Two classes of battleships have been called the South Dakota class—one that was cancelled before launching and one that commissioned and saw action. HMS Victory in 1884 In naval warfare, a battleship was the most powerful gun-armed, most heavily armored and most effective type of warship at any particular time. ...

The first South Dakota class

The first South Dakota class was authorized 4 March 1917, and keels were laid down in 1920 for six ships. However, the Washington Naval Treaty prohibited their completion, construction was halted 8 February 1922, and the unfinished hulls were sold in 1923. The first South Dakota class was an outgrowth of the Standard type battleships, though a greatly modified form: Displacement would have been 20,000 tons greater than the other Standards, with only a two-knot increase in speed. The class was ordered in the same program that created the Lexington-class battlecruisers; the Lexingtons made better conversion hulls because they were further along in their construction and battlecruisers were seen as less useful overall than battleships. HMS Victory in 1884 In naval warfare, a battleship was the most powerful gun-armed, most heavily armored and most effective type of warship at any particular time. ... State nickname: The Mount Rushmore State Official languages English Capital Pierre Largest city Sioux Falls Governor Mike Rounds (R) Senators Tim Johnson (D) John Thune (R) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 17th 199,905 km² 1. ... The Colorado class battleships (or Maryland class, for those who prefer to name ship classes after the first unit to be completed) were up-gunned versions of the preceding Tennessee class, sharing their general design and appearance, but replacing the earlier ships twelve 14-inch/50-caliber guns with eight... The United States Navy built two North Carolina-class battleships: USS North Carolina (BB-55) USS Washington (BB-56) North Carolina and her sister ship Washington were the first Post-Washington Treaty battleships as well as the first of the fast battleships. ... March 4 is the 63rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (64th in leap years). ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. ... 1920 (MCMXX) is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar) // Events January January 7 - Forces of Russian White admiral Kolchak surrender in Krasnoyarsk. ... The Washington Naval Treaty limited the naval armaments of its five signatories. ... February 8 is the 39th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1923 (MCMXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Lexington class aircraft carriers were the first operational aircraft carriers in the United States Navy (USS Langley was a strictly developmental ship which only served for a short time as an active fleet unit before being converted to a seaplane tender AV-3). ... HMS Hood (left) and HMS Barham (right), in Malta, 1937. ...

Ships

• USS South Dakota (BB-49)
• USS Indiana (BB-50)
• USS Montana (BB-51)
• USS North Carolina (BB-52)
• USS Iowa (BB-53)
• USS Massachusetts (BB-54)

USS South Dakota (BB-49) was the lead ship of her class of battleships, the second United States Navy ship to be named in honor of the 40th state. ... USS Indiana (BB-50) was cancelled prior to completion. ... USS Montana (BB-51) was scrapped prior to completion. ... USS North Carolina (BB-52) was a South Dakota-class battleship, the third United States Navy ship to be named in honor of the 12th state. ... USS Iowa (BB-53) was a South Dakota-class battleship, the second United States Navy ship to be named in honor of the 29th state. ... USS Massachusetts (BB-54) was a South Dakota-class battleship, the sixth United States Navy ship to be named in honor of the sixth state. ...

General Characteristics (designed)

• Displacement: 43,200 tons
• Length: 684 ft (208 m)
• Beam: 105 ft (32 m)
• Draft: 33 ft (10.1 m)
• Speed: 23 knots (43 km/h)
• Armament
  • Primary: 12 16 inch (406 mm) 50-caliber guns
  • Secondary: 16 six inch (152 mm) 53 caliber guns, eight three inch (76 mm) 50-caliber antiaircraft guns, two 21 inch (533 mm) submerged torpedo tubes

The Second South Dakota class

South Dakota class battleship
Class Overview
Class Type	Battleship
Class Name	South Dakota
Preceded By	North Carolina-class
Succeded By	Iowa-class
Ships of the Class:	South Dakota, Indiana, Massachusetts, Alabama

Construction of the second South Dakota-class began shortly before World War II. Built with Fiscal Year 1939 appropriations, they were more compact and better protected than the preceding North Carolina class, but had the same main battery of nine 16 inch (406 mm) 45-caliber guns in triple turrets. Their innovative hull design featured an internal armor belt, to protect the ships' vitals against 16 inch (406 mm) shells, and outboard propeller shafts that extended further aft than the inboard ones. They also had improved anti-torpedo side protection and more powerful engines, the latter being necessary to drive their shorter hulls at the designed 27 knot (50 km/h) speed. Compared with her three "sisters", South Dakota had extra command facilities and two fewer 5 inch (127 mm) twin gun mounts. The Battleship USS South Dakota, Public domain photo from history. ... HMS Victory in 1884 In naval warfare, a battleship was the most powerful gun-armed, most heavily armored and most effective type of warship at any particular time. ... State nickname: The Mount Rushmore State Official languages English Capital Pierre Largest city Sioux Falls Governor Mike Rounds (R) Senators Tim Johnson (D) John Thune (R) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 17th 199,905 km² 1. ... The United States Navy built two North Carolina-class battleships: USS North Carolina (BB-55) USS Washington (BB-56) North Carolina and her sister ship Washington were the first Post-Washington Treaty battleships as well as the first of the fast battleships. ... Four Iowa-class battleships were built in the early 1940s in the United States. ... Combatants Allied Powers Axis Powers Commanders {{{commander1}}} {{{commander2}}} Strength {{{strength1}}} {{{strength2}}} Casualties 17 million military deaths 7 million military deaths World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a mid-20th century conflict that engulfed much of the globe and is accepted as the largest and deadliest... The United States Navy built two North Carolina-class battleships: USS North Carolina (BB-55) USS Washington (BB-56) North Carolina and her sister ship Washington were the first Post-Washington Treaty battleships as well as the first of the fast battleships. ... USS South Dakota (BB-57), the lead ship of her class, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named in honor of the 40th state. ...

These ships were all completed between March and August 1942, providing a welcome reinforcement to the Navy's surface battle fleet at a critical stage of World War II. In 1942 and 1943, they stood guard in the Atlantic against possible sorties by German battleships, took part in the invasion of North Africa and in operations around Guadalcanal. During the latter campaign, South Dakota was damaged in a gunnery engagement with a Japanese force that included the old battleship Kirishima. As the U.S. went on the offensive in the Central Pacific, they joined in escorting the fast carrier task forces, a job for which their heavy anti-aircraft gun batteries were well-suited. They also employed their main battery guns in shore bombardment, and were kept ready to form battle line in case their Japanese opposite numbers should appear. This article is about the year. ... Combatants Allied Powers Axis Powers Commanders {{{commander1}}} {{{commander2}}} Strength {{{strength1}}} {{{strength2}}} Casualties 17 million military deaths 7 million military deaths World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a mid-20th century conflict that engulfed much of the globe and is accepted as the largest and deadliest... This article is about the year. ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) is a common year starting on Friday. ... North Africa is a region generally considered to include: Algeria Egypt Libya Mauritania Morocco Sudan Tunisia Western Sahara The Azores, Canary Islands, and Madeira are sometimes considered to be a part of North Africa. ... Guadalcanal, a 2,510 square mile (6,500 km²) island in the Pacific Ocean and a province of the Solomon Islands, is largely a jungle. ... Kirishima (霧島) was the Imperial Japanese Navys fourth Kongo class battlecruiser, and was laid down by Mitsubishi in Nagasaki on March 17, 1912, launched on December 1, 1913 and commissioned on April 19, 1915. ...

All four South Dakota-class battleships went into reserve after World War II and saw no further active service. When they were disposed of in the early 1960s, Massachusetts and Alabama became museum ships. The other two were sold for scrapping. These ships are considered the best "Treaty" battleships ever built, and quite possibly the finest battleships ever built on a ton-for-ton basis, especially because of their excellent fire control. Combatants Allied Powers Axis Powers Commanders {{{commander1}}} {{{commander2}}} Strength {{{strength1}}} {{{strength2}}} Casualties 17 million military deaths 7 million military deaths World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a mid-20th century conflict that engulfed much of the globe and is accepted as the largest and deadliest... The 1960s in its most obvious sense refers to the decade between 1960 and 1969, but the expression has taken on a wider meaning over the past twenty years. ... USS Massachusetts (BB-59), a South Dakota-class battleship, was the seventh ship of the United States Navy to be named in honor of the sixth state. ... The third USS Alabama (BB-60) was a South Dakota-class battleship of the United States Navy. ... A museum ship, or sometimes memorial ship, is an old ship that has been preserved and converted into a museum open to the public. ...

Ships

• USS South Dakota (BB-57)
• USS Indiana (BB-58)
• USS Massachusetts (BB-59)
• USS Alabama (BB-60)

USS South Dakota (BB-57), the lead ship of her class, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named in honor of the 40th state. ... USS Indiana (BB-58), a South Dakota-class battleship, was the fourth ship of the United States Navy named in honor of the 19th state. ... USS Massachusetts (BB-59), a South Dakota-class battleship, was the seventh ship of the United States Navy to be named in honor of the sixth state. ... The third USS Alabama (BB-60) was a South Dakota-class battleship of the United States Navy. ...

General Characteristics

• Displacement: 35,000 tons (standard)
• Length: 680 ft (207 m)
• Beam: 108.2 ft (33 m)
• Powerplant: 130,000 horsepower (97 MW) steam turbines
• Speed: 27 knots (50 km/h)
• Armament
  • Main: Nine 16 inch (406 mm) 45-caliber guns in three triple turrets
  • Secondary: Twenty five inch (127 mm) 38-caliber guns in ten twin mountings (South Dakota had eight twin mountings)