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USS Kentucky (BB-66)
Encyclopedia
USS Kentucky (BB-66) was to be the sixth and final constructed for the United States Navy
; she was the second ship to be named
in honor of Kentucky
. Among the Iowa-class battleships, Kentucky is notable for being the last authorized Iowa-class battleship, and for being the only ship of the class considered for a guided missile rebuild.
Hull BB-66 was originally to be the second ship of the s. However, the U.S. Navy's experiences in World War II
led it to concluded that it required more fast battleships to escort the new s that were being built. As a result, Kentucky was reordered as an midway through the war. Like her sister ship , Kentucky was still under construction at the end of hostilities and was caught up in the post-war drawdown of the armed services. Her construction was suspended twice, during which times she served as a spare parts cache of sorts. Kentucky was sold for scrap in 1958 after several failed attempts to have her completed as a guided missile battleship.
" designs planned in 1938 by the Preliminary Design Branch at the Bureau of Construction and Repair
. She was to be the sixth and final ship of the of battleship
s. Like Illinois, Kentucky differed from her earlier sisters in that her design called for an all welded construction. This would have saved weight and increased strength over a combination riveted/welded hull of the type used on the four completed Iowa-class ships. It was proposed that the hulls
of Illinois and Kentucky be redesigned with greater torpedo
protection, which would have been a 20% improvement over the system used aboard the South Dakotas
and the first four Iowas in addition to reducing flooding in the event of a torpedo strike; it is unclear if this was adopted.
Like her Iowa-class sisters, Kentuckys construction began in response to the need for fast escorts for the s. She was conceived in 1935, when the United States Navy initiated design studies for the creation of an extended South Dakota class
that was not restricted by the Second London Naval Treaty
. The latter four Iowa class battleships (Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois and Kentucky) were not cleared for construction until 12 July 1940, and at the time Illinois and Kentucky were to be larger, slower battleships mounting twelve 16 in (406.4 mm) Mark 7 guns.
s as possible and it was decided that BB-65 and BB-66 would follow the same design as their sisters. Kentuckys main battery would have consisted of nine 16 in (406.4 mm)/50 cal Mark 7 guns, which could hurl 2700 lb (1,224.7 kg) armor-piercing shells some 20 mi (32.2 km). Her secondary battery would have consisted of 20 5 in (127 mm)/38 cal guns arranged in 10 gun turrets, which could fire at targets up to 10 mi (16.1 km) away. With the advent of air power and the need to gain and maintain air superiority came a need to protect the growing fleet of Allied aircraft carriers. To this end, Kentucky was to be fitted with an array of Oerlikon 20 mm
and Bofors 40 mm anti-aircraft guns
to defend allied carriers from enemy airstrikes.
Kentuckys construction was plagued by suspensions. Her keel
was laid down at the Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Virginia
on 7 March 1942. However, work on the ship was suspended in June that year when Kentuckys bottom structure was launched to make room for LST construction.
Kentuckys construction resumed on 6 December 1944 with a new keel laying, but work on the battleship proceeded at a slow pace. In December 1945 it was recommended that Kentucky be completed as an anti-aircraft battleship, and work on the ship was suspended in August 1946 while this was considered. Construction resumed again on 17 August 1948 without any decision having been made on her final design. Work on Kentucky continued until 20 January 1950, when it was decided to cancel the ship. Following this, she was floated out of her drydock to clear a space for repairs to sister ship , which had run aground en route from Hampton Roads
.
at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard
from about 1950 to 1958. It was during this time that several plans were proposed to complete Kentucky as a guided missile battleship (BBG) by removing the aft turret and installing a missile system. Since the battleship was already 73.1% complete (construction had been halted at the 1st deck), installation of the missile system would have involved only adding the necessary equipment without any need to rebuild the battleship to accommodate the system.
In May or June 1956, Kentuckys bow
was removed and transported on a large crane barge from Newport News, Virginia
, where she had been towed, back to Norfolk Naval Shipyard
, to be used in the repair of , which had been damaged in a collision with on 6 May 1956. A new bow was fabricated but never installed; it was stored on her deck until the hulk was towed away. Kentucky was struck from the Naval Vessel Register
on 9 June 1958 and her incomplete hulk was sold for scrapping to Boston Metals Company of Baltimore, Maryland, on 31 October.
When the first two of the s, and , were laid down in 1961 and 1964, the Navy used Kentuckys four turbine sets to power the ships. This would later prove to be a beneficial move: when the Navy switched from 600 psi (4.1 MPa) boilers to 1,200 psi (8.3 MPa) boilers, sailors who had served aboard these Sacramentos were posted to operate the older boilers aboard during her combat tour in the Vietnam War
and aboard all four of the Iowas when recalled and modernized in the 1980s as part of the 600-ship Navy plan
.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
; she was the second ship to be named
Ship naming and launching
The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch:There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely...
in honor of Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
. Among the Iowa-class battleships, Kentucky is notable for being the last authorized Iowa-class battleship, and for being the only ship of the class considered for a guided missile rebuild.
Hull BB-66 was originally to be the second ship of the s. However, the U.S. Navy's experiences in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
led it to concluded that it required more fast battleships to escort the new s that were being built. As a result, Kentucky was reordered as an midway through the war. Like her sister ship , Kentucky was still under construction at the end of hostilities and was caught up in the post-war drawdown of the armed services. Her construction was suspended twice, during which times she served as a spare parts cache of sorts. Kentucky was sold for scrap in 1958 after several failed attempts to have her completed as a guided missile battleship.
Background
Kentucky was one of the "fast battleshipFast battleship
Historically, a fast battleship was a battleship which emphasized speed without - in concept - undo compromise of either armor or armament. The term is especially appropriate when applied to a design which was not only faster than the preceding battleship class, but faster than subsequent classes...
" designs planned in 1938 by the Preliminary Design Branch at the Bureau of Construction and Repair
Bureau of Construction and Repair
The Bureau of Construction and Repair was the part of the United States Navy which from 1862 to 1940 was responsible for supervising the design, construction, conversion, procurement, maintenance, and repair of ships and other craft for the Navy...
. She was to be the sixth and final ship of the of battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
s. Like Illinois, Kentucky differed from her earlier sisters in that her design called for an all welded construction. This would have saved weight and increased strength over a combination riveted/welded hull of the type used on the four completed Iowa-class ships. It was proposed that the hulls
Hull (watercraft)
A hull is the watertight body of a ship or boat. Above the hull is the superstructure and/or deckhouse, where present. The line where the hull meets the water surface is called the waterline.The structure of the hull varies depending on the vessel type...
of Illinois and Kentucky be redesigned with greater torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
protection, which would have been a 20% improvement over the system used aboard the South Dakotas
South Dakota class battleship (1939)
The South Dakota-class was a group of four fast battleships built by the United States Navy. They were the second class of battleships to be named after the 40th State; the first class was designed in the 1920s and canceled under the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty. The class comprised four...
and the first four Iowas in addition to reducing flooding in the event of a torpedo strike; it is unclear if this was adopted.
Like her Iowa-class sisters, Kentuckys construction began in response to the need for fast escorts for the s. She was conceived in 1935, when the United States Navy initiated design studies for the creation of an extended South Dakota class
South Dakota class battleship (1939)
The South Dakota-class was a group of four fast battleships built by the United States Navy. They were the second class of battleships to be named after the 40th State; the first class was designed in the 1920s and canceled under the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty. The class comprised four...
that was not restricted by the Second London Naval Treaty
Second London Naval Treaty
The Second London Naval Disarmament Conference opened in London, the United Kingdom, on 9 December 1935. It resulted in the Second London Naval Treaty which was signed on 25 March 1936.- Description :...
. The latter four Iowa class battleships (Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois and Kentucky) were not cleared for construction until 12 July 1940, and at the time Illinois and Kentucky were to be larger, slower battleships mounting twelve 16 in (406.4 mm) Mark 7 guns.
Construction
By late 1939, it had become apparent that the navy needed as many fast battleshipFast battleship
Historically, a fast battleship was a battleship which emphasized speed without - in concept - undo compromise of either armor or armament. The term is especially appropriate when applied to a design which was not only faster than the preceding battleship class, but faster than subsequent classes...
s as possible and it was decided that BB-65 and BB-66 would follow the same design as their sisters. Kentuckys main battery would have consisted of nine 16 in (406.4 mm)/50 cal Mark 7 guns, which could hurl 2700 lb (1,224.7 kg) armor-piercing shells some 20 mi (32.2 km). Her secondary battery would have consisted of 20 5 in (127 mm)/38 cal guns arranged in 10 gun turrets, which could fire at targets up to 10 mi (16.1 km) away. With the advent of air power and the need to gain and maintain air superiority came a need to protect the growing fleet of Allied aircraft carriers. To this end, Kentucky was to be fitted with an array of Oerlikon 20 mm
Oerlikon 20 mm cannon
The Oerlikon 20 mm cannon is a series of autocannons, based on an original design by Reinhold Becker of Germany, very early in World War I, and widely produced by Oerlikon Contraves and others...
and Bofors 40 mm anti-aircraft guns
Anti-aircraft warfare
NATO defines air defence as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action." They include ground and air based weapon systems, associated sensor systems, command and control arrangements and passive measures. It may be to protect naval, ground and air forces...
to defend allied carriers from enemy airstrikes.
Keel
In boats and ships, keel can refer to either of two parts: a structural element, or a hydrodynamic element. These parts overlap. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in construction of a ship, in British and American shipbuilding traditions the construction is dated from this event...
was laid down at the Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Virginia
Portsmouth, Virginia
Portsmouth is located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2010, the city had a total population of 95,535.The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard, is a historic and active U.S...
on 7 March 1942. However, work on the ship was suspended in June that year when Kentuckys bottom structure was launched to make room for LST construction.
Kentuckys construction resumed on 6 December 1944 with a new keel laying, but work on the battleship proceeded at a slow pace. In December 1945 it was recommended that Kentucky be completed as an anti-aircraft battleship, and work on the ship was suspended in August 1946 while this was considered. Construction resumed again on 17 August 1948 without any decision having been made on her final design. Work on Kentucky continued until 20 January 1950, when it was decided to cancel the ship. Following this, she was floated out of her drydock to clear a space for repairs to sister ship , which had run aground en route from Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States...
.
Fate
Kentucky was never completed, instead serving as a supply cache of sorts while in the mothball fleetUnited States Navy reserve fleets
The United States Navy maintains a number of its ships as part of a reserve fleet, often called the "Mothball Fleet". While the details of the activity have changed several times, the basics are constant: keep the ships afloat and sufficiently working as to be reactivated quickly in an...
at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard
Philadelphia Naval Shipyard
The Philadelphia Naval Business Center, formerly known as the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and Philadelphia Navy Yard, was the first naval shipyard of the United States. The U.S. Navy reduced its activities there in the 1990s, and ended most of them on September 30, 1995...
from about 1950 to 1958. It was during this time that several plans were proposed to complete Kentucky as a guided missile battleship (BBG) by removing the aft turret and installing a missile system. Since the battleship was already 73.1% complete (construction had been halted at the 1st deck), installation of the missile system would have involved only adding the necessary equipment without any need to rebuild the battleship to accommodate the system.
In May or June 1956, Kentuckys bow
Bow (ship)
The bow is a nautical term that refers to the forward part of the hull of a ship or boat, the point that is most forward when the vessel is underway. Both of the adjectives fore and forward mean towards the bow...
was removed and transported on a large crane barge from Newport News, Virginia
Newport News, Virginia
Newport News is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia. It is at the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula, on the north shore of the James River extending southeast from Skiffe's Creek along many miles of waterfront to the river's mouth at Newport News...
, where she had been towed, back to Norfolk Naval Shipyard
Norfolk Naval Shipyard
The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard and abbreviated as NNSY, is a U.S. Navy facility in Portsmouth, Virginia, for building, remodeling, and repairing the Navy's ships. It's the oldest and largest industrial facility that belongs to the U.S. Navy as well as the most...
, to be used in the repair of , which had been damaged in a collision with on 6 May 1956. A new bow was fabricated but never installed; it was stored on her deck until the hulk was towed away. Kentucky was struck from the Naval Vessel Register
Naval Vessel Register
The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...
on 9 June 1958 and her incomplete hulk was sold for scrapping to Boston Metals Company of Baltimore, Maryland, on 31 October.
When the first two of the s, and , were laid down in 1961 and 1964, the Navy used Kentuckys four turbine sets to power the ships. This would later prove to be a beneficial move: when the Navy switched from 600 psi (4.1 MPa) boilers to 1,200 psi (8.3 MPa) boilers, sailors who had served aboard these Sacramentos were posted to operate the older boilers aboard during her combat tour in the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
and aboard all four of the Iowas when recalled and modernized in the 1980s as part of the 600-ship Navy plan
600-ship Navy
The 600 Ship Navy was a strategic plan of the United States Navy during the 1980s to rebuild its fleet after cutbacks that followed the end of the Vietnam War...
.