United States' Pennsylvania Class Battleships

Photos

Design

The design of the Pennsylvania class was a larger Nevada class with two more 14" guns.

Main Armament

Each turret's guns had to be raised and lowered in unison.

Aircraft

The Pennsylvania class has two catapults.

Ships

BB-38 USS Pennsylvania

• Manufacturer: Newport News, Westinghouse
• March 16, 1915: Launched.
• June 1916: Commissioned.
• June 12, 1916: Commissioned.
• Flagship of the Fleet.
• 1928 - 1931: Rebuilt. Tripods replaced by cage masts.
• 1941: Radar added.
• December 7, 1941: Slightly damaged during attack on Pearl Harbor.
• 1942: Mainmast replaced by tower and pole topmast. 5" guns replaced by new turrets.
• Attu.
• Gilbert Islands.
• Kwajalein.
• Eniwetok.
• Saipan.
• Guam.
• Palau.
• Leyte.
• Surigao Strait.
• Lingayen.
• August 12, 1945: Damaged by airborne torpedo.

BB-39 USS Arizona

• Manufacturer: New York Naval Yard
• March 16, 1914: First keep plate placed.
• June 19, 1915: Launched.
• October 1916, October 17, 1916, 4:09PM October 17, 1916: Commissioned.
• April - July 1919, April 12 - June 20, 1919: Mediterranean.
• 1921 - 1929: Joined Pacific Fleet.
• May - June 1922: Overhaul in Bremerton. Four 3" L/50 anti-aircraft guns added.
• December 4, 1924: Started experiments with refueling at sea with USS Kanawha.
• July 1926: Awarded most efficient battleship in engineering in fleet.
• 1928 - 1931, 1929 - 1931, May 25, 1929 - March 3, 1931: Modernized at Norfolk. Superstructure replaced. Bridge expanded. Smokestack made larger. Cage masts replaced by tripod masts.
• 1931?, March 19 - 29, 1931: On re-commissioning took President Herbert Hoover to West Indies. Then went through Panama Canal to rejoin Pacific Fleet.
• Spring 1934: Filming of movie Here Comes the Navy with Gloria Stewart, James Cagney, and Pat O'Brien.
• 1941: Radar added.
• January 27 - February 3, 1941: Sailed from San Pedro to Pearl Harbor.
• December 7, 1941: Sunk during Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. 1,177 enlisted and 48 officers perished. 286 enlisted and 51 officers survived.

Usage

World War I

Joined the 6th Squadron in the British Grand Fleet. Used to repatriate American serviceman back home.

Pearl Harbor

The USS Pennsylvania was in dry dock when the Japanese attacked. She was hit by a single bomb.

It is estimated that a single torpedo and eight bombs hit the USS Arizona. The USS Arizona was hit in the forward magazine at 8:10 AM which caused a catastrophic explosion destroying her. 1,104 crew died.

Specifications