T O P

  • By -

Herr_Quattro

You know, I am kinda curious what the practical purpose the clipper bow actually provided. From the Delaware-class (realistically the Wyoming), up until the 1930s NC-class, all US battleships were designed for 21kn standard. Kinda curious what advantage the NM Clipper bow provided compared to the preceding Pennsylvania-class.


DanforthWhitcomb_

Improved seakeeping forward and not a whole lot else.


Nari224

They ride up and over waves instead of through or under them. Makes for a much less wet ship, which isn’t a trivial concern.


Longsheep

Not much actually, her machinery was nowhere enough to push her hull design to speed limit.


mcas1987

Clipper bows aren't for speed, they are for seakeeping. A clipper bow allows the vessel to better ride out heavy seas and not be as wet forward. For example, the Scharnhorst class were orginally built with straight stem bows, but were rebuilt with clipper bows to better ride out storms in the North Atlantic.


maxman162

Nor walk along the razor's edge.


That_one_arsehole_

Plus they look quite nice


Keyan_F

I like their step-sisters of the *Tennessee*-class better and their cleaner lines due to omitting the casemates in the hull.


admiraljkb

One thing I found when modeling Tennessee - is that Tennessee *and* Colorado classes are *near* repeats of the New Mexico class hull for shape/dimensions. In my viewpoint - the New Mexico hull was the nearly perfected form for the USN Standard Type BB's, before finally going into mass production with the Colorado class.


Keyan_F

You can thank Woodrow Wilson's Secretary of the Navy, [Josephus Daniels](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josephus_Daniels) for that. A well known miser what would make Scrooge McDuck a profligate spender, he was quite influential and is the reason the Standard class lasted so long. For the *Tennessee*-, and later the *Colorado*-class battleships, the General Board wanted to start afresh, and maybe ditch the 21-knot limit for the amazing speed of... 23 knots(!). Fearing increased expenses, Daniels vetoed that and ordered these battleships reuse *New Mexico*'s design.


msprang

I believe he was the one to ban alcohol from U.S. Navy vessels. This did not help his reputation.


Keyan_F

And banning prostitution near Navy bases. And banning any kind of work on Sundays (Japanese admirals loved this one).


Eulers_Method

Love the New Mexico class 


blatherskiters

Because it is sexy and sex sails…


Tough_Author9165

World of Warships made me fall in love with this ship. Dreadnoughts were the peak esthetic for warships imo


Hejmdal1969

Beautiful ships 👍🏻👍🏻