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. Building ordered on 15 December 1938, laid down by New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Camden, USA on 5 July 1939, launched by Harlan J. Bushfield on 7 June 1941, commissioned on 20 March 1942, decommissioned and laid up in reserve on 31 January 1947, stricken on 1 June 1962 and sold to the Lipsett Division of Luria Brothers&Company for 446.000 US dollars be broken up on 25 October 1962. Nicknamed Battleship X, SoDak and Old Nameless.
General class technical details. Displacement 35.000 (standard)-44.519 (full load) tons and as dimensions 203 (waterline)-201 (overall) x 33 x 11,1 metres or 666’-680’ x 108’2” x 26’3”. The machinery consisted of steam turbines delivering 130.000 shp allowing a speed of 27 knots. With a speed of 15 knots was the range 15.000 nautical miles. The armour consisted pf 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, 8x2-12,7cm/5” 39 cal dual purpose guns, 68-4cm guns and 76-2cm guns. The number of 12,7cm guns was decreased compared with her sister ships to allow an extra deck on the conning tower allowing her to be used as fleet flagship. Could carry 2 OS2U Kingfisher float planes. Crew numbered 2.364 men.
