 tons, 12 x 14" L/50 as in New Mexico, 14 x 5" L/51 on the main deck, 4 x 3" L/50 AA guns (soon doubled), 13.5" belt and turbo-electric machinery, 21 knots. Introduced thicker and heavier cage masts with fire control "howdas", enclosing new directors. California introduced AC powered fire control system with synchros and stable vertical along with Rangekeeper Mk.8.
Colorado (completed 1923), Maryland (completed 1921), Washington (1923?), West Virginia (completed 1923) would be laid down in 1920. 32,400 tons, 8 x 16" L/45, 12 x 5" L/51, 8 x 3" L/50, 13.5" belt, turbo-electric, 21 knots.
South Dakota, Indiana, Montana, North Carolina, Iowa, all laid down in 1920, Massachusetts in 1921, with completion between 1924-1925, ~40,000 tons, 12 x 16" L/50, 16 x 6" L/53, 8 x 3" L/50 AA, 13.5" belt, turbo-electric (~60,000 shp), 23 knots
Constellation, Saratoga, Constitution, United States, laid down in 1920, Lexington and Ranger in 1921, with completion 1925-1926, ~ 40,000 tons, 8 x 16" L/50, 16 x 6" L/53, 8 x 3" L/50 AA, 7.75" belt at 15 degrees (~9.2"), turbo-electric, nominal 180,000 shp ( converted ships exceeded 200,000), 33 knots - These were controversial ships. They were NOT battlecruisers. Their designation was "large scout cruisers". In combination with the "Omaha" class light cruisers, they would be the scouts and screen for the Fleet, strong enough to fight through Japanese light forces for information and fast enough to get out of trouble. The rise of aviation put their mission set in doubt, which might have led to the entire class being converted to aircraft carriers, replaced by the ten battleships authorized in the Act of 1918, which combined the firepower and protection of the "South Dakota" with the machinery of the "Lexington", 53,000 tons, 12 x 16" L/50, 16 x 6" L/51, 8 x 3" L/50 AA, 13.5" belt, 200,000 shp, 30 knots. Had they been funded, they would have been laid down between 1922-23 and completed between 1926-27 in time to face four British G3 and four N3 completed 1926-28 and two "Kagas" and four "Amagis" completed by the Japanese between 1923 and 1928.
As a side note, the so-called "Tillman" battleships were not fantasy designs. They were within the ability of the US to construct if laid down in 1919, the earliest the designs could be ready if authorized and funded in 1917. The US could have proofed an 18" gun in 1918. They would have had turbo-electric machinery between 120,000 to 180,000 shp. Belt armor would not exceed 16", the thickest Krupp type cemented armor plates the US could produce at the time. Given the available slips and based on the 1916 program, the US could have built nine 60,000 ton ships or six 80,000 ton ships. It was the limited ability of the USN's then current infrastructure to support such ships that would have limited the USN's desire to build them.
Aircraft Carriers
The USN had watched the RN's experiments in carrier aviation in fascination and were kept fully informed on the RN's progress from 1917-1919 and even into 1921. The USN was converting a collier, ex-Jupiter, into a small carrier. But the NWC had been gaming carriers since 1917 and the USN became convinced that they were essential, if not critical to future seapower. Even though current USN battleships were limited to the visual horizon (22-26,000 yards), late capital ships would range to at least 40,000 yards, OTH weapons. Aerial spotting became essential at such ranges. Even at the visual horizon, the USN could lay a smoke screen to cover its battle line then use aerial spotting to fire over it while the enemy battle line was blind. Scouting too, became critical to finding the enemy in the first place, in the vast Pacific. This then led to fighters, to attain and hold air superiority over the battle area and bombers to destroy the enemies' carriers. Carriers were the priority ships in the USN's shipbuilding request to Congress from 1919 to 1921. The NWC informed the General Board, which decided the optimum carrier was ~27,000 tons, could make better than 30 knots, was armored and armed against cruisers and carried around 60-72 aircraft. The Langley would be a poor second best at ~12,000 tons, 15 knots w/turbo-electric machinery, no armor and 4 x 5" L/51 guns and able, initially to operate 15 aircraft. It was her second commander's ideas around using a deck park, that revolutionized USN thinking on air group size. The IJN and RN continued to size air groups to hanger space, while the USN sized them to flight deck size, doubling Langley to 33 aircraft. This is why the USN was so interested in converting at least some of the Lexington class to carriers, which in combination with the unconverted ships would allow all-weather, around the clock scouting and screening of the Fleet.
More to follow.