USA (1893): USS Indiana, Oregon, Massachusetts The Indiana class were three pre-dreadnought, ratehr coastal battleships planned in 1889 and launched in 1893. They were the first comparable to European standards like the British HMS Hood, and were commissioned in 1895-1896, pioneering the use of a strong intermediate battery. Of low freeboard their turrets lacked counterweights, … Read more
USA (1896): Protected Cruiser CL-22 New Orleans, CL-23 Albany 1897-1930 The New Orleans class were two protected cruisers initially built in Britain at Elwick Yard (Armstrong Whitworth) for the Brazilian Navy. The Brazilian Navy had ordered four initially but had already sold the first during construction to Chile and another was delivered to Brazil (Almirante … Read more
USA (1890-94): Protected Cruiser C-12 Columbia, C-13 Minneapolis 1894-1921 The Columbia-class were two protected cruisers started in 1890 and 1891 at Cramp for the United States Navy. They were an interesting take on the concept of commerce raiders, as protected cruisers (moderate armour) lightly armed for their size which focus was on speed to overtake … Read more
USA (1916-46) S-1 to S-68, oceanic submersibles After the R class of alast month and O class back in November last year, were are hitting the last of three wartime classes of US Navy submersibles, and by far the largest in numbers and most important for its history: These were Navy’s first true ocean-going attack … Read more
USA (1916-46) R-1 to R-27, Coastal defence submersibles After the O class we saw last November 2023, here is one of the two last wartime mass-produced sub-classes built by the United States for the Navy, the R class. Like the S class (65 ordered, 51 completed), some of them missed WWI, but most of them … Read more
Protected Cruiser (1885) USS Chicago was a protected cruiser of the United States Navy and largest of the three cruisers authorized by the Congress as part of the “New Navy” and a steel ship. Launched on 5 December 1885 at the former John Roach, later Delaware River Iron Ship Building and Engine Works in Chester, … Read more
USA (1917-30) T-1 to T-3, AA-1 to AA-3 fleet submersibles The T-1 class submarines (previously known AA-1 class) were the first attempt by the USN to build a fleet submersible. It was planned in 1913 already to operate with the new Delaware class, the first “standard battleships”, with a surface speed of 21 knots to … Read more
USA (1893): Pre-dreadnought Battleship BB-4 1895-1923 USS Iowa marked an improvement over the previous Indiana-class with better seaworthiness due to greater freeboard and more efficient artillery arrangement. Her four 12-inch (305 mm) guns were still in two twin-gun turrets, but the secondary battery of eight 8-inch (203 mm) guns were better placed. She was quickly … Read more
USN (1923-26)- USS Barracuda, Bass, Bonita (V-1, 2, 3, later SS-163-164-165) To start a new deep dive into US Navy interwar and WW2 submarines, we need to go back to 1911 and some already asking questions about the capabilities of submarines to take part in fleet operations, with battleships, instead of remaining coastal defence assets. … Read more
USA (1916-46) O-1 to O-16, small oceanic submersibles The “O” class USN submersibles were of group of 16 boats completed late in WWI. They missed the great war, being commissioned shortly before of after the armistice. The interwar saw them still active, modernized for some and some were still around in WW2 as training submarines. … Read more
