Shipbucket

The USS Nevada-Class battleship bears a striking resemblance to the USS Pennsylvania-Class despite the latter’s additional 25 foot length and the former’s stern 5”/51 cal gun which is absent on all later class U.S. battleships. Not to mention the Nevada-Classes’ eccentric double 14” gun turret superfiring over 14” triple turret fore and aft.

Nevada Vs Pennsylvania


Here we see the USS Pennsylvania (BB-38), the lead ship of her two ship class the other being the USS Arizona (BB-39), as she appeared when commissioned in 1916.
Here are the classes’ vital statistics.

Class and type: Pennsylvania-class battleship
Displacement: 31,400 long tons (31,900 t)
Length: 608 ft (185 m)[3]
Beam: 97.1 ft (29.6 m)[3]
Draft: 28.9 ft (8.8 m)[3]
Speed: 21 knots (24 mph; 39 km/h)

Complement:

As built:
56 officers[3]
72 Marines[3]
1,031 Bluejackets[3]

By World War II:
1,358 officers and enlisted

Armament:

As built:
12 × 14 in (360 mm)/45 cal guns (4×3)
14 × 5 in (130 mm)/51 cal guns
4 × 3 in (76 mm)/23 cal AA guns
2 × submerged 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes

By World War II:
12 × 14 in (360 mm)/45 cal guns (4×3)
14 × 5 in (130 mm)/51 cal guns[6]
12 × 5 in (130 mm)/25 cal AA guns
4 × 3-pounder (47 mm (1.9 in)) saluting guns (4×1)

Armor:

As built:
Belt: 14 in (360 mm) (amidships); 8 in (200 mm) (aft)
Deck: 3 in (76 mm) (ends)
Turrets: 9 to 15 in (230 to 380 mm)
Conning Tower: 16 in (410 mm)
Funnel Base: 9 to 15 in (230 to 380 mm)

By World War II:
As above, but deck: 6 in (150 mm) amidships (4 in (100 mm) upper, 2 in (51 mm) lower)

Aircraft carried: 2 × floatplanes
Aviation facilities: 2 × catapults

The USS Pennsylvania (BB-38) as commissioned 12 June 1916.

The United States entered World War I on 6 April 1917, shortly thereafter and the classes’ eight wet 5”/51 caliber guns (the four forward and four aftermost) were removed and used to arm merchantmen. Some other changes were: A 21 foot rangefinder was installed above the new bridge/conning tower structure. Three twelve foot rangefinders one atop the number three main gun turret and one on either side of the after corners of 01 level of the boat deck. Two 3”/50 caliber guns were placed atop the number three main gun turret just aft of the rangefinder. And, a compressed-air catapult was addedon the quarterdeck.

The USS Pennsylvania (BB-38 ) as she appeared in 1925:


Between 1929-1931, USS Arizona (BB-39) underwent modernization at Norfolk. The most obvious change is the replacement of the lattice masts with the tripod masts most associated with her. Her 5”/51 caliber guns were relocated from her wet casemates to new emplacements in her new boat deck and her bridge replaced by a new more modern one. A new, more robust boat cranes located just forward of her main mast replaced the old cranes. Searchlight platforms were added alongside the funnel. A modern stern boat crane and new catapults were added to the old quarterdeck position and atop the number three turret replacing the two 3” guns and rangefinder. Eight 5”/25 caliber guns were placed atop the boat deck.

The USS Arizona (BB-39) as she appeared in 1931 after modernization:


Note that in the 1938 depiction has a large machine gun tub housing four Browning 50 caliber machine guns above the fire control director on the main mast and a two gun tub just beneath the fighting top on the foremast. Also note the two Mk 19 fire control directors one on either side of the foremast atop the bridge superstructure.

The USS Pennsylvania (BB-38) in 1938:


In 1942 we see Pennsylvania with radar: a SK/CXFA air search antenna atop her foremast and a SG surface search antenna on her main mast. Notice that the 5”/25s are now in splinter shield tubs and the mounts themselves now enclosed shields. Two quad 1.1”/75s are just forward of the conning tower and elevated just aft of the deck break. The BMGs have been replaced with 20mm Oerlikons, with four additional ones two on either side of the number 3 turret.

Here is the Pennsylvania in 1942.
The USS Pennsylvania (BB-38) as she appeared in 1942:



Here is USS Pennsylvania (BB-38) in 1944:


Notice that the entire superstructure has been replaced. The 5”/51 caliber guns have been replaced with eight 5”/38 caliber dual mounts and eighteen quad 40 mm/56 caliber and 40 20mm Oerlikons makeup her anti-aircraft suite. The float plane catapult has been removed and three Oerlikons place atop both the number two and three turrets. Here radar suite has also been upgraded.

_________________
My Avatar is
French Vice-admiral Louis-René-Madeleine Le Vassor de La Touche, comte de Tréville
The original spelling of my last name is: LaTouche.

Quite a remarkable evolution, especially in the secondary armament.

Excellent drawings, and it's always nice to learn something when I'm reading one of your series

AWESOME work, David!

Mods: Why is he not an Elite Member yet?

_________________

MS State Guard - 08 March 2014 - 28 January 2023

The Official IJN Ships & Planes List

#FJB

Nice work, the shading on the underwater hull is still terrible though. shade the whole hull or not, not just the bulges.

_________________
Drawings are credited with J.Scholtens
I ask of you to prove me wrong. Not say I am wrong, but prove it, because then I will have learned something new.
Shipbucket Wiki admin

Those look pretty good. If you want to add some more stuff you can look at these, especially for hull shadowing.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/d1c37pjcjj72j ... 8.png?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/pwq9qbo7dkaze ... 4.png?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/9umixg94n3fq7 ... 1.png?dl=0

I genuinely get excited with every thread you create. Once again, I'm just amazed.

_________________
"What are they gonna do, fire me?" - Nate "Tic-Tac" McNally, 2016 (Fired 2019)


All my newer stuff is signed as czslworldtour.

Wow, very nice work!

Wasn't Pennsylvania in MS 21 for WW2? I also echo Ace's comments for the hull shading, the shading on the bulges looks a little odd.

A lovely set of drawings, though.

Great work. Two items, though:
I'm sure that the same floatplane aircraft were not carried from 1925
all the way through 1938, and the markings on the Vought Kingfisher
floatplanes in 1944 were not the same as 1942.

Excellent work.
Shading bulges is never easy (at least for me!) and the aircraft need a little work, but these are minor and easily fixable points.

Using the 3x3 porthole has certainly made a favourable improvement overall as to how these ships look.

_________________
Hood's Worklist
English Electric Canberra FD
Interwar RN Capital Ships
Super-Darings
Never-Were British Aircraft

Yes and I am working on the shading. ABove the waterline I am okay, but below it is another matter.

_________________
My Avatar is
French Vice-admiral Louis-René-Madeleine Le Vassor de La Touche, comte de Tréville
The original spelling of my last name is: LaTouche.