NAVYPEDIA

Photo

Kilkis 1914 Thanks to Chris Latour (www.supremeruler.com) for fixing an erroneous data on this page.

Ships

Name	No	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comp	Fate
Κιλκίς [Kilkis] (ex-BB23 Mississippi)			Cramp, Philadelphia, USA	12.5.1904	30.9.1905	1.2.1908 // 30.7.1914	gunnery drill hulk 1935, floating battery 1940, sunk 23.4.1941
Λήμνος [Limnos] (ex-BB24 Idaho)			Cramp, Philadelphia, USA	12.5.1904	9.12.1905	1.4.1908 // 30.7.1914	hulk 1932

Technical data

Displacement normal, t	13000
Displacement full, t	14465
Length, m	114.3 pp 116.4 oa
Breadth, m	23.5
Draught, m	7.52 mean
No of shafts	2
Machinery	2 VTE, 8 Babcock & Wilcox boilers
Power, h. p.	10000
Max speed, kts	17
Fuel, t	coal 1800
Endurance, nm(kts)	5775(10)
Armour, mm	Krupp and Harvey steel; belt: 229-178 (178-102 at ship ends), bulkheads: 178, main gun turrets: 305 - 63, main gun barbettes: 254 - 152, medium gun turrets: 164 - 51, medium gun barbettes: 152, casemates: 178, CT: 229, deck: 37 with 76mm slopes
Armament	2 x 2 - 305/45 Mk V, 4 x 2 - 203/45 Mk VI, 8 x 1 - 178/45 Mk II, 12 x 1 - 76/50 Mk VI, 6 x 1 - 47/40 Mk I/II, 2 x 1 - 37/40 Mk II/III/V/VIII, 2 - 533 TT (beam)
Complement	744

Standard scale images

Graphics

Project history

Former American battleships ВВ-23 Mississippi and ВВ-24 Idaho: last pre-dreadnought battleships, built in the USA. They were bought by Greece 23.6.1914 as Vassilefs Georgios and Vassilissa Olga, but by transfer 30.7.1914  received names Kilkis and Limnos (writing Lemnos is often used).    Structurally they were typical American battleships with lattice masts and two-calibres medium artillery, when 203mm guns placed in turrets, and 178mm guns in casemates. On trials Idaho shown 17.11kts.

Ship protection

Main belt had 2.82m height (1.3m over and 1.52m under waterline). 74.4m long amidships part of belt was 229mm thick. Next 14.9m fore and aft parts of belt were 229mm at upper edge tapering to 178mm at lower edge. Ship ends were closed by 2.43m in height (0.91m over and 1.52m under waterline) 178-127mm, later 127mm and finally 102mm armour. Belt was connected with main gun barbettes by 178mm bulkheads. Upper belt between main barbettes had 178mm thickness. 38mm armoured deck over citadel had 76mm slopes and connected with lower edge of main belt. It was 76mm in flat part and had 76mm slopes at ship ends. Main gun turrets had 305mm faces, 203mm sides and rears and 64mm crowns, their barbettes had 254mm sides (190mm at inner side and 152mm between main and armour decks). Secondary gun turrets had 165mm faces, 152mm sides and rears and 51mm crowns, their barbettes had 152mm thickness (102mm at inner sides). 178mm guns were protected by 178mm casemate. CT had 229mm sides and 51mm roof.

Modernizations

1926-1928, both: - 1 x 1 - 76/50, 6 x 1 - 47/40, 2 x 1 - 37/40; + 2 x 1 - 76/40 12pdr 12cwt QF Mk I/II, 4 x 1 - 57/40 6pdr QF Mk I

Naval service

In 1932 Limnos was disarmed and converted to a hulk. Kilkis in 1932 was laid up into reserve, but in 1935 she was temporarily commissioned again for action against risen cruiser Averof. After 1935 Kilkis lost light guns, but kept basic armament and was used as gunnery drill hulk.    23.4.1941 both (Kilkis and Limnos) were sunk by German aircraft at Salamis (according to some information, Kilkis was really sunk 24.4.1941).

Thanks to Chris Latour () for fixing an erroneous data on this page.