Return to Naval Historical Center home page. Return to Online Library listing

DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER
805 KIDDER BREESE SE -- WASHINGTON NAVY YARD
WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060

Photo # 80-G-1024881:  USS North Dakota underway during battle practice, circa 1921

Online Library of Selected Images:
-- U.S. NAVY SHIP TYPES -- BATTLESHIPS --

Delaware Class (BB-28 and BB-29),
1907 and 1908 Building Programs

The Delaware class were the U.S. Navy's first real "Dreadnoughts", carrying an "all-big-gun" main battery at a speed of over twenty knots, thus enabling them to deliver a greater volume of heavy shell fire than previous battleships, while keeping outside the range of those ships' numerous medium-caliber guns. Their Congressional authorization did not specify a maximum size, so the Navy designed Delaware and North Dakota to be a quarter larger than their immediate predecessors, with two more twelve-inch guns, a secondary battery of five-inch rather than three-inch guns, and two-and-a-half knots greater speed. To test the relative virtues of competing machinery types, Delaware was fitted with the older triple-expansion reciprocating engines, while her sister got direct drive Curtiss turbines. The latter were replaced in 1915 with more efficient geared turbines of 31,300 horsepower.

Both battleships were widely-travelled, making trips to Europe both before and after the First World War. Delaware served with the Grand Fleet in the North Sea during 1918, while North Dakota remained at home training sailors for participation in the conflict. Despite being only a decade old, their design was obsolescent by the late 'teens and early 'twenties, and they spent their final years largely employed on training duties. They were demilitarized in 1923, when completion of new battleships rendered them excess to Washington naval limitations treaty limits. Delaware was scrapped in 1924. North Dakota, reduced to an auxiliary role, lasted until 1931.

The Delaware class numbered two ships, both built on the east coast:

  • Delaware (BB-28), built by the Newport News Ship Building and Drydock Company, Newport News, Virginia. Keel laid in November 1907; launched in February 1909; commissioned in April 1910.
  • North Dakota (BB-29), built by the Fore River Shipbuilding Company, Quincy, Massachusetts. Keel laid in December 1907; launched in November 1908; commissioned in April 1910.

    Delaware class "as-built" design characteristics:

  • Displacement: 20,000 tons
  • Dimensions: 518' 9" (length overall); 85' 3" (extreme beam)
  • Powerplant: 25,000 horsepower, two propellers, 21 knot maximum speed. Triple-expansion reciprocating engines in Delaware. Direct-drive steam turbines in North Dakota.
  • Armament (Main Battery): Ten 12"/45 guns in five twin turrets
  • Armament (Secondary Battery): Fourteen 5"/50 guns in single casemate mountings.

    This page features a modest selection of photographs of Delaware class battleships, plus images related to these ships' basic design features, and provides links to more extensive pictorial coverage of the individual ships.

    For coverage of other classes of U.S. Navy battleships, see: Battleships -- Overview and Special Image Selection.

    If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."

    Click on the small photograph to prompt a larger view of the same image.

    Photo #: NH 93814

    USS North Dakota (BB-29)


    Launching, at the Fore River Shipbuilding Company shipyard, Quincy, Massachusetts, 10 November 1908.
    Note that the ship wears a bow decoration, a feature removed before her completion.

    Courtesy of the Submarine Force Library & Museum, Groton, Connecticut, 1982.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 60KB; 740 x 605 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 96126

    USS Delaware (BB-28)


    Photographed circa 1911.
    Note that the 12"/45 guns of her after turret are at different elevations.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 85KB; 740 x 600 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 54664

    USS Delaware (BB-28)


    In British waters, while serving with the Sixth Battle Squadron in the North Sea area, 1918.
    Location is probably the Firth of Forth, Scotland.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 129KB; 740 x 590 pixels

     
    Photo #: 80-G-1024881

    USS North Dakota (BB-29)


    Underway during battle practice, circa 1921.
    Note sighting target mounted above her stern; all guns trained out on the port beam; heavy coal smoke.

    Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

    Online Image: 97KB; 740 x 610 pixels

    Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

     
    Photo #: NH 54666

    USS Delaware (BB-28)


    Ship's after three 12"/45 twin gun turrets, circa 1913.
    Photographed by Enrique Muller.
    Note the sub-caliber spotting rifles mounted on the barrel of each heavy gun, gunsight practice gear fitted across the top front of each turret, and whaleboat swung out on davits.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 102KB; 740 x 465 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 60569

    USS Delaware (BB-28)


    Firing her 12"/45 main battery guns during battle practice, 26 June 1920.
    Photographed by A.E. Wells.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 65KB; 740 x 600 pixels

     

    For more views of Delaware class battleships, see:

  • USS Delaware (BB-28);
  • USS North Dakota (BB-29).

    For coverage of other classes of U.S. Navy battleships, see: Battleships -- Overview and Special Image Selection.


    If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."


    Return to Naval Historical Center home page.

    Page made 30 January 2001
    Coding updated 26 March 2001