Kentucky BB-66

Type:
Battleship
Class:
Builder:
Norfolk Naval Shipyard
Portsmouth, Virginia
Hull Number:
BB-66
Ordered:
September 9, 1940
Commissioned:
N/A
Keel Laid:
March 7, 1942 (a)
Decommissioned:
N/A
Launched:
January 20, 1950
Stricken:


June 9, 1958
Fate:
Sold Oct. 31, 1958 to Boston Metals Co., Baltimore, Maryland and scrapped.

Construction notes:
(a):
The first keel was scrapped and a new keel laid on Dec. 6, 1944.


Dimensions, machinery and performance (as designed)

Length:
887' 7"
Engines:
4 Westinghouse geared steam turbines
Beam:
108' 2"
Boilers:
12 Babcock & Wilcox (oil fired)
Draft:
38' (full)
Shafts:
4
Displacement:
48,425 std. / 57,350 full
HP:
200,000 std. / 212,000 max
Speed:
33 knots std. / 35 knots max
Crew:
2,700
Range:
15,000 NM @ 12 knots


Armament (as designed)
Number Carried
Type
Arrangement
Maximum Range / Ceiling
9
16"/50 (406mm) Mk 7
3 triple turrets
42,345 yards @ 45° (24 miles)
2,700 lb. HE shell
Rate of fire 2 RPM

20
5"/38 (127mm) Mk 12
10 twin turrets
17,392 yards @ 45° (9.8 miles)
AA ceiling 37,200'
53-55.18 lb shells
Rate of fire 15-22 RPM

80
1.57"/56 (40mm)
20 quad mounts
11,133 yards @ 45° (6.3 miles)
AA ceiling 22,299'
1.985 lb. HE shell
Rate of fire 130-160 RPM

50
.79"/70 (20mm)
AA machine guns
single mounts
4,800 yards @ 45° (2.7 miles)
AA ceiling 10,000'
.271 lb. HE shell
Rate of fire 250-320 RPM

2
Torpedo tubes
single launchers
N/A
3-4
Aircraft


History:
June 10, 1942:
Construction suspended and the keel was towed out of the slipway and scrapped.
Dec. 6, 1944:
New keel laid.
Feb. 17, 1947:
Construction suspended.
Aug. 17, 1948:
Construction resumed only to build up enough to pull out of the slipway.
Jan. 20, 1950:
The incomplete hull was pulled out of the slipway and construction was cancelled.
Oct. 31, 1958:
Sold to Boston Metals Co., Baltimore, Maryland. Towed from Portsmouth and scrapped.
Notes:
The engines from Kentucky were removed and installed in USS Sacramento AOE-1 and
USS Camden AOE-2.


Page created Sept. 9, 2007