lbryant%eagle@blackbird.afit.af.mil (Lee N. Bryant) (08/06/90)
From: lbryant%eagle@blackbird.afit.af.mil (Lee N. Bryant)
I am currently looking for information on the battleship U.S.S.
Massachusetts, constructed in 1897. I was wondering if those people who had
posted info on the Nelson could look in thier battleship books and give me
a rundown on it. If you could please E-mail it to me. Thanks in advance.
[mod.note: Unfortunately my favorite reference, Breyer, only considers
BB's built since 1905. From Tony Gibbons, _The Complete Encyclopedia of
Battleships_ :
BB-2 USS Massachusetts. Sister ships BB-1 USS Indiana, BB-3
USS Oregon. Laid down 7 May 1891, launched 28 Feb 1893, 10288 tons
normal displacement. Two shafts powered by vertical
triple-expansion engines, 4 boilers, 9738 IHP. Armor was Harvey
and nickel steel, belt 18" to 8.5", barbettes 17", turret faces
15", secondary barbettes and turrets 8" to 5", conning tower 10"
deck 2.75" to 3". 4x13" guns in two double turrets (fore and
aft), 8x8" guns in double turrets, 2 per side, 4x6" guns in
casemates 2 per side, 20x6pdr, 6x1pdr, 6x 18" torpedo tubes.
15 kts max speed, radius (on 1597 tons of coal) 3720 miles at
10 kts. Crew 473 initially, later 635.
The ships were authorized as "sea-going coastal
battleships." Later modifications deleted the 6" guns and some
6pdrs for 12x3"guns and removed the torpedoes.
They served in the Spanish-American War, but were obsolete
by WWI and relegated as gunnery school ships. Massachusetts was
sunk as a target after WWI, along with Indian. Oregon served
as flagship of the Pacific Fleet in 1917, took part in the Siberian
intervention 1918-1919, and was preserved in Portland, Oregon until
1942, then used as an ammunition hulk. 1956 found her at Guam,
where she was sold to breakers. - Bill ]
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