Tue. Apr 21st, 2026

USS Kearsarge (BB-5)

USS Kearsarge (BB-5) was a battleship that the United States Navy entered its fleet on February 20, 1900. She was also the lead ship of her class of battleships. She was the only battleship of the United States Navy not named after a state of the Union, but after the sloop-of-war Kearsarge.

She first served in the North Atlantic Fleet and after modernization, she finished her service in the Army, eventually as a training ship.

technical parameters USS Kearsarge (BB-5)

Name USS Kearsarge
Builder Newport News SB&DD
Awarded 2 January 1896
Laid down 30 June 1896
Launched 24 March 1898
Commissioned 20 February 1900
Decommissioned 4 September 1909
Recommissioned 23 June 1915
Decommissioned 10 May 1920
Stricken 22 June 1955
Fate Sold for scrap, 9 August 1955
Class and type Kearsarge-class pre-dreadnought battleship
Length 375 ft 4 in (114.40 m)
Beam 72 ft 3 in (22.02 m)
Draft 23 ft 6 in (7.16 m)
Displacement 11,540 short tons (10,470 t)
Propulsion 2 VTE engines, 2 propeller shafts
Installed power 5 boilers, 11,674 ihp (8,705 kW)
Boats & landing
craft carried
6 cutters, 2 launches, 1 barge, 2 whaleboats, 1 gig, 2 dinghies, 2 catamarans
Speed 17 kn (20 mph; 31 km/h)
Armor
  • Belt: 5–16.5 in (127–419 mm)
  • Barbettes: 12.5–15 in (318–381 mm)
  • Turrets (primary): 15–17 in (381–432 mm)
  • Turrets (secondary): 6–11 in (152–279 mm)
  • Conning tower: 10 in (254 mm)
Armament
  • 4 × 13 in (330 mm)/35 caliber guns
  • 4 × 8 in (203 mm)/35 caliber guns
  • 14 × 5 in (127 mm)/40 caliber guns
  • 20 × 6-pounders (57 mm or 2.2 in)
  • 8 × 1-pounders (37 mm or 1.5 in)
  • 4 × .30 in (7.6 mm) machine guns
  • 4 × 18 in (457 mm) torpedo tubes
Complement 40 officers and 514 enlisted men

USS Kearsarge (BB-5)

Kearsarge (BB5), converted to craneship in 1920. Port bow, at wharf, 09-18-1899 - NARA - 535431