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Kearsarge 1899

Ships

No	Name	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comm	Fate
BB5	Kearsarge	18	Newport News	30.6.1896	24.3.1898	20.2.1900	crane ship 8.1920
BB6	Kentucky	19	Newport News	30.6.1896	24.3.1898	15.5.1900	stricken 5.1922

Technical data

Displacement normal, t	11540
Displacement full, t	12850
Length, m	114.4
Breadth, m	22.0
Draught, m	7.16
No of shafts	2
Machinery	2 VTE, 5 cylindrical boilers
Power, h. p.	10000
Max speed, kts	16
Fuel, t	coal 1591
Endurance, nm(kts)	5070(10)
Armour, mm	Harvey steel - belt: 419 - 102, bulkheads: 305 - 254, deck: 127 - 70, barbettes: 381 - 318, main turrets: 432 - 89, secondary turrets: 279 - 89, casemates: 152, CT: 254
Armament	2 x 2 - 330/35 Mk II, 2 x 2 - 203/37 Mk IV, 14 x 1 - 127/40 Mk III, 20 x 1 - 57/40 Hotchkiss Mk I, 8 x 5 - 37/20 Hotchkiss Mk I, 4 x 1 - 7.6/92, 4 - 450 TT (beam, 6)
Complement	553

Standard scale images

Graphics

Project history

Authorized under the Act of 2.3.1895. Flush deck ships with freeboard of 4.4m forward at legend draught. The 203mm turrets were fixed on the roofs of the 330mm and trained with them as one unit, a most unfortunate arrangement: 330m and 203mm guns can not fire simultaneously and very heavy turrets had huge gunports. 127mm guns casemates were cramped and absence of sponsons did not allow to provide good fire angles. Training was electric. These were the first US battleships to make extensive use of electrical auxiliary machinery, the total output of the dynamos being 350kw. They were reputed very bad gun platforms. Freeboard was too low and seaworthiness was poor.

Ship protection

Main belt had 2.29m height (1.07m over and 1.22m under waterline). It was 419mm thick at upper edge, uniformly tapering to 337mm at waterline and 241mm at lower edge from forward bulkhead of boiler room to the centerline of after barbette. Thickness of main belt was gradually reduced to 267-241mm at the centerline of fore barbette. Next 9.1m forward part of belt was 102mm. Fore angled bulkhead was 254mm and aft angled bulkhead was 305mm (between top of belt and deck slopes). There was 127mm upper belt. 70mm armoured deck over citadel was flat and connected with upper edge of main belt. It was sloped and 70mm flat/76mm sloped fore and 70mm flat/127mm sloped aft. Main gun turrets had 432mm sides, 89mm crowns and secondary turrets had 279mm sides and 89mm crowns. 127mm guns were placed in casemates with 152mm armour and 51mm splinter bulkheads between guns. CT had 254mm sides and 51mm roof. Rear parts of main barbettes had 318mm thickness.

Modernizations

1909 - 1911, both: - 16 x 1 - 57/40, 4 - 450 TT; + 4 x 1 - 127/40 Mk III; cylindrical boilers were replaced by 8 Mosher, cage masts were installed.

1919, both: - 10 x1 - 127/40, 4 x 1 - 57/40; + 2 x 1 - 76/52 Mk X

Naval service

Kearsarge was converted to a crane ship in 1920, stability being increased by bulges and a very large 250t revolving crane was fitted. She was renamed Crane Ship No1 in November 1941.

(Naval History and Heritage Command)