At a Time when all the world held the battleship in awe, the new KENTUCKY was said to be "the worst crime in naval construction ever perpetrated by the white race."
White Fleet to World War one. KENTUCKY indeed had a checkered career.
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During the 200-year history of the United States, the Navy has carried on its rolls of commissioned vessels only one ship named Kentucky. This was the pre-dreadnaught battleship Kentucky (BB-6) laid down in 1896, authorization for her construction being provided in the Naval Appropriation Bill of 2 March 1895.
The contract awarded to Newport News Ship Building Company called for two ship with length of 375-ft 4-in, a beam of 72-ft 3-in, and displacing not over 11, 540 tons. Armament was to consist of four 13-in, four 8-in, and 14 5-in guns plus numerous 6- and 1-pounders and four 18-in torpedoes. The Ships were to be twin-screwed and capable of reaching 16 knots. The lead ship of the class was assigned the name Kearsarge (BB-5) and the sistership the name Kentucky (BB-6).
With due ceremony the hulls of both ship were laid down on 30 June 1896, at Newport News. It was to be almost two years later before the ships were to touch water in the first and only twin launching of two capital ships in the world. The launching of the ships at Newport News on 24 March 1898, Was witnessed by on of the largest crowds ever gathered for a ship launching. Many Kentuckians were in attendance as special excursion trains had been run from Louisville, Lexington, and Cincinnati to Newport News by the Chesapeake Ohio Railroad.
Well let me tell you folks....this was just the start of the "Kentucky" having a "Checkered Career." So if your into a lengthy read....well then this article is for you. Just click on the below title:
THE ONE AND ONLY KENTUCKY
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During the 200-year history of the United States, the Navy has carried on its rolls of commissioned vessels only one ship named Kentucky. This was the pre-dreadnaught battleship Kentucky (BB-6) laid down in 1896, authorization for her construction being provided in the Naval Appropriation Bill of 2 March 1895.
The contract awarded to Newport News Ship Building Company called for two ship with length of 375-ft 4-in, a beam of 72-ft 3-in, and displacing not over 11, 540 tons. Armament was to consist of four 13-in, four 8-in, and 14 5-in guns plus numerous 6- and 1-pounders and four 18-in torpedoes. The Ships were to be twin-screwed and capable of reaching 16 knots. The lead ship of the class was assigned the name Kearsarge (BB-5) and the sistership the name Kentucky (BB-6).
With due ceremony the hulls of both ship were laid down on 30 June 1896, at Newport News. It was to be almost two years later before the ships were to touch water in the first and only twin launching of two capital ships in the world. The launching of the ships at Newport News on 24 March 1898, Was witnessed by on of the largest crowds ever gathered for a ship launching. Many Kentuckians were in attendance as special excursion trains had been run from Louisville, Lexington, and Cincinnati to Newport News by the Chesapeake Ohio Railroad.
Well let me tell you folks....this was just the start of the "Kentucky" having a "Checkered Career." So if your into a lengthy read....well then this article is for you. Just click on the below title:
THE ONE AND ONLY KENTUCKY
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