Colorado class
COLORADO (BB-45)
MARYLAND (BB-46)
WASHINGTON (BB-47)
WEST VIRGINIA (BB-48)

BB-45

BB-46
1st Commanding Officer:

Capt. R.R. Belknap

Capt. C.F. Preston
Authorised:

August 29, 1916

August 29, 1916
Keel Laid:

May 29, 1919

April 24, 1917
Launched:

March 22, 1921

March 20, 1920
Commissioned:

August 30, 1923

July 21, 1921
Sponsor:

Miss M. Melville

Miss E. Brooke Lee
Builder:

New York Shipbuilding Co., Camden, New Jersey

Newport News Shipbuilding Co., Newport News, Virginia
Original Engines Manufactured:

Wastinghouse geared turbines

General Electric Drive Curtis turbines
Original Boilers Manufactured:

Babcock & Wilcox type: WT; no.8

Babcock & Wilcox type: WT; no.8
Original Fuel:

Oil, 4570 tons (1,371,100 gallons); modernized to 5392 tons (1,616,600 gallons)

Oil, 4570 tons (1,371,100 gallons); modernized to 5392 tons (1,616,600 gallons)
Drive:

Turbo-electric, 4 screws

Turbine drive, 4 screws
Designed Speed:

21 knots

21 knots
Designed Shaft Horsepower:

28,900 (modernized to 31,400)

28,900 (modernized to 31,400)
Design Comments:

First-class Battleship; oil-fired boilers

First-class Battleship; oil-fired boilers; first U.S. Battleship with 16" guns and new type sea-plane catapult
Displacement Standard Tons:

32,600

32,600
Displacement Full Load Tons:

33,590 (modernized to 39,400)

33,590 (modernized to 39,400)
Design Crew Complement:

58 officers
1022 enlisted

62 officers
1022 enlisted
Construction Cost:

$11,500,000 + armor and armament

$11,500,000 + armor and armament
Length:

(w.l.) 600' , (o.a.) 624'6"

(w.l.) 600' , (o.a.) 624'
Beam:

97'6" (modernized to 108')

97'6" (modernized to 108')
Draught:

30'6"

30'6"
Guns:

8-16 inch, 45 cal. Mk. I.
(34,500-yard range with AP rouns)
12-5 inch, 51 cal. 8-3 inch, 50 cal.
(modernized with 8-5"/51; 8-5"/25 cal dual purpose; 8-40mm quad AA; 2-40 mm twin AA; 44-46 20mm AA)

8-16 inch, 45 cal. Mk. I.
(34,500-yard range with AP rouns)
12-5 inch, 51 cal. 8-3 inch, 50 cal.
(modernized with 8-5"/51; 8-5"/25 cal dual purpose; 8-40mm quad AA; 2-40 mm twin AA; 44-46 20mm AA)
Aircraft:

3

3
Catapults:

1on quarter deck.

1on quarter deck.
Torpedo Tubes:

2-21" submerged
(Torpedo tubes removed)

2-21" submerged
(Torpedo tubes removed)
Armour:

16"-14" Belt
8" Belt (aft)
3" Deck (ends)
16"-9" Funnel bases
18"-9" Turrets
16" Conning tower and tube
3 1/2" Upper and 2 1/2" lower armour decks.

16"-14" Belt
8" Belt (aft)
3" Deck (ends)
16"-9" Funnel bases
18"-9" Turrets
16" Conning tower and tube
3 1/2" Upper and 2 1/2" lower armour decks.
Final Disposition: Stricken from the Navy list on March 1, 1959; sold for scrapping on July 23, 1959 Stricken from the Navy list on Feb. 24, 1959; sold for scrapping on July 8, 1959 to Learner Co. of Oakland, California
Commendations:

Seven Battle Stars in WW2

Seven Battle Stars in WW2

BB-47

BB-48
1st Commanding Officer:

-

Capt. T.J. Senn
Authorised:

August 29, 1916

August 29, 1916
Keel Laid:

June 30, 1919

April 12, 1915
Launched:

Sept. 1, 1921

Nov. 17, 1921
Commissioned:

Cancelled Feb. 8, 1922

Dec. 1, 1923
Sponsor:

Miss Jean Summers

Miss Alice Wright Mann
Builder:

New York Shipbuilding Co., Camden, New Jersey

Newport News Shipbuilding Co., Newport News, Virginia
Original Engines Manufactured:

Westinghous geared turbines

General Electric Drive Curtis turbines
Original Boilers Manufactured:

Babcock & Wilcox type: WT; no.8

Babcock & Wilcox type: WT; no.8
Original Fuel:

Oil, 4570 tons (1,371,000 gallons)

Oil, 4570 tons (1,371,100 gallons); modernized to 5392 tons (1,616,600 gallons)
Drive:

Turbo-electric, 4 screws

Turbine drive, 4 screws
Designed Speed:

21 knots

21 knots
Designed Shaft Horsepower:

28,000

28,900 (modernized to 31,400)
Design Comments:

-

FFirst-class Battleship; oil-fired boilers
Displacement Standard Tons:

32,600

32,600
Displacement Full Load Tons:

33,590

33,590 (modernized to 39,400)
Design Crew Complement:

62 officers
1022 enlisted

62 officers
1022 enlisted
Construction Cost:

$11.5 milion + armor and armament

$7.8 milion + armor and armament
Length:

(w.l.) 600' , (o.a.) 624'

(w.l.) 600' , (o.a.) 624'
Beam:

97'6"

97'6"
Draught:

30'6"

30'6"
Guns:

Assigned:
8-16" 45 MK1
20-5"
8-3"

8-16 inch, 45 cal. Mk. I.
(34,500-yard range with AP rouns)
12-5 inch, 51 cal. 8-3 inch, 50 cal.
(modernized with 8-5"/51; 8-5"/25 cal dual purpose; 8-40mm quad AA; 2-40 mm twin AA; 44-46 20mm AA)
Aircraft:

-

3
Catapults:

none

2on quarter deck.
Torpedo Tubes:

Assigned:
2-21" submerged

2-21" submerged
(Torpedo tubes removed)
Armour:

Assigned:
16"-14" Belt
8" Belt (aft)
3" Deck (ends)
16"-9" Funnel bases
18"-9" Turrets
16" Conning tower and tube
3 1/2" Upper and 2 1/2" lower armour decks

16"-14" Belt
8" Belt (aft)
3" Deck (ends)
16"-9" Funnel bases
18"-9" Turrets
16" Conning tower and tube
3 1/2" Upper and 2 1/2" lower armour decks
Final Disposition: Sunk on No. 25, 1924 as a gunnery target ship to test new torpedo blisters and other armor of new Battleships ay the time; Canceled by Washington Naval Treaty of Feb. 8, 1922 when 75.9% complete. Stricken from the Navy list on March 1, 1959; sold for scrapping on August 24, 1959 to Union Mineral and Alloys Co. of New York City
Commendations:

-

Five Battle Stars in WW2; ship's artifacts are at the University of West Virginia in Morgantown, also in Clarksburg and other sites throughout West Virginia


WW2 History Highlights:
BB-45
- 1934-41 Pacific Fleet; to Pearl Harbor Jan. 27, 1941
- July, 1941 to March 31, 1942 at Puget Sound for overhaul; was here during attack on Pearl Harbor
- Nov. 8, 1942 to Sept. 17, 1943 near Fiji Islands and New Hebrides Islands; October, 1943 at Tarawa; January, 1944 at Marshall Islands
- May, 1944 Saipan, Guam, Tinian; July 24, 1944 hit 22 times from shore; Nov. 27, 1944 two kamikadze hits killed 19 and injured 72
- Jan. 9, 1945 accidental (friendly) gunfire killed 18 and wounded 51; March, 1945 invasion of Okinawa
- August, 1945 supported the occupation landing at Atsugi Airfield, Tokyo, Japan; Oct. 15, 1945 to San Francisco and to Seattle on Oct. 27, 1945; Novvember, 1945 assigned to "Magic Carpet" duty
- To Bremerton for in activation; out of commission in reserve on Jan. 7, 1947
BB-46
- June, 1941 to Pearl Harbor; at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941
- Reapired at Puget Sound until February, 1942; in Hawaiian waters as a backup during the Battle of Midway
- WW2 amphibious force fire support ship; June 22, 1944 off Saipan; torpedo hit the bow on the port side
- Oct. 24 and 25, 1944 Battle of Surigao Strait; japanese Battleships Fuso and Yamashiro were sunk
- On Nov. 29, 1944 31 were killed when kamikadze attack damaged the area between turrets 1 and 2
- April 7, 1945 battle damage to #3 turret; May 7, 1945 to Bremerton for overhaul
- August 45 "Magic Carpet" duty
- April 15, 1946 Puget Sound in commisssion in reserve; April 3, 1947 at Bremerton in the Pacific Reserve Fleet
BB-48
- 1939 to Pacific Fleet, 1940 to Pearl Harbor; at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941 takes seven torpedo hits and two bombs and sunk on an even keel
- Refloated on May 17, 1942 and reapired at Puget Sound; Oct. 5, 1944 Flagship Battleship Division 4; October, 1944 off Leyte in the Philippines
- Oct. 24 and 25, 1944 Battle of Surigao Strait; japanese Battleships Fuso and Yamashiro were sunk
- December, 1944 off Palaus and Mindoro; January, 1944 at San Fernando Point; February, 1944 at Iwo Jima
- March, 1945 off Okinawa; April 1, 1945 hit by kamikadze at secondary battery #2 - 4 killed and 7 hurt
- Sept. 2, 1945 in Tokyo Bay to witness the Japanese surrender ceremonies; October-December, 1945 "Magic Carpet" duty
- Inactivated in Feb. , 1946 at Seattle, decommissioned on Jan. 9, 1947


Note to plan.-This represents Colorado and Maryland only. W.Virginia is reconstructed as in photo.

General Notes. - Authorised 1916. W.Virginia and Maryland both fitted as Flagships. W.
Virginia was reduced to a wreck by Japanese attack at Pearl Harbour on Dec. 7, 1941, being hit by four torpedoes and two heavy bombs. She settled down on an even keel, and has since been reconstructed to a silhouette identical in nearly all respects with California, including anti-torpedo bulge. Maryland received a considerable amount of bomb damage on same occasion. At that date Colorado is understood to have been under refit.
Gunnery Note. - Maximum elevation of 16 inch 30°; Maximum range at this elevation unofficially stated to be 33,300 yards. Turrets electrically manoeuvred and with electric hoists. Excepting increase of calibre to 16 inch, otherwise as Notes for Tennessee Class.
Armour Notes. As for California and Tennessee.
Engineering Notes.- "Electric Drive" is identical with that for the Tennessee Class, but in these ships electric installation has been extended. Part of steam generated in boilers is diverted for running six auxilliary turbo-generators, supplying current to anchor gear, workshop lathes, refrigeration plant, bakeries, &c. Guns are also electrically manoeuvred, ammunition hoists are electric. In fact, every possible item of equipment, even down to potato peelers and ice-cream freezers, is run by electric power. Estimated weight of machinery, 2002 tons. Heating surfaces as Tennessee on a later page.
Anti-torpedo Protection.-Ferrati type triple hull and minute internal subdivision by longitudinal and transverse unplerced bulkheads.


COLORADO


WEST VIRGINIA


WEST VIRGINIA


WEST VIRGINIA


MARYLAND


MARYLAND