USS Minnesota?

squint181
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USS Minnesota? Jun 20, 2020 3:24:56 GMT

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Post by squint181 on Jun 20, 2020 3:24:56 GMT

Ok Junior Naval Historians, is this a real design? I know next to nothing about USN battleship development and I can't confirm if this was a pre war plan or not. If real, I plan on making a model for Shapeways. I might do a lot of Fantasy designs, but they all at least have some historical truth. Even it was just a scribble on the back of a napkin, it was still a 1940's napkin.

And if it is real, what was its length so I can scale it right?

The USS Minnesota is a Fast BB proposed in 1934 with 9-14″ rifles in three triple turrets and 12-5″ guns in twin turrets. She was designed for 30kts at 35000 tons with excellent protection comparable to the later fast BBs (13″ belt, 4.5″-5″ on the decks). A sketch can be found in Norman Friedman’s book “US Battleships : An Illustrated Design History” on page 234.

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mnnorthstars Deck E developer Posts: 9,162	USS Minnesota? Jun 20, 2020 5:36:15 GMT Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by mnnorthstars on Jun 20, 2020 5:36:15 GMT If it was proposed, it was never given a hull number. The 1920s canceled hull numbers go straight to North Carolina completed in ‘41.
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Syzmo
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USS Minnesota? Jun 20, 2020 10:13:49 GMT stealth7 likes this

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Post by Syzmo on Jun 20, 2020 10:13:49 GMT

The design does show up in Freidman's and is a real design although this series of designs is more a proof of concept to see if a balanced fast battleship was possible with the more modern technology of the 1930's and not actually part of the design process for an authorized ship.

It was only 31,000 tons standard, and was 670x101.5x29.4'.

Freidman's is a fairly expensive book but it has a lot of design illustrations and hull measurements of built and unbuilt ships and I highly recommend it.

squint181 Forumini Captain Posts: 1,805	USS Minnesota? Jun 20, 2020 23:07:48 GMT Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by squint181 on Jun 20, 2020 23:07:48 GMT Real enough for me. Thanks. Another model worthy designs in there? Always looking for more subject material.
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oscsusnret Forumini Lieutenant Posts: 509	USS Minnesota? Jun 21, 2020 0:42:48 GMT CommanderSam likes this Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by oscsusnret on Jun 21, 2020 0:42:48 GMT Rather than creating cards and ships for What If's... I wish cards and ships could be designed for War At Sea WWI!!!
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warspite1 Forumini Ensign Posts: 71	USS Minnesota? Jun 24, 2020 0:14:21 GMT Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by warspite1 on Jun 24, 2020 0:14:21 GMT In terms of armament layout she is very close to the eventual 'battlecruisers' of the USS Alaska class. Nine main guns in the same positions and 12 x 5-inch DP. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska-class_cruiser
	Last Edit: Jun 24, 2020 0:15:27 GMT by warspite1

SWO_Daddy
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USS Minnesota? Jun 25, 2020 2:05:14 GMT

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Post by SWO_Daddy on Jun 25, 2020 2:05:14 GMT

Jun 20, 2020 3:24:56 GMT squint181 said:

The USS Minnesota is a Fast BB proposed in 1934 with 9-14″ rifles in three triple turrets and 12-5″ guns in twin turrets. She was designed for 30kts at 35000 tons with excellent protection comparable to the later fast BBs (13″ belt, 4.5″-5″ on the decks). A sketch can be found in Norman Friedman’s book “US Battleships : An Illustrated Design History” on page 234.

I own Friedman's book (it awesome). Some the General Board Design Sketches like this one were extremely ambitious. Compare the above stats with the Tennessee class. Similar armament, similar protection (heavier deck armor, a unitary 13" belt vice 8-13"). 50 feet longer, and more importantly, somehow 9 knots faster on only ~3-4,000 more tons displacement. Steam engineering technology was certainly more advanced and compact in 1934 than in 1916, but this seems to have been a little bit of wishful thinking on the part of the General Board. I suspect if such a ship had actually been built, she would have ended up being way heavier than the 35,000 tons the Washington Treaty stipulated. Case it point, the Washington-class, which was the ultimate outcome of these 1930's era design studies, had a "standard" displacement of 36,600 tons, but a full load displacement of a whopping 44,800 tons. Not unique for ships of the period - there was plenty of designs in the 1930's that busted treaty limits, sometimes pretty deliberately.

Last Edit: Jun 25, 2020 2:21:12 GMT by SWO_Daddy

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Post by squint181 on Jun 20, 2020 3:24:56 GMT

Post by mnnorthstars on Jun 20, 2020 5:36:15 GMT

Post by Syzmo on Jun 20, 2020 10:13:49 GMT

Post by squint181 on Jun 20, 2020 23:07:48 GMT

Post by oscsusnret on Jun 21, 2020 0:42:48 GMT

Post by warspite1 on Jun 24, 2020 0:14:21 GMT

Post by SWO_Daddy on Jun 25, 2020 2:05:14 GMT

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