South Carolina 1910
| No | Name | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Comm | Fate |
| BB26 | South Carolina | Cramp, Philadelphia | 18/12/1906 | 11/7/1908 | 1/3/1910 | stricken 11/1923 |
| BB27 | Michigan | New York SB, Camden | 26/5/1906 | 17/12/1908 | 4/1/1910 | stricken 11/1923 |
|
Displacement normal, t |
16000 |
|
Displacement full, t |
17617 |
|
Length, m |
137.2 wl 138.0 oa |
|
Breadth, m |
24.5 |
|
Draught, m |
7.50 |
|
No of shafts |
2 |
|
Machinery |
VTE, 12 Babcock & Wilcox boilers |
|
Power, h. p. |
16500 |
|
Max speed, kts |
18.5 |
|
Fuel, t |
coal 2300 |
|
Armour, mm |
belt: 254 - 203 (305 - 254 magazines, 280 - 229 machinery), upper belt: 254 - 203, deck: 64 - 38, barbettes: 254 - 203, turrets: 305 (face), CT: 305 |
|
Armament |
4 x 2 - 305/45 Mk 5/6, 22 x 1 - 76/50 Mk 2/3/5/6/8, 2 - 533 TT (beam) |
|
Complement |
869 |
Ship project history: The first battleships of the USA with uniform main calibre. The project is developed earlier than Dreadnought, but realised insufficiently quickly and had significant miscalculations, first of all: speed, smaller, than at dreadnoughts of other countries, on 2-3kts. The hull strength also left much to be desired. These lacks were connected with established by Congress limit of the displacement of the new ships to 16 000t and impossibility to contain in these limits all demanded battle elements. For the first time it is applied superfiring arrangement of main gun turrets, the scheme which has become then conventional.
Ship protection: Main belt had 2.44m height (1.3m over and 1.14m under waterline). Amidships part of belt was 254mm thick at 1.6m upper part tapering to 203mm at lower edge. Main belt thickness increased up to 305 / 254mm abreast magazines and 280 / 229mm abreast machinery. Next fore (from citadel up to 17 span) part of belt was 254mm at upper edge tapering to 203mm at lower edge. Ship ends by wl were closed by 38mm armour. Belt was connected with end barbettes by 254 / 203mm bulkheads. There was upper belt, 254mm thick at lower and 203mm at upper edges with equal 254 / 203mm bulkheads . 76mm guns casemate was unarmoured. Flat armoured deck connected with upper edge of main belt and was 38mm over machinery, 51mm over aft and 57mm over fore magazines. This deck had 38mm thickness fwd from citadel and 70mm aft. It was 76mm and had 76mm slopes over steering gear. Main gun turrets had 305mm faces, 203mm sides and rears and 64mm crowns. Barbettes were 254mm at upper and 203mm at lower edges. CT had 51mm roof. Funnel uptakes were protected by 38mm armour.
Modernizations: about 1917 - 1918, both: - 10 x 1 - 76/50
1918, both: + 2 x 1 - 76/50 Mk 10 AA
Naval service: Relative inferiority of battleships which have already become outdated by 1917 not allowed them to accept active participation in war. Both ships remained in the American waters, and were stricken from fleet lists under the terms of Washington Treaty.
South Carolina 1921
© Ivan Gogin, 2008-2010