North Carolina and her sister ship Washington were the first Post-Washington Treaty battleships as well as the first of the fast battleships. Before this class, the United States Navy favored staying power and fire power over speed. The North Carolina class had a speed of 27 knots versus the 21 knots of the pre-treaty Colorado Class.
General Characteristics
Displacement: 35,000 tons (stand); 45,700 tons (mean war service)
Length: 729 feet
Beam: 108 feet
Draft: 27 feet - North Carolina
Draft: 38 feet - Washington
Speed: 27 knots
Armament: nine 16-inch, 20 five-inch, 16 1.1-inch machine guns
USS Washington (BB-56), a North Carolina-class battleship was the eighth ship of the United States Navy named in honor of the 42nd state.
The Japanese force proved to be the battleship Kirishima, the heavy cruisers Atago and Takao, the light cruisers Sendai and Nagara, and a screen of nine destroyers escorting four transports.
The battleship protected carrier groups and task forces engaged in the ongoing Solomons campaign until late in April of 1943, operating principally with TF 11, which included the repaired Saratoga (CV-3), and with TF 16, built around Enterprise.
Feeds |
Contact