New Mexico class battleships

The New Mexico class battleships all began construction during world war one; the USS New Mexico BB-40, USS Mississippi BB-41 and USS Idaho BB-42 formed a battle group in the Atlantic fleet and were thus not damaged during the Pearl Harbor surprise assault by Japanese carrier aircraft.

An armament of 12 x 14" guns mounted on 4 turrets, 22 x 5" guns and 2 x 21" torpedo tubes were fitted with the 5" guns reduced to 14 during refits ensured the ships were fitted with sufficient firepower. The 14" guns were retained in the Tennessee class battleships before the Colorado class battleships were equipped with the larger 16" guns mounted in 3 turrets.

The class saw plenty of action during the second world war transferred from the Pacific fleet to the Atlantic fleet and then returned to the Pacific fleet after the Pearl Harbor surprise attack in December 1941 supporting the amphibious landing of the theatre of war. Although the ships were refitted in the mid 1930s, the ships were extensively utilised in the Pacific war, the ships were soon retired at the end of hostilities.