American Battleships

The United States’ commissioned its first Pre-Dreadnought Battleship, the USS Texas, in 1895. The United States ordered new Pre-Dreadnought Classes, eventually reaching a fleet of 26 Pre-Dreadnoughts. However, they quickly became obsolete with the construction of HMS Dreadnought. The later Pre-Dreadnoughts did not take a major role in conflicts. Ultimately, most Pre-Dreadnoughts were gone by the end of the 1920s, having been scrapped or expended as targets.

The United States’ first Dreadnought, USS South Carolina (BB-26), was a revolutionary ship due to her superfiring Main Battery. Nevertheless, the United States quickly built new and more modern Battleships, making the earlier Dreadnoughts obsolete in comparison. The “Standard Type” Battleships, which were a group of Battleships that had similar speed and armor characteristics, begin with the Nevada Class Battleships, they encompass 6 Battleship Classes and ultimately end with the cancellation of the South Dakota (1920) Class Battleships. These “Standard Type” Battleships were backbone of the United States’ Battleship fleet throughout the 1920s and 1930s, until the Fast Battleships were introduced.

The North Carolina Class was commissioned in 1941, the first American Fast Battleships. The South Dakota Class is notably an improvement, fitting more armor with reduced displacement over the North Carolina Class, albeit at the cost of a bit of speed. The pinnacle of American Battleships is the Iowa Class, completely unrestricted of any tonnage limitations like many Battleships previously were. The United States does design another Battleship Class, the Montana Class, however, due to the necessity of Battleships being questioned, the Class is canceled before any of the planned ships are laid down.

The United States didn’t put too much emphasis on Battlecruisers, although a Class of Battlecruisers was ordered in the late 1910s, the Lexington Class, however, due to the Washington Naval Treaty, the Class had to be canceled.