ww2 US Navy

WW2 American Battleships

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USA – 1914-1945, 28 battleships Two generations of battleships: On December 6, 1941, the US Navy was confident. Despite two coastlines to defend and a few overseas possessions, an opinion and a congress opposed to the war, the fleet’s hopes rested on no less than twenty battleships, at the time, the largest capital ships force … Read more

WW2 U.S.Navy destroyers

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WW2 US destroyers USA (1917-45) 1,224 destroyers, 18 classes The US Navy Destroyers represented the formidable industrial effort consented by the United States to win the war on two oceans. They were versatile and highly standardized, to the point as producing only four wartime classes of 50+ up to 180 ships, the Bensons, Fletcher, Sumner … Read more

Brooklyn class cruisers (1936)

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Brooklyn class cruisers (1936) USA (1936-37) USS Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Savannah, Nashville, Phoenix, Boise, Honolulu, St Louis, Helena. The Brooklyns: Defining a new standard in US cruisers It seems strange to consider some of the numerous cuiser classes that preceded WW2 or went through the war, some were more famous than others. The Pensacola “opened the … Read more

USS Langley (1920)

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USS Langley (CV-1) (1920) USA (1920) – Aircraft Carrier The First American Aircraft Carrier (CV-1): Barely one year after the launch of IJN Hosho and two years after the HMS Furious, the US Navy ventured into the next capital ship of the century. Born as a fleet collier, the first turbo-electric-powered ship in the USN … Read more

New Mexico class battleships (1917)

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USA (1917) – USS New mexico, Mississippi, Idaho The New Mexico, Idaho and Mississippi at Pearl Harbor in December 1943 Battling vets of two world wars: About nine classes of battleships went through both world wars, two from UK, Japan, France and Italy, and five from the USA. In the latter case, the two oldest … Read more

Omaha class cruisers (1920)

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USA (1920-24) USS Omaha, Milwaukee, Cincinnati, Raleigh, Detroit, Richmond, Concord, Trenton, Marblehead, Memphis The new kids on the block The Omaha were the first American cruisers after a very long eclipse dating back to 1907 (the Chester). They were originally designed in 1919, originally to bring the squadrons of large-scale destroyers (Wickes and Clemson classes) … Read more

Pensacola class heavy Cruisers (1928)

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Pensacola class heavy cruisers (1928) USA (1928-30) – USS Pensacola, Salt lake City The top heavy cruisers This summup in a quick way the fundamental problem of the first two cruisers of the USN, experiments of the new abstract concept imposed by the treaty: A 10,000 tonnes cruiser with a ten inches armament, whatever its … Read more

Baltimore class heavy cruisers (1942)

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Baltimore class (1942) Heavy cruisers (1942-46): USS Baltimore, Boston, Camberra, Quincy, Pittsburgh, St. Paul, Columbus, Chicago, Bremerton, Fall River, Los Angeles, Macon. The standard USN heavy cruisers (1942-46) The Baltimore class cruisers were splendid battle wagons that arrived too late in the pacific to make a difference. Better than the Clevelands on all accounts, they … Read more

Northampton class heavy cruisers (1929)

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Northampton class heavy cruisers (1929) USA (1928-30) – USS Northampton, Augusta, Chicago, Houston, Chester, Louisville Back to the drawing board Basically engineers used the previous Pensacola class to start over on a more stable, more balanced and roomier design with better seaworthiness by adding a forecastle and choosing three triple turrets. The basic design became … Read more

Landing Ship Tank

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USA (1942-45) – About 1051 ships Armour Straight to the beaches: LSTs For this first crossover article with our sister website, tanks encyclopedia, meet the ships that really allowed to carry allied armoured divisions straight to the beach of Italy, France, or many Pacific Islands. Without these, and because of devastated, fortified or absent harbours, … Read more