Nicknamed “The Queen’. Ordered in 1914 was she laid down at the New York Navy Yard on 14 October 1915, launched on 13 April two years later while christened by Miss Margaret Cabeza De Baca and a year later on 20 May 1918, at Philadelphia between March 1931-January extensively modernized, decommissioned on 19 June 1946 was she on 25 February of the next year stricken. Her scrapping started on 24 November and was July 1948 finished. With a clipper bow. Of the New Mexico-class with as sister ships the Idaho and the Mississippi, which succeeded the Pennsylvania-class and which was at her turn succeeded by the Tennessee-class. The reason that the New Mexico-class was nothing more than an improved design of her predecessor instead of a complete new for a 12-140,5cm battleships was lacking enough budget which was denied by Secretary of Navy Josephus Daniels. (1)
Pennsylvania-class
With a displacement of 32,000 tons were her dimensions 190 x 30 x 9,1 metres or 624 x 97 x 30 feet. In contrary to her sister ships she had not geared turbines but a turbo-electric propulsion system supplying 28,000 hp allowing a speed of 10-(cruising)-21 knots. She had a crew of 1,084 men. The armour consisted of a 8-13.5” thick belt, a 3.5” deck, while the conning tower was protected by 11.5”, the barbettes by 13” and the turrets by 5-18”. The original armament consisted of 3x4-14” guns, 14-5” guns and 2-21” torpedo tubes. After 1933 were 8-5” anti aircraft guns added. In 1942 were the 5” guns replaced by anti aircraft machine guns.
Note
1. Josephus Daniels (18 May 1862-15 January 1948) was originally a newspaper editor and published who became Secretary of Navy during 5 March 1913-4 March 1921 in the cabinet of president Woodrow Wilson. Being a good friend of president Franklin Delano Roosevelt (who was Assistant Secretary!) his political career was ended being ambassador for the USA in Mexico between 24 April 1933 and 9 November 1941. He was responsible for the founding of the Naval Consulting Board which organisation encouraged inventions of use of the US Navy. So was Thomas Edison invited to become member of this board. Daniels was afraid that the US navy lacked the means for modern warfare and asked for new technology.
