NAVYPEDIA

Photo

Missouri as built

Ships

No	Name	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comm	Fate
BB10	Maine	302	Cramp, Philadelphia	15.2.1899	27.7.1901	29.12.1902	stricken 7.1921
BB11	Missouri	25	Newport News	7.2.1900	28.12.1901	1.12.1903	stricken 7.1921
BB12	Ohio	61	Union Iron Wks, San Francisco	22.4.1899	18.5.1901	4.10.1904	stricken 8.1922

Technical data

Displacement normal, t	BB10: 12846 BB11: 12362 BB12: 12723
Displacement full, t	13700
Length, m	120.1
Breadth, m	22.0
Draught, m	BB10: 7.42 BB11: 7.24 BB12: 7.26
No of shafts	2
Machinery	BB10: 2 VTE, 24 Niclausse boilers BB11, 12: 2 VTE, 12 Thornycroft boilers
Power, h. p.	16000
Max speed, kts	18
Fuel, t	BB10: coal 1867 BB11: coal 1837 BB12: coal 2150
Endurance, nm(kts)	BB10, 11: 5660(10) BB12: 6560(10)
Armour, mm	Krupp and Harvey steel - belt: 279 - 190, fore belt: 203 - 102, bulkheads: 229, deck: 102 - 64, barbettes: 305 - 203, turrets: 305 - 203, casemates: 152, CT: 254 - 51
Armament	2 x 2 - 305/40 Mk III, 16 x 1 - 152/49 Mk VI, 6 x 1 - 76/50 Mk III/V/VI, 8 x 1 - 47/40 Hotchkiss Mk I, 6 x 1 - 37/40 Hotchkiss/Driggs-Schroeder Mk I, 2 - 450 TT (beam, 6)
Complement	561

Graphics

Project history

Authorized under the Act of 4.5.1898. This class broke away from previous designs, with the introduction of higher velocity 305mm guns and of KC armour which allowed thickness to be reduced. Untipical for US battleships armament composition, armour layout and high maximal speed became the result of influence of British designing school. There was a forecastle deck to the mainmast, and freeboard forward was 5.9-6.1m. The turrets were electrically powered and of the 152mm guns ten were in an upper deck battery, two in upper deck casemates forward, and four in a forecastle deck battery. The 305mm gun axis heights above lwl were 8.2m forward and 5.7m aft and 152mm from 7.1m to 4.6m. The 305mm guns gave considerable trouble originally and had to be chase-hooped, while on 13.4.1904 there was a serious accident in Missouri's after turret when back-flame from the left gun caused three charges to ignite, the flame going straight down to the handing room.

Ship protection

Main belt had 2.29m height (0.99m over and 1.30m under waterline). It was connected with main gun barbettes by 229mm angled bulkheads. It was 279mm thick at upper part 1.30m in height, tapered to 190mm at lower edge between centerlines of barbettes. The belt abreast No.1 barbette was 216mm tapered to 149mm, later to the bow the side was protected by 102mm belt. There was 152mm upper belt, casemate was protected by 152mm armour. 64mm Nickel steel armoured deck between barbettes (it laid on 25mm deck of construction steel) was flat and connected with upper edge of main belt. At ship ends it was 64mm thick with 70mm slopes fore and 70mm with 102mm slopes aft. Turrets had 305mm faces, 203mm rears and 89mm crowns. Barbettes had 305mm protection (203mm at inner sides). CT had 254mm sides and 51mm roof.

Modernizations

1909 - 1911, all: cage masts were installed.

1909 - 1911, Maine: Niclausse boilers were replaced by 12 Babcock & Wilcox.

1919, all: - 8 x1 - 152/49 (may be temporarily); + 2 x 1 - 76/52 Mk X

Naval service

All ships were stricken under the terms of Washington Treaty.