The United States Navy began the construction of battleships with USS Texas in 1892, although its first ship to be designated as such was USS Indiana. USS Texas and USS Maine, commissioned three years later in 1895, were part of the New Navy program of the late 19th century, a proposal by then Secretary of the Navy William H. Hunt to match Europe’s navies .
By the start of the 20th century, the United States Navy had in service or under construction the three Illinois-class and two Kearsarge-class battleships, making the United States the world’s fifth strongest power at sea from a nation that had been 12th in 1870.
Except for Kearsarge, named by an act of Congress, all U.S. Navy battleships have been named for states. Until July 1920, U.S. Navy Battleships did not officially have the “BB” series hull numbers for Battleships.
U.S. Navy battleship construction began with the keel laying of the USS Maine in 1888 and ended with the suspension of the incomplete Kentucky (BB-66) in 1947. During this almost six-decade-long era, 59 battleships of 23 different basic designs (or “classes”) were completed for the Navy. Another twenty battleships and battle cruisers (three more “classes”) were begun or planned, but not completed.
These Battleships can be conveniently divided into the following main groups:
- Two experimental second-class battleships, of about 6000 tons, begun in the late 1880s (Maine and Texas);
- Twenty-five battleships (eight “classes”) with mixed main batteries of large and medium caliber guns, ranging in size from about 10,000 tons to 16,000 tons, begun from 1891 to 1905;
- Twenty-nine battleships (eleven “classes”) and six battle cruisers (one “class”) with “all-big-gun” main batteries, begun between 1906 and 1919 and ranging from 16,000 tons to over 42,000 tons (including seven battleships and six battle cruisers cancelled in 1922);
- Seventeen faster big-gun 35,000-60,500 ton battleships (four “classes”) begun in 1937-41 (including seven 45,000-60,500 ton ships cancelled or suspended in 1943-47).
Gun caliber, as well as ship size, grew steadily, from ten inches in Maine to sixteen inches in the ships finished in the ‘Twenties and afterwards. Effective gunnery range also increased, from a few thousand yards to about twenty miles.
No American battleship has ever been lost at sea, though four were sunk during the attack on Pearl Harbor. Of these, only USS Arizona (BB-39) and USS Oklahoma (BB-37) were permanently destroyed.
In October 2006, the last battleships, (USS Iowa and USS Wisconsin), were stricken from the Naval Registry.
Second Class Battleships
Hull | Name | Class | Commisioned | Decommisioned | Status |
-- | USS Texas | Second | 15-08-1895 | 1912 | Sunk as target ship, 21–22 March 1912 |
-- | USS Maine | Second | 17-09-1895 | 1912 | Sunk by a explosion in Havana Harbor, 15 february 1898 |
Pre-Dreadnought Battleships
Pre-dreadnoughts were battleships built from the 1880s to the early 1900s. Their designs were conceived before the appearance of the HMS Dreadnougt of the Royal Navy in 1906. Their classification as “pre-dreadnought” is retrospectively applied. The pre-dreadnought battleships were the pre-eminent warships of their time and replace the ironclad battleships of the 1870s and 1880s.
Hull | Name | Class | Commisioned | Decommisioned | Status |
BB-01 | USS Indiana | Indiana class | 10-11-1895 | 31-01-1919 | Sunk as target ship, 1 November 1920. Sold for scrap, 19 March 1924 |
BB-02 | USS Massachusetts | Indiana class | 10-06-1896 | 31-03-1919 | Scuttled 6 January 1920 |
BB-03 | USS oregon | Indiana class | 15-07-1896 | 12-06-1919 | Sold for scrap, 15 March 1956 |
BB-04 | USS Iowa | Iowa class | 16-06-1897 | 31-03-1919 | Sunk as a target ship, 23 March 1923 |
BB-05 | USS Kearsarge | Kearsarge class | 20-02-1900 | 10-05-1920 | Sold for scrap, 5 August 1955 |
BB-06 | USS Kentucky | Kearsarge class | 15-05-1900 | 29-05-1920 | Sold for scrap, 24 March 1923 |
BB-07 | USS Illinois | Illinois class | 16-09-1901 | 15-05-1920 | Sold for scrap, 18 May 1956 |
BB-08 | USS Alabama | Illinois class | 16-10-1900 | 07-05-1920 | Sunk as a target ship, 27 September 1921, Sold for scap, 19 March 1924 |
BB-09 | USS Wisconsin | Illinois class | 04-02-1901 | 15-05-1920 | Sold for scarp, January 1922 |
BB-10 | USS Maine | Maine class | 29-12-1902 | 15-05-1920 | Sold for scrap, Januari 1922 |
BB-11 | USS Missouri | Maine class | 01-12-1903 | 08-09-1919 | Sold for scrap, Januari 1922 |
BB-12 | USS Ohio | Main class | 04-10-1904 | 31-05-1922 | Sold for scrap, March 1923 |
BB-13 | USS Virginia | Virginia class | 17-05-1906 | 30-08-1920 | Sunk as a target ship, 5 September 1923 |
BB-14 | USS Nebraska | Virginia class | 01-07-1907 | 02-07-1920 | Sold for scrap, 1922 |
BB-15 | USS Georgia | Virginia class | 24-09-1906 | 15-07-1920 | Sold for scrap, November 1923 |
BB-16 | USS New Jersey | Virginia class | 12-05-1906 | 06-08-1920 | Sunk as a target ship, 5 September 1923 |
BB-17 | USS Rhode island | Virginia class | 19-02-1906 | 30-06-1920 | Sold for scrap, 1 November 1923 |
BB-18 | USS Connecticut | Connecticut class | 29-09-1906 | 01-03-1923 | Sold for scrap, 1 November 1923 |
BB-19 | USS Louisiana | Connecticut class | 02-06-1906 | 20-10-1920 | Sold for scrap, 1 November 1923 |
BB-20 | USS Vermont | Connecticut class | 04-03-1907 | 30-06-1920 | Sold for scrap, 30 November 1923 |
BB-21 | USS Kansas | Connecticut class | 18-04-1907 | 16-12-1921 | Sold for scrap, August 1923 |
BB-22 | USS Minnesota | Connecticut class | 09-03-1907 | 01-12-2921 | Sold for scrap, 1924 |
BB-23 | USS Mississipi | Mississipi class | 01-02-1908 | 10-07-1914 | Sold to Greece (Kilkis), 8 July 1914, Sunk on 23 April 1941 |
BB-24 | USS Idaho | Mississipi class | 01-04-1908 | 1914 | Sold to Greece (Limnos), 1914, Sunk on 23 April 1941 |
BB-25 | USS New Hampshire | Connecticut class | 19-03-1908 | 21-05-1921 | Sold for scrap, November 1923 |
Illinois class
Maine class
Virginia class
Connecticut class
Connecticut class
Connecticut class
Mississippi class
Dreadnought Battleships
In the early 20th century, the dreadnoughts ruled the seas. These ships were next generation, powerful battleships that made anything prior obsolete. The concept was created by the Brittish, with the Royal Navy’s HMS Dreadnought. The meaning of Dreadnought is “fear nothing”. This ship changed battleship design forever.
Hull | Name | Class | Commisioned | Decommisioned | Status |
BB-26 | USS South Carolina | South Carolina | 01-03-1910 | 15-12-1921 | Sold for scrap, 24 April 1924 |
BB-27 | USS Michigan | South Carolina | 04-01-1910 | 11-02-1922 | Sold for scrap, 1923 |
BB-28 | USS Delaware | Delaware class | 04-04-1910 | 10-11-1923 | Sold for scrap, 1924 |
BB-29 | USS North Dakota | Delaware class | 11-04-1910 | 22-11-1923 | Sold for scrap, 1931 |
BB-30 | USS Florida | Florida class | 15-09-1911 | 15-02-1931 | Sold for scrap, 1931 |
BB-31 | USS Utah | Florida class | 31-08-1911 | 05-09-1944 | Sunk at Pearl Harbor |
BB-32 | USS Wyoming | Wyoming class | 25-09-1912 | 01-08-1947 | Sold for scrap, 30 October 1947 |
BB-33 | USS Arkansas | Wyoming class | 17-09-1912 | 29-07-1946 | Sunk on 25 Juli 1946 as part of operation crossroads |
BB-34 | USS New York | New York class | 15-05-1914 | 29-08-1946 | Sunk as a target ship, 1948 |
BB-35 | USS Texas | New York class | 12-03-1914 | 21-04-1948 | Permanent museum ship in Houston, Texas |
South Carolina class
Florida class
Standard type Battleships
The Standard-type battleship was a series of thirteen battleships across five classes ordered for the United States Navy between 1911 and 1916 and commissioned between 1916 and 1923. These were considered super-dreadnoughts. Each vessel was produced with a series of progressive innovations. Soe vessels were canceled while under construction (due to the Washington Naval Treaty in 1922). On 7 December 1941 during World War II, eight bettleships were at Pearl Harbor, one at Bremerton, Washington, and three were assigned to the Atlantic Fleet.
Hull | Name | Class | Commisioned | Decommisioned | Status |
BB-36 | USS Nevada | Nevada class | 11-03-1916 | 29-08-1946 | Sunk on 31 Juli 1946 as part of operation crossroads |
BB-37 | USS Oklahoma | Nevada class | 02-05-1916 | 01-09-1944 | Sunk at Pearl harbor |
BB-38 | USS Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | 12-06-1916 | 29-08-1946 | Scuttled up after operation Crossroads on 10 February 1948 |
BB-39 | USS Arizona | Pennsylvania | 11-04-1910 | 22-11-1923 | Sold for scrap, 1931 |
BB-40 | USS New Mexico | New Mexico | 20-05-1918 | 19-07-1946 | Sold for scrap, November 1947 |
BB-41 | USS Mississippi | New Mexico | 18-12-1917 | 17-09-1956 | Sold for scrap, 1956 |
BB-42 | USS Idaho | New Mexico | 20-03-1919 | 03-07-1946 | Sold for scrap, 24 November 1947 |
BB-43 | USS Tennessee | Tennessee class | 03-06-1920 | 14-02-1947 | Sold for scrap, July 1959 |
BB-44 | USS California | Tennessee class | 10-08-1921 | 14-02-1947 | Sold for scrap, July 1959 |
BB-45 | USS Colorado | Colorado class | 30-08-1923 | 07-01-1947 | Sold for scrap, 23 July 1959 |
BB-46 | USS Maryland | Colorado class | 21-07-1921 | 03-04-1947 | Sold for scrap, 8 July 1959 |
BB-47 | USS Washington | Colorado class | -- | -- | Sunk as target, 25 November 1924 |
BB-48 | USS West Virginia | Colorado class | 01-12-1923 | 09-01-1947 | Sold for scrap, 24 August 1959 |
BB-49 | USS South Dakota | South Dakota | -- | -- | Sold for scrap before launch, 25 October 1923 |
BB-50 | USS Indiana | South Dakota | -- | -- | Sold for scrap before launch, 25 October 1923 |
BB-51 | USS Montana | South Dakota | -- | -- | Sold for scrap before launch, 25 October 1923 |
BB-52 | USS North Carolina | South Dakota | -- | -- | Sold for scrap before launch, 25 October 1923 |
BB-53 | USS Iowa | South Dakota | -- | -- | Sold for scrap before launch, 8 November 1923 |
BB-54 | USS Massachusetts | South Dakota | -- | -- | Sold for scrap before launch, 8 November 1923 |
Nevada class
Tennessee class
Colorado class
Colorado class
South Dakota class
Fast type Battleships
Hull | Name | Class | Commisioned | Decommisioned | Status |
BB-55 | USS North Carolina | North Carolina | 09-04-1941 | 27-06-1947 | Permanent museum ship in Wilmington, North Carolina |
BB-56 | USS Washington | North Carolina | 15-05-1941 | 27-06-1947 | Sold for scrap, 24 May 1961 |
BB-57 | USS South Dakota | South Dakota | 20-03-1942 | 31-01-1947 | Sold for scrap, 1962 |
BB-58 | USS Indiana | South Dakota | 30-04-1942 | 11-09-1947 | Sold for scrap, 1963 |
BB-59 | USS Massachusetts | South Dakota | 12-05-1942 | 27-03-1947 | Permanent museum ship at Battleship Cove |
BB-60 | USS Alabama | South Dakota | 16-08-1942 | 09-01-1947 | Permanent museum ship at Battleship Memorial Park |
BB-61 | USS Iowa | Iowa class | 22-02-1943 | 26-10-1990 | Permanent museum ship at the Pacific Battleship Center, Los Angeles |
BB-62 | USS New Jersey | Iowa class | 23-05-1943 | 08-02-1991 | Permanent museum ship at Camden, New Jersey |
BB-63 | USS Missouri | Iowa class | 11-06-1944 | 26-02-1955 | Permanent museum ship at Pearl harbor |
BB-64 | USS Wisconsin | Iowa class | 16-04-1944 | 30-09-1991 | Permanent museum ship in Norfolk, Virginia. |
BB-65 | USS Illinois | Iowa class | -- | -- | Never completed, dismantled on slipway |
BB-66 | USS Kentucky | Iowa class | -- | -- | Never completed, Sold for scrapping 31 October 1958 |
-- | -- | Montana class | -- | -- | All cancelled in 1943 before being laid down |
References:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_battleships_of_the_United_States_Navy
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Navy_ships
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_Navy_ships