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Sunday 28 August 2016

Preliminary design for a American fast battleship dated 14 February 1913


The American General Board was at that time interested in replacing the battle cruisers-concept by fast battleships as she informed the Naval Wwar College on 18 January that same year. This fast battleships was to be armed with the new 16” guns, of which development started in October the year before. In April was another preliminary design made of a similar fast battleship although to be armed with 14” instead of 1”6” guns.

Dimensions 895 (water line) x 100 (extreme) x 30.5 (mean) feet and a displacement of 50.000 tons. Longitudinal coefficient 0,668. Armament 4x2-16” breech loading guns, 16-6” quick firing guns and 6 submerged 21”torpedo tubes. The machinery and 24 boilers supplied 74.800 ihp allowing a speed of 25 knots and with a speed of 10 knots a range of 8.000 nautical miles and able to steam 24 hours full speed.

The armour consisted of a main side belt amidships only 24.9’, depth below waterline 8’6” and a thickness of 15”, 10-15”, barbettes 5” (light part)-14” (heavy part), turrets 5” (roof)-10” rear)-10/11” (sides)-16” (port), conning tower proper 16”, conning tower tube 6” (light)-16” (heavy), uptake protection 14”, protective deck total 4” S.T.S. over 20# middle), splinter deck total thickness 1&1½” over 20# mild.

Normal displacement of 50.800 tons: hull complete 22.11. tons, hull fittings 107. tons, protection 1.237 tons, steam engineering 4.785 tons, res. feed 2/3 supply 499 tons, battery 1.441 tons, ammunition &2/3 ordinance stores 1.370 tons, equipment&2/3 equipment stores 650 tons, outfit&2/3 stores 800 tons, oil fuel 2/3 supply 2.700 tons and 1.193 tons margin.

Source 
The so-called Spring Styles Book 1 (March 1911-September 1925). Naval History and Heritage Command. Lot S-584-27. Preliminary designs prepared by mostly civilians working at the Bureau of Construction and Repair (succeeded by the Bureau of Ships nowadays the Naval Sea Systems Command) under supervision of naval architects of the Navy Construction Corps. A major part of the drawings was presented to the General Board which advices the Secretary of the Navy.