Shipbucket

The last of the ironclads: Missouri class



After the US commissioned the Wisconsin class in 1883-84, the Confederate Navy realized its Virginia class monitors were severely outclassed and naturally wanted to respond with more powerful ships, but unfortunately, the Confederate Congress refused to fund any new construction for the next five years.
When the new class of battleships was finally authorized in 1886, the CSN again went to the British for assistance. At the time, the British were well into construction on the Admiral class and were willing to build two additional ships of this design for the Confederates. The ships; Missouri and Kentucky, were laid down the following year and commissioned in 1890.

Although virtually identical to the four Admirals’s armed with the BL 13.5” Mk.I, the Missouri’s differed in a couple of respects. The Americans specified heavier barbette armor and two military-style masts instead of the one heavy sail-rigged mast of the British ships. These changes resulted in the ships being slightly heavier at 11,075 tons and longer overall at 332 feet.
In addition to the twin barbette mounts fore and aft for their 13.5” main guns, the Missouri’s carried six 6” secondary guns and twelve 6-pounders. Armor consisted of an 18” belt, 3” deck, and 12” barbettes. Two triple expansion engines produced a top speed of 16 knots, although both ships easily exceeded this in service.

A rude surprise to the US, the Confederate ships (named for two of the Border States that had joined the CSA following the Civil War) were arguably the most powerful in the Americas – with their contemporaries; the US Michigan class, exceeding their capacities only in secondary battery and barbette and transverse bulkhead armor. While naval experts, armchair admirals, and later, game designers, forever debated which class was superior, it was ironic that the ships never met in battle as they were the closest in concept and design of any US and CS ships built to date; after this, the two nations would pursue different design philosophies.

The Missouri’s were based in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, after 1901, with Kentucky becoming in 1907 the first capital ship assigned to the CS Pacific Fleet based in Guaymas, Mexico under the 100-lease signed between the CSA and Mexico the previous year. Retained in active service long after they were rendered obsolete, the two ships were not retired until 1911-1912. Both were scrapped during 1916-1917.

Coming soon; Pre-dreadnoughts!

Cheers!
StealthJester

Nice additions.

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Very nice, I take it the CSA is buying battleships from Britain.

Yes, as Confederate shipbuilding was very limited immediately following the Civil War, they developed a good working relationship with British shipyards who supplied most of the CSA's capital ships through the beginning of the dreadnought era.

Next up - Yankee pre-dreadnoughts: New York class



Originally intended to be improved versions of the Michigan class, the two-ship New York class went through several design revisions before being finalized in mid-1891. The last capital ships designed under the leadership of Hiram Langford, the New York’s were intended to carry the newly introduced heavy 13”/35 Mk.1 in their main battery, albeit in old-style “pillbox” turrets.

Both larger and heavier than their predecessors, the new ships were 365 feet long and displaced 11,600 tons. In addition to their four 13” main guns, they carried a battery of four 8” casemate guns amidships and twelve 6” quick-firing guns also mounted in casemates. They carried a 14” armor belt, 3” deck, 15” barbette, 17” main turrets and 8” casemate armor – all of the new Harvey type steel. Propulsion was provided by two triple expansion engines fed by six double-ended boilers which necessitated a third funnel for the first time. Top design speed was 17 knots – although the ships proved slightly slower in service.

New York and her sister, California, commissioned in 1895. They were the first battleships to carry the “BB” designation adopted in 1902; becoming BB-1 and BB-2 respectively. They served in the Atlantic Fleet until the Vermont class commissioned in 1898, whereupon they were transferred to the Pacific where they remained for the rest of their service lives.
Both were officially renamed (as were all US pre-dreadnoughts) in April of 1912 to free up names for the new dreadnought type battleships entering service. New York was renamed Constitution, and California became Potomac. Decommissioned in 1919, both were scrapped between 1920 and 1921.

Cheers!
StealthJester

Ohio class (US):



Authorized in FY1892, the Ohio class was a progressive improvement on the earlier New York class battleships. As before, two ships; Ohio and South Dakota, were ordered, both being laid down in 1893 and commissioning in 1897.

Virtually identical to the New York’s save in secondary armament layout, the new ships were slightly longer at 367 feet and heavier at 12,100 tons nominal displacement. They were the last US new construction to carry the 13”/35 Mk. 1, mounted in two twin-turrets fore and aft. A real improvement was in the secondary battery, which consisted of eight 8”/40 Mk.5 guns mounted in four twin-turrets located amidships – doubling the firepower of the New York class’s secondary battery. Twelve 6”/40 Mk.4’s in hull-mounted casemates completed the main weapons suite (although the ships also carried a variety of small-caliber artillery and machine guns during their lifetimes). Armor was identical to the New York’s save for the main armor belt, which was 15” thick. Propulsion remained two triple expansion engines which given the increase in displacement, were designed for a top speed of 16.5 knots. As with the earlier ships, neither of the Ohio’s reached this goal – USS South Dakota achieved 16.2 knots under ideal conditions during trials – typical speeds were in the 15.8 to 16.0 knot range.

Serving in the Atlantic throughout their service lives, the ships were not popular with their crews due to the cramped accommodations necessitated by their heavy secondary battery on too small a hull, but were otherwise considered successful. They were renamed United States and Constellation respectively in 1912 to release their names for new battleships, but were otherwise little changed.
USS United States (ex-Ohio) was retired in late 1913, and was converted to a gunnery training ship in 1915. In her new role as the USS Harvard (AG-6), the former battleship served until 1928, when she was retired for the final time and was broken up the following year.
Constellation (ex-South Dakota) also decommissioned in 1913. Kept in reserve for another six years, the ship was ultimately scrapped between 1919 and 1920.

Next up: The Confederate response.

Cheers!
StealthJester

Nice additions.

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Florida class (CSA):



The Confederacy’s first true pre-dreadnoughts arose from two basic realizations. First was the recognition that despite a steadily expanding industrial economy, the CSA would never be able to keep up with its powerful rival to the north in quantity, and second, there was a growing desire within the Confederate government to produce these ships at home and not be as dependent on foreign shipyards.

When the Confederate Congress authorized what would become the Florida class in late 1894, the CS Navy Department still went to the British for assistance with the design, but the ships’ themselves would be built in the four navy yards the CSA possessed. In addition, the Tredegar Works – the Confederacy’s principle ordnance manufacturer – was contracted to provide the armament for the new ships. A newly developed 11” breach-loader was selected (as it was the largest weapon available from Tredegar at the time).

First laid down in 1896 at Norfolk, Charleston, and Mobile, with a fourth ship projected for Galveston, the Florida class was 369 feet long overall with a normal displacement of 11,400 tons. They carried four of the Tredegar 11”/40 Mk.I guns in two twin turrets similar to contemporary British designs. In addition, they mounted eight 6” guns in casemates amidships, and twelve 4.7” quick-firing guns (a UK design – built under license). Armor was of the new Krupp type and featured a 12” belt, 2.5” deck, 8” turrets, 9” barbettes, and 6” casemate armor.
For the first time, a triple shaft arrangement was specified in a Confederate capital ship. Three triple expansion engines producing 12,000 hp were rated at a design speed of 17.5 knots. All three ships which were completed routinely exceeded this in service, however, and CSS Arizona (BB.2) achieved 18.3 knots during trials, which made the Florida’s the fastest battleships in the Americas at the time.

Florida and Arizona commissioned in 1898, North Carolina the following year. The fourth ship, which remained unnamed, was canceled as a cost-saving measure in September of 1896 and was never laid down.

After entering service, CSS Florida was assigned to the Confederate Pacific Fleet as flagship – a position she would hold for the next thirteen years. Her sisters meanwhile rotated between the Caribbean Squadron based in Cuba, and the Atlantic Fleet based in Norfolk.
Considered very successful and well-liked by their crews, the Florida’s were kept in service well into the dreadnought era, albeit as second-line forces until finally decommissioned between 1918 and 1919 and scrapped.

Cheers!
StealthJester

Vermont class (US):



Originally intended to be a larger, progressive improvement on the Ohio class, the Vermont’s were something of a transitional design. They were the last of the Hiram Langford influenced designs and the first with modern high velocity guns utilizing smokeless powder and mounted in contemporary rotating armored gun-houses over fixed barbettes.

The new ships were 380 feet long overall and displaced 12,600 tons. In addition to their 12”/40 Mk.3 main guns; mounted in two twin turrets fore and aft, they carried an eclectic secondary weapons mix of eight 8” guns in four twin turrets, four 6” guns in casemates in the superstructure, and twelve 4” guns in hull mounts. Armor remained of the Harvey type and consisted of a 16.5” belt, 3” deck, 14” turrets, 15” barbettes, 8” secondary turrets and 6” casemates.
Retaining the twin-shaft, triple expansion engine layout of earlier ships, the Vermont class was designed for a top speed of 16.5 knots, but again lagged somewhat when actually in service – USS Wyoming (BB-6) managing a speed of 16.2 during trials.

Both ships commissioned during 1899, and were split between the Atlantic and Pacific fleets for the duration of their service lives. Renamed Ranger (ex-Vermont), and Cyane (ex-Wyoming) in 1912, they were given a limited reconstruction during 1917 aimed at improving their effectiveness – although they, like all pre-dreadnoughts, were now functionally obsolete.

Decommissioned in 1920, both were scrapped between 1921 and 1922.

Cheers!
StealthJester

Nice additions StealthJester.

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English Electric Canberra FD
Interwar RN Capital Ships
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Nice work on this AU.