The General Board argued for two more North Carolinas, but Admiral William H. The preceding two North Carolina-class battleships had been assigned to the FY1937 building program, and in 1936, the General Board met to discuss the two battleships to be allocated to FY1938. ![]() ![]() All four ships were retired shortly after World War II South Dakota and Indiana were scrapped in the 1960s, Massachusetts and Alabama were retained as museum ships. Commissioning through the summer of 1942, the four ships served in both the Atlantic, ready to intercept possible German capital ship sorties, and the Pacific, in carrier groups and shore bombardments. The ships can be visually distinguished from the earlier vessels by their single funnel, compared to twin funnels in the North Carolinas.Ĭonstruction began shortly before World War II, with Fiscal Year (FY) 1939 appropriations. They were designed to the same treaty standard displacement limit of 35,000 long tons (35,600 t) as the preceding North Carolina class and had the same main battery of nine 16"/45 caliber Mark 6 guns in three-gun turrets, but were more compact and better protected. They were the second class of battleships to be named after the 40th state the first were designed in the 1920s and canceled under the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty.įour ships comprised the class: South Dakota, Indiana, Massachusetts, and Alabama. The South Dakota class was a group of four fast battleships built by the United States Navy. SR radar ( South Dakota, Indiana and Alabama).Alabama in Casco Bay, Maine, circa December 1942
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |