Illinois 1901
| No | Name | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Comm | Fate |
| BB7 | Illinois | Newport News | 10/2/1897 | 4/10/1898 | 16/9/1901 | to Naval Militia as armory 10/1921 |
| BB8 | Alabama | Cramp, Philadelphia | 2/12/1896 | 18/5/1898 | 16/10/1900 | to War dept. 9/1921 |
| BB9 | Wisconsin | Union Iron Wks, San Francisco | 9/2/1897 | 26/11/1898 | 4/2/1901 | stricken 7/1921 |
|
Displacement normal, t |
BB7,8: 11565 BB9: 11653 |
|
Displacement full, t |
12250 |
|
Length, m |
BB7: 114.4 BB8,9: 114.0 |
|
Breadth, m |
22.0 |
|
Draught, m |
BB7,8: 7.16 BB9: 7.21 |
|
No of shafts |
2 |
|
Machinery |
VTE, 8 cylindrical boilers |
|
Power, h. p. |
10000 |
|
Max speed, kts |
16 |
|
Fuel, t |
BB7: coal 1400 BB8: coal 1355 BB9: coal 1310 |
|
Armour, mm |
Harvey steel - belt: 419 - 140, bulkheads: 305 - 254, deck: 102 - 70, barbettes: 381 - 254, turrets: 356, casemates: 152 - 140, CT: 254 |
|
Armament |
2 x 2 - 330/35 Mk 1, 14 x 1 - 152/40 Mk 3/4, 16 x 1 - 57/(30 - 50) Mk 1 - 13, 6 x 1 - 37/(20 - 50) Mk 1 - 13, 4 - 450 TT (beam) |
|
Complement |
531 - 713 |
Ship project history: Bad seaworthiness of battleships of the previous types has forced American designers to transfer to a new hull structure with a forecastle. Traditional 203mm guns were excluded from armament composition, and 330mm guns were mounted in British-type turrets. Harvey steel armour plates. Lacks of project were low speed and obsolete 330mm guns with very small firing rate.
Ship protection: Main belt had 2.29m height (1.07m over and 1.22m under waterline). It was 419mm thick at upper edge, tapering to 337mm at waterline and 241mm at lower edge from forward bulkhead of boiler room to the centerline of after barbette. Thickness of main belt was gradually reduced to 267mm maximum at the centerline of fore barbette. Next 9.1m forward part of belt was 102mm. Fore bulkhead was 254mm and aft bulkhead was 305mm. There was 140mm upper belt. 70mm armoured deck over citadel was flat and connected with upper edge of main belt. It was sloped at ship ends and 76mm thick fore and 102mm aft. Main gun turrets had 89mm crowns.
Modernizations: 1909 - 1912, all: - 12 x 1 - 57/(30 - 50), 4 - 450 TT; + 4 x 1 - 76/50 Mk 2/3/5/6/8; cage masts were installed.
1909 - 1912, Illinois: cylindrical boilers were replaced by 8 Mosher.
1919, all: - 6 x1 - 152/40 (may be temporarily); + 2 x 1 - 76/50 Mk 10 AA
Naval service: All were stricken after WWI; Illinois was used as a accommodation ship till 1955, Alabama was sunk as target for aircraft 27/9/1921.
Illinois 1901
© Ivan Gogin, 2008-10