Many experts call Iowa-class battleships the most advanced ships that were created in the era of armor and artillery. American designers and engineers managed to achieve a harmonious combination of the main combat characteristics - travel speed, protection and weapons.
The design of these liners began in 1938. Their main purpose is to accompany high-speed aircraft carrier formations and protect them from Japanese battle and heavy cruisers. Therefore, the main condition was a 30-knot stroke. At this time, the restrictions of the London Maritime Conference of 1936 ended due to Japan's refusal to sign the final document. In the process, the standard displacement increased from 35 to 45 thousand tons, and the artillery received a caliber of 406 mm instead of 356 mm. This made it possible to develop a ship, the protection and armament of which was superior to those of already built ships of this type, using the increase in displacement to install more powerful machines. In the new project, almost 70 meters were added to the length of the hull, the width remained unchanged, it was limited by the width of the Panama Canal. Also, the hull was lightened due to the new location of the power plant, which made it possible to achieve a narrowing of the stern and bow of the ship. In particular, because of this, American battleships acquired the characteristic "baton" appearance.
The increased length of the hull affected the weight of the armor, although, in fact, the thickness of its elements remained the same as on ships of the "South Dakota" type - the main armor belt is 310 mm.
Ships of the "Iowa" type received new 406-mm guns, the barrel length of which was the same as on the barrels of the 50-caliber. The new Mk-7 cannons were superior in power to their predecessors - 406-mm 45-caliber Mk-6, which were equipped with ships of the South Dakota type. And in comparison with the 406-mm Mk-2 and Mk-3 guns developed in 1918, the new Mk-7s have significantly reduced weight, and the design has been modernized.
It is worth noting that this artillery system has a rather interesting history. In the 1920s, a large number of 406-mm / 50 guns were produced, which were equipped with battle cruisers and battleships, which later became victims of the Washington Conference. The use of these guns in the new project significantly reduced financial costs, and also justified the increase in displacement by installing new, more powerful weapons. But as a result, it turned out that it would be necessary to increase the displacement by at least 2,000 tons. The engineers found a way out - they made anew lighter guns, since there was enough design backlog. The guns of the Mk-7 type have a barrel attached to a liner, which reached a diameter of 1245 mm in the area of the charging chamber, 597 mm - at the muzzle. The number of grooves was 96, they reached a depth of 3.8 mm with a cutting steepness of one turn for every 25 calibers. Chromium plating of the barrel was also used at a distance of 17.526 meters from the muzzle with a thickness of 0.013 mm. Barrel survivability was approximately 300 shots. In this case, the piston bolt at the swinging barrel was thrown down. Structurally, it had 15 stepped sectors, and the angle of rotation reached 24 degrees. After firing, the barrel bore was purged with low pressure air.
The weight of the gun reached 108 tons without the bolt installed and 121 tons with it. When firing, a powder charge with a weight of almost 300 kilograms was used, which could throw an armor-piercing 1225-kilogram projectile over 38 kilometers. In addition, the cannon could fire high-explosive fragmentation shells. As part of the project, Iowa's ammunition was supposed to include 1016-kilogram Mk-5 armor-piercing projectiles, but in mid-1939, the US Navy received a new MK-8 projectile, the weight of which reached 1225 kilograms. This is the heaviest projectile of this caliber, and has become the basis of the firepower of all American battleships, starting with the "North Carolina". As a comparison, the 406 mm projectile used on the English battleship Nelson weighed only 929 kg, and the 410 mm projectile of the Japanese Nagato weighed 1020 kg. Approximately 1.5% of the weight of the Mk-8 projectile was an explosive charge. Upon impact on armor with a thickness of more than 37 mm, the Mk-21 bottom fuse was cocked, which worked with a deceleration of 0.033 seconds. With a full powder charge, an initial speed of 762 m / s was ensured, with a decrease in this rate, this indicator decreased to 701 m / s, which provided ballistics similar to that of the 45-caliber Mk-6 cannon shells.
True, this power also had a downside - strong barrel wear. Therefore, when the battleships needed to shell the coast, a lighter projectile was developed. The high-explosive Mk-13, which was put into service in 1942, weighed only 862 kilograms. It was equipped with several different fuses: Mk-29 - instant shock, Mk-48 - shock with a deceleration of 0.15 seconds, as well as the Mk-62 remote tube with a time setting of up to 45 seconds. 8.1% of the weight of the projectile was occupied by explosives. Towards the end of the war, when the main caliber of battleships was used only for shelling the coast, the Mk-13 shells received charges reduced to 147.4 kilograms, which provided an initial speed of 580 m / s.
In the postwar years, the ammunition load of Iowa-class battleships was replenished with several new samples of 406-mm shells. In particular, the Mk-143, 144, 145 and 145 were developed on the basis of the Mk-13 land mine body. All of them used electronic remote tubes of various types. In addition, the Mk-144 and 146 had 400 and 666 explosive grenades, respectively.
In the early 1950s, the Mk-7 guns received the Mk-23 projectile, which was equipped with a W-23 nuclear charge - 1 kt in TNT. The weight of the projectile was 862 kilograms, the length was 1.63 meters, and the appearance was almost completely copied from the Mk-13. According to official figures, nuclear artillery shells were in service with the Iowa battleships from 1956 to 1961, but in fact they were kept on the coast all the time.
And already in the 1980s, the Americans tried to develop a high-range sub-caliber projectile for 406-mm guns. Its weight was supposed to be 454 kilograms, and an initial speed of 1098 m / s with a maximum flight range of 64 kilometers. True, this development never left the stage of experimental testing.
The rate of fire of the guns was two rounds per minute, while providing independent fire for each gun in the turret. Among contemporaries, only the Japanese super-battleships "Yamato" had a heavier main battery salvo weight. The total weight of the tower with three guns was approximately 3 thousand tons. Shooting was provided by a calculation of 94 personnel.
The tower made it possible to pick up 300 degrees horizontally and +45 and -5 degrees vertically. 406-mm shells were stored vertically in a stationary ring magazine in two tiers, which was located inside the barbette of the tower. Between the rotary structure of the tower installation and the store, there were two annular platforms that rotated independently of it. They were fed with shells, which were then moved to the lifts regardless of the horizontal guidance angle of the tower. There were three lifts in total, the central one was a vertical pipe, and the outer ones were curved. Each was powered by a 75-horsepower electric motor.
For storing charges, two-tier cellars were used in the lower compartments, which were adjacent to the ring structure of the tower. They were served in gazebos, six units at a time, using three charging chain hoists, which were powered by a 100 hp electric motor. Like its predecessors, the design of the Iowa towers did not contain a reloading compartment, which cut off the chain of charges from the cellar. The Americans hoped for a sophisticated system of sealed doors that would not let fire go through the lifts. However, this decision does not look indisputable - American battleships risked taking off into the air with a greater probability than most of their contemporaries.
The standard ammunition of the 406-mm turret numbered one contained 390 shells, turret number two - 460, and turret number 3 - 370. When firing, a special analog computing device was used, which took into account the direction of movement of the battleship and its speed, as well as weather conditions and projectile flight time.
The accuracy of fire increased significantly after the introduction of radars, which gave an advantage over Japanese ships without radar installations.
Like its predecessors, ten 127-mm twin universal mounts were used as heavy anti-aircraft weapons.
The range in height when firing at aircraft reached 11 kilometers with a declared rate of fire of 15 rounds per minute. The small-caliber artillery included four-barreled 40-mm Bofors assault rifles, as well as twin and single-barreled 20-mm Erlikons. To control the fire of the "bofors" used the director-column Mk-51. "Erlikons" were initially guided individually, but in 1945, the Mk-14 sighting columns were introduced, which automatically gave data for firing.
The displacement of the Iowa-class battleships was 57450-57600 tons, the power of the power plant was 212,000 hp. The cruising range was 15,000 nautical miles at a speed of 33 knots. The crew of ships of this type was 2753-2978 people.
At the time of construction, the ships were equipped with the following weapons - 9 406 mm guns, which were located in three towers, 20 127 mm guns in ten towers, as well as 40 mm and 20 mm automatic anti-aircraft guns.
In June 1938, the project was approved for the construction of ships of the "Iowa" type. In total, it was planned to build six ships. In 1939, orders were issued for the construction of Iowa and New Jersey.
Note that the construction of battleships was carried out at an unprecedented pace. Electric welding was used, which was atypical for that time. The first pair of ships entered service in 1943. The battleship Iowa took the place of the flagship. It was distinguished by an enlarged conning tower.
The second pair of Missouri and Wisconsin were built by 1944. Initially, the hulls of the third pair - "Kentucky" and "Illinois" - were laid as "Ohio" and "Montana" - the first and second battleship of the "Montana" class. But in 1940, the Emergency Military Shipbuilding Program was adopted, so they were used to build the Iowa battleships. But these ships faced a sad fate - construction was frozen after the war, and in the 1950s they were sold for metal.
Iowa-class ships entered combat duty on August 27, 1943. They were sent to the area of the island of Newfoundland to repel a possible attack from the German battleship Tirpitz, which, according to intelligence, was in Norwegian waters.
In late 1943, the battleship flew President Franklin Roosevelt to Casablanca for the Tehran Allied Conference. After the conference, the president was taken to the United States on it.
On January 2, 1944, Iowa visited the Pacific Ocean as the flagship of the 7th Line Squadron, receiving her baptism of fire during the operation in the Marshall Islands. From January 29 to February 3, the ship provided support for aircraft carrier strikes on the Eniwetok and Kwajelin atolls, and then strikes against the Japanese base on Truk Island. Until December 1944, the battleship actively participated in hostilities in the Pacific Ocean. With his help, three enemy planes were shot down.
On January 15, 1945, the Iowa arrived at the Port of San Francisco for a major overhaul. On March 19, 1945, she was sent to Okinawa, where she arrived on April 15. On April 24, 1945, the ship provided support for aircraft carriers that covered the landing of American troops on Okinawa. From May 25 to June 13, Iowa shelled the southern regions of Kyushu. On July 14-15, the ship took part in strikes against the Japanese metropolis on the island of Hokkaido - Muroran. July 17-18 in strikes against the city of Hitaki on the island of Honshu. Until the end of hostilities on August 15, 1945, the ship supported the actions of aviation units.
On August 29, 1945, Iowa entered Tokyo Bay as part of the occupying forces, as the flagship of Admiral Halsey. And on September 2, she took part in the signing of the surrender by the Japanese authorities.
The second battleship of the series, New Jersey, sailed to Funafuti on Ellis Island on January 23, 1944, to reinforce the anti-aircraft defenses of the Pacific Fleet ships. Already on February 17, the battleship had to engage in a sea battle with destroyers and light cruisers of the Japanese fleet. Also, the ship took part in operations off the coast of the islands of Okinawa and Guam, and provided cover for the raid to the Marshall Islands. The ship's anti-aircraft gunners managed to shoot down four Japanese torpedo bombers.
After the signing of Japan's surrender, New Jersey was based in Tokyo Bay, occupying the position of the flagship of the American squadron until January 18, 1946.
The battleship Missouri provided support for the American Marines in the bloody battles for the islands of Okinawa and Iwo Jima. There he was attacked several times by kamikaze planes, which could not cause serious damage to the ship. True, a dent from one of them can be seen even now. In total, the battleship's anti-aircraft gunners shot down six Japanese aircraft. The ship also took part in the shelling of the islands of Hokkaido and Honshu.
After the end of World War II on September 2, 1945, the Allied Commander-in-Chief, General Douglas McCarthy, accepted the unconditional Japanese surrender. The official ceremony took place in Tokyo Bay aboard the battleship Missouri.
The battleship "Wisconsin" got the escort of aircraft carrier formations in the Pacific Ocean. During this time, he shot down three enemy aircraft, supported the landing of paratroopers on Okinawa with fire. During the final stage of the war, he shelled the coast of the island of Honshu.
On December 18, 1944, the battleship took part in the hostilities of the 3rd Fleet on the territory of the Philippine Sea, about 480 kilometers from the island of Luzon, where it fell into the center of a powerful typhoon. Before the onset of inclement weather, bunkering of ships was carried out at sea. A violent storm sank three American destroyers. 790 sailors were killed, 80 more were injured. On three aircraft carriers, 146 aircraft were completely or partially destroyed. Moreover, the battleship commander reported only two sailors who were slightly injured.
It is worth noting that during the Second World War, battleships for the most part failed to live up to the hopes that were placed on them. There was not a single general battle for supremacy at sea between ships of the line, and artillery duels were very rare. In addition, it turned out that battleships are very vulnerable to attacks by submarines and aircraft. After the end of hostilities, all countries stopped producing warships of this class, so the unfinished battleships went for metal.
Many experts note that the era of guided missiles and atomic bombs has now begun, so battleships are outdated like warships. Indeed, after the American tests on the Bikini Atoll and the Soviet ones on Novaya Zemlya, it turned out that after an explosion equivalent to 20 kt, ships of all classes would be sunk in an area with a radius of 300-500 meters.
Thus, now there is an effective weapon against surface ships - aircraft with nuclear warheads, but it is not worth saying that battleships are no longer needed.
A bomb dropped from a height of 9-11 kilometers has a deviation of about 400-500 meters. The duration of her fall with a parachute reaches three minutes. During this time, a ship traveling at a speed of 30 knots can travel 2.5 kilometers. The battleships were well equipped to evade the bomb. In addition, the ship's air defense could shoot down the carrier aircraft still on its way.
Battleships, which were designed for artillery duels, would become a "tough nut" for anti-ship missiles, their armor reliably protects against the new "superweapon" that was created to destroy aircraft carriers.
Such ships were indispensable for strikes along the coast and supporting the landing. In 1949, already in reserve, they were again returned to service. At this time, the Korean War began, in which all four battleships took part. Moreover, they did not fire on the squares, but were responsible for "pinpoint" strikes to support ground troops. These were very effective shelling - the explosion of one 1225-kilogram shell is comparable in power to several dozen howitzer shells. True, the Koreans fired back. On March 15, 1951, the Wisconsin was fired upon from a coastal battery consisting of 152-mm guns near the city of Samjin. At the level of the main deck, between the 144 and 145 frames, a hole was formed on the starboard side. Three sailors were wounded. On March 19, 1953, the ship was ordered to leave the combat area.
On March 21, 1953, the battleship New Jersey came under fire from enemy coastal artillery. A 152-mm shell hit the roof of the main artillery turret, causing minor damage. The second shell hit the area of the aft engine room. As a result, one person died. Three more were injured. The ship went to base in Norfolk for repairs.
Battleship New Jersey is shelling the Korean coast, January 1953.
After the end of the Korean War, the battleships again went into reserve, albeit not for long. The Vietnam War began, so the ships again became in demand. The New Jersey departed for the war zone. This time the ship fired just across the area. According to some military experts, one ship was able to replace about fifty fighter-bombers. Only, neither anti-aircraft batteries, nor bad weather could interfere with him - support was provided in any conditions.
During the Vietnam War, battleships also showed their best side. At the same time, sixteen-inch shells did not hit the pockets of American taxpayers, since a lot of them accumulated during the Second World War.
From 1981 to 1988, all four ships underwent a deep modernization. In particular, they were equipped with eight BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missile launchers - four missiles in each installation, as well as four AGM-84 Harpoon four-rocket launchers, Falanx anti-aircraft artillery systems, new communication systems and radar.
On December 28, 1982, a ceremony was held to commission the first representative of the missile battleships, New Jersey, which was attended by US President Ronald Reagan. After a test program and a training cruise on the waters of the Pacific Ocean, the ship took up its "main duties" - pressure on the unfriendly US regime, demonstrating strength in various "hot" spots. In July 1983, the battleship patrolled the coast of Nicaragua, and then went to the Mediterranean Sea. On December 14, New Jersey used main battery guns to fire on Syrian air defense positions in southern Lebanon. A total of 11 high-explosive shells were fired. On February 8, 1984, Syrian positions in the Bekaa Valley were shelled. The battleship's guns fired 300 shells. With this retaliation, the American military avenged the downed French, Israeli and American planes. The gunfire destroyed the command post, which contained several senior officers and a general of the Syrian army.
In February 1991, Iowa-class battleships took part in the war against Iraq. Two battleships, the Wisconsin and the Missouri, were based in the Persian Gulf. At the first stage of hostilities, missile weapons were used, for example, Missouri fired 28 Tomahawk cruise missiles at the enemy.
And in February, 406-mm guns joined the shelling. Iraq has concentrated a large amount of military equipment on the coast of occupied Kuwait - it was a tempting target for the heavy guns of battleships. On February 4, Missouri opened fire from a combat position near the Kuwaiti-Saudi border. Within three days, the ship's guns fired 1123 shots. During Operation Missouri, he also helped coalition forces clear Iraqi naval mines from the Persian Gulf. By this time, the war had already ended.
On February 6, she was replaced by the Wisconsin, which was able to suppress an enemy artillery battery from a distance of 19 miles. Then there were attacks on weapons depots and fuel depots. On February 8, a battery near Ras al-Hadji was destroyed.
On February 21, both battleships departed for a new position to shell the areas of Al-Shuaiba and Al-Qulaya, as well as Failaka Island. The ships also supported the offensive of the anti-Iraqi coalition troops. On February 26, tanks and fortifications near the Kuwait international airport were fired upon.
It is worth noting that the battleships fired their artillery shells from a distance of 18-23 miles, as mines and shallow water interfered with the approach. However, this was enough for effective fire. With pinpoint shooting, about 28% of direct hits were observed, or at least the target received serious damage. The number of misses was approximately 30%. To correct the shooting, the Pioneer drones were used, which changed the helicopters.
It is worth mentioning a funny combat episode that took place during Operation Desert Storm. In preparation for the shelling of Failak Island, the battleship poisoned a drone to adjust fire. At the same time, the operator had to lead him as low as possible so that the enemy understood what awaited him. Seeing the drone, Iraqi soldiers raised white flags to signal their surrender.
Perhaps this is the first time that the personnel surrendered to an unmanned vehicle.
After the end of the Cold War, the withdrawal of battleships from service began. On April 16, 1989, the "first bell" sounded. A powder charge exploded in the room of the central 16-inch gun of the second turret. The explosion killed 47 people, and the gun itself was seriously damaged. The tower was able to contain most of the blast wave, so the crew in other compartments was practically not injured. They were saved by blast doors that separated the powder magazine from the rest of the premises. The second tower was closed and sealed; it never worked again.
In 1990, the battleship Iowa was removed from the combat fleet. He was transferred to the reserve fleet of the national defense. The ship was docked at the Naval Education and Training Center in Newport until March 8, 2001. And from April 21, 2001 to October 28, 2011, he was parked in the Sesun Bay.
Satellite image of Goole Earth: USS Iowa BB-61 parked in Sesun Bay, 2009
On October 28, 2011, the battleship was towed to the Port of Richmond, California, for repairs before moving to a permanent docking station in the Port of Los Angeles. On June 9, 2012, the ship was excluded from the list of floating equipment. Since July 7, it has been turned into a museum.
Operation "New Jersey" lasted until 1991. Until January 1995, the ship was in Brementon, after which it was decommissioned and transferred to the authorities of the state of New Jersey. On October 15, 2001, it became a museum.
Missouri was decommissioned in 1995. Now it is in Pearl Harbor, turned into part of the memorial in memory of the tragedy of 1941.
On October 14, 2009, the battleship was placed in dry dock at the Pearl Harbor shipyard for a three-month overhaul, which was completed in January 2010. Now the museum ship is located at the quay wall.
Satellite image of Goole Earth: USS Missouri BB-63 in Pearl Harbor
Wisconsin's career ended in September 1991. Until March 2006, he was in reserve. On December 14, 2009, the US Navy handed the ship over to the city of Norfolk. On March 28, 2012, the battleship was included in the National Register of Historic Places, after which it lost its status as a warship.
Sources used:
AB Shirokorad "The Fleet That Destroyed Khrushchev"
