How many battleships were built?

[Gun Grape]

Suragio strait is a favorite "perfect" battleship battle, but who would want to be the Japanese at that one - they had two battleships to the whole American line, they were surprised and had their T crossed. While they were being torpedoed by destroyers as they moved up the strait they came under smuthering and accurate fire from a long line of rebuilt old American battlewagons and suffered total annihilation. If they managed to return fire - no one noticed.

Actually only 1 Japanese Battleship by the time the 2 main forces met.

Fuso had been sunk by the destroyer Melvin (A Fletcher class Ship. Yamashiro had been it by 4 torpedos but was able to continue steaming.

Many have and always will question the accuracy of those big guns, but those big guns proved even back then they could hit "bows on targets" which for the range they opened fire with and their age proved the accuracy of the big guns

It was the ships with the new fire control radar (Mk8) that were able to engage at long range (W Va,Cal and Tenn) and the 8 Cruisers that did damage In all 285 16 and 14in shells were fired against the damaged Yamshiro. Most shots taken when the Yamshiro was turning and provide a broadside target.
Of the 7 Japanese Ships 5 were sunk by DDs , CAs and aircraft. 1 by a combination of BB and CA fire and DD torpedos. The Shigure was the only survivor.

Suragio Straits is famous for being the last BB vs BB battle. Not because of great shooting from either BB side. By the time the US Battleship and Cruiser line "Crossed the T" the japanese force only consisted of 3 ships. 1 damaged Battleship, 1 heavy Cruiser and 1 Destroyer. Vs 6 US battleships and 8 Cruisers

[Dreadnought]

Suragio Straits is famous for being the last BB vs BB battle. Not because of great shooting from either BB side. By the time the US Battleship and Cruiser line "Crossed the T" the japanese force only consisted of 3 ships. 1 damaged Battleship, 1 heavy Cruiser and 1 Destroyer. Vs 6 US battleships and 8 Cruisers

*Two points stand out here beyond any other.

1) The USN Rear Adm Jesse B Oldendorf had enough foresight to position his ships including the older slower BB's from Pearl Harbors attack in the perfect position and at the perfect time. Unfortunately, according to readings they had very few armor peircing shells aboard any of them.

2) The Japanese line and commanders had not learned from their own Naval history by allowing their Battle line to have the "T" crossed in the very same manner as Togo crossed the Russian navy's "T" during the Battle of Tsushima. And Togo did it twice.

Oldendorf used his "smarts", Togo used his speed.

Ironic huh?

[USSWisconsin]

Suragio Straits is famous for being the last BB vs BB battle. Not because of great shooting from either BB side. By the time the US Battleship and Cruiser line "Crossed the T" the japanese force only consisted of 3 ships. 1 damaged Battleship, 1 heavy Cruiser and 1 Destroyer. Vs 6 US battleships and 8 Cruisers

*Two points stand out here beyond any other.

1) The USN Rear Adm Jesse B Oldendorf had enough foresight to position his ships including the older slower BB's from Pearl Harbors attack in the perfect position and at the perfect time. Unfortunately, according to readings they had very few armor peircing shells aboard any of them.

2) The Japanese line and commanders had not learned from their own Naval history by allowing their Battle line to have the "T" crossed in the very same manner as Togo crossed the Russian navy's "T" during the Battle of Tsushima. And Togo did it twice.

Oldendorf used his "smarts", Togo used his speed.

Ironic huh?

It was tough to be the Japanese that day... Even with "only" HC projectiles coming in - they didn't have any chance at all. IMO - the destroyers probably could have finished the job without the big guns.

[USSWisconsin]

British Battleships v7 with all the related new other ship sections (offered peice-meal earlier) including the big gun WWI monitors. I felt that it might be useful reference for the "What if US enters WWI in 1915 on the German side?" thread. This is a 30% quality pdf, the full version is 44 MB, it spans 223 pages.

The British Battleship-7.30.pdf

[ChrisV71]

British Battleships v7 with all the related new other ship sections (offered peice-meal earlier) including the big gun WWI monitors. I felt that it might be useful reference for the "What if US enters WWI in 1915 on the German side?" thread. This is a 30% quality pdf, the full version is 44 MB, it spans 223 pages.

Attachment 27360

1 little correction. Page 86, the crew picture on the Renown is under the wrong Renown. That picture was taken on the Battlecruiser of that name, not the Pre-Dreadnought.

[USSWisconsin]

Thank You, I'll get that fixed. I appreciate your help.

This one?
Their Royal Highnesses the Duke & Duchess of York with staff, Captain Officers & ships Company of H. M. S. Renown at Malta June 1927
- you are correct - the old Renown was no longer in service (scrapped about a decade earler) and the single turret in the picture fooled me.

[USSWisconsin]

This is the section called other battleships. It includes the coast defense ships and capital ships fielded by countries other than those who built them.

[USSWisconsin]

I think I have covered all the ships, whats next are some revisions to the whole thing. I've learned more than I knew as I wrote it. Some innaccuracies and bad sources - like "1421" crept in and contributed an incorrect passage and few references back to that. Some great authors helped guide me in some conceptual areas. The sections as they are now are still useful, but the corrections will make many changes. A mislabled image here and there will get replaced. Many new sources will be added - my shelf library has doubled since I started this thread, and the ebooks fill a harddrive now. I am also working on some origianl art and some members have given me some great tips. Someone pointed out a book by Peter Padifield - which has a vary similar name...

It is a labor of love - I am enjoying reading through the thread again - and hoping to dig in again soon.

Thanks

[USSWisconsin]

working on this - thank you all for the suggestions - I am incorporating many of them - mainly corrections

the British Section with some improvemnts and the mislabeled picture changed

[zraver]

The first US battleship the USS Texas weighed in at 6316 tons... the current US destroyer class the Arleigh Burke as well as the previous Kidd and Spraunace class destroyers were heavier, faster and packed more firepower and have nearly the same sized crew... does the term battleship even mean anything anymore?

[USSWisconsin]

The first US battleship the USS Texas weighed in at 6316 tons... the current US destroyer class the Arleigh Burke as well as the previous Kidd and Spraunace class destroyers were heavier, faster and packed more firepower and have nearly the same sized crew... does the term battleship even mean anything anymore?

You are correct, and it isn't just the early ships that are over matched. The AB is more deadly now than even the Iowa's were in their day. These modern ships could carry nuclear weapons, and get kills with every shot, thanks to their sophisticated fire control systems - their situational awareness couldn't have been imagined in WWII. Battleships are a ship type that has been retired, the term battleship refers to these ships that are no longer serve in anyone's navy. The media frequently uses the term to describe just about any warship, including the LCS and submarines.