Translate

Friday 21 October 2016

American battleship USS Illinois (BB-7) 1897-1956

Kearsage-class

Illinois-class

Maine-class

Part of the Illinois-class consisting of the Illinois, Alabama and Wisconsin. Preceded by the Kearsage-class and succeeded by the Maine-class. Laid down at Newport News Shipbuilding Company, Newport News, Virginia, USA on 10 February 1897, launched by Miss Nancy Leiter on 4 October 1898, commissioned on 16 September 1901, training ship since 1912, lent to the State of New York on behalf of th New York States Militia in 1919, decommissioned on 15 May 1920, converted into a floating armoury in 1924, renamed Prairie State and reclassified as IX-15 on 8 January 1941, barracks ship after Second World War, stricken on 26 March 1956 and sold to the Bethlehem Steel Company be broken up on 18 May 1955. 

Displacement 11.751 (design)-12.450 (full load) tons and as dimensions 112 (waterline)-114,40 (over all) x 22,02 x 7,16 metres or 368-375.4 x 72.3 x 23.6 feet. The original heavy military masts were in 1909 replaced by cage masts. The machinery consisted of 2 triple expansion steam engines and 8 coal fuelled fire tube boilers supplying b=via 2 shafts 10.000 ihp allowing a speed of 16 (design) knots. Coal bunker capacity 1.280 tons allowing a range of 4.190 nautical miles with a speed of 10 knots. Crew numbered 536 (included 40 officers)-713 men. The Harvey armour consisted of a 10/4”-42cm/16.5” thick belt with the gun turrets, barbettes, casemates and conning tower protected by respectively 36cm/14”, 38cm/15”, 15cm/6” and 25cm/10” thick armour. The armament consisted of 2x2-33cm/13” /35 cal guns, 14-15,2cm/6” /40 cal guns, 16-5,7cm/2.2”/6pd guns, 6-3,7cm/1.5”/1pd guns and 4-46cm/18” torpedo tubes.