American battleship USS Wisconsin (BB-64) 1941-

South Dakota-class

Iowa-class

Preliminary design Montana-class battleships dated 9 July 1940

Part of the Iowa-class consisting of the Iowa, New Jersey, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois and Kentucky preceded by the South Dakota-class and succeeded by the never realized Montana-class. The designing-process of a fast battleship started in 1938. Building ordered on 12 June 1940, laid down on Philadelphia Navy Yard on 25 January 1941, launched by Mrs. Goodland on 7 December 1943, commissioned on 16 April 1944, decommissioned on 1 July 1948, recommissioned on 3 March 1951, decommissioned on 8 March 1958, recommissioned on 22 October 1988, decommissioned on 30 September 1991, stricken on 17 March 2006 becoming a museum ship.

General technical class specifications. Displacement 45.000 (standard)-52.000 (mean war service)-57.000 (full load before the 1980s)-58.000 (full load after the 1980s) tons and as dimensions 262,5 (between perpendiculars)-270,43 (over all)x 32,97 x 11,33 metres or 861¼-887’3”x 108’2” x 37’2”. The machinery consisted of General Electric geared steam turbines and 8 water tube boilers delivering 212.000 shp. Speed 32,5-35,2 (light load) 3 knots. With a speed of 15 knots was the range 14.890 miles. Crew numbered 1.921 men. Original armament in 1943: 3x3-40,6cm/16” /50 cal Mark 7 guns, 20-12,7cm/5” /38 cal Mark 12 guns, 80-4cm /56cal anti aircraft guns and 49-2cm /70 cal anti aircraft guns. Armament in 1983: 3x3-40,6cm/16” /50 cal Mark 7 guns, 12-12,7cm/5” /38 cal Mark 12 guns, 32 BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missiles, 16 RGM084 Harpoon Anti-Ship missiles and 4-2cm /76 cal Phalanx CIWS. Armour consisted of a 30,73cm/12.1” thick belt, 28,7cm/11.3” thick bulkheads, 19,05cm/7.5” thick decks with the barbettes and turrets protected by respectively 29,46cm/11.6”-43,94cm/17.3” and 50cm/19.7”.