American battleship USS Indiana (BB-58) 1939-1963

North Carolina-class

South Dakota-class

Iowa-class

Part of the South Dakota-class consisting of the South Dakota, Massachusetts, Indiana and Alabama, preceded by the North Carolina-class and succeeded by the Iowa-class. The design process for this class started in March 1937 with the design for 2 battleships accepted by the Secretary of the Navy on 23 June and a more definitive version on 4 January 1938. Laid down by Newport News Shipbuilding on 20 November 1939, launched on 21 November 1941, commissioned on 30 April 1942, decommissioned on 11 September 1947, stricken on 1 June 1962 and sold to be broken up on 23 October 1963.

General class technical details. Displacement 35.000 (standard)-44.519 (full load) tons and as dimensions 203 (waterline)-201 (overall) x 32,97 x 10,69 metres or 666’-680’ x 108’2” 35’1”. The armour consisted of a 31cm/12.2” thick belt, a 15cm/5.8-6.1” thick deck, 28cm/11” bulkheads and the barbettes, turrets and conning tower protected by respectively 29cm/11.3”-44cm/17.3”, 46cm/18” faces) and 41cm/16”. The armament consisted of 3x3-41cm/16” 45 cal Mark 6 guns, 10x2-12,7cm/5” 39 cal dual purpose guns, 6x4-4cm/1.6” Bofors guns and 16-2cm/0.79” Oerlikon cannons. Could carry 3 OS2U King fisher floatplanes for which purpose 2 catapults for launching were fitted. The machinery consisted of 4-shaft General Electric steam turbines and 8 oil fuelled Babcock&Wilcox boilers delivering 130.000 shp allowing a speed of 27,5 knots. With a speed of 15 knots was the range 15.000 nautical miles. Crew numbered 1.793 (peace)-2.500(war) men.