return to Naval History Homepage

 

  E-BOOK DOWNLOAD  
     
  "Naval and Military Campaign Summaries of World War 2" - to read, study, print-out, search by any subject as you want. An ideal way to come to grips with the complexity of World War 2 on land and sea. Please click here  
     
     


UNITED STATES NAVY and WORLD WAR 2

   

Battleships

Key - Losses by Year and Area - Battleships - Battlecruisers

   

Key to Main Characteristics

Tonnage - standard displacement. Speed - designed speed at standard displacement, rarely attained in service. Main armament - sometimes changed as the war progressed; secondary armament usually changed. Complement - normal peacetime. Exceeded in war with consequent reduction in living space and higher battle casualties. Year - year or years class completed and normally entered service. Only includes ships completed up to war's end. Loss Positions - to nearest quarter degree unless given otherwise. Casualties - totals of men lost, or survivors plus saved, will often exceed peacetime complements. Cross (+) after commanding officer, where included, indicates killed or lost in the sinking


LOSSES BY YEAR and AREA - Capital Ships, Aircraft Carriers
and Cruisers
(in date order within each year)


Year

Atlantic

Europe and Mediterranean

Southwest Pacific

Central and Western Pacific

1941

-

-

-

battleships BB.37 Oklahoma, BB.39 Arizona

1942

-

-

carriers CV.2 Lexington, CV.7 Wasp, CV.8 Hornet

cruisers CA.30 Houston, CA.34 Astoria, CA.39 Quincy, CA.44 Vincennes,CL.51 Atlanta, CL.52 Juneau, CA.26 Northampton

carrier CV.5 Yorktown

 

1943

-

-

cruisers CA.29 Chicago, CL.50 Helena escort carrier CVE.56 Liscome Bay

1944

escort carrier CVE.21 Block Island

-

-

escort carriers CVE.63 St Lo, CVE.73 Gambier Bay, light carrier CVL.23 Princeton

1945

-

-

-

escort carriers CVE.79 Ommaney Bay, CVE.95 Bismarck Sea, CVE.12 Copahee (not repaired), CVE26 Sangamon (not repaired)

cruiser CA.35 Indianapolis

tto top of page


BATTLESHIPS

1. BB.33 ARKANSAS, survived - 26,000 tons, 21 knots, 12-12in, 1,650 crew, 1912

2. NEW YORK class, BB.34 NEW YORK, BB.35 TEXAS (museum ship), 2 ships - 27,000 tons, 21 knots, 10-14in, 1,530 crew, 1914

3. NEVADA class, BB.36 NEVADA, BB.37 OKLAHOMA, 2 ships, 1 lost - 29,000 tons, 20 knots, 10-14in, 2,100 crew, 1916

BB.37 OKLAHOMA, 7th December 1941, Central Pacific at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii - by 5 torpedoes from Japanese carrier aircraft.

Based at Pearl Harbor from 6th December 1940. During surprise Japanese attack, she was in port with Pacific Fleet, moored in Battleship Row 7 outboard of battleship "Maryland". Hit by three torpedoes in the opening attacks and as she turned over, hit by two more. Fully capsized within 20 minutes with 20 officers and 395 men killed or missing. Salvaged March to December 1943 and decommissioned. Sank in tow 540 miles from Pearl Harbor en route to San Francisco 17th May 1947 (Attack on Pearl Harbor)

 4. PENNSYLVANIA class, BB.38 PENNSYLVANIA, BB.39 ARIZONA, 2 ships, 1 lost - 33,000 tons, 21 knots, 12-14in, 2,300 crew, 1916

BB.39 ARIZONA, 7th December 1941, Central Pacific at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii - by bombs and torpedoes from Japanese carrier aircraft.

In harbour with Pacific Fleet during surprise Japanese carrier attack, moored in Battleship Row with repair ship "Vestal" (AR-4) alongside. On board were Rear Admiral Isaac Kidd and her CO Capt. Franklin van Valkenburgh. Attacks started around 07.55 and "Arizona" was hit by up to eight bombs. One exploded in the forward black powder magazine touching off a massive explosion and destroying the ship even as the captain had reached the bridge to start fighting her. Fires burned for two days. Of the 1,400 crew on board, 1,103 were killed and the Medal of Honor was awarded to Rear Admiral Kidd (posthumously), Capt. van Valkenburgh (posthumously) and the ship's damage control officer Lt Cdr Samuel Fuqua. "Arizona's" sunken wreck was cut down to water level, but from 1950 CinCPac instituted the daily raising of colors over her. Designated a national shrine, a memorial was built on her remains and dedicated in May 1962. (Attack on Pearl Harbor)

5. NEW MEXICO class, BB.40 NEW MEXICO, BB.41 MISSISSIPPI, BB.42 IDAHO, 3 ships - 33,000 tons, 22 knots, 12-14in, 1,900 crew, 1917-19 (rebuilt 1930-34)

6. CALIFORNIA class, BB.43 TENNESSEE, BB.44 CALIFORNIA, 2 ships - 33,000 tons, 21 knots, 12-14in, 2,200 crew, 1920-21 (both rebuilt)

7. MARYLAND class, BB.45 COLORADO, BB.46 MARYLAND, BB.48 WEST VIRGINIA (only one rebuilt) 3 ships - 32,000 tons, 21 knots, 8-16in, 2,100 crew, 1921-23

8. NORTH CAROLINA class, BB.55 NORTH CAROLINA (museum ship), BB.56 WASHINGTON, 2 ships - 35,000 tons, 28 knots, 9-16in, 2,500 crew, 1941

9. SOUTH DAKOTA class, BB.57 SOUTH DAKOTA, BB.58 INDIANA, BB.59 MASSACHUSETTS (museum ship), BB.60 ALABAMA (museum ship), 4 ships - 35,000 tons, 28 knots, 9-16in, 2,500 crew, 1942

10. IOWA class, BB.61 IOWA, BB.62 NEW JERSEY, BB.63 MISSOURI, BB.64 WISCONSIN, 4 ships - 45,000 tons, 33 knots, 9-16in, 2,700 crew, 1943-44

to top of page

BATTLECRUISERS

11. ALASKA class, CB.1 ALASKA, CB.2 GUAM, 2 ships - 27,000 tons, 33 knots, 9-12in, 2,200 crew, 1944

to top of page


return to Naval History Homepage

URL: http://www.naval-history.net
Updated December 2000
copyright 2000