USS Wisconsin (BB-9) of 1901

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U.S.S. Wisconsin (BB-9), 1901

The Wisconsin visits Sydney, Australia in 1908, during the voyage of the Great White Fleet.

The 3-ship Illinois class was still under construction in 1898, going into service in 1900 (Alabama) and 1901. These ships were somewhat unique in the U.S. fleet: in some ways derivative from the Iowa, in others resembling the British Majestic class. After the sensible switch from 13" to 12" main guns with the Iowa, the Illinois class reverted to the heavier, slower-firing 13" guns. Compact in the American tradition at 12,500 tons, these ships had a raised forecastle deck and a lower quarterdeck; their aft 13" turret sat one deck down compared to the forward turret. These ships pioneered a new turret design which became standard in U.S. battleships until 1910: a 3-D ellipse with a chisel-ended slice taken from one of the narrow ends of the ellipse. The straight, chisel-shaped surface formed the turret face; the long gun barrels poked forth from this heavily-armored, oblique steel wall (right). This model of turret remained standard in the U.S. fleet through the remaining decade of the pre-dreadnought era. Enlarge Illinois class ships dispensed with the intermediate, 8" armament used in the preceding 3 classes, relying on a secondary armament of 14 six-inchers mostly in the central redoubt. With her big guns, Wisconsin had a range of almost 7 miles (11 km); at extreme range, her 6" guns could reach out 10 miles (16 km). These ships had a clean, uncluttered layout in contrast to most American designs of the time. Like the Majestics and some French battleships, they had two side-by-side funnels, leaving a long, uncluttered boat deck aft. Robustly protected with Krupp cemented (KC) armor -- a first in the American fleet --, they were on the slow side at 16 knots. These were fair sea boats; all participated in the globe-girdling voyage of the Atlantic Fleet in 1908-09.

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USS Wisconsin (BB-9) of 1901

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The voyage of the Great White Fleet was significant for more than its bravura PR value. It taught seamanship and self-reliance among the crews, taught them they could maintain, refuel, and repair their ships far from base. The trip served as a broad training, developing an experienced corps of deep-water sailors for the Navy to draw upon.

Plans and Specifications

Specifications for the Illinois class: Dimensions: 374' x 72' x 23'6" Maximum draft: 25'. Displacement: 11,552 tons std; 12,150 tons deep laden. Armament: (4) 13"/35 (2x2), (14) 6"/40 Mark VI, (16) 6-pounders, and (6) 1-pounder guns; (4) .30-caliber machine guns; (4) 18" torpedo tubes. Armor: Harvey type. 16"/14"/4" belt, 12" bulkheads, 14" turrets, 15"/10" barbettes, 10" conning tower, 6" casemates, 5" upper belt and battery. Propulsion: 8 single-ended coal-fired cylindrical boilers; (2) inverted vertical triple-expansion engines developing 10,000 SHP, shafted to twin screw. Speed: 16 knots. Forced draft: 11,207 SHP/16.8 kts. Crew: 536 peacetime; 817 wartime (52 officers, 765 enlisted men). Ships in class: Alabama Illinois Wisconsin. Metric Specifications: Dimensions: 114m x 22m x 7.2m. Maximum draft: 7.62m. Displacement: 11,552 tons std; 12,150 tons deep laden. Armament: (4) 330 mm/35 cal. mounted 2x2, (14) 152 mm/40 Mark VI, (16) 6-pounders, and (6) 1-pounder guns; (4) .30-caliber machine guns; (4) 45 cm torpedo tubes. Armor: Harvey type. 381/356/102 mm belt, 305 mm bulkheads, 356 mm turrets, 381/254 mm barbettes, 254 mm conning tower, 152 mm casemates, 133 mm upper belt and battery. Propulsion: 8 single-ended coal-fired cylindrical boilers; (2) inverted vertical triple-expansion engines developing 7,457 kW, shafted to twin screw. Speed: 29.6 km/hr. Forced draft: 8,357

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USS Wisconsin (BB-9) of 1901

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kW/31 km/hr. Crew: 536 peacetime; 817 wartime (52 officers, 765 enlisted men).

A Wisconsin Class Photo Album

The Wisconsin in 1907.

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USS Wisconsin (BB-9) of 1901

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Stern view shows oblique-ended redoubt, aft 13" turret on drop-down quarterdeck - Illinois circa 1908.

Union Iron Works, San Francisco, birthplace of the Wisconsin (far left), 1900.

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USS Wisconsin (BB-9) of 1901

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The name ship USS Illinois (BB-7) was built at Newport News, the Alabama at Cramp's.

Target practice on the Wisconsin's 1-inch guns, located in the ship's flanks near the stern. These anti-TB weapons, a legacy of pre-dreadnought tradition, had such limited range they were obsolete by the time the ships went into service.

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USS Wisconsin (BB-9) of 1901

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Beam torpedo room on the USS Illinois. Enlarge

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USS Wisconsin (BB-9) of 1901

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A timeless shot of Navy life: K-P on the Illinois, circa 1908.

Colorized gravure postcard of the Alabama, 1906. All these ships were used as training vessels in WWI and immediately afterwards. Alabama and Wisconsin were scrapped in the early Twenties in conformance with the Washington Treaty for Naval Disarmament. The Illinois found a useful niche which guaranteed prolonged survival: she was converted to a a floating armory at New York Navy Yard in 1924 and was assigned to the New York Naval Reserve. She remained there for more than 30 years, though renamed Prairie State to free her name for an anticipated Montana-class battleship on January 8, 1941 (the Montana class was never built). During World War II a new Wisconsin joined the fleet: an Iowa-class battleship (BB-64), the ultimate embodiment of the big-gun ship in the U.S. Navy; a new Alabama, of the smaller Indiana class, also appeared in the navy's Register; both these WWII battlewagons are museum ships today. Meanwhile, Prairie State served as a Naval Reserve Midshipmen Training School at New York (shown below during the 1940s or 50s). Postwar she was retained on loan to New York State as quarters for a naval reserve unit until December 31, 1956. Immediately thereafter she was towed to Baltimore and sold to Bethlehem Steel for scrap.

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USS Wisconsin (BB-9) of 1901

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