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Ships by Class/Type: Battleships
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'Oklahoma' vs 'Dreadnought'
Aurora-7
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Connecticut, United States
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Posted: Thursday, March 06, 2014 - 01:55 AM UTC
Can anyone confirm that the battleship design for the USS Oklahoma (BB-37) predated the HMS Dreadnought?

The story I read stated 'Dreadnought' launched first so it was her name that became synonymous with the new age for battleships but the Oklahoma's design was concieved first.

Still, even as a Yank, 'Dreadnought' has a better ring to a battleship era name than 'Oklahoma'.
russamotto
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Posted: Thursday, March 06, 2014 - 03:57 AM UTC
Oklahoma came after, and is classified as a "standard class" battleship, designated after the dreadnought designs. . The US Navy battleships of the Dreadnought class were the South Carolina class, with two ships (South Carolina and Michigan), Delaware Class with two ships (Delaware and North Dakota) Florida, with two ships built (Florida and Utah), Wyoming class with two ships (Wyoming and Arkansas) and New York class, with two ships (New York and Texas). Oklahoma was an updated and improved design with oil fired boilers and triple gun turrets, part of the Nevada class of battleships.

Dreadnought was built starting in 1905, completed in 1906. The South Carolina was laid down in 1906, first of the Dreadnought class of US battleships (first to be armed with 12 inch guns). Michigan was the first battleship in the world equipped with superfiring gun turrets. The last of the Dreadnought class in the US Navy were laid down in 1910. Oklahoma was laid down in 1912.
1.90E_31
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Posted: Thursday, March 06, 2014 - 04:57 AM UTC
Michael,

The design of the Michigan class is actually the one that pre-dates the Dreadnought (next logical design based on the Connecticut class). That being said, the Dreadnought was the first to be laid down, and the first to get turbine engines (the first turbine engines in the US were not until the Nevada was built). The Dreadnought's main weapons were actually built for the King Edward VII class, and used on Dreadnought to get the ship completed before the Michigans. The idea of a single caliber main armament was pretty much reached by all navies at the same time, but Dreadnought was the first to be laid down incorporating a single caliber main armament. All navies had also experimented with superfiring turrets, but it was the US that did the most study, and was the first to design it into a battleship. The Orion class was the first RN ship to have superfiring weapons.

Jon
Aurora-7
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Posted: Thursday, March 06, 2014 - 05:42 AM UTC
Right you are, guys.

I got the name wrong, it was the South Carolina/Michigan class I was thinking of.

"Dreadnought" still has a better sound for a name of a battleship milestone class.
VIETTAFF
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Posted: Thursday, March 06, 2014 - 09:53 AM UTC
Dreadnought had the same mountings & barrels as the 'Lord Nelson' class, the 'King Edwards' used a different mounting & barrel. Much of the material used to complete the 'Dreadnought' was pre-assembled to facilitate rapid building, to the detriment of the 'Lord Nelsons' who were laid down before, but completed after the 'Dreadnought'
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