With the Montana's nearing completion, the USN in 1941 began looking at new Battleship designs. The first two designs were for a ship to replace USS Texas, as well as the Nevada's and the Pennsylvannia's in the fleet. A speed of 27 or 28 knots was considered the minimum, as well as protection against the 16in super heavy shell at ranges from 20,000 to 26,000 yards, the range envisioned by the USN naval planners for service in the Atlantic. The 16in gun was to be used, the 14in being thought to be too small against the various superbattleships being laid down, while the 18in would clash with the last requirement. Cost was also an issue, the USN had no desire to build another design similar to the Montana's, with a 5 year build time and costing 10% of its budget, so the USN would attempt to meet the speed, armament, and protection requirements while at the same time keeping the size and therefore the cost of the ship in the "reasonable" zone. Design A would use the triple 16in from the Montana's, while Design B would use the twin 16in from the Tennesse Class but it would use the super-heavy 16in shell instead of the lighter shell used in the Tennesse's.
Design A
USS Oregon, USA Battleship laid down 1942
Displacement:
40,704 t light; 43,655 t standard; 47,219 t normal; 50,070 t full load
Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
814.94 ft / 801.00 ft x 104.00 ft (Bulges 108.00 ft) x 32.00 ft (normal load)
248.40 m / 244.14 m x 31.70 m (Bulges 32.92 m) x 9.75 m
Armament:
9 - 16.00" / 406 mm guns (3x3 guns), 2,700.00lbs / 1,224.70kg shells, 1942 Model
Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
on centreline ends, majority forward, 1 raised mount - superfiring
16 - 5.00" / 127 mm guns (8x2 guns), 55.18lbs / 25.03kg shells, 1942 Model
Dual purpose guns in deck mounts with hoists
on side, all amidships, 4 raised mounts - superfiring
40 - 1.10" / 27.9 mm guns (10x4 guns), 0.67lbs / 0.30kg shells, 1942 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
on side, all amidships, 5 raised mounts - superfiring
34 - 0.79" / 20.0 mm guns in single mounts, 0.24lbs / 0.11kg shells, 1942 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
on side, all amidships, all raised mounts - superfiring
16 - 0.50" / 12.7 mm guns in single mounts, 0.06lbs / 0.03kg shells, 1942 Model
Machine guns in deck mounts
on side, all amidships, 8 raised mounts - superfiring
Weight of broadside 25,219 lbs / 11,439 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 142
Armour:
- Belts: Width (max) Length (avg) Height (avg)
Main: 13.0" / 330 mm 397.67 ft / 121.21 m 15.09 ft / 4.60 m
Ends: Unarmoured
Main Belt covers 76 % of normal length
- Torpedo Bulkhead and Bulges:
3.00" / 76 mm 379.63 ft / 115.71 m 24.54 ft / 7.48 m
- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 17.0" / 432 mm 10.0" / 254 mm 17.5" / 445 mm
2nd: 2.00" / 51 mm 1.00" / 25 mm 2.00" / 51 mm
3rd: 1.00" / 25 mm 0.50" / 13 mm -
- Armour deck: 6.00" / 152 mm, Conning tower: 15.00" / 381 mm
Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Geared drive, 4 shafts, 108,860 shp / 81,210 Kw = 27.00 kts
Range 12,000nm at 15.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 6,415 tons
Complement:
1,601 - 2,082
Cost:
£24.608 million / $98.430 million
Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 2,433 tons, 5.2 %
Armour: 15,854 tons, 33.6 %
- Belts: 3,537 tons, 7.5 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 1,034 tons, 2.2 %
- Armament: 4,118 tons, 8.7 %
- Armour Deck: 6,744 tons, 14.3 %
- Conning Tower: 422 tons, 0.9 %
Machinery: 2,844 tons, 6.0 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 19,312 tons, 40.9 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 6,515 tons, 13.8 %
Miscellaneous weights: 260 tons, 0.6 %
Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
72,693 lbs / 32,973 Kg = 35.5 x 16.0 " / 406 mm shells or 11.8 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.10
Metacentric height 6.4 ft / 2.0 m
Roll period: 17.9 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 67 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.86
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.35
Hull form characteristics:
Hull has a flush deck
Block coefficient: 0.597
Length to Beam Ratio: 7.42 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 28.30 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 47 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 17.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 4.40 ft / 1.34 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 31.22 ft / 9.52 m
- Forecastle (21 %): 22.00 ft / 6.71 m
- Mid (50 %): 22.00 ft / 6.71 m
- Quarterdeck (22 %): 22.00 ft / 6.71 m
- Stern: 23.00 ft / 7.01 m
- Average freeboard: 22.88 ft / 6.98 m
Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 76.2 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 159.0 %
Waterplane Area: 60,757 Square feet or 5,644 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 114 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 225 lbs/sq ft or 1,096 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.97
- Longitudinal: 1.30
- Overall: 1.00
Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is excellent
Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent
Good seaboat, rides out heavy weather easily
Design B
USS Oregon, USA Battleship laid down 1942
Displacement:
39,669 t light; 42,380 t standard; 45,874 t normal; 48,669 t full load
Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
814.94 ft / 801.00 ft x 104.00 ft (Bulges 108.00 ft) x 32.00 ft (normal load)
248.40 m / 244.14 m x 31.70 m (Bulges 32.92 m) x 9.75 m
Armament:
8 - 16.00" / 406 mm guns (4x2 guns), 2,700.00lbs / 1,224.70kg shells, 1942 Model
Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
on centreline ends, evenly spread, 2 raised mounts - superfiring
16 - 5.00" / 127 mm guns (8x2 guns), 55.18lbs / 25.03kg shells, 1942 Model
Dual purpose guns in deck mounts with hoists
on side, all amidships, 4 raised mounts - superfiring
40 - 1.10" / 27.9 mm guns (10x4 guns), 0.67lbs / 0.30kg shells, 1942 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
on side, all amidships, 5 raised mounts - superfiring
34 - 0.79" / 20.0 mm guns in single mounts, 0.24lbs / 0.11kg shells, 1942 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
on side, all amidships, all raised mounts - superfiring
16 - 0.50" / 12.7 mm guns in single mounts, 0.06lbs / 0.03kg shells, 1942 Model
Machine guns in deck mounts
on side, all amidships, 8 raised mounts - superfiring
Weight of broadside 22,519 lbs / 10,214 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 142
Armour:
- Belts: Width (max) Length (avg) Height (avg)
Main: 13.0" / 330 mm 377.26 ft / 114.99 m 15.09 ft / 4.60 m
Ends: Unarmoured
Main Belt covers 72 % of normal length
- Torpedo Bulkhead and Bulges:
3.00" / 76 mm 379.63 ft / 115.71 m 24.54 ft / 7.48 m
- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 17.0" / 432 mm 10.0" / 254 mm 17.5" / 445 mm
2nd: 2.00" / 51 mm 1.00" / 25 mm 2.00" / 51 mm
3rd: 1.00" / 25 mm 0.50" / 13 mm -
- Armour deck: 6.00" / 152 mm, Conning tower: 15.00" / 381 mm
Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Geared drive, 4 shafts, 106,281 shp / 79,285 Kw = 27.00 kts
Range 12,000nm at 15.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 6,290 tons
Complement:
1,566 - 2,037
Cost:
£22.949 million / $91.794 million
Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 2,177 tons, 4.7 %
Armour: 15,999 tons, 34.9 %
- Belts: 3,393 tons, 7.4 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 1,034 tons, 2.3 %
- Armament: 4,520 tons, 9.9 %
- Armour Deck: 6,637 tons, 14.5 %
- Conning Tower: 414 tons, 0.9 %
Machinery: 2,776 tons, 6.1 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 18,456 tons, 40.2 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 6,205 tons, 13.5 %
Miscellaneous weights: 260 tons, 0.6 %
Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
73,490 lbs / 33,335 Kg = 35.9 x 16.0 " / 406 mm shells or 12.5 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.07
Metacentric height 6.1 ft / 1.8 m
Roll period: 18.4 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 68 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.84
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.36
Hull form characteristics:
Hull has a flush deck
Block coefficient: 0.580
Length to Beam Ratio: 7.42 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 28.30 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 46 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 17.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 4.40 ft / 1.34 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 31.22 ft / 9.52 m
- Forecastle (21 %): 22.00 ft / 6.71 m
- Mid (50 %): 22.00 ft / 6.71 m
- Quarterdeck (22 %): 22.00 ft / 6.71 m
- Stern: 23.00 ft / 7.01 m
- Average freeboard: 22.88 ft / 6.98 m
Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 72.5 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 160.0 %
Waterplane Area: 59,797 Square feet or 5,555 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 117 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 217 lbs/sq ft or 1,061 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.97
- Longitudinal: 1.26
- Overall: 1.00
Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is excellent
Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent
Good seaboat, rides out heavy weather easily