Naval Historical Center #NH 55275
|
Tonnage |
32,600 tons standard displacement |
|
Dimensions |
624' by 97'4" by 31'4" 190.2m by 29.67m by 9.55m |
|
Maximum speed |
21 knots |
|
Complement |
1080 |
| 1 catapult 3 seaplanes |
|
|
Armament |
8 16"/45
Mark 1
guns 14 5"/51 guns 4 3"/50 AA guns (as built) |
| 13.5" (343mm) belt 3.5" (89mm) main deck 1.5" (38mm) second deck 18" (457mm) turret 16" (406mm) conning tower |
|
|
Bunkerage |
4794 tons fuel oil |
|
Range |
5130 nautical miles (9500km) at 12 knots |
The Colorados were the most modern battleships in the United States Fleet at the start of the Pacific War, save for the North Carolina, which was still shaking down in the Atlantic. The Colorados had excellent subdivision, due to their use of turboelectric drive, and proved reliable in service. They were vulnerable to air attack as originally built due to inadequate deck armor and antiaircraft armament.
The West Virginia was sunk at Pearl Harbor, and the Maryland took two bombs and was jammed against her moorings when the Oklahoma capsized alongside her. Maryland was salvaged within a few weeks, but West Virginia took two years to raise and repair, though this also provided the opportunity for extensive modernization. Colorado herself was undergoing refit at Bremerton and avoided the disaster.
| Bremerton | Completed refit on 1942-3-31 | |
| Pearl Harbor | Returned to service 1942-2-26 |
|
| Pearl
Harbor |
Returned to service 1944-7 |
References
The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia (c) 2007-2008 by Kent G. Budge. Index
