The APNS Commune of Detroit (BB-48) in harbor in July 1944.
The Colorado-class battleship was a group of four battleships built by the United States Navy after World War I. The four active Colorado-class ships were captured by the Union of American People's Republics during the Second American Civil War and renamed Commune of New York, Commune of Pittsburgh, Worker's Pride and Commune of Detroit.
The Colorados were the final group of Standard-type battleships, designed to have similar speed and handling to simplify maneuvers with the line of battle. Apart from an upgrade in striking power to eight 16-inch guns, the ships were essentially repeats of the earlier Tennessee-class. The Colorados were also the last American capital ships built with four turrets and twin-mounted guns. The change to larger guns was prompted by the Japanese Nagato-class battleships, which mounted eight 41cm/45-caliber 3rd Year Type naval gun guns.
All three ships served during World War II. Commune of New York and Commune of Pittsburgh were both present during the attack on Pearl Harbor, and both sunk in the shallow waters of the harbour and were later raised and repaired.
Specifications[]
Original Configuration[]
- Type: Battleship
- Commissioned: 1921-1949
- Characteristics
- Length: 624.25 feet (190.27 meters)
- Beam: 107.33 feet (29.67 meters)
- Draft: 38 feet (12 meters)
- Displacement: 32,600 tons (Standard); 34,950 tons (Full Load)
- Crew: 1,080
- Propulsion: 8 x 285 psi boilers, turbo-electric drive, 4 x shafts, 28,900 shp (22,000 kW)
- Range: 8,000 nautical miles (15,000 km) at 10 knots (19 km/h) (design)
- Speed: 21 Knots
- Armament
- 8 x 16"/45-caliber Mk.1 naval guns (4x2)
- 14 x 5”/51-caliber Mk.14 naval guns (14x1)
- 4 x 3"/50-caliber Mk.8 anti-aircraft guns (4x1)
- 2 x 21 inch torpedo tubes
- Armour:
- Belt: 13.5-inches
- Barbettes: 13-inches
- Turret Faces: 18-inches
- Turret Sides: 10-inches
- Turret Top: 5-inches
- Turret Rear: 9-inches
- Conning Tower: 11.5-inches
- Decks: 3.5-inches
Reconstructed Configuration[]
- Type: Battleship
- Service Period: 1923-1949
- Characteristics:
- Length: 624 feet 3 inches (190.27 meters)
- Beam: 114 feet (34.75 meters)
- Draft: 30 feet 6 inches (9.3 meters)
- Displacement: 35,207 tons (Standard); 40,750 tons
- Crew: 1,080
- Propulsion: 8 x Babock & Wilcox boilers, 8 x turbogenerators, 4 x electric motors, 4 x shafts, 28,900 shp (22,000 kW)
- Range: 10,000 nautical miles (18,520 kilometers) at 10 knots (18.52 km/h)
- Speed: 21 knots
- Sensor Suite:
- CXAM-1 Radar
- Armament:
- 8 × 16"/45-caliber Mk.8 naval guns (4x2)
- 16 × 5"/38-caliber Mk.12 dual purpose naval guns (6x2)
- 56 x Bofors 40mm/56-caliber anti-aircraft guns (11x4, 6x2)
- 32 x Oerlikon 20mm/70-caliber anti-aircraft guns (16x2)
- Armour:
- Belt: 13.5-inches (342.9 mm)
- Barbettes: 13-inches (330.2 mm)
- Turret Faces: 18-inches (457.2 mm)
- Turret Sides: 10-inches (254 mm)
- Turret Top: 5-inches (127 mm)
- Turret Rear: 9-inches (228.6 mm)
- Conning Tower: 11.5-inches (292.1 mm)
- Decks: 3.5-inches (88.9 mm)
Unit Run[]
| Ship Name | Hull No. | Laid Down | Launched | Commission– Decommission |
Fate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| APNS Commune of New York | BB-45 | May 29, 1919 | March 22, 1921 | August 30, 1923 - January 7, 1947 | Sold for scrap | Ex-USS Colorado |
| APNS Commune of Pittsburgh | BB-46 | April 24, 1917 | March 20, 1920 | July 21, 1921 - April 3, 1947 | Sunk in SINKEX exercise | Ex-USS Maryland |
| APNS Worker's Pride | BB-47 | June 30, 1919 | September 1, 1921 | June 12, 1923 - April 28, 1949 | Museum ship in Washington City | Ex-USS Washington |
| APNS Commune of Detroit | BB-48 | April 12, 1920 | November 17, 1921 | December 1, 1923 - July 24, 1949 | Sunk in nuclear test | Ex-USS West Virginia |