Connecticut-class battleships. ©Warshipsresearch.blogspot.com
Turkish Resadiye-class. ©Warshipsresearch.blogspot.com
The Ottoman government was in 1910 interested in purchasing two battleships. American shipyards were competing with foreign shipyards among the British were favourite. The US Secretary of State sent on 1 June 1910 a telegram to the Embassy at Constantinople stating that the Ottoman Minister of Marine resigned and that his Ministry an open competition for building Turkish warships favoured. The awards were for the lowest bidder. On 30 June 1910 were letters sent by the Acting Secretary of State to William Cramp and Sons Shipbuilding Company, Fore River Shipbuilding Company, Newport News Dry Dock and Shipbuilding Company, New York Shipbuilding Company, the Bethlehem Steel Company and Mr. M.M.A. Smith of the Care Niles, Bennett, Pond Company at New York(1).
With the similar text: “That this Department has been requested by the delomatic representative in this city of a foreign power [the Ottoman Empire] to secure information from American shipsbuilding as to the shortest length of time in which a battleship of the Connecticut class (2) be laid down, launched and equipped”. Such information was asked from all the leading powers [like the United Kingdom and Germany]. The foreign power intended to place an award for building a battleship of the mentioned type to be built within the shortest length of time. The firms were requested for their immediate attention and advice to be able to answer the Ottoman Empire.
William Cramp responded on 1 July 1910 referring to a correspondance with T.M. Potts, Chief Intelligence Officer of the US Navy. Potts asked on 24 June the same question. The answer was that a battleship could be lay down in 3 months after approval of the plans and launched 10 months after she was laid down. The firm added on 27 June that a battleship could be completed between 24-30 months depending on the obtained price.
At the end one Turkish battleship was built by a British shipyard but never delivered.(3)
Notes
1. The Niles-Bement-Pond Company, created in 1899 by merging Niles Tool Works, Bement, Miles&Co, Pond Machine Tool Company and Philadephia Engine Works. Later were Pratt&Whitney, Pratt&Whitney of Canada, John Bertrams&Sons and Ridgway Machine Co., acquired.
2. Part of Connecticut-class preceded by Virginia-class succeeded by Mississippi-class, laid down by New York Navy Yard on 10 March 1903, launched on 29 September 1904, commissioned on 29 September 1906, decommissioned on 1 March 1923, sold to be broken up on 1 November 1923 and stricken on 10 November 1923.
3. The Resadiye-class which were an improved British King George V-class battleships design ordered from Vickers, Armstrong Whitworth. The Fatih Sultan Mehmed was ordered in April 1914 but never completed. The Resadiye (ex-Mehmed Resad V)was seized when the First World War broke out and commissioned in the British Royal Navy as HMS Erin. The Ottoman Empire bought in September 1913 from Brazil the Rio de Janeiro which was renamed Sultan Osman-I Evvel which was seized by in August 1914 and commissioned in the British Royal Navy as HMS Agincourt.
Source
Record Group 64: Records of the National Archives and Records Administration Series: Records of the Department of State Relating to the Internal Affairs of Turkey. Turkey: Naval Affairs, Navy, Naval Vessels: 867.30 - 867.348. Microcopy 353 rol 42.
