#USS Kentucky (BB-66)

[lonestarbattleship]

KENTUCKY (BB-66) being moved for removal of her engines prior to scrapping.

Photographed in July 1958.

Photo and info from Navsource: link

[airmanisr]

USS Wisconsin (BB-64) by Alan Wilson Via Flickr: Iowa class Battleship launched on 7th December 1943. She served in the Pacific Theatre during WW2 and also saw action during the Korean War. On 6th May 1956 she was involved in a collision with Destroyer USS Eaton (DDE-510). The bow of the unfinished USS Kentucky (BB-66) was used to repair her and as she was part ‘WIS’consin and part Kentuc’KY’, she was thereafter known as ‘Wisky’. Although decommissioned after the Korean War, she was re-activated in 1986. Modernised and updated, she went on to serve during the 1991 Gulf War. She was finally decommissioned again in September 1991, she is now on permanent display at the Nauticus National Maritime Centre. Norfolk, Virginia, USA. 14-5-2015

[brandedlollipops]

Trappist the monk edited the Wikipedia article on USS Kentucky (BB-66). https://t.co/Xj80a9dcGG

Trappist the monk edited the Wikipedia article on USS Kentucky (BB-66). https://t.co/Xj80a9dcGG

— Branded Lollipops (@brandedlollipop) October 21, 2017

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[nebris]

"Artists conception of what USS Kentucky (BB-66) would have looked like following the SCB-19 conversion as BBG-1, circa 1958. Artwork by Wayne Scarpaci."

[lonestarbattleship]

The hulk of KENTUCKY (BB-66) being towed to the Boston Metals Company, Baltimore, Maryland, for scrapping.

Note: bow sections and 5/38 gun shields on her deck.

Date: October 31, 1958

U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command: NH 89297

source, source

[lonestarbattleship]

The incomplete HAWAII (CB-3) being moved to a berth, likely on her way to the scrapyard. Photographed on either May 20 or June 20, 1959. Likely the latter since the Navy Heritage and History Center has a better track record with dates.

Note: her 12 inch/50 caliber Mark 8 gun turrets have already been removed. They were removed in preparation for Hawaii would have become an Aircraft Carrier Task Force Command Ship, under SCB-83 and her hull designation changed to (CBC-1). Unlike the proposed ballistic and guided missile conversions, this conversion was budgeted in 1952.

Painting by Wayne Scarpaci

"This was as parallel to this program was a project to convert the unfinished Oregon City class heavy cruiser NORTHAMPTON (CLC-1) (later CC-1, ex-CA-125) to a National Emergency Command Post Afloat (NECPA). The NECPA program command ship (NORTHAMPTON) was where the US President and his Staff would direct US Military Forces during a nuclear conflict."

"Command and control of USN carrier forces during WWII was generally conducted from a standard vessel of the Task Force, with either a battleship or a carrier usually designated as flagship. But the presence of the force commander and his staff aboard was disruptive and resulted in overcrowded conditions, which impacted the combat effectiveness of the assigned ship. But with the superiority of the dedicated Amphibious Command Ship (AGC) concept for command and control of assault forces repeatedly demonstrated during WWII. Serious postwar consideration was given to the concept of a similar dedicated type of ship for Command and Control of Carrier Task Forces. In keeping with this concept in 1952 the USN developed the SCB-83 project to convert the HAWAII into a dedicated Carrier Task Force Command Cruiser (CBC-1). This design was strictly intended as a single mission ship featuring extensive flag facilities for command and control of carrier task forces, but no accommodations for amphibious or other types of operations.

The ship would have been armed with six 5 inch/54 caliber guns in single mounts, shipped three forward and three aft, with eight 3 inch/70 caliber guns in four enclosed twin mounts amidships. It would have fitted an AN/SPS2 radar atop a forward tower and an AN/SPS8A height finder on the aft superstructure. There was to be an SK-2 parabolic dish for tropospherical backscatter communications mounted atop short tower aft of the stack, forward of the AN/SPS8A. Two Mk37/directors with Mk25 fire control radars were provided on the superstructure fore and aft. The superstructure was built up amidships to accommodate the flag staff facilities and the single stack of the original CB design retained."

Work was halted after the turrets were removed and would continue after experience was gained from the conversion of NORTHAMPTON. However, it was discovered that it was easier and cheaper to convert USS WRIGHT (CVL-49) into the second Command ship without the loss of capability and HAWAII was sent back to the reserve fleet in Philadelphia Navy Yard.

The hull remained in the reserve fleet for 12 years before it was finally scrapped along with the incomplete hulls of KENTUCKY (BB-66) and ILLINOIS (BB-65).

U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command: NH 89293

Mariner's Museum and Park: P0001.014/01-#PN4850, P0001.014/01-#PN4858, P0001.014/01-#PN4853, P0001.014/01-#PN4847, P0001.014/01-#PN4848, P0001.014/01-#PN4849

Information, diagram and painting from "USN BATTESHIP CONVERSIONS PROJECTS" by Wayne Scarpaci: link

source

[lonestarbattleship]

On May 6, 1956, USS WISCONSIN (BB-64) collided with USS EATON (DDE-510) in heavy fog. WISCONSIN headed to Norfolk Navy Yard and entered a drydock on May 13.

To sped up the repairs, the Navy experimented with cutting off the 120-ton, 68 foot (21 m) bow section of the incomplete KENTUCKY (BB-66) to graft on WISCONSIN.

Tugboats placing KENTUCKY into Number 10 drydock at the Newport News Shipbuilding with her stern inboard. Considerable ballasting was required before the docking operations.

On the left, workers wait to make the final cut until the crane was ready for the lift. On the right, bow section is being transferred to the deck of the Navy crane.

The crane barge carrying the bow section across the river to the Norfolk Navy Yard where WISCONSIN is being repaired.

On the left, the damaged bow being cleared for the new bow. On the right, a Navy derrick is transferring undamaged bottom portion of WISCONSIN's bow onto deck of KENTUCKY.

The KENTUCKY's bow section being lowed into position on the WISCONSIN. This experiment to sped up repairs was done to enabled the ship to carry out her scheduled midshipman training cruise that summer. 

Working around the clock, it took shipyard personnel 16 days to completed the grafted on the new bow. On June 28, 1956, WISCONSIN was ready for sea.

source, source

U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command: 80-G-670850

[lonestarbattleship]

So I'm watching Neon Genesis Evangelion and you bet your ass I didn't miss the pair of Iowa class battleships in episode 8.

I didn't expect to see a Godzilla vs King Kong reference when the Eva was jumping from ship to ship to keep from sinking, then landing on an Aircraft Carrier.

I like how they chose the two unfinished Iowas, ILLINOIS and KENTUCKY, to become submarines go on a suicide mission to destroy the whale angel.

[lonestarbattleship]

State Ship Series: USS KENTUCKY

There have been two ships commissioned after the state of Kentucky in the US Navy. The state was admitted into the United States on June 1, 1792.

USS KENTUCKY (BB-6), Kearsarge class, predreadnought battleship, in commission from 1900 to 1920. Although designed with low free board for coastal defense, she crossed the ocean several times and participated in the World Cruise of the Great White Fleet. She was scrapped in 1922 in accordance with the Washington Naval Treaty.

USS KENTUCKY (BB-66), Iowa class, battleship, laid down in 1942 with expected completion date of 1945. However, the section of double bottom keel was removed from the slipway to clear it for higher priority vessels.

There was discussion of modifying her into a carrier. But was found she would carry less aircraft than an Essex Class Aircraft Carrier and not completed any finished than the other Essexes already under construction.

Work resumed in late 1944, with expected completion date of 1946. Over the next 6 years, work was stopped and restarted a couple of times as ideas to complete her in different design were floated around. Work was stopped for the last time in 1950 when she was 73% complete. Over the next eight years, numerous plans were drawn up to complete her as a guide missile battleship with different missile systems, among other plans.

The Navy went so far as to redesignate her from BB-66 to BBG-1. However, nothing came of these plans and was used a parts hulk for the other Iowa Class battleships. The most famous is the use of her bow to repair the damage bow of USS wisconsin (BB-64). Eventually, the incomplete hull was scrapped in 1958. The recovered engines were used in the fast combat support ship, USS SACRAMENTO (AOE-1) and USS CAMDEN (AOE-2).

USS KENTUCKY (SSBN-737), Ohio class, nuclear powered ballistic missile submarine, in commission from 1991 to present.

U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command: NH 96327, 80-G-701942

source, source

[lonestarbattleship]

View of twin skegs of KENTUCKY (BB-66). This is days prior to her launching on January 20.

Note: the skeg mounted inner shaft tubes and the rudder posts.

Photographed on January 16, 1950.

Photo and info from Navsource: link

[lonestarbattleship]

What USS KENTUCKY (BB-66) might had looked like in 1991.

Had the Navy not slowed down her construction after WWII, she was slated to be commissioned in September 1946. Her crew would had been fully trained by April to June 1947.

While she wouldn't had be finished in time for WWII, she definitely would had been used in the Korean War, possibly Vietnam and been reactivated in the 1980s.

source, source

[lonestarbattleship]

KENTUCKY (BB-66) is moved from her building dock at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Virginia. The ship, completed only up to her second deck, was launched to clear the drydock, so that USS MISSOURI (BB-63) could undergo repairs there following her January 17, 1950 grounding.

Note: that KENTUCKY's upper bow section is stowed on her deck, immediately in front of her forward barbette.

Photographed on January 20, 1950.

U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command: 80-G-413972, 80-G-413973

[lonestarbattleship]

KENTUCKY (BB-66) under construction at the Norfolk Navy Yard, Virginia. Her construction was suspended five months later, on February 17, 1947.

Photographed on September 11, 1946.

U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command: 80-G-703023, 80-G-701942

[lonestarbattleship]

Regarding the incomplete Iowas, did their guns and gun turrets get made before they were completely cancelled?

There were spare barrels after the war, it is not known if they were intended for Kentucky and Illinois. But their turrets were never completed and whatever was constructed was scraped along with ships.

I was able to find there was a total 22 of spare barrels, that's more than enough to gun the last two Iowas. So it is possible these guns were intended for them and the Navy kept them as spares.

Thanks for the ask.

source, source

[lonestarbattleship]

Iowa Class Carrier Conversion

At the end of 1942, the US Navy had lost 4 carriers and was in desperate need of more to counter the threat of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The next class of Carriers, the Essex Class, was still under construction and wasn't due to be commissioned until 1944. A stop-gap measure needed to counter the Japanese expansion in the Pacific as the Essex Class construction was ramped up and began looking at other ships under construction for possible conversion. The Navy had already studied the Cleveland Class for conversion.

Nine ships were re-ordered as the Independence Class Light Carriers in the first quarter of 1942 and were all commissioned in 1943. However, these ships were limited in the number of aircraft they could carry and began studying the Iowa and Alaska Classes.

The last two Iowas, ILLINOIS and KENTUCKY, were laid in 1942. The Navy decided suspend their construction since it would easier to convert them at this stage than the other four and began the study.

The study called for a 864-foot (263 m) long by 108-foot (33 m) wide flight deck, and armament identical to the carriers of the Essex class. This included four twin 5-inch gun mounts, four single 5-inch gun mounts, and six 40 mm quadruple mounts. The ship's would have had lower freeboard, only two aircraft elevators, and one catapult. They would carrier approximately 75 aircraft.

However, when finished those studies show the Iowa converted would not be completed before more Essex Class would be completed, carry less aircraft (75 vs 95-100) and cost more. The same was found for the Alaska Class. It was decided to complete them as originally planned but with their construction was given a lower priority.

Subsequently, the materials for ILLINOIS and KENTUCKY were removed from their slipways to allow other ships to be constructed. Eventually, they were relaid down in 1945 and 1944 respectful.

In 1946, work on ILLINOIS was suspended and later cancelled, though her unfinished hull remained the slipway until 1958.

KENTUCKY's was slowed after the war, work stopped and restarted several times before she was cancelled on January 20, 1950. Her hull was launched from a drydock in Newport News to make room to repair the damage to USS MISSOURI (BB-63). Eventually, she too was scrapped in 1958.

source, source, source, source, source

U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command: S-511-54

[lonestarbattleship]

The last two Iowa Class Battleships

One of many plans for the last two Iowa class battleships, ILLINOIS (BB-65) and KENTUCKY (BB-66), was the redesigned Class Improvement Program (CIP) in 1949. These two ships were started in 1942 but were quickly removed from their slips for other higher priority ships and the possibility to be converted into aircraft carriers. Their construction was resumed to their original designs in 1944 and 1945 but when the war ended, ILLINOIS was cancelled and KENTUCKY was given a low priority.

After WWII, FADM Nimitz submitted a study of the Anti-Aircraft performance of the Battleships during WWII to the CNO FADM King. Still viewing the battleship as a viable asset to the fleet.

This redesign was intended to proved better firing arcs for the anti-aircraft guns and add more 5" turrets.

Similar to how the Oregon City class crusiers were a modified version of the Baltimore Class.

The cancelled ILLINOIS which was 22.5% complete on the ways at the Philadelphia NSY was designated to be redesigned receive these upgrades first.

KENTUCKY was 72.1% complete, sitting in a dry dock at the Norfolk NSY and would receive this redesign later.

Photoshop of King/Nimitz redesign.

There were talks that if these improvements preform well, the other four Iowa Class Battleships would have their superstructures rebuilt to this redesign as well.

Sadly, the lack of funds for post war Navy, the rapidly changing aviation technology after WWII and the lack of a pressing fleet requirement, meant none of vessels were completed to the proposed redesign. ILLINOIS and kentucky were both broken up and scraped in 1958.

source, source, source, source, source, source