South Dakota class battleship
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Two classes of battleships have been called the South Dakota class -- one that was cancelled before launching and one that commissioned and saw action.
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The first South Dakota class
| South Dakota class battleship | |
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| Class Overview | |
| Class Type | Battleship |
| Class Name | South Dakota |
| Preceded By | Colorado-class |
| Succeded By | North Carolina-class |
| Ships of the Class: | South Dakota, Indiana, Montana, North Carolina, Iowa, Massachusetts |
The first South Dakota class was authorized 4 March 1917, and keels were laid down in 1920 for six ships. However, the Washington Naval Treaty prohibited their completion, construction was halted 8 February 1922, and the unfinished hulls were sold in 1923. The first South Dakota class was an outgrowth of the Standard type battleships, though a greatly modified form: Displacement would have been 20,000 tons greater than the other Standards, with only a two-knot increase in speed. The class was ordered in the same program that created the Lexington-class battlecruisers; the Lexingtons made better conversion hulls because they were further along in their construction and battlecruisers were seen as less useful overall than battleships.
Ships
- USS South Dakota (BB-49)
- USS Indiana (BB-50)
- USS Montana (BB-51)
- USS North Carolina (BB-52)
- USS Iowa (BB-53)
- USS Massachusetts (BB-54)
General Characteristics (designed)
- Displacement: 43,200 tons
- Length: 684 ft (208 m)
- Beam: 105 ft (32 m)
- Draft: 33 ft (10.1 m)
- Speed: 23 knots (43 km/h)
- Armament
- Primary: 12 16 inch (406 mm) 50-caliber guns
- Secondary: 16 six inch (152 mm) 53 caliber guns, eight three inch (76 mm) 50-caliber antiaircraft guns, two 21 inch (533 mm) submerged torpedo tubes
The Second South Dakota class
| South Dakota class battleship | |
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| Class Overview | |
| Class Type | Battleship |
| Class Name | South Dakota |
| Preceded By | North Carolina-class |
| Succeded By | Iowa-class |
| Ships of the Class: | South Dakota, Indiana, Massachusetts, Alabama |
Construction of the second South Dakota-class began shortly before World War II. Built with Fiscal Year 1939 appropriations, they were more compact and better protected than the preceding North Carolina class, but had the same main battery of nine 16 inch (406 mm) 45-caliber guns in triple turrets. Their innovative hull design featured an internal armor belt, to protect the ships' vitals against 16 inch (406 mm) shells, and outboard propeller shafts that extended further aft than the inboard ones. They also had improved anti-torpedo side protection and more powerful engines, the latter being necessary to drive their shorter hulls at the designed 27 knot (50 km/h) speed. Compared with her three "sisters", South Dakota had extra command facilities and two fewer 5 inch (127 mm) twin gun mounts.
These ships were all completed between March and August 1942, providing a welcome reinforcement to the Navy's surface battle fleet at a critical stage of World War II. In 1942 and 1943, they stood guard in the Atlantic against possible sorties by German battleships, took part in the invasion of North Africa and in operations around Guadalcanal. During the latter campaign, South Dakota was damaged in a gunnery engagement with a Japanese force that included the old battleship Kirishima. As the U.S. went on the offensive in the Central Pacific, they joined in escorting the fast carrier task forces, a job for which their heavy anti-aircraft gun batteries were well-suited. They also employed their main battery guns in shore bombardment, and were kept ready to form battle line in case their Japanese opposite numbers should appear.
All four South Dakota-class battleships went into reserve after World War II and saw no further active service. When they were disposed of in the early 1960s, Massachusetts and Alabama became museum ships. The other two were sold for scrapping. These ships are considered the best "Treaty" battleships ever built, and quite possibly the finest battleships ever built on a ton-for-ton basis.
Ships
General Characteristics
- Displacement: 35,000 tons (standard)
- Length: 680 ft (207 m)
- Beam: 108.2 ft (33 m)
- Powerplant: 130,000 horsepower (97 MW) steam turbines
- Speed: 27 knots (50 km/h)
- Armament
- Main: Nine 16 inch (406 mm) 45-caliber guns in three triple turrets
- Secondary: Twenty five inch (127 mm) 38-caliber guns in ten twin mountings (South Dakota had eight twin mountings)
| South Dakota-class battleship |
| South Dakota | Indiana | Massachusetts | Alabama |
| List of battleships of the United States Navy |