USS Iowa
Kearsage-class
Illinois-class
Part of the Kearsage-class consisting of the Kearsage and Kentucky designed for coastal defence purposes, preceded by the USS Iowa and succeeded by the Illinois-class. Building authorized on 2 March 1896, contract awarded on 2 January 1896, laid down at Newport News Shipbuilding Company, Newport News, Virginia, USA on 30 June 1896, launched by spouse of rear admiral Herbert Winslow on 24 March 1898, commissioned on 20 February 1900, decommissioned on 4 September 1909, decommissioned on 23 June 1915, training ships 1916-1919, decommissioned on 10 May 1920, converted into a crane ship with removing turrets, armour and superstructure and fitting out with a large 250 tons revolving crane in 1920, reclassified IX-16 on 17 July 1920, reclassified AB-1 on 5 August 1920, renamed Crane Ship No.1 on 6 November 1941, stricken on 22 June 1955 and sold to be broken up on 9 August 1955. Building costs 5.043.168 US dollars.
Displacement 10.470 tons and as dimensions 114,0 (over all) x 22,009 x 7,16 metres or 375.4 x 72.2½ x 23.6 feet. The very low freeboard caused seriously in bad weather conditions while her guns could not be used then. The machinery consisted of 2 vertical triple expansion steam engines and Scotch 5 boilers supplying via 2 shafts 10.000(design)-11.674 (trials) ihp allowing a speed of 16 (design)-16.816 (trials) knots. The crew numbered 586-587 men (included 38 officers). The armour consisted of a 12,7cm/5”-41,9cm/15.6” thick belt, 25,4cm/10” (forward)-30,5cm/12” (aft) thick bulkheads, 12,7cm/5” (aft)-7cm/2.75” (flat on belt) thick deck with the barbettes, main gun turrets, secondary gun turrets and conning tower protected by respectively 31,8/12.5”-38,1cm/15”, 15”/38,1cm-43,2cm/17”, 15,2cm/6”-27,9cm/11” and 25,4cm/10”. The armament consisted of 2x2-33cm/13” /35 cal guns, 4-20,3cm/8” 35 /cal guns, 14-12,7cm/5” /40 cal guns, 20-5,7cm/2.2”/6pd guns, 8-3,7cm/1.5”/1pd guns, 4-0,76cm/.30” machineguns and 4-45,7cm/18” torpedo tubes.
