Not much to say here. These ships were orderd in 1912 and 1913, respectively, and were enlargend versions of the Nevada class, with two more guns and better armor. With twelve 356mm guns, these ships were able to place their main armament in triple turrets only.
Pennsylvania was sitting in a drydock during the Pearl Harbor raid, and suffered only one bomb hit for moderate damage. She was repaired at Mare Island, but did not receive major refits, for her presence in the Pacific theater was of more immediate concern. She stayed off California for the next months, and was finally refitted in late 1942/early 1943. She was then in support of the Aleutians ops, again in dock, and finally again in the Aleutians. She then supported the Central Pacific campaigns, including participation at Surigao Strait, in the Lingayen operation, and off Wake. She suffered a torpedo hit from a Japanese attack plane, and was not fully repaired, being scheduled for the A-bomb tests, which she survived. Used up in Kwajalein as target ship.
Arizona's
history is well known. She happened to be in Pearl Harbor during the
attack, and suffered seven bomb and one torpedo hit before an eighth bomb
pierced her deck armor into the blackpowder storage area forward, and blew
the ship up. Arizona's 1177 dead make up half of the dead at Pearl
Harbor, and are the highest figure of men lost on a US warship. What
survived of the ship is still at Pearl Harbor, partially covered by the
Arizona Memorial.
|
(Pennsylvania,
1942):
12 x 356mm L/45 in four triple turrets, in superfiring end-arrangement 12 x 127mm L/51 in casemates 12 x 127mm L/25 AA in twelve open mounts, six on each side 8 x 28mm AA |
(Pennsylvania,
1945):
12 x 356mm L/45 as above 16 x 127mm L/38 in eight twin mounts, four on each side 45 x 40mm L/56 50 x 20mm |
|
|
Displacement: 36500 tons
Length: 185.3 meters Beam: 32.4 meters Draught: 10.2 meters Height (Mast): ???? Crew: 2290 men Speed: 21 knots |
|
Three floatplanes |