American preliminary Colorado-class battle ship design dated 20 March 1916

Preliminary design No. 165 for building under the Fiscal Year 1917 and sent to the Navy Department with 5 alternative designs on 28 March 2016. This design resembles that of the USS Tennessee-class in layout and speed although with twin turrets in stead of triple turrets. Not used being the less desirable of the designs with expanded size and magazines located between the machinery spaces.

Dimensions 656 (waterline) x 97.5 (waterline) x 30.2 1/2. Electric machinery and 8 boiler rooms supplying 18.700 ehp allowing a speed of 21 knots and a range of 10 knots/10.000 nautical miles. Armament consisted of 52x2-40.6cm/16” breech loading guns, 22-12.7cm/5” cal 51 guns as torpedo defence battery, 4 high power and 4 light automatic anti aircraft and 4-53.3cm/21” submerged torpedo tubes. Armor consisted of a main side belt with an extreme width of 17.0”feet, depth below waterline 8.8 1/2 feet and thickness of 13 1/2” and 13 1/2-5”. Armor protected by 16“ (port)-9-10”(sides)-5” (top)-9” (rear). Conning tower 16” (proper)-8” (top)-16” (tube heavy part)-6” (tube light part), fire control tower by 16”, uptake protection 13 1/2” and 9” and protective deck total thickness 140 lbs and splinter decl 60 lbs. Weight normal condition: 36.900 tons: hull complete with fittings 18.128 tons, protection 10.266 tons, steam engineering 2.003 tons, reserve feed 2/3 supply 200 tons, battery 1,881 tons, ammunition and 2/3 ordinance stores 1.536 tons, equipment and 2/3 equipment stores 536 tons, outfit and 2/3 stores 670 tons, oil fuel 2/3 full supply 1.720 tons and margin -40 tons.

Note

1. The building of the USS Colorado was ordered on 29 August 1916, laid down by New York Shipbuilding Corporation on 29 May 1919, launched on 22 March 1921, commissioned on 30 August 1923, decommissioned on 7 January 1947, stricken on 1 March 1959 and sold to be broken up on 23 July 1959. Part of the Colorado-class, preceded by Tennessee-class and succeeded by the planned but not realized South Dakota-class and the North Carolina-class.

Source

Naval History and Heritage Command, Spring Styles 1911-1925 S-584-097