American design 70,00 tons battleship dated 13 December 1916

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Design requested by the Senate and handed over on 14 February 1917. Senator Benjamin R. Tillman (1) of South Carolina supported the call for a design of a battleship of maximum size still available to pass the Panama Canal and us existing facilities. Never realized. Displacement 70,000 tons and as dimensions 975 (waterline) x 103 (waterline) x 32.9 feet. Electric Drive propulsion, 18 boiler rooms, horsepower 65,000 ehp at 26.5 knots, tange 12,000 nautical miles/10 knots. Maximum speed 26.5 knots.

Armament 4x6-40.64cm/16”50 cal guns, 21-12.7cm/5”quick firing guns, 7.62mc/3”high powered anti aircraft guns and 4-53.34cm 21” submerged torpedo tubes.

Armor. Main side belt maximum withe 19’10 1/2”, depth below waterline 9 feet, thickness 13”-13”-9”. Barbettes heavy part 17”, light part 4”. Turrets thickness port 20”, sides 14.11”, top 6”, rear 10”.Conning tower thickness 18”, top 9”? Tower tube heavy part 18”, light part 6”. Uptake protection thickness 13-10-7”. Protective deck middle 5”, after 6 1/2”. Cost hull 17,200,000, machinery 7,700,000=total C.M. 24,900,000.

Total normal displacement 70,000 tons

Hull 33,613

Hull fittings including 800 ton for gyro stabilizers 3,000

Protection 17,796

Steam engineering 5,000

Reserve feed 900

Battery 2,850

Ammunition 2,000

Equipment 775

Outfit and 2/3 stores 1,050

Fuel oil, 2/3 full supply 3,000

Margin 16

Rest of details on sheet not copied.

Note

1. Benjamin Ryan Tillman (11 August 1847-3 July 1918), Democratic Party plotician, governor of South Carolina 1890-1894 and senator 1895-1918. See for instance: Construction of battleships. Remarks of Hon. Benjamin R. Tillman,... relative to the construction of 60,000-ton battleships; also copy of a Senate resolution instructing the Committee on Naval Affairs to make an investigation of the matter, together with an article entitled "Build the Limit," by Commander W.A. Moffett, United States Navy. Presented by Mr. Tillman. June 20, 1916.

Source

Naval History and Heritage Command. Bureau of Ships Spring Styles Book 1 1911-1925. S-584-107. Preliminary design 171.