View source for Mississippi-class battleship

{{Short description|Class of American pre-dreadnoughts}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=MississippiCropped.png
|Ship caption=USS ''Mississippi''
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
|Name=''Mississippi'' class
|Builders= [[William Cramp and Sons|William Cramp & Sons]]
| Operators = *{{navy|United States|1912}}
*[[File:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Hellenic Navy]]
|Class before={{sclass|Connecticut|battleship|4}}
|Class after={{sclass|South Carolina|battleship|4}}
|Built range=
|In commission range=
* 1908–1914 (US Navy)
* 1914–1941 (Hellenic Navy)
|Total ships planned=2
|Total ships completed=2
|Total ships lost=2
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship type=[[Pre-dreadnought battleship]]
|Ship displacement={{cvt|13000|LT|0|lk=in}} 
|Ship length={{cvt|382|ft|m|1}}
|Ship beam={{cvt|77|ft|m|1}}
|Ship draft={{cvt|24|ft|7|in|m|1}}
|Ship power=
*8 × [[Babcock & Wilcox boiler]]s
*{{cvt|10000|shp}}
|Ship propulsion=*2 × [[screw]]s
*2 × [[Marine steam engine#Triple or multiple expansion|triple-expansion steam engines]]
|Ship speed={{cvt|17|kn|lk=in}}
|Ship range=
|Ship complement=744 officers and men
|Ship armament=
* 4 × [[12"/45 caliber Mark 5 naval gun|{{cvt|12|in|0}}/45 caliber Mark 5 guns]] (2×2)
* 8 × [[8"/45 caliber gun|{{cvt|8|in|0}}/45 cal Mark 6 guns]] (4×2)
* 8 × [[7"/44 caliber gun|{{cvt|7|in|0}}/45 cal Mark 2 guns]] (8×1)
* 12 × [[3"/50 caliber gun|{{cvt|3|in|0}}/50 cal guns]] (12×1)
* 6 × [[QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss#American service|3-pounder]]s
* 2 × {{cvt|21|in|0}} [[torpedo tube]]s
|Ship armor=
|Ship notes=
}}
|}

The '''''Mississippi'' class''' of  battleships comprised two ships which were authorized in the 1903 naval budget: {{USS|Mississippi|BB-23|2}} and {{USS|Idaho|BB-24|2}}; these were named for the [[Mississippi|20th]] and [[Idaho|43rd]] states, respectively.  These were the last [[pre-dreadnought battleship]]s to be designed for the [[United States Navy]], but not the last to be built, because one more ship of a prior design was completed later under the 1904 naval budget.  While the quality and technology of the weaponry and armor were first-rate, these ships included a variety of main, intermediate, secondary, and tertiary gun sizes in a predreadnought configuration which became obsolete before the ships were completed.

The first several years of the 20th century were a period of confusion and transition in US naval strategy, tactics, and ship design. The ''Mississippi'' class, along with the preceding {{sclass|Connecticut|battleship|4}}, were designed based on lessons learned in the [[Spanish–American War]], but while they were under construction, the [[Russo-Japanese War]], war games, and experimentation demonstrated new priorities and concepts which would influence future designs.  This was also a period where rapid development of techniques and training in the use of large guns made the inclusion of rapid-fire intermediate and secondary weapons unnecessary. Future US designs would reduce the confusing array of guns sizes in predreadnought battleships and rely on one gun size for the main armament, the "all-big-gun" concept, along with many small guns of a uniform caliber to combat small vessels in close proximity.

The ''Mississippi''-class ships were smaller than the several preceding classes of US battleships.  They were designed in an attempt to reduce the rapid growth in the size and cost of U.S. battleships. Also, a theory existed among influential naval leaders, including [[George Dewey|Dewey]] and [[Alfred Thayer Mahan|Mahan]], that many small battleships could be strategically useful, as were small ships of the line in the 18th and 19th centuries. In essence, the ''Mississippi''-class ships were smaller versions of the preceding ''Connecticut'' class with virtually the same armament and armor, but the reduction in length, engine size, and fuel capacity caused them to be slow and short-ranged. Other design compromises caused them to perform poorly in terms of steering, stability, and sea keeping.

These ships served in the US Navy from 1908 to 1914, when they were sold to [[Greece]].  Most US service was with the [[United States Fleet Forces Command|Atlantic Fleet]], though these ships did not perform well in fleet operations due to their lower speeds and shorter ranges. The ships were frequently detached for special tasks, including goodwill tours, and ''Mississippi'' was used for a time as a [[seaplane]] support vessel. Both ships took part in US military interventions in Mexico and the Caribbean, including landing [[United States Marine Corps|Marines]] and supporting early air operations.

In 1914, both ''Mississippi''-class ships were sold to Greece, being renamed ''Kilkis'' and ''Lemnos''; this was the only sale of functional US battleships to a foreign government. From 1914 to the early 1930s, the ships were active in the [[Greek Navy]], serving mostly in coastal defense and attack roles. In these missions and in the calmer waters of the Mediterranean, their limitations were less pronounced. They served in the [[Russian Civil War]] and the [[Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922)|Greco-Turkish War]]. By the mid-1930s, they were relegated to reserve and auxiliary roles, and ''Lemnos'' (ex-''Idaho'') had her guns removed to bolster coastal fortifications. Both were sunk by [[Luftwaffe|German]] aircraft in 1941, and raised in the 1950s to be sold for scrap.

==Purpose==
[[File:Great White Fleet.jpg|alt=Photograph of the U.S. fleet of battleships sailing in line during the world tour known as the Great White Fleet|thumb|The [[Great White Fleet]] demonstrated America's new naval strength by sailing around the world.  Most of these ships were under 10 years old, but were already obsolete.]]
In the early 20th century, the US Navy was growing rapidly. The Navy commissioned its first battleships in 1895,<ref>Friedman 1985 p. 424</ref> and by the middle of the next decade, [[Jane's Fighting Ships]] ranked its battle line second only to the British Navy.<ref>Rose pp. 12–14</ref> However, this rapid growth was not universally supported either within the government or within the Navy. Compromises between powerful groups were frequently necessary to get funding.<ref name="Friedman p44"/>

The ''Mississippi''-class ships were designed to meet [[United States Congress|Congressional]] and Navy Department objectives of reducing the escalating cost of new battleships, the quantity, size, and cost of which had increased dramatically over the first two decades of US battleship production.{{#tag:ref|Preliminary plans for the first two US battleships were completed in 1885. Construction was approved in 1886, and the first keel was laid down in 1888. However, technical difficulties, particularly with armor, delayed completion, and neither was commissioned until 1895. By the time these were commissioned, they were obsolete, as newer, larger designs were being completed.<ref>Friedman 1985 pp. 17–21</ref> By the end of fiscal 1902, 10 battleships and two second-class battleships had been commissioned, with seven more battleships authorized but not completed.<ref>Reilly pp. 361–365</ref> The per-ship cost had doubled from the $4 million range for the {{sclass|Illinois|battleship|4}} in the 1896 budget to nearly $8 million for ''Connecticut'' in the 1902 budget. The ''Mississippi''-class ships would cost just under $6 million each.<ref>Reilly pp. 114, 183, & 203</ref>|group=Note}}  
A division occurred among US naval planners in the early years of the 20th century over whether to have technically superior ships or many less expensive ones, with [[Theodore Roosevelt|President Theodore Roosevelt]] among those supporting the former and Admiral of the Navy George Dewey along with [[Alfred Thayer Mahan|Captain Alfred Thayer Mahan]] supporting the latter approach.<ref name="Friedman p44"/>
The 1903 naval budget effected a compromise by calling for five ships: three more ships of the {{cvt|16000|LT|lk=on|0}} ''Connecticut'' class and two ships of a new less expensive class of about {{cvt|13000|LT|0}}, with the design still to be determined.<ref name="Friedman p44"/>

The ships that became the ''Mississippi'' class were intended to serve as the modern equivalent of 19th-century [[third-rate]] [[ship of the line]], offering what was thought to be an efficient compromise between sailing ability (speed, handling), fire power, and cost.<ref name="Reilly p187">Reilly p. 187</ref> This concept had formed the backbone of the sailing battle fleets of the previous century, but trends in early 20th century naval strategies were making the third-rate concept obsolete.<ref name="Friedman p44"/> Prevailing strategies called for a consistent battle line of [[first-rate]] units.<ref name="Reilly p187"/>

==Design==
The ''Mississippi''-class battleships were the last predreadnought US battleship class to be designed; however, {{USS|New Hampshire|BB-25|2}}, the last ship of the prior ''Connecticut''-class design, was authorized and completed after these ships; therefore, it was the last US predreadnought ship to be built.<ref name="Friedman p44">Friedman 1985 p. 44</ref>

While Congress had authorized three vessels in the 13,000-long ton range, the design was not specified in the 1903 naval budget. Three approaches were initially considered: a scaled-down version of the preceding 16,000-long ton ''Connecticut'' class, five of which had been approved with the 1902 and 1903 budgets; a scaled-up version of the {{cvt|12500|LT|0}} {{sclass|Maine|battleship|4}}, an 1898 design, three of which were commissioned from 1902 to 1904; and a completely new design which might incorporate new ideas and technology. Interesting adaptations were considered for new designs,{{#tag:ref|The chief constructor considered two radical options: Combine battleship armor and secondary batteries, but reduce the size of the four guns in the primary battery to {{convert|10|in|0|adj=on|abbr=out}} guns, similar to a large armored cruiser such as {{USS|Tennessee|ACR-10|6}}; or reduce the size of the guns in the main battery to 10-inches, but increase the number to 12 guns, and eliminate the {{convert|8|in|0|adj=on|abbr=out}} and {{convert|7|in|0|adj=on|abbr=out}} secondary batteries (the all-big-gun concept). Either of these options would have saved weight and allowed for larger engines and an increase in speed.<ref name="FRIED45">Friedman 1985 p. 45</ref>|group=Note}}
and weight-saving technology could allow increased efficiencies to be achieved from the older ''Maine'' class design,{{#tag:ref|Scaling up from {{USS|Maine|BB-10|2}} would have included replacing the {{convert|6|in|0|adj=on|abbr=out}} rapid fire guns in casemates with {{convert|7|in|0|adj=on|abbr=out}} rapid fire gins in the same mountings. Hull depth would have increased to accommodate the 7-inch guns and armor would have been increased to standards consistent with the ''Connecticut'' class, including the use of lighter [[Krupp armor]] and superior coverage.<ref name="FRIED45">Friedman 1985 p. 45</ref>|group=Note}}
which was closest to the weight goal.<ref name="Friedman p44"/>

As with most US naval designs, coal storage and engine efficiency were more important than in European designs. US ships might have to fight far from their home shores, especially in the Pacific.<ref>Friedman 1985 p. 5</ref> Even in the Caribbean, US forces might be farther from their coaling stations than a European power with colonial bases.<ref name="Friedman p44"/> Draft was a concern, since southern US harbors tended to have shallow entrances, and some proponents felt that all ships should be able to egress all major harbors.<ref name="Friedman p20">Friedman 1985 p. 20</ref>  Beams were typically limited by the width of dry docks.<ref name="Friedman p20"/>

===Armament===
[[File:Mississippi - 12 inch Guns - 1908.jpg|thumb|alt=two large rifled cannon pointing out of a turret, aimed over the side of the ship|USS ''Mississippi'' – {{convert|12|in|adj=on}} main battery]]
In 1903, differing concepts of the ultimate combination of guns were available, with many ideas based on various experiences and interpretations from recent naval battles, war games, and other experimentation. Recent US battleship designs had included primary guns, intermediate guns, secondary guns, and tertiary guns, which were typical in the predreadnought configuration. In 1890, the US Navy had pioneered the use of {{convert|8|in|0|adj=on|abbr=out}} intermediate guns with the {{sclass|Indiana|battleship|4}}, but had not used these consistently in their previous designs because opinions and experiences varied.<ref>Gardiner & Lambert p. 163</ref> 
  
The quality of guns, armor, ordnance, and design was changing rapidly, so experience could quickly become irrelevant. Combat experience in the Spanish–American War had shown the value of many smaller guns at close range, where the larger guns had been inaccurate.{{#tag:ref|In July 1898, based on analysis of naval battles during the Spanish–American War, a US Navy Board released these conclusions: "loaded torpedoes above the water line are a serious menace to the vessels carrying them..." and "The value of rapid fire (Also known as: quick fire or QF) batteries cannot be too highly estimated." As a result the 8-inch guns which had been very efficient in the battle of Santiago were reintroduced in the ''Virginia'' class. Above-water torpedo tubes were discontinued on US battleships and those on existing ships were removed.<ref>Hovgaard. p 106</ref>|group=Note}} 
In the [[Russo-Japanese War|Russo Japanese War of 1904–1905]], just six years later, decisive effects were obtained at long ranges, well beyond the effective limits of {{convert|8|in|mm|adj=on}} ordnance.<ref name="Friedman p44"/> However, by this point the designs were established for the ''Mississippi'' class and the keels had already been laid down.<ref name="DANF-M">Cressman ''Mississippi''</ref><ref name="DANF-I">Cressman ''Idaho''</ref>

====Main batteries====
Recent American designs had continued to include large primary batteries of either {{convert|12|in|0|adj=on|abbr=out}} or {{convert|13|in|0|adj=on|abbr=out}} guns, along with several intermediate 8-inch guns for faster fire in closer combat with armored vessels. The lighter intermediate guns were considered valuable for penetrating upper-level armor, where the heavy guns were more effective on the main belt and heavy turrets. The former were likely to diminish the fighting ability of the opponent, while the latter were more likely to sink her.<ref>Friedman 1985 pp.44 & 53</ref>

Earlier US battleships had used 13-inch guns with black powder propellant; the 1898 design of the ''Maine'' class used more powerful but smaller 12-inch guns using smokeless powder, giving a greater velocity and flatter trajectory.<ref>Friedman 1985 p. 38</ref>  The 12-inch rifles available in 1904 had a range of {{cvt|9000|yd}}, about double the range of the black powder main armament used in the Spanish–American War.<ref>Alden p. 211</ref>  These were considered an excellent compromise between weight and firepower, since limitations in gunnery control made longer-range guns impractical.<ref name="Friedman2008 p176">Friedman 2008 p. 176</ref> The contemporary consideration was not whether to go larger, but whether to go with more.<ref>Friedman 1985 pp. 42–60</ref> In 1902, naval officers, with the backing of President Theodore Roosevelt, began to develop superior fire control techniques and equipment. The development of better spotting and range finders led to improvements in range capacity and accuracy.<ref name="Friedman2008 p176">Friedman 2008 p. 176</ref> At the same time, superior training and systems significantly reduced the time required to load and fire the large guns, from three minutes to one minute.<ref name="Friedman p43">Friedman 1985 p. 43</ref>

Intermediate 8-inch guns had been discontinued in 1896 with the ''Illinois'' class, but based on experience in the Spanish–American War in 1898, [[8"/45 caliber gun|8-inch/45-caliber gun]]s were reinstated in the ''Virginia'' class and continued in the ''Connecticut'' class.<ref name="Hovgaard p104–109">Hovgaard pp. 104–109</ref> Typically, these were carried in two-gun turrets, but the placement of the turrets had been inconsistent in prior designs; in two prior designs, the turrets for the 8-inch guns were superimposed over the turrets for the 12/13-inch guns (see {{sclass|Virginia|battleship|5}} and {{sclass|Kearsarge|battleship|5}} classes).<ref>Reilly pp. 140–141</ref> Some designers felt that 8-inch guns were redundant to the faster firing [[7"/45 caliber gun|7-inch/45-caliber gun]]s carried in casemates.<ref>Reilly p. 162–163</ref> Others argued that increases in the rate of fire and accuracy of the 12-inch guns eliminated the need for any smaller guns in the main battery.<ref name="Friedman p44">Friedman 1985 p. 44</ref>

====Secondary batteries====
In 1903, [[secondary batteries]] were typically considered to be a combination of torpedo defense—defense against smaller boats armed with torpedoes, such as torpedo boats or destroyers—and weapons to attack the lightly armored upper structures of capital ships.{{#tag:ref|This was a time of rapid change in the perceived purpose and tactics for capital ships; while the purpose of smaller weapons, sometimes called tertiary guns, was clearly to ward off and destroy torpedo boats and destroyers, mixed and unclear objectives existed for the larger secondary guns (see Note 6). As the effective range of the main armament increased, the effectiveness of the secondary batteries against capital ships diminished.<ref>Friedman 1985 pp. 44, 56, 76–77, & 176</ref>|group=Note}}

Recent US warships had mounted a combination of a few 7-inch or 6-inch guns and many smaller guns in the {{convert|2|in|mm|adj=on}} to {{convert|3|in|0|adj=on|abbr=out}} range (6-pounder to 12-pounder in the traditional terms). The larger of these guns were typically protected in casemates<ref>Reilly p. 164</ref> and the smaller ones open on the deck or in lightly protected casemates.<ref>Reilly pp.149, 166–167 & 169</ref>

A fast-firing 7-inch/45-caliber gun had been adopted with the previous battleship class to replace earlier 6-inch guns;<ref name="Friedman p43">Friedman 1985 p. 43</ref> these brought a significant improvement in ballistics, expanding the potential beyond torpedo defense, but came with drawbacks. Various opinions on the best combination of guns existed: all 8-inch, all 7-inch, or a mix.
{{#tag:ref|In planning for the ''Connecticut'' class, the [[Board on Construction]] favored a ship on which 6-inch and 8-inch guns would all be replaced by newly designed 7-inch guns, which were the most powerful guns with shells that could be handled by one person. The 7-inch guns fired a much heavier shell than 6-inch guns of earlier classes, but were faster firing than the 8-inch guns. The shell for the 7-inch guns weighed {{cvt|165|lb}}, whereas a shell for the 6-inch gun weighed about {{cvt|100|lb}}, and the shell for the 8-inch gun weighed about {{cvt|250|lb}}. These shells could only be moved by machines or by several men, making the 7-inch "the largest [gun] capable of really rapid fire in the context of existing technology". In the end, only the 6-inch guns were replaced, and the 8-inch batteries remained. The 6-inch guns could be fired six times per minute, but the 7-inch required separate powder bags and could only be fired four times per minute. The guns had improved ballistic performance over the 6-inch, but there was a problem: The splashes of the 8- and 7-inch  guns could not be distinguished at a distance. This confused the gunners, who would watch the splashes to gauge accuracy while trying to adjust their fire. The uniform intermediate battery proposed by the Board on Construction could have been more practical.<ref>Friedman. 1985 pp. 44–45 & 55</ref>|group=Note}}  
Though considered to be quick-firing, the propellant for 7-inch guns was loaded in bags, making them slower than contemporary 6-inch guns.<ref name="Friedman p43">Friedman 1985 p. 43</ref> The Navy considered these to be excellent for the intended role; however, in World War I North Atlantic convoy duty, the disadvantages in seakeeping outweighed the utility; they were removed from battleships remaining in US service in 1918.<ref>U.S. Navy Department. Bureau of Ordnance pp. 203–205</ref>

Beginning with the ''Maine''-class vessels, commissioned in 1902, the {{convert|3|in|mm|adj=on}} 50-caliber gun (12-pounder) was used on most U.S. battleships as an antitorpedo-boat weapon. These and smaller weapons are frequently referred to as tertiary guns. This role was filled back to the earliest U.S. battleships, including the Texas and first Maine, by the 6-pounder {{convert|2.24|in|mm|adj=on}}.<ref>Friedman 1985 pp. 424–430</ref> Most 3-in guns were removed from U.S. battleships before combat operations in World War I.
{{#tag:ref|During World War I, a desperate need existed to arm merchant ships; the 3-in 50-caliber guns were useful in that role. On 3 March 1917, the removal of 38 such guns from battleships and [[cruiser]]s was authorized, and the removal of 304 more was authorized on 26–28 April 1917. The removal of these guns was determined to allow for the sealing of dangerous openings for a gain in military efficiency.<ref>U.S. Navy Department. Bureau of Ordnance pp. 41–42</ref>|group=Note}}

====Competing designs====
The future of battleship weaponry was at a crossroads. Opinions varied among top naval leaders; some U.S. naval leaders were discussing the all-big-gun concept in parallel with the British {{HMS|Dreadnought|1906|6|}}, while other designers felt that the torpedo would completely replace the gun, and battleships should become heavily armored launch platforms.<ref>Friedman 1985 p. 143</ref> Other proposals included even more but smaller primary guns, in the {{convert|11|in|mm|adj=on}} size to save on weight. In 1903, analysis of war games had determined that one battleship with 12 11-inch or 12-inch guns, in a hexagonal turret placement, could be superior to three conventional battleships in individual actions.
{{#tag:ref|The June 1902 issue of ''Proceedings of the US Naval Institute'' contained comments by the U.S. Navy's leading gunnery expert Prof. P.R. Alger proposing a main battery of eight 12-in guns in twin turrets. In May 1902, the [[Bureau of Construction and Repair]] submitted a design for the battleship with 12 10-inch guns in twin turrets, two at the ends and four in the wings. Lt. Cdr.  H. C. Poundstone submitted a paper to President Roosevelt in December 1902 arguing the case for larger battleships. In an appendix to his paper, Poundstone suggested a greater number of 11-inch and 9-inch guns was preferable to a smaller number of 12-inch and 9-inch guns. The [[Naval War College]] and Bureau of Construction and Repair developed these ideas in studies between 1903 and 1905. War game studies begun in July 1903 "showed that a battleship armed with 12 11-inch or 12-inch guns hexagonally arranged would be equal to three or more of the conventional type."<ref>Friedman 1985 pp. 52–53</ref>|group=Note}}
Other analysis suggested that in fleet actions, only [[Broadside (naval)|broadsides]] were effective, thus maximizing the number of centerline guns was the most efficient approach.<ref>Friedman 1985 p. 54</ref> While neither approach was incorporated in the ''Mississippi'' class, the centerline maximum broadside concept was followed in all subsequent U.S. battleship designs.<ref name=f5165>Friedman 1985 pp. 51–65</ref>

====Final design====
In the end, these ships were built with main batteries identical to the ''Connecticut'' class, while reducing by four guns the secondary 7-inch battery, omitting eight of the tertiary 3-inch guns, and sacrificing two [[torpedo tube]]s.<ref>Reilly p. 191</ref>  Subsequent designs would eliminate the 7-inch batteries completely, and most of the 3-inch guns were removed from other battleships before combat in World War I, so in this respect, the design did not suffer by comparing forward.<ref name=f5165/>

The main battery consisted of four [[12"/45 caliber Mark 5 gun|12-inch 45-caliber guns]], meaning that the gun is 45 times as long as it is in diameter.  These were considered quick-firing guns and were arranged in two twin [[Gun turret|turrets]], one forward and one to the rear of the main superstructure. The eight [[8"/45 caliber gun|8-inch 45-caliber guns]] were arranged in four twin turrets outboard of the main superstructure on each side of the ship.<ref>Reilly pp. 106–203</ref>

The remaining eight [[7"/45 caliber gun|7-inch 45-caliber guns]] were distributed four per side, in [[casemate]]s on the side of the ship, below the main deck.
{{#tag:ref|Casemates are similar to turrets, but in the case of U.S. capital ships, only one gun is placed per casemate. In [[naval gunnery]], a [[Casemates|casemate]] is a vertical armor plate with openings for guns. It is less protected than a [[gun turret]] and allows for a smaller field of fire. It is much cheaper to build and far lighter in weight for a given level of armor protection.  In late 19th- and early 20th-century battleships, casemates were used to mount secondary guns for defending the ship against [[torpedo boat]]s. In practice, these guns were generally quite useless; usually mounted close to the water, casemate guns were often awash in spray, and were sometimes swamped completely by the ship's rolling. More modern designs did away with casemate weapons entirely, favoring extra topside mounts for their secondary batteries.<ref name="Hovgaard p104–109">Hovgaard pp. 104–109</ref>|group=Note}}
<ref name="Hovgaard p104–109">Hovgaard pp. 104–109</ref>  Four [[3"/50 caliber gun|{{convert|3|in|mm|adj=on}} 50-caliber guns]] were mounted in the upper casemates (on the main deck), two per side, behind {{convert|2|in|mm|adj=on}} of armor plate.<ref>Reilly pp. 165–167</ref>  Another two, one per side, were mounted in blister casemates on the gun deck, near the [[Bow (ship)|bow]].<ref>Reilly pp. 164–165</ref> The remaining eight guns were on open mounts on the upper deck, the bridge, and other deck spaces.<ref>Friedman 1985 pp. 42–47</ref>  Two submerged torpedo tubes were fitted on the broadside, near the bow of the ships.<ref name="Hovgaard p104–109">Hovgaard pp. 104–109</ref>

===Armor===
[[File:Mississippi Armor.png|thumb|alt=cross section of a battleship hull showing armored sections with approximate thicknesses: The thickest armor is at the waterline, tapering up to the lease on the top deck.|left|Simplified drawing of armor scheme for early 20th century U.S. battleships]]
Prior to the mid 1870s, armor was made of [[wrought iron]] plate, sometime backed with wood. In the 1870s, compound armor was developed, where a hardened steel face was cemented to a softer iron backing, which prevented cracking. During the late 1880s, nickel-steel armor was devised and in 1890, the [[Harvey armor|Harvey process]] was developed,<ref>Rose p. 11</ref> where a nickel-steel plate was treated with carbon and hardened in cold water.  This process allowed one homogeneous steel plate to have both a hard surface and a softer back which was less likely to crack. During the 1890s, [[Krupp armor]] further refined the Harvey process by including additional metals in the alloy and developing a system where the hardening process penetrated more deeply into the plates. Tests showed that {{convert|5.75|in|mm|adj=on}} of Krupp armor was equal to {{convert|7.75|in|mm|adj=on}} of Harvey armor, {{convert|12|in|mm|adj=on}} of compound armor, and {{convert|12|in|mm|adj=on}} of wrought iron plate, while in thinner plates, Harvey armor was basically equal to Krupp.<ref name="Sondhaus 165–166">Sondhaus pp. 165–166</ref>

The ''Mississippi''-class ships used a combination of Harvey- and Krupp-style armor (American-made), with much of the side armor backed with [[teak]] wood,<ref>Reilly p. 194</ref> consistent with other U.S. capital ships of the decade.<ref name="Sondhaus 165–166">Sondhaus pp. 165–166</ref> The amount of armor and its strength was consistent with the preceding ''Connecticut'' class and in some cases was more complete in coverage and was thicker, especially compared to the earliest ships in that series.  The belt armor was thinner, {{convert|9|in|mm|abbr=on}} compared to {{convert|11|in|mm|abbr=on}}, but longer, {{convert|244|ft|m|abbr=on}} compared to {{convert|200|ft|m|abbr=on}}, despite the ''Mississippi'' class being shorter, {{convert|382|ft|m|abbr=on}} compared to {{convert|456|ft|m|abbr=on}}. The primary turret armor was thicker by an inch—{{convert|12|in|mm|abbr=on}} thick—as opposed to {{convert|11|in|mm|abbr=on}} on the ''USS Connecticut''.<ref>Friedman 1985 pp. 430–431</ref>

===Machinery===
[[File:Triple expansion engine animation.gif|alt=Animated triple expansion engine showing pistons moving under the force of steam, which goes from cylinder to cylinder with each larger in the progression|thumb|right|A triple-expansion engine uses steam three times.]]
When these ships were designed, the older technology of [[reciprocating steam engine]]s was slowly being replaced by the newer technology of [[steam turbine]] propulsion. While turbines generally meant more speed, they were less fuel-efficient and limited the range of the ships unless more fuel could be stored. Early ''Dreadnought'' designs, which were in simultaneous development with the ''Mississippi'' class, used primitive direct-drive turbines. The U.S. Navy was slow to fully adopt turbines, and only used them exclusively in battleship production when indirect transmissions became refined ([[gear reduction]] or [[turbo-electric]]).<ref>Friedman 1985 p. 62</ref> Several subsequent battleship classes were built where otherwise identical vessels had different types of engines (for example, the {{sclass|Delaware|battleship|5}} and {{sclass|Nevada|battleship|4}}es).<ref>Hore 2007 pp. 153 & 155</ref>

''Mississippi'' and ''Idaho'' were equipped with two-shaft vertical [[Marine steam engine#Triple or multiple expansion|triple-expansion steam engines]], which drove two propellers. These were reciprocating engines where the steam was used multiple times (triple expansion) for greater efficiency. Steam was provided by eight [[Babcock & Wilcox]] boilers. Their engines were rated at {{convert|10000|ihp|lk=on}}, which produced a top speed of {{convert|17|kn}}.<ref name=C1860/> On trials, ''Mississippi'' reached {{convert|13607|ihp|abbr=on}} and a maximum speed of {{convert|17.11|kn|abbr=on}}.<ref name=F431/>  In terms of speed, this class of ships was inferior to several preceding classes, and was only slightly superior to the ''Illinois'' class which was laid down in 1896.<ref>Friedman 1985 pp. 427–431</ref>

The ships carried {{convert|600|LT|abbr=on}} of coal in purpose-designed coal bunkers and up to another {{convert|1200|LT|abbr=on}} of coal could be stored in voids in the sides of the hull.<ref name=C1860/> This provided the ships with a range of {{convert|5800|nmi|lk=on}} at a cruising speed of {{convert|10|kn|abbr=on}}.<ref name=F431/> The range was less than the previous class.<ref>Hore 2006 p. 95</ref>

===General characteristics===
[[File:Mississippi-class battleship plan and profile.jpg|thumb|Plan and profile drawing of the ''Mississippi'' class]]

The final design was a scaled-down version of the preceding ''Connecticut'' class. By comparison, these ships were a knot slower and had a lower [[Freeboard (nautical)|freeboard]], so they did not perform as well in heavy seas.<ref name="Reilly p197">Reilly p. 197</ref> The two ''Mississippi''-class ships were {{convert|382|ft|m|abbr=on}} [[length overall|long overall]], had a [[beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|77|ft|m|abbr=on}} and a [[draft (hull)|draft]] of {{convert|24|ft|8|in|m|abbr=on}}. The ships were designed to [[Displacement (ship)|displace]] {{convert|13000|LT|abbr=on|sigfig=5}} at normal displacement and up to {{convert|14465|LT|abbr=on}} at full combat load.<ref name=C1860>Gardiner & Chesneau p. 144</ref> Each ship had a crew of 34 officers and 710 enlisted men.<ref name=F431>Friedman 1985 p. 431</ref>

The [[Great White Fleet|World Cruise of 1907–1909]] tested the seakeeping of the U.S. designs. Even the earlier designs, including the ''Connecticut'' class with their higher freeboard, carried their secondary armament too close to the waterline.<ref name="Gardiner111">Gardiner & Gray p. 111</ref>
The ships initially carried a pole mast above the [[conning tower]], though shortly after commissioning, both ships had [[lattice mast]]s added aft, and in 1910, the forward masts were also replaced with lattice masts.<ref name=H63>Hore 2006 p. 63</ref>

The reduced length while retaining the same beam as the prior ''Connecticut'' class resulted in a disadvantageous length-to-beam ratio, causing reduced performance relative to that class. Not only was their top speed a knot slower, but also their economical speed was reduced by one and half knots. They also had 25% less coal storage, further reducing their operating range.<ref name="Reilly p197">Reilly p. 197</ref>

The ''Mississippi'' ships had poor seakeeping qualities, making them poor gunnery platforms underway in Atlantic waters. Their motion was irregular, and their low length-to-beam ratio caused excessive rolling and pitching, which made it difficult to keep the guns on target. The reduced length, significantly cut away from the aft, made it difficult to keep the ships on a consistent course, even in smoother waters.<ref name="Reilly p197">Reilly p. 197</ref>

==Ships==
{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+ Construction data
|-
! scope="col" | Name
! scope="col" | {{abbr|Hull no.|hull number}}
! scope="col" | Builder
! scope="col" | Laid down
! scope="col" | Launched
! scope="col" | Commissioned
! scope="col" | Fate
|-
! scope="row" | {{USS|Mississippi|BB-23|2}}
| {{nowrap|BB-23}}
| rowspan=2 | [[William Cramp & Sons]]
| style="text-align: right;" | 12 May 1904
| style="text-align: right;" | 30 Sep 1905
| style="text-align: right;" | 1 Feb 1908
| Sold to Greece, 1914; sunk by German aircraft, Apr 1941; sold for scrap, 1950s
|-
! scope="row" | {{USS|Idaho|BB-24|2}}
| BB-24
| style="text-align: right;" | 12 May 1904
| style="text-align: right;" | 9 Dec 1905
| style="text-align: right;" | 1 Apr 1908
| Sold to Greece, 1914; sunk by German aircraft, Apr 1941; sold for scrap, 1950s
|}

===USS ''Mississippi'' (BB-23)===
[[File:USS Mississippi BB-23 construction.jpg|alt=Photograph of the USS Mississippi partially completed.|thumb|USS ''Mississippi'' under construction, in 1907]]
{{Main|USS Mississippi (BB-23)}}
The second ''Mississippi'' (Battleship No. 23) was laid down in 1904, launched in 1905, and commissioned in  early 1908,<ref name="DANF-M" /> She was given a shakedown cruise off the coast of Cuba in 1908, then returned to Philadelphia for final fitting out.

In early 1909, she attended the inauguration of the President of Cuba, met the [[Great White Fleet]] upon its return, and was reviewed by the President. For the remainder of the year and into 1910, she traveled the waters off New England, the Caribbean, and the Gulf of Mexico, took a voyage up the Mississippi River, and participated in war games out of Guantanamo Bay.<ref name="DANF-M" />

In late 1910, she sailed to Europe as part of Atlantic Fleet maneuvers, following which she spent about 14 months off the Atlantic coast, based alternately in Philadelphia and Norfolk, serving as a training ship and conducting operational exercises. In June 1912, she landed a Marine detachment at El Cuero, Cuba, to protect American interests. Following exercises with the fleet, she returned to Philadelphia Navy Yard, where she was put in the First Reserve in August 1912.<ref name="DANF-M" />

In late 1913, she was assigned duty as an aeronautic station ship at Pensacola, Florida.<ref name="Hore2007-95">Hore 2007 p. 95</ref>  With the outbreak of fighting in [[United States occupation of Veracruz|Mexico in April 1914]], ''Mississippi'' sailed to Veracruz, arriving with the first detachment of naval aviators to go into combat.<ref name="Hore2007-95">Hore 2007 p. 95</ref> In June 1914 she returned to Hampton Roads, where in July she was decommissioned and transferred to the [[Greek Navy]].<ref name="DANF-M" />

===USS ''Idaho'' (BB-24)===
{{main|USS Idaho (BB-24)}}
The second ''Idaho'' (Battleship No. 24) was laid down in 1904, launched in 1905, and commissioned in mid-1908.<ref name="DANF-I"/> She was given shakedown cruise off the coast of Cuba in 1908, then returned to Philadelphia for final fitting out and repairs.

In the summer of 1908, she transported a detachment of marines to Colon in the Canal Zone to support a peaceful election process.<ref name="DANF-I"/>  [[File:Iowa - 1 Cage.jpg|thumb|alt=Photograph of USS Idaho with the aft cage mast installed.|left|USS ''Idaho'' with first cage mast as installed in 1908]]
In early 1909, she met the Great White Fleet upon its return to the U.S. and was reviewed by the President.  For the remainder of the year and into 1910, she alternated between the waters off New England and southern waters, including the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico, along with a voyage in the Mississippi River and war games out of Guantanamo Bay.<ref name="DANF-I"/>

In late 1910, she sailed across the Atlantic with the Third Division of the Atlantic Fleet to Gravesend Bay, England, and then to Brest, France, returning to Guantanamo Bay in early 1911.<ref name="DANF-I"/>

After routine service with the Atlantic Fleet and in Cuban waters, ''Idaho'' toured Gulf of Mexico and the Mississippi River in 1911, visiting many ports on the Mississippi River.<ref name="DANF-I"/>

In February 1913, unrest in Mexico led to a ''coup d'état'' and the death of deposed President [[Francisco I. Madero]]. For the protection of American interests, ''Idaho'' deployed to Tampico in May and to Veracruz in June. Upon returning, she was placed in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet on 27 October 1913.<ref name="DANF-I"/>

''Idaho'' remained in reserve until recommissioned at Philadelphia in March 1914.  In mid-year, she steamed to the Mediterranean with a group of midshipmen on board.  After visiting several ports, she arrived at the French port of [[Villefranche-sur-Mer|Villefranche]] on 17 July 1914.  There, she was formally transferred to the Greek Navy on 30 July 1914.<ref name="DANF-I"/>

===Greek service===
[[File:Lemnos in Greek Attire.jpg|alt=The ship is decked with banners and flags strung from bow to stern and over the tall cage masts.|thumb|''Lemnos'' flying Greek flags]]
Diplomatic tensions between Greece and the [[Ottoman Empire]] following the 1912–13 [[Balkan Wars]] resulted in each seeking to buy powerful warships abroad that would enable them to control the Aegean Sea.  ''Idaho'' and  ''Mississippi'' were sold on 8 July 1914, to Fred J. Gauntlett, an intermediary, who in turn sold them to the Greek government.  The proceeds of the sale were used to increase the budget for the 1915 fiscal year, funding the building of a third {{sclass|New Mexico|battleship|0}} super-dreadnought, {{USS|Idaho|BB-42|3}}.<ref>Friedman 1985 p. 101</ref>

''Mississippi'' was renamed {{ship|Greek battleship|Kilkis||2}} for the crucial [[Battle of Kilkis-Lahanas|battle]] of the [[Second Balkan War]], while ''Idaho'' became {{ship|Greek battleship|Lemnos||2}} in honor of a victorious naval battle over the [[Turkish Navy]] during the [[First Balkan War]]. Though their service was uneventful, these ships served to balance German capital ships which were acquired by rival Turkey. 
{{#tag:ref|The Greek naval evolution was a result of turbulent times and mixed alliances, even in advance of World War I, including naval competition and a historic rivalry with Turkey, against whom Greece had fought the [[Greco-Turkish War (1897)]] and the [[First Balkan War]]. While the development of capital ships was in the best interest of the Greeks ''vis-a-vis'' their enmity with Turkey, this also posed a threat to Britain, France, and Russia (the Entente) should Greece develop closer ties to Germany. British influence within the Greek Navy was strong, but the King was married to the Kaiser's sister; thus, before the war, Germany was also supportive of the Greek Navy. The strategic position of Greek ports and repair facilities made these at least as important as the Greek fleet, if not more so.<ref name="Fot135-151">Fotakis pp. 135&nbsp;151</ref>|group=Note}}
The design limitations and poor seakeeping tendencies were not as critical in that strategic environment and the calmer seas of the Mediterranean. U.S. Ambassador to Turkey [[Henry Morgenthau, Sr.]] wrote, "Those battleships immediately took their places as the most powerful vessels of the Greek Navy, and the enthusiasm of the Greeks in obtaining them was unbounded."<ref name="DANF-M"/>

====World War I====
In 1916,  a serious division in the Greek government developed between [[Constantine I of Greece|King Constantine I]] and Prime Minister [[Eleftherios Venizelos]] over whether [[Kingdom of Greece (Glücksburg)|Greece]] should enter [[World War I]]. This became known as the "National Schism", where separate governments emerged.
{{#tag:ref|There was division in the Greek government which involved the disagreement between [[Constantine I of Greece|King Constantine I]] and [[Prime Minister]] [[Eleftherios Venizelos]] over whether [[Kingdom of Greece (Glücksburg)|Greece]] should enter World War I. This became known as the [[National Schism]]. The disagreement and the subsequent dismissal of Venizelos by the King resulted in Greece becoming divided in two radically opposed political camps when Venizelos set up a separate state in Northern Greece and eventually, with [[Allies of World War I|Allied]] support, forced the King to abdicate.<ref>Bellou & Couloumbis p. 140</ref>|group=Note}} 
Defections by units of the Greek Navy to the Venizelist factions provoked a Royalist purge of Venizelist officers and men from the Greek Navy. French Admiral Fournet, the Commander in Chief of the Allied Squadron, perceived the Greek fleet as a menace to the Entente powers in the Aegean. He delivered an ultimatum to the Greeks to sequester the small ships and disable the large ones. On 19 October 1916, the breech blocks, munitions, and torpedoes were removed from ''Lemnos'' and ''Kilkis''. At the same time, the crews were reduced to one-third of normal size.<ref>Fotakis p.131</ref>

In June 1917, Greece was reunified under Venizelos and declared war against the Central Powers. Restoration of the Greek Navy was slow due to British and French disagreements and the difficulty in guaranteeing the officers and crews would support a war against the Central Powers.<ref>Fotakis pp.135–137</ref>  When France returned the ships, ''Lemnos'' and ''Kilkis'' took part in Allied operations in the Aegean.<ref name="Paizis-Paradellis(2002)">Paizis-Paradellis p. 113</ref>  The greatest Allied need in the Mediterranean was for antisubmarine units, thus battleships were not a priority.<ref>Fotakis pp.136</ref>{{#tag:ref|After the failure of the Allied Dardanelles campaign, little need existed for capital ships in the Mediterranean beyond those needed to bottle up the Turkish and other fleets of the Central Powers, and those assets were adequate in 1917. The main threat was German submarine warfare: Conditions in the Mediterranean were ideal for submarine operations. The smaller Greek ships  were most valuable for combating this threat, and capital ships were the most vulnerable. Even during the war, frictions occurred between Britain and France over Mediterranean priorities and the Greek naval assets. When Britain took over influence of Greek bases and ships toward the end of the war, they found that the French had depleted stores and exhausted the light fleet. Greece was not in a financial position to develop the navy and British funding was directed toward British priorities.<ref name="Fot135-151">Fotakis pp. 135&nbsp;151</ref>|group=Note}}

[[File:Iowa sunk with Miss in background.jpg|alt=Photograph showing both ships partially underwater, the cage mast sticking out of the water|thumb|right|''Kilkis'' sunk in foreground with ''Lemnos'' in background]]
After World War I, both ships saw action in 1919 under the command of Rear Admiral G. Kakoulidis, RHN, when the Greek Navy took part in the Allied expedition in support of [[Denikin]]'s White Armies in [[Ukraine]].<ref name="Paizis-Paradellis(2002)">Paizis-Paradellis p. 113</ref>

====Later careers====
The ships were also active in the operations of the [[Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922)|Greco-Turkish War]] in Asia Minor from 1919 to 1922.<ref name="Paizis-Paradellis(2002)"/> As the Greeks had been on the winning side in World War I and the Ottoman Empire was one of the defeated powers, the Greeks were awarded large areas of mixed Turkish and Greek populations on the Asian coast of the Aegean Sea.<ref name="K&V89-93">Koliopoulos & Veremis pp. 89–93</ref> On 15 May 1919, 20,000 Greek soldiers landed in [[Smyrna]] and took control of the city and its surroundings under cover of the Greek, French, and British navies.<ref>Kinross p.154</ref> ''Lemnos'' was the flagship to the Second Fleet, based in Smyrna, under Rear Admiral G. Kalamidas; her mission was surveillance of the Black Sea, Dardanelles, and Asia Minor coasts.<ref name="Paizis-Paradellis(2002)"/> Over time, France and Italy became supportive of the emerging Turkish republic. Britain remained supportive of Greece, but opposed Greek moves against Istanbul in 1922. With waning support, the Greek army was defeated, and Greece was driven out of Asia by the Turks in late 1922, resulting in years of political and economic turmoil.<ref name="K&V89-93"/>

Both battleships were relegated to reserve and auxiliary roles in the mid-1930s. ''Kilkis'', which had been upgraded in the mid-1920s, became a naval artillery training facility in 1932. ''Lemnos''{{'s}} guns were removed and installed in a [[Coastal defence and fortification|coastal defense battery]] on the island of [[Aegina]].<ref name="Paizis-Paradellis(2002)"/> While they were both anchored in the [[Salamis Naval Base]] on 23 April 1941, both ships were sunk during the [[Battle of Greece|German invasion of Greece]] by [[Junkers Ju 87|Junkers Ju 87 ''Stuka'']] dive bombers. ''Kilkis'' was hit by bombs and went down in shallow water at her moorings; ''Lemnos'' was also hit, but was able to get underway enough to be beached.<ref>Reilly p. 202</ref> The wrecks were refloated and sold for [[ship breaking|scrap]] in the 1950s.<ref name="DANF-M"/>

==Notes==
{{Reflist|group=Note}}

==References==
{{Reflist|20em}}

==Bibliography==
{{refbegin}}
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{{refend}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20010625003108/http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/usnshtp/bb/bb23cl.htm Naval Historical Center – ''Mississippi'' class battleships]
* [https://archive.today/20121212211304/http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-m/bb23.htm Naval Historical Center – ''USS Mississippi'']
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-i/bb24.htm Naval Historical Center – ''USS Idaho''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120722005058/http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-i/bb24.htm |date=22 July 2012 }}
* [http://www.navsource.net/archives/01/23.htm ''USS Mississippi''] – Navsource Battleship Photo Archive
* [http://www.navsource.net/archives/01/24.htm ''USS Idaho''] – Navsource Battleship Photo Archive

{{Mississippi class battleship}}
{{WWI Greek ships}}
{{WWII Greek ships}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}

{{Good article}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mississippi Class Battleship}}
[[Category:Battleship classes]]
[[Category:Mississippi-class battleships]]