Colorado Class Battleship

The Colorado class battleships were a group of four battleships built by the United States Navy after World War I. However, only three of the ships were completed: Colorado, Maryland, and West Virginia. The fourth, Washington, was over 75% completed when she was canceled under the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty in 1922. As such, the Colorado class ships were the last battleships built by the US Navy until the North Carolina class entered service on the eve of World War II.

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Education

Tags:

• Colorado
• class
• battleship

[Zyworski]

@Tyco200 I like the layout of the Colorado and it is one of the better looking battleships, but the slow speed means it cannot be part of a carrier task force, and dooms it to more routine duties like shore bombardment, and escort.

The whole naval establishment was slow to realize the threat from gravity bombs, and plunging fire which explains why a lot of ships had thin deck armor. By the time the Iowa class came out they were up to a respectable 7.5 inches

[Zyworski]

@Tyco200 Battle cruisers do just fine until they have to stand and fight against another heavy ship, and then the weakness of the armor comes back to haunt them. As long as there are no battleships around a battle cruiser is just as good as a battleship.

[Tyco200]

Let's also not forget the total difference between throwing a typical bomb or 16" shell at a 3.5 inch deck, and than taking a 16" shell from one of the Nagatos, equipping it with wooden fins, and then dropping it on top of the ship, at a steep angel. In battle, Nagato would've been clobbered by even the Arizona.

[Tyco200]

@NCOProductions Wow... West Virginia was an amazing warship, taking eight torpedo hits before nearly capsizing. It was her crew who saved the ship, by counter flooding. If it weren't for them? America would've had a fourth-permanent loss (USS Arizona, Oklahoma and the Utah were three.)

[Tyco200]

@Zyworski Battlecruisers, themselves, are a failed concept. Thinly armored, Britain lost three in the battle of Jutland, and would/had lost plenty of others.

[Tyco200]

@Zyworski You do realize the Colorados were laid down in 1919, correct? Also, paper thin decks? The Bismarck had 3.9 to 4.7 inches maximum, and that the Kongos were given 2.3 (upgraded later), correct? 3.5 inches is actually relatively well armored for any BB, and her fire control was outstanding. Though old, Colorado was an excellent war winner - Certainly capable of taking on anything Japanese.

[strykerseven]

My dad served on the USS Colorado in WWII - He was on a 20mm.

[kuluku]

BB-47 Washington 

[honeycomb46]

My Dad was on the USS Colorado. In WWII. He was on the 3 Turt.

[Zyworski]

Even though 12' narrower at the beam and 13,000 tons lighter the Colorado class ships were still 10 knots slower the the Iowa class ships. The paper thin deck armor and slow propulsion brand this ship as a fail, this is a shame since it could have been a good answer to the concept of a battle cruiser.