American battleship USS Maryland 1917-1959

 

Original postcard Chocolate La Estrella

Tennessee-class

Colorado-class

South Dakota-class

North Carolina-class

Building ordered in 5 December 1916, laid down by Newport News Shipbuilding, Newport News, Virginia, USA on 24 April 1917, launched on 20 March 1920, commissioned on 21 July 1921, damaged during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1942, decommissioned on 3 April 1947 and sold to be broken up on 8 July 1959. Nicknamed Old Mary and Fighting Mary. 

Of the Colorado-class consisting of the Colorado, Maryland, West Virginia and Washington preceded by the Tennessee-class and succeeded by the South Dakota and North Carolina-classes. General technical specifications of this class. Displacement 32.600 long tons and as dimensions 190,27 x 29,67 x 12 metres or 624.3 x 97.4 x 38 feet. Turbo-electric transmission consisting of 4-5,424kW electric motors driven by 2-2 phase turbo generators and 8 oil-fired Babcock&Wilcox water tube boilers supplying via 4 screw shafts totally 28.900 ehp allowing a speed of 21 knots. With the maximum oil bunker capacity of 4.570 tons was the range 8.000 nautical miles with a speed of 10 knots. Crew numbered 1.080 men. The armour consisted of a 20,3-34,3cm/8-13.5” thick belt, 8,9cm/3.5” thick decks with the barbettes, gun turrets and conning tower protected by respectively 33cm/13”, 12,7cm/5” (top)-22,9cm/9” (rear)-22,9/25,4cm or 9-10” (sides)-45,7cm/18” (front) and 292cm/11.5”. Original armament consisted of 4x2-41cm/16” 45 Mark 5 guns, 12/14-12,7cm/5” /51 guns, 4-7,6cm/3” guns, 2-21” torpedo tubes deck mounted; later increased with anti aircraft guns. The Colorado-class battleships were the last battleships built for the US Navy with 4 gun turrets.