WORLD WAR 1 at SEA

UNITED STATES NAVY

 

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With thanks to the US Naval Historical Branch and the compilers of the On-line 'Dictionary of Naval Fighting Ships'

All photographs are also Courtesy of the US Naval Historical Branch 
(click all for enlargements)

 


 

Contents

Naval War in Outline

US Navy Ship Names

Warship numbers and losses, 1914-18

Losses by year

Key to main characteristics including US Torpedo and Gun Calibres

links to

Dreadnoughts


 

 

 

       
 

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WORLD WAR 1 at SEA

Dreadnought Battleships to 1914

Colour Code - 1914 Allies in blue - 1914 Central Powers in red - later Allies in black - Dreadnoughts lost 1914-18 in bright red

Note: Dreadnoughts completed after August 1914 (and subsequently lost) are not included here.

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World War 1 at Sea

 

Completions Year-by-Year - 1906-14

 

1906

Britain - First all big-gunned battleship 'Dreadnought' (10-12in) completed for the Royal Navy led to a rapid building race between Britain and Germany, in which other major powers joined.

1908

Britain - 3 'Invincible' class battlecruisers (8-12in): 'Invincible', 'Indomitable', 'Inflexible'.

1909

Britain - 3 'Bellerophon' class (10-12in): 'Bellerophon', 'Superb', 'Temeraire'.

Germany - First German dreadnoughts, 4 'Westfalen' class (12-11in): 'Westfalen', 'Nassau', 'Posen', 'Rheinland'.

- Also large armoured cruiser/battlecruiser 'Blucher' (12-8.2in).

1910

Britain - 3 'St Vincent' class (10-12in): 'St Vincent', 'Collingwood', 'Vanguard'.

Germany - Battlecruiser 'Von der Tann' (8-11in).

Japan - First Dreadnoughts, 2 'Satsuma' class (4-12in and 12-10in): 'Satsuma', 'Aki'

U.S.A. - First 4 Dreadnoughts - 2 'South Carolina' (8-12in) and 2 'Delaware' class (10-12in)

1911

Britain - 'Neptune' (10-12in)

- 2 'Colossus' class (10-12in): 'Colossus', 'Hercules'

- First of 3 'Indefatigable' class battlecruisers (8-12in): 'Indefatigable', 'New Zealand' completed in 1912, 'Australia' in 1913.

France - 6 'Danton' class pre-Dreadnought battleships (4-12in)

Germany - 4 'Helgoland' class (12-12in): 'Thuringen', 'Helgoland', 'Ostfriesland', 'Oldenburg'.

- 2 'Moltke' class battlecruisers (10-11in): 'Moltke', 'Goeben' (transferred to Turkey 1914).

U.S.A. - 2 'Florida' class Dreadnoughts (10-12in).

1912

Austria - First Austro-Hungarian Dreadnoughts, 4 'Tegetthoff' class (12-12in): 'Viribus Unitis', 'Tegetthoff' completed in 1913, 'Prinz Eugen' in 1914, 'Szent Istvan' in 1915.

Britain - 4 'Orion' class (10-13.5in): 'Orion', 'Monarch', 'Thunderer', 'Conqueror'.

4 'King George V' class (10-13.5in): 'King George V', 'Centurion' 'Audacious', 'Ajax'.

2 'Lion' class battlecruisers (8-13.5in): 'Lion', 'Princess Royal'.

Germany - 5 'Kaiser' class (10-12in): 'Kaiser', 'Friedrich der Grosse', 'Kaiserin', 'Prinz Regent Luitpold', 'Koenig Albert'.

Japan - 2 'Settsu' class (12-12in): 'Settsu', 'Kawachi'

U.S.A. - 2 'Wyoming' class (12-12in)

1913

Britain - Battlecruiser 'Queen Mary' (8-13.5in).

Germany - Battlecruiser 'Seydlitz' (10-11in).

France - First Dreadnoughts, 4 'Courbet' class (12-12in) completed in 1913 and 1914: 'Jean Bart', 'Courbet', 'Paris', 'France'.

Italy - First Dreadnought - 'Dante Alighieri' (12-12in).

Japan - 4 'Kongo' class battlecruisers (8-14in) completed through to 1915: 'Kongo', 'Hiei', 'Haruna', 'Kirishima'.

1914

Britain - 4 'Iron Duke' class (10-13.5in): 'Iron Duke', 'Marlborough', 'Benbow', 'Emperor of India'.

'Erin' (ex-Turkish 'Reshadieh', 10-13.5in).

'Agincourt' (ex-Turkish 'Sultan Osman I', 14-12in).

Battlecruiser 'Tiger' (8-13.5in).

Germany - 4 'Konig' class (10-12in): 'Grosser Kurfurst', 'Konig', 'Markgraf', 'Kronprinz Wilhelm'.

First of 3 'Derfflinger' class battlecruisers (8-12in): 'Derfflinger' completed in 1914, 'Lutzow' in 1915, 'Hindenburg' in 1917.

Italy - 3 'Cavour' class (12-12in) ; 'Giulio Cesare', 'Leonardo da Vinci' completed, 'Conte di Cavour' in 1915.

Russia (Baltic Fleet) - First Dreadnoughts, 4 'Gangut' class (12-12in): 'Gangut', 'Petropavlovsk', 'Poltava', 'Sevastopol'. (Black Sea Fleet, included 'Imperatritsa Mariya' launched but not completed until 1915)

Turkey - Two Dreadnoughts building in Britain, but seized on outbreak of war

U.S.A. - 2 'New York' class (10-14in)

 

Summary - Dreadnought Classes Completed or Completing by August 1914

Countries in order of first dreadnoughts - totals exclude German 'Blucher', French 'Dantons' and Russian Black Sea Fleet dreadnoughts building.

 
Britain

34

5 lost

Germany

24

('Blucher' lost)

Japan

8

1 lost

U.S.A.

8

-

Austria

4

2 lost

France

4

('Danton' lost)

Italy

4

1 lost

Russia

4

(1 Black Sea ship lost)

Total

90
(
50 Allied, 28 Central Powers, 12 later Allies)

9
(plus 3)

 
 

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