Pennsylvania-class (battleship)
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| Pennsylvania class | |
| Type: | Battleship |
| Identification numbers: | BB-38 to BB-39 |
| Predecessor: | Nevada class |
| Successor: | New Mexico class |
| Ships: |
USS Pennsylvania (BB-38) USS Arizona (BB-39) |
| Technical specifications | |
| displacement | 31,400 tons |
| length | 185.00 m |
| width | 29.6 meters |
| Draft: | 9.0 m |
| Top speed: | 21 kn |
| Crew: | 915 |
| Armament: | 12 × 14 in (356 mm) 45 cal. In four triplet towers 22 × 5 in (127 mm) 51 cal. (Eleven on each side of the ship) Later reduced to: 14 × 5 in (127 mm) 51 cal. |
The Pennsylvania-class was a class of United States Navy battleships that were built during World War I and remained in service until the end of World War II . The class consisted of the USS Pennsylvania (BB-38) and the USS Arizona (BB-39) .
They were a modified version of the Nevada-class and differed from it by two additional 14-in (356-mm) 45-cal. Guns, an increased length and a higher displacement. The top speed was also half a knot higher. Several secondary guns on the side of the two ships were soon removed because they were in awkward positions and were constantly exposed to the salt water . Both ships were built on the east coast of the USA .
The ships served in the West Atlantic from 1916 to 1918 and came to Europe shortly after the armistice. The two battleships were part of the backbone of the United States Navy . Significant structural changes were made from 1929 to 1931: for example, instead of the previous lattice masts, new tripod masts were erected for fire control stations, aircraft catapults were installed, the tilt angle of the main guns was increased to ensure greater range, the secondary guns were modernized and the armor was modernized reinforced. The Pennsylvania was a decade until the outbreak of war, the flagship of the US Navy.
Both ships were in Pearl Harbor during the Japanese attack on December 7, 1941 . During the attack, the Arizona was destroyed by a huge explosion after an aerial bomb fell between towers 1 and 2 and detonated the front ammunition chambers. Most of the victims of the attack on Pearl Harbor were on this ship. The Arizona was completely destroyed and, unlike many other ships, could no longer be lifted. Today the wreck serves as a memorial for the victims. On the Pennsylvania lying in dry dock , there was some minor damage, several sailors were killed.
During the war, the Pennsylvania was involved in the support of various landing operations in the Pacific and fought in the last great naval battle on the Surigao Strait . In August 1945, the ship's propulsion system was irreparably damaged by a torpedo hit. Because of this, she was the target of a nuclear test with other damaged ships in 1946 and was finally sunk two years later.
The Pennsylvania class was part of the "standard type battleship" concept of the USA, which provided for a relative uniformity of the battleships in order to simplify maneuvers. For example, different tactics and positions did not have to be developed in order to adapt them to different armaments and speeds. The tactics could be standardized and transferred to other classes. The other classes of this concept were the Nevada class , Tennessee class , New Mexico class, and the Colorado class .
