American Battleships, 1886–1923. Predreadnought Design and Construction

288 Pages·1980·93.414 MB·English

by  John C. Reilly, Robert L. Scheina

American
Battleships
1886-1923
PREDREADNOUGHT
DESIGN AND
CONSTRUCTION
By John C. Reilly, Jr. and Robert L. Scheina
NAVAL INSTITUTE PRESS
Annapolis, Maryland
Copyright © 1980
by the United States Naval Institute
Annapolis, Maryland
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be
reproduced without written
permission from the publisher.
Printed in the United States of America
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Reilly, John C.
American battleships, 1886-1923:
predreadnought design and construction
Bibliography: p.
Includes index.
1. Battleship United States-History.
2. United States. Navy- History. I. Scheina,
Robert L., joint author. II. Title.
V815.3.R44 359.3'252'0973 79-91326
ISBN 0-87021-524-8
Frontispiece: the Alabama. Courtesy Library of Congress.
8ayerlsche
8taatsbibliothek
Munchen
Love for one's own ship and pride in her name
is one of the most important traditions of the Navy.
- Captain (First Rank)
M. Grigor'yev, "The Proud
Name of a Ship"
Chapter opening photographs
Page 18: ·n,e Mni11c is S<.>en here with the shoreline of her names.::tke, the ~tate uf Maine, in the b,JCkground. Mo~t
ships' lx•1ts ill this time were pulling lx><lls. (Notice the mrlocks in the gumvdles of the boat han)-,~ng just below the
ensign.) 1\ ship the size of the Mni11c would also carry a couple of stmm cutters. This picture shows clmrly how
the Mni11c's turrets overhang her sides. NH, NR&L(M)39250.
Page 50: Briefly recommissioned in 1919, the Orego11 flew President Woodrow Wilson's flag at Seattle as
he reviewed the Pacific Fleet. This photograph illustrates the general arrangement of the turrets and
superstructures. Though a cage mast has been added and her main-deck casemates have been plated
in since 1896, the Orego11 is basically the same ship that fought at Santiago. NA, SOG-651980.
Page 70: The lawn about the time of World War I. Notice the alteration made in her bridge during her 1910
refitting. Only the four casemate 4-inch guns remain, and a range-finder has been mounted on Turret
I. The upper foretop has been roofed over and screened to provide a fire control station. The maintop
is roughly housed in with canvas. Speed cones on her foremast halyards indicate that she is making
slow speed. During the war the lawn trained men for duty with the fleet, and stood guard at Hampton
Roads. Although a torpedo tube designed for the bow of the lawn was never installed, the tube's welded
housing remained a prominent feature of the ship throughout her life. NA, 19Nl985.
Page 82: This stern view of the Kenrsnrse shows her chunky hull form. She carries four large electric boat
cranes, and has a simple open after bridge. Six-pounder muzzles protrude from side casemates on the
upper deck, and one can be seen just above the heads of the yard workmen clustered near the gangway.
Closed in this photo, the casemates for the stern anti-torpedo-boat 6-pounders arc only 6 feet above the
painted waterline. These guns were unusable in any kind of heavy seas, but they were not removed for
some years. NA, 19Nl-22-3.
I'age 96: Thi' view of th.: Wi:.<oiiSill in d1ydnck shows her bridge ,md supcrstructure __ indet,,il. Her 6-pounders, like
the 11/nlnllul's, have sm~ll splinter shields while thoSt' in th.: //illltllo' have none. S1x-1nch guns ~nd a 6-pounder
protrud.: from their hull c,JSt'miltes, and ,1 Hutch kiss 1-poundL•r is mounted l'll'n.:,1th the luwer b1idge wing. A hmvv
brass pl,KJUe bca1ing Lhe arms of Wisconsin with its mot1o, "Forward," and th.: st~lll''s b<Kigc•r svmbol, is mounte~i
on the b1idge. A ship's whc'l'l, with <1 m~gnl'tic-comp~s~ binndcle ~nd .1 p,11r of L'ngme-order !.:legr<lplb, Gll1 be "<-'l'n
on the r,1ther spMtan open b1idge. A Joul-wmther conning st,ltion i' 111 the clo'l'd bndge lx·lo~v, and b.JttiL• stec•1:ing
i.'> dune from the conning tower which is locall'd l'll'low the clo,..•d bndg.: ,~nd ~b.1ft 1 urrl'l I. 1 hL: rcsiiKied Vl"bd1tv
of the conning tower "P~'ll''1r' to have received little consider.1tion in the dt•s1gn ul th1s L'iabor;1te bndgewurk. IJ,Jmdgt•
to the upper bridge structure would pmb~bly h<~ve brought down enough ddons .to bhnd the conn1ng uff1cer. l·or
Lhis rm"'-ll1, predre<1dnuught b!idge' were exten~ivl'ly cut down during 1111>Llcn11/~1t1on ,Iller the rdurn ul the "CrL'.II
White FIL>et." NA, 19N3-l-13.
Page 1'14: The Mnine is in drydock, early in her service. llcr underwater hull is receiving a fresh coat of
paint, intended to retard fouling, but still nut too satisfactory at this time. One of her forw<1rd bilge keels
shows below the seafolding. Pairs of these were carried forward and aft as these ships' full midship
sections did not allow midship keels to be fitted. Note the arrangement of the ship's bridges and militarv
foremast. A small optical rangefinder, shrouded in canvns, is mounted in the lower military top. As th~
smaller guns passed out of usc, these "fighting tops" came to be used less for shooting and more for
fire control and other purposes. Nll63509.
p,,gL' 134: In thi' 191H photo, the C<lll;«lil lies at picrsidc at IVIMc i'>land. l.X:vond her is the !Vu~l<' f,fwul, then ,1
(OIIIIII<t·fiml-d.l~S ship, with .mother of till' Vi•;o.:i11i11~ in tl1L' di.;t,mce. Masthmd to~o~ h,wL' been modifi,•d to ,1L-ctm1-
moddte L'icment,11y gun dirL'Ctor,, ~nd pl~tform~ .1ddcd lowl'r down for bro,1dside-b.1ttcrv control. Qu,KlriJ,1ter,1J
'>l',H·chlight pl.1tfom1~. ,,s in~t.11led in thl' n.:wcr drmdnoughh, h,we rcpl,KL'<.i L'arlicr ,,.,.,mgcn1l'nt,. Wurlcl W<~r 1
refit' for the l,1tcr preclrc.ldnought<; were l'l.1sic~llv f,1irly simil.1r, though thcv frequently differed in ,mall dddils.
Nll450'i2.
Page 160: The UIIIICCiintl transits the Panama nnal on a Naval Academy training cruise to the l'acific
after World War I. Like the Nr111 1/niiiJISilirc, she has had her bridge nnd mast platforms modified, and
her tops have been enclosed to hold gun directors. Degree graduations can be seen painted on the fnce
and starboard side of the after 12-inch turret, as well as on the face and inboard side of the slarboMd
quarter 8-inch turret. These graduations were intended to indicate to other ships in company the relative
bearing on which the ship's turret guns were being fired, while the "concentration dial" visible mounted
low on the mainmast indicated the range. Another dial would be found on the foremast. The graduations
on the turrets were adjudged impractical and were removed shortly after this picture was til ken, but the
concentration dials remained J conspicuous feature of American battlcshi ps until World War II. NII73818.
Page 184: The ldalw is shown here after receiving her new foremast in 1912. A light bridge deck has been
installed around a new conning tower, which is oval, r<1ther than round as was the originnl structure.
On this deck, as well as just below it, arc pairs of 3-inch guns. Two more of these guns arc mounted
on the overheads of the forward 8-inch turrets. The upper-deck cascmJtc gun~ nrc 'till in place, as are
the two near the mainmast. This is the original arrangement of the 3-inch 50-caliber b<1ttery, except for
lhe two guns mounted on the turret overheads. These guns were shifted to these positions when the
bow casemates were removed during moderniz<llion. A platform hns been rJiled off on top of the conning
tower, with the navigating bridge just abaft this in the base of the new forem<1st. N/\, 19N4-2-5.
Contents
Preface IX
Acknowledgments XI
Abbreviations xm
1
Introduction 3
2
Maine and Texas Classes 18
3
Indiana Class 50
4
Iowa Class 70
5
Kearsarge Class 82
6
Illinois Class 96
7
Maine Class 114
8
Virginia Class 134
9
Connecticut Class 160
10
Mississippi Class 184
Appendix 205
Notes 209
Bibliography 215
Serial Titles 237
Glossary 239

Preface
This work is intended to fill a gap in our country's naval history. While the battleship
has played, for good or ill, a large part in the story of modem America, we believe
it is difficult for the student or researcher to find accurate infonnation on the ships
themselves.
This book describes the design, modification, and significant technical features of
the predreadnought battleships. It is not a history of the activities of the American
predreadnought-this has been done elsewhere, and more is sure to be written as
time goes on-nor is it an exhaustive technical analysis. Rather, it covers the nuts
and-bolts aspects of the ships' technological history, so hard to find in published
sources but essential as a foundation to any broader study. We have endeavoured to
steer a course between the two shoals of overattention to minutiae, with nothing
related to an overall picture, and the use of generalities with only the haziest specific
application.
Our purpose is to offer an informative introduction to an historic line of great
ships, well worth study for their own sakes. We trust that this book will provide
information sufficient to fit the predreadnought into its historical context and hope
that the reader will be encouraged to delve further into the ship's role in our military,
industrial, social, and political history.
Acknowledgments
An alphabetical listing of the persons who have conbibuted so much to this laLmching
hardly seems an appropnate return for the help they have so generously gJven. If Wl'
were to itemize their contributions, however, this would be the bulkiest part of thl'
volume. We would like to recognize in particular Mrs. Agnes Hoover. Her efforts
were tireless, and without her help this project could never have been accomplished.
To her, and to the others cited here, our heartfelt thanks and appreciation.
Dr. Dean C. Allard, Head, Operational Archives Branch, Naval History Division
Dr. Mabel Deutrich, National Archives
Rear Admiral Ernest M. Eiler, USN (Ret.), formerly Director of Naval History
Dr. Elaine Everly, National Archives
Mr. Charles Haberlein, Jr., Naval Hist01y Division
Mrs. Agnes Hoover, Naval History Division
Mrs. Ccrri K. Judkins, Operational Archives Branch, Naval Historical Center
Mrs. Frankie Kilcullen, National Archives
Dr. Robert W. Krauskopf, National Archives
Mrs. Kathleen Lloyd, Naval History Division
Mrs.· Patty M. Maddocks, U.S. Naval institute
Dr. William J. Morgan, Senior Historian, Naval History Division
Dr. Gibson B. Smith, National Archives
Ms. Carol Zangara, National Archives
Mr. Robert D. Zink, Naval Surface Weapons Center, Dahlgren, Va.
Abbreviations
AA !\ n tia i rcra fl
ADM Admiral
BuSh ips Bureau of Ships
C &R Bureau of Construction and Repair
CAPT Captain
COL Colonel
COMO ommodore
DP Dua 1-pu rpose
ed. Editor
ENS Ensign
GPO United States Government Printing Office (WJshinglon, DC)
HMS His/Her Majesty's Ship (Royal N.:wy)
j/.ASNE jormrnl of /Ire 1\rncricnrr Society o( Nnunl Crr.o,;incer~
LCDR Lieutenant ommandcr
LT Lieutenant
LTCOL Lieutenant Colonel
LTJG Lieutenant (junior grade)
MAJ Major
MG Machine Gun
MIDN Midshipman
Mk Mark
mm Millimetcr(s)
Mod Modification
NA United Stales National Archives (Washington, DC)
NI-l Naval History Division (Washington, I) )
NHF Naval Historical f-oundation (Washington, DC)
NPC Naval Photographic enter (Washington, DC)
RADM Rca r /\elmira I
RF Ra picl-fi ring
SAS Semiautomatic
Sci.!\nr. Scicrrtific Anrcrim1r
Sci.!\rn. S11ppl. Scierr tific !\ nrcricn 11 5111'1'/cnrcn I