Jump to content

USS Nevada (BB-36)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Numbo3-bot (talk | contribs) at 17:49, 26 June 2009 (robot Adding: vi:USS Nevada (BB-36)). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

For other ships with the same name, see USS Nevada.
USS Nevada
Nevada underway off the Atlantic coast of the United States on 17 September 1944
History
US
NameUSS Nevada (BB-36)[4]
NamesakeNevada[4]
Ordered4 March 1911[3]
Awarded22 January 1912[3]
BuilderFore River Shipbuilding Company[3]
Cost$5,895,000[3]
Laid down4 November 1912[4]
Launched11 July 1914[2]
Commissioned11 March 1916[4]
Decommissioned29 August 1946[4]
Refitlist error: <br /> list (help)
February–October 1942
July–November 1943
Stricken12 August 1948[5]
Nickname(s)"Cheer Up Ship"[1]
Honors and
awards		7 battle stars, World War II[4]
FateSunk as a target 31 July 1948[5]
General characteristics
Class and typeNevada-class battleship
Displacementlist error: <br /> list (help)
(in 1916) 27,500 t[8][9]
(after WWII overhaul) 30,500 t[6]
Length583 ft (178 m)[8]
Beam95 ft 2.5[9]–3 in[8] (26 m)
Draft28 ft 6 in[4][9] (8.7 m)
Propulsionlist error: <br /> list (help)
Geared[8] Curtis turbines[3][9] generating 24,800 horsepower[10]
two shafts
Speed(designed) 20.5 knots (24 mph; 38 km/h)[8]
Endurancelist error: <br /> list (help)
(designed)
8,000 nautical miles (9,206 mi; 14,816 km) at 10 knots (12 mph; 19 km/h)[6]
(in service)
5,120 nautical miles (5,892 mi; 9,482 km) at 12 knots (14 mph; 22 km/h)
or
1,931 nautical miles (2,222 mi; 3,576 km) at 20 knots (23 mph; 37 km/h)[6]
Capacity2,000 tons of fuel oil[10]
Complementlist error: <br /> list (help)
(as built) 864 officers and men[11]
(1929) 1,398[7]
(1945) 2,220[7]
Armamentlist error: <br /> list (help)
(as built): 10 × 14-inch (356 mm)/45-caliber guns (2 × 3, 2 × 2 superfiring)[6][11][7]
21 × 5-inch (127 mm)/51-caliber guns in single casemate mountings (21 × 1; ten each beam, one in the stern)[6][11][7][A 1]
2 or 4 × 21 inch (53 cm) torpedo tubes (beam, submerged) (true number is unknown; see [A 2])
Armourlist error: <br /> list (help)
Belt: 13.5–8 in[6][7]
Bulkheads: 13–8 in[6][7]
Barbettes: 13 in[6][7]
Turrets: 18 in[6][7]
Decks: 5 in[6][7]
Aircraft carriedlist error: <br /> list (help)
(as built) 3 floatplanes, 2 catapults[7]
(1942) 2 floatplanes, 1 catapult[7]

USS Nevada (BB-36), the second United States Navy ship to be named after the 36th state, was the lead ship of the two Nevada-class battleships; her sister ship was Oklahoma. Launched in 1914, the Nevada was a leap forward in dreadnought technology; three of her new features would be included on almost every subsequent U.S. battleship: gun turrets with three guns,[A 3] oil in place of coal for fuel, and the "all or nothing" armor principle. These features made Nevada the first U.S. Navy "super-dreadnought".

Nevada served in both World Wars: during the last few months of World War I, Nevada was based in Bantry Bay, Ireland, to protect the supply convoys that were sailing to and from Great Britain. In World War II, she was one of the battleships trapped when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. She was the only battleship to get underway during the attack, making the ship "the only bright spot in an otherwise dismal and depressing morning" for the United States.[12] Still, she was hit by one torpedo and at least six bombs while steaming away from Battleship Row, forcing her to be beached. Subsequently salvaged and modernized at Puget Sound Navy Yard, Nevada served as a convoy escort in the Atlantic and as a fire-support ship in four amphibious assaults: the Normandy Landings and the invasions of Southern France, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa.

At the end of World War II, the Navy decided that Nevada was too old to be retained, so they assigned her to be a target ship in the atomic experiments that were going to be conducted at Bikini Atoll in July 1946 (Operation Crossroads). After being hit by two atomic bombs, she was still afloat but heavily damaged and radioactive. She was decommissioned on 29 August 1946 and sunk during naval gunfire practice on 31 July 1948.

Design

Profile of Nevada before her 1927 refit
Division of Naval Intelligence identification sheet depicting Nevada after her 1942 repair and modernization

Being both the first second-generation battleship[13] and the first "super-dreadnought" in the U.S. Navy, Nevada has been described as "revolutionary"[13][14] and "as radical as Dreadnought was in her day"[15] by present-day historians. At the time of her completion in 1916,[A 4] The New York Times remarked that the new warship was "the greatest [battleship] afloat"[16] because she was so much larger than other contemporary American battleships: her tonnage was nearly three times as great as that of the obsolete 1890 pre-dreadnought Oregon, almost two times as great as that of the 1904 battleship Connecticut, and almost 8,000 tons (7,257 tonnes) greater than that of one of the first American dreadnoughts, Delaware, which had been built just seven years prior to Nevada.[16]

Nevada was the first battleship in the U.S. Navy to have triple gun turrets,[13][17][A 5] a single funnel,[18] and oil-fired steam power plants.[16][19] In particular, using oil gave the ship an engineering advantage over the earlier coal-fired plants,[12] as oil is much more efficient than coal because it yields "a far greater steaming radius for a given amount of fuel". The ability to steam great distances without refueling was a major concern of the General Board at that time. In 1903, the Board felt all American battleships should have a minimum steaming radius of 6,000 mi (9,656 km) so that the U.S. could enforce the Monroe Doctrine. One of the main purposes of the Great White Fleet, which sailed around the world in 1907–1908, was to prove to Japan that the U.S. Navy could "carry any naval conflict into Japanese home waters". Possibly as a result of this, battleships after 1908 were mainly designed to "steam 8,000 miles at cruising speeds"; given the distance between San Pedro, where the fleet would be based, and Manila, where the Fleet was expected to have to fight under War Plan Orange, was 6,550 nmi[20] (12,100 km, 7,500 mi), endurance was obviously a major concern for the U.S. Navy.[21][22] Also, oil allowed for the boiler-room crew to be reduced[23] —the engineer on the Delaware estimated that 100 firemen (stokers) and 112 coal passers could be adequately replaced by just 24 men, which would allow some crew quarters to be eliminated; this would save weight and also reduce the amount of fresh water and provisions that the ship would have to carry.[24]

In addition to all of this, Nevada had maximum armor over critical areas, such as the magazines and engines, and none over less-important places, even though previous battleships had armor of varying thickness depending on the importance of the area it was protecting. This radical change became known as the "all or nothing" principle, which most major navies later adopted for their own battleships.[17][19][25] With this new armor scheme, the armor on the battleship was increased to 41.1% of the displacement.[26]

As a result of all of these design modifications from previous battleships, Nevada was the first of the so-called "Standard" type of battleship.[27] "Standards" were characterized by the use of oil fuel, the "all or nothing" armor scheme, and the arrangement of the main armament in four triple or twin turrets without any turrets located in the middle of the ship.[28]

The two battleships of the Nevada-class were virtually identical except in their propulsion. Nevada and her sister were fitted with different engines to compare the two, putting them 'head-to-head': Oklahoma received older vertical triple expansion engines, while Nevada received Curtis steam turbines.[3][9][A 6]

Construction and trials

Nevada during her running trials in early 1916

Nevada's construction was authorized by an Act of Congress on 4 March 1911. The contract went to Fore River Shipbuilding Company on 22 January 1912 for a total of $5,895,000[A 7] (not including the armor and armament), and the time of construction was originally to be 36 months. A secondary contract was signed on 31 July 1912 for $50,000[A 8] to cover the additional cost of a geared cruising unit on each propeller shaft; this also extended the planned construction time by five months.[3] Her keel was laid down on 4 November 1912, and by 12 August 1914, the ship was 72.4% complete.[29] Nevada was launched on 11 July 1914; she was sponsored by Miss Eleanor Anne Seibert, niece of Governor Tasker Oddie of Nevada and a descendant of the first Secretary of the Navy, Benjamin Stoddert.[4][2] The launch was attended by several prominent members of the government, including Governor Oddie, Governor David I. Walsh of Massachusetts, Senator Key Pittman of Nevada, Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels and Assistant Secretary of the Navy Franklin D. Roosevelt,[2] who would later become the 32nd President of the United States.

Nevada then had to undergo many different tests and trials prior to her commissioning to ensure that she met the terms of the original contract. These began on 4 November 1915, when the ship conducted a twelve-hour endurance run "up and down the New England coast", reaching a top speed of 21.4 knots (24.6 mph; 39.6 km/h).[30] Though her "acceptance trials" were interrupted on 5 November because of a gale and rough seas, they were continued on the 6th with a test of her fuel economy; this consisted of a twenty-four hour run where the Nevada steamed at 10 kn (12 mph; 19 km/h).[31] The test results were positive: the oil consumption of the battlewagon was 6 lb per knot lower than the contract had demanded. Another test was conducted for twelve hours at 15 kn (17 mph; 28 km/h), with an even better result of 10 lb per knot lower than the contract specifications.[32] After completing all of these tests and running trials off Rockland, Maine,[18] Nevada sailed to the Boston and New York Navy Yards for equipment, torpedo tubes and ammunition hoists.[33] When all of the preliminaries were completed, Nevada was commissioned on 11 March 1916 at the Charlestown Navy Yard, and William S. Sims was the first captain of the new ship.[34]

World War I

The stern of Nevada during WWI.

After fitting out in the Boston and New York Navy Yards, Nevada joined the Atlantic Fleet in Newport, Rhode Island, on 26 May 1916. Prior to the United States' entry into World War I, she conducted many training cruises and underwent many exercises out of her base in Norfolk, Virginia, sailing as far south as the Caribbean on these cruises.[25] The U.S. entered the war in 1917, but the Nevada was not sent to the other side of the Atlantic because of a shortage of fuel oil in Britain.[35] Instead, four coal-burning battleships of Battleship Division Nine (Delaware, Florida, Wyoming, and New York) departed the U.S. to join the British Grand Fleet on 25 November 1917. They arrived on 7 December and were designated as the 6th Battle Squadron of the Grand Fleet.[36][37][38][39] Texas joined them after damage from a grounding on Block Island was repaired; she departed 30 January and arrived in Scotland on 11 February.[40] It was not until 13 August 1918 that Nevada left the U.S. for Britain,[4] becoming the last American ship to join the Fleet.[41]

After a ten-day voyage, she arrived in Berehaven, Ireland, on 23 August.[4] Along with Utah and her sister Oklahoma, the three were nicknamed the "Bantry Bay Squadron";[42] officially, they were Battleship Division 6 under the command of Rear Admiral Thomas S. Rodgers, who chose Utah as his flagship.[43][44] For the rest of World War I, the three ships operated from the bay, escorting the large and valuable convoys bound for the British Isles to ensure no German heavy surface ships could slip past the British Grand Fleet and annihilate the merchant ships and their weak escorts of older cruisers.[43][44][45] This never came to pass, and the war ended on 11 November with Nevada not getting a chance to engage an enemy during the war.[25][A 9]

On 13 December, ten battleships, including Nevada,[A 10] and twenty-eight destroyers escorted the ocean liner George Washington, with President Woodrow Wilson embarked, into Brest, France, during the last day of Wilson's journey to the country so he could attend the Paris Peace Conference. Though it was originally planned for the flotilla to meet George Washington and her escorts (Pennsylvania and four destroyers) 1,500 mi (2,414 km) out of Brest,[46] it was changed; the other nine battleships and 24 destroyers instead met the President "a short distance" away from Brest and escorted him into port from there.[47] The ten battleships sailed for home at 1400 on the next day, 14 December.[48] They took less than two weeks to cross the Atlantic, and arrived in New York on 26 December to parades and celebrations.[41]

Interwar years

Nevada in drydock at Pearl Harbor Navy Yard, c. 1935

Between the two World Wars, Nevada served in both the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets.[4] Though she had originally been equipped with 21 5"/51 caliber guns to defend against enemy destroyers,[19] this number was reduced to twelve in 1918,[49] due to the overly wet bow and stern positions of the other nine.[19]

Along with Arizona, Nevada represented the United States at the Peruvian Centennial Exposition in July 1921.[50] A year later, in company with Maryland this time, she returned to South America as an escort to the steamer Pan America with Secretary of State Charles Evans Hughes embarked; they all attended the Centennial of Brazilian Independence in Rio de Janeiro, celebrated on 5–11 September 1922.[4][51][52] The New York Times later credited the crew of Nevada for bringing baseball and that sport's unique terminology to Brazil, allowing the country to "make the Yankee game an institution of their own".[53] Three years later, from July to September 1925, Nevada took part in the U.S. Fleet's "goodwill cruise" to Australia and New Zealand. During this cruise, the ships had only limited replenishment opportunities, but they still made it to Australia and back without undue difficulty.[54] This demonstrated to those allies and Japan that the U.S. Navy had the ability to conduct transpacific operations[4] and meet the Imperial Japanese Navy in their home waters,[54] where both Japanese and American war plans expected the "decisive battle" to be fought, if it should come.[55]

After the cruise, Nevada was modernized at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard between August 1927 and January 1930, with the exchange of her "basket" masts for tripod masts[56] and her steam turbines for those from the recently-stricken battleship North Dakota.[17] Additionally, many different adaptations and additions were made: her main guns' elevation was increased to 30° (which upped the range of the guns from 23,000 yd (21,000 m)* to 34,000 yd (31,000 m)*), anti-torpedo bulges were added, six boilers were relocated to accommodate those bulges, two catapults were added for three Vought O2U-3 Corsair biplane spotter aircraft,[57] eight 5"/25 caliber AA guns were added,[49] a new superstructure was installed, and her 5"/51 caliber secondary battery was relocated[56] into an arrangement similar to that of the New Mexico classs.[57] Nevada then served in the Pacific Fleet for the next eleven years.[56]

World War II

Attack on Pearl Harbor

Map of ships and port facilities in Pearl Harbor during the attack; click on the image for a key.

When the weekend of 6–7 December arrived, all of the Pacific Fleet's battleships were in port for the weekend for the first time since 4 July. Normally they "took turns" spending time in port—six would be out with Vice Admiral William S. Pye's battleship task force one weekend, while the next weekend would find three ranging with Vice Admiral William Halsey, Jr.'s aircraft carrier task force. However, because Halsey could not afford to take the slow 17 kn (20 mph; 31 km/h)*[A 11] battleships with his 30 kn (35 mph; 56 km/h)*[A 11] aircraft carriers with him on his dash to reinforce Wake Island's Marine detachment with additional fighters, and it was Pye's turn to rest in port and the harbor was where "it was safe", all of the battleships were not sailing on that morning.[58] When the sun rose over Nevada on the 7th, the ship's band was playing "Morning Colors"; but planes then appeared on the horizon and the attack on Pearl Harbor began.[59]

Aft of Arizona during the attack, Nevada was not moored alongside another battleship off Ford Island, and therefore was able to maneuver, unlike the other seven battleships present.[4][A 12] As her gunners opened fire and her engineers started to raise steam, a single 18 in (46 cm) Type 91 Mod 2[7] torpedo exploded against frame 41 about 14 ft (4.3 m) above the keel at 0810.[60] The torpedo bulkhead held, but leaking through joints caused flooding and a list of 4-5°.[60] Nevada corrected the list through counter-flooding and got underway at 0840,[60] her gunners already having shot down four planes.[61]

As she steamed past Ten-Ten Dock[A 13] at about 0950, Nevada was struck by five bombs. One exploded over the crew's galley at frame 80. Another struck the port director platform and exploded at the base of the stack on the upper deck. Yet another hit near number 1 turret inboard from the port waterway and blew large holes in the upper and main decks. Two struck the forecastle near frame 15; one passed out through the side of the second deck before exploding, but the other exploded within the ship near the gasoline tank; leakage and vapors from this tank caused intense fires around the ship.[60]

The gasoline fires that flared up around Turret 1 might have caused more critical damage if the main magazines had not been empty. For several days prior to the attack, all of the 14-inch gun battleships had been replacing their standard-weight, main-battery projectiles with a new heavier projectile that offered greater penetration and a larger explosive charge in exchange for a slight decrease in range. All of the older projectiles and powder charges had been removed from the magazines of Nevada, and the crew had taken a break after loading the new projectiles in anticipation of loading the new powder charges on Sunday.[62]

Nevada beached and burning at Hospital Point

As bomb damage became evident, Nevada was ordered to proceed to the west side of Ford Island to prevent her from being sunk in the channel which would "effectively cork the rest of the fleet in a bottle."[63] Instead, she was grounded off Hospital Point at 1030,[64] with the help of Hoga and Avocet,[65] though she managed to force down three planes before she hit bottom.[61]

Over the course of the morning, Nevada suffered a total of 60 killed and 109 wounded.[4] Two more men died aboard during salvage operations on 7 February 1942 when they were overcome by hydrogen sulfide gas from decomposing paper and meat.[66] The ship suffered a minimum of six bomb hits and one torpedo hit, but "it is possible that as many as ten bomb hits may have been received, [...] as certain damaged areas [were] of sufficient size to indicate that they were struck by more than one bomb."[61]

The day after the attack, the crewmen ran "repel boarders" drills with "broomsticks, baseball bats and the few small arms that were available" to practice for the expected Japanese invasion of Hawaii. During this time, they were "virtually homeless": their records were lost in the shambles left after the attack, and they were effectively reduced to begging for essentials such as food, shelter, and uniforms.[63]

Attu and D-Day

Damage from one of the bombs that hit Nevada during the attack on Pearl Harbor
Nevada supporting the landings on Utah Beach, 6 June 1944

Nevada was refloated on 12 February 1942 and underwent temporary repairs at Pearl Harbor so she could get to Puget Sound Navy Yard for a major overhaul and modernization.[67] This was completed in October 1942, and it changed the old battleship's appearance so that she resembled the South Dakota-class battleships.[68][69] Her 5"/51s and 5"/25s were replaced with sixteen 5"/38 caliber guns in new twin mounts.[49] Nevada then sailed for Alaska, where she provided fire support from 11–18 May 1943 for the capture of Attu.[4]

Nevada then departed for the Norfolk Navy Yard in June for further modernization.[4] After this was completed, Nevada went on Atlantic convoy duty.[70] Old battleships such as Nevada were attached to many convoys that were heading across the Atlantic to guard against the chance that a German capital ship might head out to sea on a convoy raiding mission. One of the convoys that Nevada protected was troop convoy UT-2. UT-2 consisted of 20 transports and troopships and was escorted by 9 destroyers, 4 fast minesweepers, a destroyer escort and Nevada all under the command of Rear Admiral Carleton F. Bryant, who also picked Nevada to be his flagship. After departing New York on 5 September, they set course for the North Channel; no contacts were made with any enemy, and the ships made it to their destination in ten days. The same ships then journeyed back to the United States in late September as Convoy TU-2.[71]

After completing more convoy runs, Nevada set sail for the United Kingdom to prepare for the Normandy Invasion, arriving in April 1944. She was chosen as Rear Admiral Morton Deyo's flagship for the operation.[72] During the invasion, Nevada supported forces ashore from 6–17 June, and again on 25 June; during this time, she employed her guns to hit permanent shore defenses on the Cherbourg Peninsula,[4] "[seeming] to lean back as [she] hurled salvo after salvo at the shore batteries."[73] Shells from her guns ranged as far as 17 mi (27 km) inland in attempts to break up German concentrations and counterattacks, even though she was straddled by counterbattery fire 27 times (though never hit).[4] Nevada was later praised for her "incredibly accurate" fire in support of beleaguered troops, as some of the targets she hit were just 600 yards from the front lines of the Allies.[74] Nevada was the only battleship present at both Pearl Harbor and the Normandy landings.[75]

Southern France and Iwo Jima

After D-Day, the Allies headed to Toulon for another amphibious assault, codenamed Operation Dragoon. To support this, many ships were sent from the beaches of Normandy to the Mediterranean, including five battleships (the United States' Nevada, Texas, Arkansas, the British Ramillies, and the Free French Lorraine), three U.S. heavy cruisers (Augusta, Tuscaloosa and Quincy), and many destroyers and landing craft were transferred south.[76]

Nevada supported this operation between 15 August and 25 September 1944, "dueling"[4] with "Big Willie": a heavily reinforced fortress with four 340 mm (13.4 in) guns in two dual turrets. These guns had been salvaged from the French battleship Provence after the scuttling of the French fleet in Toulon; the guns had a range of nearly 22 mi (35 km) and they commanded every approach to the port of Toulon. In addition, they were fortified with heavy armor plate bedded into the rocky sides of the island of Saint Mandrier. Due to these dangers, the fire-support ships assigned to the operation were ordered to level the fortress. Beginning on 19 August, and continuing on subsequent days, one or more heavy warships bombarded it in conjunction with low-level bomber strikes. On the 23rd, a bombardment force headed by Nevada struck the "most damaging" blow to the fort during a 6½ hour battle, which saw 354 salvos fired by Nevada. Toulon fell on the 25th, but the fort, though it was "coming apart at the seams", held out for three more days.[77][78]

Nevada bombarding Iwo Jima, 19 February 1945

Nevada then headed to New York to have her gun barrels relined.[4] In addition, her 14"/45 caliber guns from turret 1 were replaced with the Mark 8 guns from turret 2 of Arizona; these new guns were relined to Mark 12 specifications.[79][80] After that was completed, she sailed for the Pacific, arriving off Iwo Jima on 16 February 1945[4] to "[prepare] the island for invasion with heavy bombardment";[81] which she did through 7 March.[4] During the invasion, she moved to be within 600 yd (549 m) from shore to provide maximum firepower for the troops that were advancing.[74]

Okinawa and Japan

On 24 March 1945, Nevada joined Task Force 54 (TF 54), the "Fire Support Force", off Okinawa as pre-invasion bombardment began. The ships of TF 54 then moved into position on the night of the 23rd, beginning their bombardment missions at dawn on the 24th.[82] Along with the rest of the force, Nevada shelled Japanese airfields, shore defenses, supply dumps, and troop concentrations.[4] However, after the fire support ships retired for the night, dawn "came up like thunder" when seven kamikazes attacked the force while it was without air cover. One plane, though hit repeatedly by antiaircraft fire from the force, crashed onto the main deck of Nevada, next to turret No. 3. It killed 11 and wounded 49; it also knocked out both 14" guns in that turret and three 20 mm (.79 in) antiaircraft weapons.[83] Another two men were lost to fire from a shore battery on 5 April. Until 30 June, she was stationed off Okinawa; she then departed to join the Third Fleet from 10 July to 7 August, which allowed Nevada to come within range of the Japanese home islands during the closing days of the war, though she did not bombard them.[4][A 14]

Post-war

A U.S. Navy watercolor painting by Arthur Beaumont drawn from the bridge of Arkansas after "Able"; the orange ship is Nevada.

Nevada then returned to Pearl Harbor after a brief stint of occupation duty in Tokyo Bay. Nevada was surveyed and, at 32⅓ years old, she was deemed too old to be kept in the post-war fleet.[5][56] As a result, she was assigned to be a target ship for the first Bikini atomic experiments (Operation Crossroads) of July 1946.[4] The experiment consisted of detonating two atomic bombs to test their effectiveness against ships.[84] Nevada was designated "ground zero"[85] for the first test, codenamed 'Able', which used an air-dropped weapon; as such, she was painted an "ugly"[86] reddish-orange to help the bombardier's aim. However, even with the high visibility color scheme, the bomb fell about 1,700 yd (1,600 m) off-target, exploding above the light carrier Independence instead.[86] Nevada also survived the second test—'Baker', a detonation some 90 ft (27 m) below the surface of the water — but she was damaged and extremely radioactive.[56] Nevada was then towed to Pearl Harbor and decommissioned on 29 August 1946.[4]

After she was thoroughly examined at Pearl Harbor, her final sortie came on 31 July 1948 when the battleship Iowa and two other vessels[A 15] used Nevada as a gunnery target for practice.[5][68] The three ships did not sink Nevada, so she was given a coup de grâce with an aerial torpedo hit amidships. Nevada then sank 60[86]–65 mi (97–105 km) southwest of Pearl Harbor.[5]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ The 5-inch (127 mm)/51-caliber guns were soon reduced to only 12 because of their overly wet positions. In the late 1920s, 8 × 5-inch/25-caliber anti-aircraft guns (8 x 1) were added. In 1942, all were removed and replaced by 16 × 5"/38-caliber DP mounts (8×2), and 32 × 40 mm AA (8×4) and 40 × 20 mm AA (40×1) were added. See Fitzsimons, 1982.
  2. ^ All of the sources agree that the torpedo tubes were 21 in. tubes, but they conflict as to whether Nevada had 2 or 4 torpedo tubes. For more information, see a list of the conflicting sources.
  3. ^ The only U.S. battleship class after Nevada that did not feature these "triple turrets" was the Colorado class, which carried eight 16-inch guns in dual turrets to combat the new Japanese Nagato class.
  4. ^ Although Nevada was launched in 1914, construction was not completed until 1916. For larger ships, drydocks are typically only used for work that must be done in the drydock; once the hull is complete, the ship is normally launched into the water, where the rest of the work is completed. This is normally done to free up the drydock for other work.
  5. ^ The idea for turrets with more than two guns each came from the French, as they were planning to use quadruple turrets in their planned Normandie battleships. Only one of these ships was completed, Béarn, but she was converted to an aircraft carrier. See: "Sea Fighter Nevada Ready For Her Test" (PDF). The New York Times. October 16, 1915. p. 12.
  6. ^ See this book for more information on Curtis turbines (Scroll down to the bottom of the page): Ewing, James Alfred (1910). The Steam-engine and Other Heat-engines. University Press (University of California). p. 232. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  7. ^ $5,895,000.00 would be about $130,029,903.19 today. See Measuring Worth.
  8. ^ $50,000 would be about $1,102,882.98 today. See Measuring Worth.
  9. ^ Also, at some point during her time on the eastern side of the Atlantic, Nevada apparently made a patrol through the North Sea, but sources do not give any date. See the DANFS article on Nevada and Bonner (1996), p. 102.
  10. ^ The other nine battleships were Florida, Utah, Wyoming, Arkansas, New York, Texas, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Arizona.
  11. ^ a b These were normal cruising speeds, not their top speeds.
  12. ^ Pennsylvania was in drydock at the time of the attack. Of the anchored ships on Battleship Row (in order, north to south), Nevada was moored singly; Arizona had Vestal moored outboard of her; Tennessee and West Virginia were moored together; and Maryland and Oklahoma were moored together. California was moored singly at the bottom of the "row", similar to Nevada, and should have had the ability to maneuver like Nevada did. However, California, as "she was about to undergo a material inspection [and] watertight integrity was not at its maximum" (California's DANFS entry), started settling as soon as she was hit by Japanese bombs and torpedoes. As a result, she sank soon after the attack began after being hit with just two bombs and two torpedoes. By comparison, Nevada took at least six bombs and one torpedo, and was still afloat when she was ordered to be beached by Hospital Point.
  13. ^ Named for its length, 1010 feet.
  14. ^ Samuel Eliot Morison's Victory in the Pacific describes the three following BB bombardments of Japan: South Dakota, Indiana, Massachusetts, two heavy cruisers and nine destroyers bombarded Kamaishi on 15 July 1945 (pp. 312-313), Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, two CLs and eight DDs bombarded Muroran on 16 July (pp. 313-314) and on the night of 18 July Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, North Carolina and Alabama and HMS King George V bombarded Hitachi (pp. 315-316). Richard B. Frank inDownfall. The End of the Imperial Japanese Empire lists all these bombardments on p. 157 and adds a bombardment of Hamamatsu on the night of 29-30 July by South Dakota, Indiana and Massachusetts. Nevada is not mentioned anywhere as having bombarded any of the Home Islands.
    Full citations:
    • Morison, Samuel Eliot (2002 reprint). Victory in the Pacific. Urbana: University of Illinois Press. History of United States Naval Operations in World War II. ISBN 0252070658. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |nopp= ignored (|no-pp= suggested) (help)
    • Frank, Richard B. (1999). Downfall; The End of the Imperial Japanese Empire. New York: Penguin Books. ISBN 0141001461.
  15. ^ The NVR entry for Nevada only states that Iowa, a heavy cruiser and a destroyer used her as a gunnery target. No further details are known.

References

  1. ^ Bonner (1996), p. 100
  2. ^ a b c "Launch New Dreadnought; Named the Nevada—Plans announced for Two Still Greater Ships" (PDF). The New York Times. 12 July 1914. p. C5.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Cox, Lt. Ormund L. (1916). "U.S.S. Nevada; Description and Trials". Journal of the American Society of Naval Engineers, Inc. 28: 20. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |accessdaymonth= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa "Nevada". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 1 September 2008. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dateformat= ignored (help)
  5. ^ a b c d e Nevada. Naval Vessel Register. Department of Defense. Retrieved on 1 September 2008.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Friedman (1986), p. 438
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Fitzsimons (1978), p. 1982
  8. ^ a b c d e The Battleship in the United States Navy (1970), p. 47
  9. ^ a b c d e "The Nevada Leaves Quincy" (PDF). The New York Times. 23 October 1915. p. 5.
  10. ^ a b Chisholm (1921), p. 436
  11. ^ a b c The Battleship in the United States Navy (1970), p. 46
  12. ^ a b Bonner (1996), p. 101
  13. ^ a b c Morison and Polmar (2003), p. 63
  14. ^ Gardiner and Gray (1984), p. 115
  15. ^ Worth (2002), p. 290
  16. ^ a b c "Sea Fighter Nevada Ready For Her Test" (PDF). The New York Times. 16 October 1915. p. 12.
  17. ^ a b c Pike, John (2008). "BB-36 Nevada class". GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved 1 September 2008. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dateformat= ignored (help)
  18. ^ a b "Mightiest U.S. Ship Coming" (PDF). The New York Times. 19 September 1915. p. 9.
  19. ^ a b c d "Nevada Class (BB-36 and BB-37), 1912 Building Program". Naval Historical Center. 2000. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |accessdaymonth= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  20. ^ Prange, Dillon, and Goldstein (1991), p. 217
  21. ^ Hone and Friedman (1981), p. 59
  22. ^ Friedman (1986), p. 104
  23. ^ Gardiner and Gray (1984), p. 116
  24. ^ Friedman (1986), pp. 104–105
  25. ^ a b c Bonner (1996), p. 102
  26. ^ Friedman (1978), pp. 166–167
  27. ^ Worth (2002), pp. 289–290
  28. ^ Friedman (1986), p. 101
  29. ^ "Warships Near Completion; The Nevada and the Oklahoma almost Three-fourths built" (PDF). The New York Times. November 5, 1915. p. 8.
  30. ^ "Nevada Test a Success" (PDF). The New York Times. 5 November 1915. p. 14.
  31. ^ "The Nevada Out Again" (PDF). The New York Times. 7 November 1915. p. 6.
  32. ^ "Nevada saves fuel" (PDF). The New York Times. 10 November 1915. p. 8.
  33. ^ "Nevada Meets Tests; New Superdreadnought easily fills contract requirements" (PDF). The New York Times. 8 November 1915. p. 6.
  34. ^ "The Nevada in Commission" (PDF). The New York Times. 19 September 1915. p. 12.
  35. ^ Miller (1997), p. 185
  36. ^ "Delaware". DANFS.
  37. ^ "Florida". DANFS.
  38. ^ "Wyoming". DANFS.
  39. ^ "New York". DANFS.
  40. ^ "Texas". DANFS.
  41. ^ a b "Ovation to Sea Fighters; Harbor Echoes With Greetings as Our Ships Steam In" (PDF). The New York Times. December 27, 1918. p. 1 and 4.
  42. ^ Venzon and Miles (1999), p. 755
  43. ^ a b Halpern (1995), p. 436
  44. ^ a b Russell and Moore (1921), p. 97
  45. ^ "Utah". DANFS. Retrieved 16 October 2008. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dateformat= ignored (help)
  46. ^ "Big Fleet to Meet Wilson; Ten Battleships and 28 Destroyers Will Be in Escort" (PDF). The New York Times. December 4, 1918. p. 3.
  47. ^ "Pichon to Welcome Wilson; Will Head Delegation Aboard Warships to Meet Him Off Brest" (PDF). The New York Times. December 11, 1918. p. 1.
  48. ^ "Battleship Fleet sails for New York; Ten Dreadnoughts Homebound from Brest to Join in Christmas Celebration" (PDF). The New York Times. December 15, 1918. p. 15.
  49. ^ a b c Breyer (1973), p. 210
  50. ^ Bonner (1996), pp. 102–103
  51. ^ "War Radio Service For Hughes On Trip" (PDF). The New York Times. 23 August 1922. p. 30.
  52. ^ "Hughes Arrives at Rio" (PDF). The New York Times. 6 September 1922. p. 14.
  53. ^ "Baseball in Rio a Regular Sport" (PDF). The New York Times. 31 December 1922. p. 83.
  54. ^ a b Bonner (1996), p. 103
  55. ^ Miller, Edward S. (1991). War Plan Orange: The U.S. Strategy to Defeat Japan, 1897–1945. Annapolis, MD: United States Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0870217593.
  56. ^ a b c d e "USS Nevada (Battleship # 36, later BB-36), 1916-1948". Naval Historical Center. 2007. Retrieved 1 September 2008. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dateformat= ignored (help)
  57. ^ a b Morison and Polmar (2003), p. 65
  58. ^ Lord (2001), pp. 1–2
  59. ^ "History of the Pacific Fleet Band". U.S. Navy (Pacific Fleet). 2002. Retrieved 13 October 2008. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dateformat= ignored (help)
  60. ^ a b c d Wallin (1968), p. 212
  61. ^ a b c Scanland, F.W. (1941). "USS Nevada, Report of Pearl Harbor Attack". Naval Historical Center. Retrieved 1 September 2008. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dateformat= ignored (help)
  62. ^ Sabin, L. A., Vice Admiral, USN. "Comment and Discussion", United States Naval Institute Proceedings, September 1973, 97.
  63. ^ a b Bonner (1996), p. 105
  64. ^ Wallin (1968), pp. 212–213
  65. ^ "Pearl Harbor Raid, 7 December 1941–USS Nevada during the Pearl Harbor Attack (Part II)". Navy Department, Naval Historical Center. 20 December 2000. Retrieved 8 December 2008. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dateformat= ignored (help)
  66. ^ Wallin (1968), p. 218
  67. ^ Bonner (1996), p. 106
  68. ^ a b Friedman (1985), p. 420
  69. ^ "BB-36—Nevada (Nevada–class)". Naval Recognition Manual. Division of Naval Intelligence; Identification and Characteristics Section. 1943. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |accessdaymonth= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  70. ^ The Battleship in the United States Navy (1970), 51
  71. ^ Morison (1956), p. 134
  72. ^ Morison (1948), p. 145
  73. ^ Ryan (1959), 198
  74. ^ a b Pike, John (2008). "SSBN 733 Nevada; BB 36". Global Security. Retrieved 28 October 2008. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dateformat= ignored (help)
  75. ^ Ryan (1959), 90
  76. ^ Morison (1963), p. 414
  77. ^ Karig, Burton and Freeland (1946), p. 386–387
  78. ^ Burton, Earl (2004). "The Other D-Day: The Invasion Of Southern France". Sea Classics. 37 (9): 60–70. PMID 37452. Retrieved 2009-06-23. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  79. ^ DiGiulian, Tony (27 March 2008). "14"/45 (35.6 cm) Marks 8, 9, 10 and 12". Navweaps.com. Retrieved 9 October 2008. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dateformat= ignored (help)
  80. ^ Campbell (1985), p. 123
  81. ^ "CINCPOA Communique No. 264, 19 February 1945". HyperWar. 1945. Retrieved 3 September 2008. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dateformat= ignored (help)
  82. ^ Morison (2001), p. 131
  83. ^ Morison (2001), p. 133
  84. ^ "Operation Crossroads: Bikini Atoll". Naval Historical Center. 2001. Retrieved 2 September 2008. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dateformat= ignored (help)
  85. ^ Bonner (1996), p. 107
  86. ^ a b c Bonner (1996), p. 108

Bibliography

Further reading

  • Barry, James H. (1946). William S. Wyatt (ed.). USS Nevada 1916-1946. San Francisco: The James H. Barry Company.
  • Madsen, Daniel (2003). Resurrection-Salvaging the Battle Fleet at Pearl Harbor. Annapolis, Maryland: U. S. Naval Institute Press.
  • USNR (Ret), Charles LCDR L. Peter Wren (2008). Battle Born. Xlibris Corporation. ISBN 1425-7-9872-1.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Photo tour of Pearl Harbor attack on USS Nevada.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=USS_Nevada_(BB-36)&oldid=298790157"