Delaware class battleship

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Delaware-class battleship
Image:Uss delaware bb.jpg
Class Overview
Class type:	Battleship
Class name	The State of Delaware
Preceded by:	South Carolina class
Succeeded by:	Florida class
Ships of the line:	Delaware (BB-28), North Dakota (BB-29)
General Characteristics (USS Delaware)
Displacement:	Standard:20,380 tons Mean War Service:
Length:	518 ft 9 in
Beam:	85 ft 3 in
Draft:	27 ft 4 in
Speed:	21 knots
Complement:	933 officers and men
Max. cruising radius
Power:
Drive:
Fuel:
Armour	Belt: Bulkheads: Barbettes: Turrets: Decks:

The Delaware-class battleships of the United States Navy were its first true "Dreadnoughts", carrying a battery of ten 12-inch guns in five turrets, and capable of exceeding 20 knots. The two ships of the class were launched in 1908 and 1909:

They were significantly more powerful than their predecessors, the Congress not having limited their size when authorizing construction, with two more 12-inch guns, a secondary battery of 5-inch guns instead of 3-inch types, and 2.5 knots more speed. As an experiment, the ships had different powerplants, with the Delaware getting a triple-expansion reciprocating engine, while North Dakota was fitted with a Curtiss turbine engine, initially a direct drive design, later replaced with a geared turbine.

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