Kilkis 1914
Limnos 1935
| Name | No | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Comp | Fate |
| Κιλκίς <Kilkis> (ex-BB23 Mississippi) | Cramp, Philadelphia, USA | 12/5/1904 | 30/9/1905 | 1/2/1908 // 30/7/1914 | gunnery drill hulk 1935, floating battery 1940, sunk 23/4/1941 | |
| Λήμνος <Limnos> (ex-BB24 Idaho) | Cramp, Philadelphia, USA | 12/5/1904 | 9/12/1905 | 1/4/1908 // 30/7/1914 | hulk 1932 |
|
Displacement normal, t |
13000 |
|
Displacement full, t |
14465 |
|
Length, m |
114.3 pp 116.4 oa |
|
Breadth, m |
23.5 |
|
Draught, m |
7.52 mean |
|
No of shafts |
2 |
|
Machinery |
VTE, 8 Babcock & Wilcox boilers |
|
Power, h. p. |
10000 |
|
Max speed, kts |
17 |
|
Fuel, t |
coal 1800 |
| Endurance, nm(kts) | 5775(10) |
|
Armour, mm |
Krupp and Harvey steel; belt: 229-178 (178-102 at ship ends), bulkheads: 178, main gun turrets: 305 - 63, main gun barbettes: 254 - 152, medium gun turrets: 164 - 51, medium gun barbettes: 152, casemates: 178, CT: 229, deck: 37 with 76mm slopes |
|
Armament |
2 x 2 - 305/45 Mk 5, 4 x 2 - 203/45 Mk 6, 8 x 1 - 178/45 Mk 2, 12 x 1 - 76/50 Mk 2/3/5/6/8, 6 x 1 - 47/(40 - 50) Mk 1 - 11, 2 x 1 - 37/(20 - 50) Mk 1 - 15, 2 - 533 TT (beam) |
|
Complement |
744 |
Ship project history:
Former American battleships ВВ-23 Mississippi and ВВ-24
Idaho: last
pre-dreadnought battleships, built in the USA. They were bought by Greece 23/6/1914 as Vassilefs Georgios and Vassilissa Olga, but by transfer 30/7/1914 received
names Kilkis and Limnos (writing Lemnos is often used).
Structurally they were typical American battleships with lattice masts and
two-calibres medium artillery, when 203mm guns placed in turrets, and 178mm guns in casemates. On trials Idaho shown 17.11kts.
Ship protection: Protection consisted of Krupp and Harvey steels. Protection scheme was typical. Narrow 229mm main belt (2.44m height) tapered to 178mm at lower edge, at ship ends was moderated on height and a thickness. A deck was turtleback formed, thickness was 37mm in a flat part, with 76mm slopes connected with main belt lower edge; in the ship ends its thickness was 76mm. Battery of 178mm guns was protected by 178mm armour.
Modernizations: 1926-1928, both: - 1 x 1 - 76/50, 6 x 1 - 47/(40-50), 2 x 1 - 37/(20-50); + 2 x 1 - 76/50 Mk 10 AA, 4 x 1 - 57/40 Hotchkiss AA
Naval service: In 1932 Limnos was disarmed and
converted to a hulk. Kilkis in 1932 was
laid up into reserve, but in 1935 she was temporarily commissioned again for action
against risen cruiser Averof. After 1935 Kilkis lost
light guns, but kept basic armament and was used as gunnery drill hulk.
23/4/1941 both (Kilkis and Lemnos) were sunk by
German aircraft at Salamis (according to some information, Kilkis was
really sunk 24/4/1941).
Kilkis 1914
Thanks to Chris Latour (www.supremeruler.com) for fixing an erroneous data on this page.
© Ivan Gogin, 2011