Ranked: The 5 Best Battleships of All Time nationalinterest.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from nationalinterest.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
U.S. Navy Battleship USS North Carolina Faces an Uncertain Future nationalinterest.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from nationalinterest.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
In the early 20th century, battleships were the epitome of naval power, leading to the construction of the South Dakota-class by the rising US Navy. These fast battleships, built just before World War II, marked an evolution from the North Carolina-class, overcoming treaty limitations to improve firepower, armor, and speed within a smaller displacement.
Although Battleship USS West Virginia was designed to be the fourth Colorado-class vessel to enter service, the cancellation of the planned USS Washington made her the third battleship to be completed. Like her sister-ships, West Virginia was equipped with a main battery of 16 in/45 caliber Mark 1 guns.
The USS Alabama was the final of four powerful South Dakota-class battleships built for the US Navy in the 1930s. Though designed earlier, treaty restrictions delayed her construction until World War II. Alabama saw action protecting Allied convoys and in the Pacific, notably providing early warning against Japanese air attacks.