USS PENNSYLVANIA (BB-38)



Moored within Drydock #1 to align her shafts and propellers, Pennsylvania was spared damage from torpedoes. However, she suffered a 250KG bomb impact on her starboard boat deck that exploded within Casemate Nine, damaging a 5" gun and killing its crew. In addition to being strafed and holed by near-miss bomb fragments, Pennyslvania's bow was damaged by fragments and oil fires from Cassin and Downes, both of which were moored just ahead of her. Replacing her damaged 5" gun with one from West Virginia, Pennsylvania was repaired within 13 days and rejoined the fleet on December 20. Serving gallantly throughout the war, she became a target vessel for the "Operation Crossroads" A-bomb tests at Bikini Atoll. Surviving these explosions, she was towed to Kwajalein lagoon and eventually scuttled on February 10, 1948.


SHIPS DATA

NAME

PENNSYLVANIA

HULL NUMBER

BB-38

BUILDER

NEWPORT NEWS SHIPBUILDING COMPANY, VIRGINIA

LAID DOWN

OCTOBER 27, 1913

CHRISTENED

MARCH 16, 1915, BY MISS ELIZABETH KOLB

COMMISSIONED

JUNE 12, 1916

CONSTRUCTION COST

$7,425,000.00 (HULL AND MACHINERY),
$12,993,579.23 (TOTAL)


DIMENSIONS

DISPLACEMENT

34,207 TONS (NORMAL); 37,654 TONS (FULL LOAD)

LENGTH (WL)

600'

LENGTH (OA)

608'

MAXIMUM BEAM

106' 3"

MEAN DRAFT

28'

MAXIMUM DRAFT

33' 6"


MACHINERY AND PROPULSION

TOTAL MACHINERY WEIGHT

2,462 TONS (WITH LIQUIDS)

BOILERS

FIVE WHITE-FORSTER, ONE BUREAU EXPRESS

DRIVE

FOUR CURTISS GEARED TURBINES; ONE PER SHAFT

FUEL OIL

5,780 TON CAPACITY

DIESEL OIL

75 TONS (FOR BOATS)

GASOLINE

11.76 TONS (FOR AIRCRAFT)

LUBRICATING OIL

5,OOO GALLONS

RESERVE BOILER FEED WATER

323 TONS (NORMAL); 392 ADDITIONAL EMERGENCY CAPACITY

POTABLE WATER

402 TONS

ELECTRICITY

FOUR 400KW, 120/240-VOLT TURBO-GENERATORS

HORSEPOWER

35,000 SHP

PROPELLERS

FOUR THREE-BLADED; 12'7" DIAMETER.

RUDDER

ONE, BALANCED, TAPERED TYPE. 443 SQUARE FOOT AREA. TRAINABLE 38" TO PORT AND STARBOARD.

MAXIMUM SPEED

21 KNOTS

MAXIMUM RADIUS

8,500 MILES @ 20 KTS; 13,600 MILES @ 15 KTS

ANCHORS

THREE 20,000-LB, ONE STARBOARD, TWO PORT. 120 FATHOMS CHAIN TO STARBOARD, 180 FATHOMS TO PORT.


ARMOR

HULL ARMOR

14" AMIDSHIPS, TAPERING TO 8" ENDS. ENTIRE BELT EXTENDS 9' ABOVE WATERLINE AND 8' 6" BELOW. PROTECTED TURRET MAGAZINES AND AMIDSHIPS MACHINERY SPACES.

DECK ARMOR

4" OUTBOARD STRAKES (UPPER DECK); 6" AMIDSHIPS.
2" OUTBOARD STRAKES (LOWER DECK). PROTECTED MACHINERY AREAS AND STEERING GEAR FROM PLUNGING FIRE.

FUNNEL ARMOR

15" AT BASE OF BOILER UPTAKES, TAPERING TO 9" AT THE UPPER DECK.

TURRET ARMOR

18" FACES; 9" SIDES, REARS; 5" TOPS; 2" ON EXPOSED UNDERSIDES.

BARBETTES

13" ABOVE SECOND DECK; 4.5" BETWEEN SECOND AND THIRD DECKS.

CONNING TOWER

16" SIDES; TWO 4" LAYERS ON TOP.

CONNING TOWER TUBE

5' INSIDE DIAMETER FROM THIRD DECK TO CONNING TOWER BASE; 16" ARMOR ABOVE 2ND DECK, 6" BELOW.

LONGITUDINAL TORPEDO BULKHEADS

TWO CONTINUOUS EACH SIDE FROM FRAME 20 TO 127; 60 LB TREATED STEEL PLATING OUTER BULKHEAD, NORMAL STRUCTURAL STEEL INNER BULKHEAD. TOTAL WIDTH OF PROTECTION EACH SIDE IS 11' 9".

TRANSVERSE TORPEDO BULKHEADS

FOUR 40 LB TREATED STEEL BULKHEADS OUTBOARD THE OUTER LONGITUDINAL BULKHEAD AT FRAMES 23, 30, 90, AND 120.

TOTAL PUBLISHED ARMOR WEIGHT

8,072 TONS


MAIN ARMAMENT

MAIN BATTERY

TWELVE 14"/45CAL 70-TON RIFLED GUNS MOUNTED IN FOUR SUPERFIRING TRIPLE TURRETS, 2 FORWARD AND 2 AFT.

BARREL LENGTH

52' 6"

BREECH DIAMETER

46"

MAXIMUM ELEVATION

THIRTY DEGREES

RIFLING

SPIRAL GROOVES IN BARREL IMPROVED ACCURACY BY IMPARTING A SPIN TO THE PROJECTILE, GIVING IT A CLOCKWISE TWIST OF ONE REVOLUTION FOR EACH 37.3 FEET OF TRAVEL.

MAXIMUM RANGE

34,000 YARDS

MAXIMUM PROJECTILE

1,400 LB ARMOR PIERCING

EXPLOSIVE CHARGE

31.5 LB (2.25% OF PROJECTILE WEIGHT).

MUZZLE VELOCITY

2,700 FPS

AVERAGE RATE OF FIRE

1.5 PER MINUTE


SECONDARY ARMAMENT

SECONDARY BATTERY

TWELVE 5"/51 CAL SINGLE MOUNTED GUNS; TEN WITHIN THE SUPERSTRUCTURE DECKHOUSE AND TWO ATOP IT, ONE ON EITHER SIDE OF THE CONNING TOWER. (THE LATTER TWO WERE REPLACED BY SINGLE MOUNTED 3"/50 CAL GUNS SHORTY BEFORE PEARL HARBOR.)

AA ARMAMENT

EIGHT 5"/25 CAL SINGLE MOUNTED GUNS, LOCATED ATOP THE SUPERSTRUCTURE DECKHOUSE, FOUR TO A SIDE; EIGHT .50CAL MACHINE GUNS, LOCATED TWO ON EACH MAST, AND FOUR ON THE FUNNEL PLATFORM.


DIRECTORS

RADAR

CXAM

FIRE CONTROL

.


AIRCRAFT OPERATIONS

CATAPULTS

ONE POWDER FIRED P MK VI (TRAINABLE) ON FANTAIL, ONE POWDER FIRED P MK IV MOD I (FIXED) ATOP TURRET THREE.

AIRCRAFT

THREE 0S2U-2 KINGFISHERS (LOW-WING, MONOPLANE, FLOATS UNDER FUSELAGE AND EACH WING).

HANGAR

NONE


CREW

COMPLEMENT

1,731 TOTAL (92 OFFICERS AND WARRANTS; 1,639 ENLISTED).

ACCOMMODATIONS

2,037 TOTAL (4 CABIN OFFICERS; 44 WARDROOM OFFICERS; 32 JUNIOR OFFICERS; 10 WARRANT OFFICERS; 72 CHIEF PETTY OFFICERS; 1,875 OTHER ENLISTED).


PHOTO GALLERY

HISTORY
STARBOARD VIEW, WITH BURNING CASSIN AND DOWNES
CLOSEUP, STARBOARD VIEW
CLOSEUP OF BOW DAMAGE
VIEW OF STERN FROM MAINMAST
AERIAL VIEW, PORT-FORWARD
BOW VIEW, IN FLOATING DRYDOCK
PORT-FORWARD VIEW, JUNE, 1946, PRIOR TO "CROSSROADS" NUCLEAR TESTS
STARBOARD LIST, SINKING STERN-FIRST
SINKING AFTER TARGET PRACTICE, 1948



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