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Wednesday 19 October 2016

American battleship USS Iowa (BB-4) 1893-1923

USS Iowa

Kearsage-class

First seagoing battleship of the US Navy. Preceded by the Indiana-class and succeeded by the Kearsage-class. Building by Congress approved on 19 July 1892, laid down at William Cramp&Son, Philadelphia, USA on 5 August 1893, launched by M.L Drake on 28 March 1896, commissioned on 16 June 1897, refitted 11 June 1899, decommissioned 30 June-23 December 1903, part of the reserve since 6 July 1907, fitted out with a new cage mainmast, decommissioned on 2 May 1910, served as training ship, decommissioned on 27 May 1914, limited decommissioned on 28 April 1917, used as receiving ship at Philadelphia for a half year and then serving at Hampton Roads as training and guard ship, decommissioned on 31 March 1919, renamed Coast Battleship No. 4 on 30 April 1919, used as radio-controlled target ship, sunk during gun tests in 1923 in the Gulf of Panama and stricken on 27 March 1923. Building costs 3 million US dollars.

Displacement 11.538 tons and as dimensions 110 (waterline)-110,49 (over all) x 22,02 x 8,5 (maximum) metres or 360-362.6 x 72.3 x 28 feet. The machinery consisted of 2 vertical triple expansion reciprocating engines delivering 11.000 ihp allowing with the two screws a speed of 17 knots. Her crew numbered 683 men. The Harvey steel made armour consisted of a 10,2/4“-35,6/14” thick belt, a7,6cm/3” deck, with the main gun turrets, secondary gun turrets, barbettes and conning tower protected by respectively 38,1cm/15”-43,2cm/17”, 10,2cm/4”-20,3cm/8”, 31,8cm/12.5”-38,1cm/15” and 25,4cm/10”. The armament consisted of 2x2-30cm/12” /35 cal guns, 4x2-20cm/8.8” /35 cal guns, 6-10,2cm/4” /40 cal guns, 20-6pd guns, 4-1pd guns and 4-6pd saluting guns.