An item referred to the magazine Proc. dated September 1933 reporting that Secretary Swanson (1) handed over a plan to president Roosevelt (2) dealing with the replacement of the battleships after the London Naval treat expired on 31 December 1936.(3) Each battleship was to be replaced when it was 20 years old. A second item in the same magazine reported that if the five newest battleships California, West Virginia, Colorado, Maryland and Tenessee were to be modernized Roosevelt had to approve a budget of 77 million US dollars. The decks were to be protected against shells and bombs hitting the ship under a step angle and the elevation of the guns was to be improved. The elevation of the guns of the Texas and New York was already improvement. All ships were to be fitted out with new fire control devices.
Notes
1. Claude Augustus Swanson (31 March 1862 Swansonville, Virginia-7 July 1939 Rapidan Camp, Viriginia), Democratic politician, secretary if the navy 5 March 1933-7 July 1939.
2. Franklin Delano Roosevelt 30 January 1882, Hyde Park, New York-12 April 1945 Warm Springs, Georgia), president 4 March 1933-12 April 1945.
3. Naval Treaty of London signed on 22 April and ratified on 27 October 1930 to limit naval shipbuilding and regulate the submarine warfare. The involved countries were England, USA, Italy, France and Japan.
