Mississippi - class battleship The " Mississippi " class of battleships comprised two ships which were authorized in the 1903 naval budget : and ; these were named for the 20th and 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 pre - dreadnought configuration which became obsolete before the ships were completed . The first several years of the twentieth century were a period of confusion and transition in U . S . naval strategy , tactics , and ship - design . The " Mississippi " class , along with the preceding " Connecticut " class , 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 U . S . designs would reduce the confusing array of guns sizes in pre - dreadnought 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 U . S . battleships . They were designed in an attempt to reduce the rapid growth in the size and cost of U . S . battleships . There was also a theory among influential naval leaders , including Dewey and 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 U . S . Navy from 1908 to 1914 , when they were sold to Greece . Most U . S . service was with the 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 the Mississippi was used for a time as a seaplane support vessel . Both ships took part in U . S . military interventions in Mexico and the Caribbean , including landing marines and supporting early air operations . In 1914 both " Mississippi " class ships were sold to Greece ; this was the only sale of functional U . S . 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 limitation were less pronounced . They saw service in the Russian Civil War and the Greco - Turkish War . By the mid - 1930s they were relegated to reserve and auxiliary roles , and the " Idaho ' s " guns were removed to coastal fortifications . Both were sunk by German aircraft in 1941 , and raised in the 1950s to be sold for scrap . Purpose . In the early twentieth century , the U . S . Navy was growing rapidly . The Navy commissioned its first battleships in 1895 , and by the middle of the next decade Jane ' s Fighting Ships ranked its battle line second only to the British Navy . However , this rapid growth was not universally supported either within the government or within the Navy . Compromises between powerful groups were frequently necessary in order to get funding . The " Mississippi " class ships were designed to meet 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 U . S . battleship production . There was a division among U . S . naval planners in the early years of the 20th century over whether to have technically superior ships or many less expensive ones , with President Theodore Roosevelt among those supporting the former and Admiral Thomas Dewey along with Captain Alfred Thayer Mahan supporting the latter approach . The 1903 naval budget effected a compromise by calling for five ships : three more ships of the 16 , 000 ton " Connecticut " class and two ships of a new less expensive class of approximately 13 , 000 tons , with the design still to be determined . 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 . This concept had formed the backbone of the sailing battle fleets of the previous century , but trends in early twentieth century naval strategies were making the third - rate concept obsolete . Prevailing strategies called for a consistent battle line of first - rate units . The next U . S . battleship design , the " South Carolina " class , was a completely different approach returning to the displacement of the " Connecticut " class and using the all - big - gun format similar in concept to the . Design . The " Mississippi " class battleships were the last pre - dreadnought U . S . battleship class to be designed ; however , , the last ship of the prior " Connecticut " class design , was authorized and completed after these ships ; therefore , it was the last U . S . pre - dreadnought ship to be built . While Congress had authorized three vessels in the 13 , 000 - 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 - ton " Connecticut " class , five of which had been approved with the 1902 and 1903 budgets ; a scaled - up version of the 12 , 500 - ton " Maine " class , 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 , and weight - saving technology could allow increased efficiencies to be achieved from the older " Maine " class design , which was closest to the weight goal . As with most U . S . naval designs , coal storage and engine efficiency were more important than in European designs . U . S . ships might have to fight far from their home shores , especially in the Pacific . Even in the Caribbean , U . S . forces might be farther from their coaling stations than a European power with colonial bases . Draft was a concern , since southern U . S . harbors tended to have shallow entrances , and some proponents felt that all ships should be able to egress all major harbors . Beams were typically limited by the width of dry docks . Armament . In 1903 , there were differing concepts of the ultimate combination of guns , with many ideas based on various experiences and interpretations from recent naval battles , war games and other experimentation . Recent U . S . battleship designs had included primary guns , intermediate guns , secondary guns , and tertiary guns , which were typical in the pre - dreadnought configuration . In 1890 , the U . S . Navy had pioneered the use of intermediate guns with the " Indiana " class , but had not used these consistently in their previous designs because opinions and experiences varied . 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 . In the Russo Japanese War of 1904 – 1905 , just six years later , decisive effects were obtained at long ranges , well beyond the effective limits of ordnance . However , by this point the designs were established for the " Mississippi " class and the keels had already been laid down . Main batteries . Recent American designs had continued to include large primary batteries of either or guns , along with several intermediate 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 was likely to diminish the fighting ability of the opponent , while the latter was more likely to sink her . Earlier U . S . battleships had used guns with black powder propellant ; the 1898 design of the " Maine " class used more powerful but smaller guns using smokeless powder , giving a greater velocity and flatter trajectory . The rifles available in 1904 had a range of 9 , 000 yards , about double the range of the black powder main armament used in the Spanish – American War . These were considered an excellent compromise between weight and firepower since limitations in gunnery control made longer range guns impractical . The contemporary consideration was not whether to go larger , but whether to go with more . 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 . 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 . Intermediate guns had been discontinued in 1896 with the " Illinois " class , but based on experience in the Spanish – American War in 1898 , 45 - caliber guns were reinstated in the " Virginia " class and continued in the " Connecticut " class . 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 guns were superimposed over the turrets for the guns ( see " Kearsarge " and " Virginia " classes ) . Some designers felt that guns were redundant to the faster firing 45 - caliber guns carried in casemates . Others argued that increases in the rate of fire and accuracy of the guns eliminated the need for any smaller guns in the main battery . 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 . Recent U . S . warships had mounted a combination of a few or guns and many smaller guns in the to range ( 6 pounder to 12 pounder in the traditional terms ) . The larger of these guns were typically protected in casemates and the smaller ones open on the deck or in lightly protected casemates . A fast - firing 45 - caliber gun had been adopted with the previous battleship class to replace earlier guns ; these brought a significant improvement in ballistics , expanding the potential beyond torpedo defense , but came with drawbacks . There were various opinions on the best combination of guns : all , all , or a mix of and . Though considered to be quick firing , the propellant for guns was loaded in bags , making them slower than contemporary guns . The Navy considered these to be excellent for the intended role ; however , in WWI North Atlantic convoy duty the disadvantages in seakeeping outweighed the utility ; they were removed from battleships remaining in U . S . service in 1918 . Beginning with the " Maine " class vessels , commissioned in 1902 , the 50 - caliber gun ( 12 - pounder ) was used on most U . S . battleships as an anti - torpedo - 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 . Most guns were removed from U . S . battleships , before combat operations in World War I . Competing designs . The future of battleship weaponry was at a crossroads . There were varied opinions among top naval leaders ; some U . S . naval leaders were discussing the all - big - gun concept in parallel with the British , while other designers felt that the torpedo would completely replace the gun , and battleships should become heavily armored launch platforms . Other proposals included even more but smaller primary guns , in the size to save on weight . In 1903 , analysis of war games had determined that one battleship with twelve or guns , in a hexagonal turret placement , could be superior to three conventional battleships in individual actions . Other analysis suggested that in fleet actions , only broadsides were effective , thus maximizing the number of centerline guns was the most efficient approach . While neither approach was incorporated in the " Mississippi " class , the centerline maximum broadside concept was followed in all subsequent U . S . battleship designs . Final design . In the end , these ships were built with main batteries identical to the " Connecticut " class , while reducing by four guns the secondary battery , omitting eight of the tertiary guns , and sacrificing two torpedo tubes . Subsequent designs would eliminate the batteries completely , and most of the guns were removed from other battleships before combat in WW I , so in this respect the design did not suffer by comparing forward . The main battery consisted of four 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 turrets , one forward and one to the rear of the main superstructure . There were eight 45 - caliber guns arranged in four twin turrets outboard of the main superstructure on each side of the ship . The remaining eight 45 - caliber guns were distributed four per side , in casemates on the side of the ship , below the main deck . Armor . 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 process was developed , 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 of Krupp armor was equal to of Harvey armor , of compound armor , and of wrought iron plate , while in thinner plates Harvey armor was basically equal to Krupp . 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 , consistent with other U . S . capital ships of the decade . 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 , compared to but longer , compared to , despite the " Mississippi " class being shorter , compared to . The primary turret armor was thicker by an inch — thick — as opposed to on the " USS Connecticut " . Machinery . 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 " , 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 ) . Several subsequent battleship classes were built where otherwise identical vessels had different types of engines ( for example , the " Delaware " class and " Nevada " class ) . " Mississippi " and " Idaho " were equipped with two - shaft vertical 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 and Wilcox boilers . Their engines were rated at , which produced a top speed of . On trials " Mississippi " reached and a maximum speed of . 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 . The ships carried of coal in purpose - designed coal bunkers and up to another of coal could be stored in voids in the sides of the hull . This provided the ships with a range of at a cruising speed of . The range was less than the previous class . General characteristics . 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 , so they did not perform as well in heavy seas . The two " Mississippi " class ships were long overall , had a beam of and a draft of . The ships were designed to displace at normal displacement and up to at full combat load . Each ship had a crew of 34 officers and 710 enlisted men . The 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 . 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 . 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 their economical speed was reduced by one and half knots . They also had 25 % less coal storage , further reducing their operating range . 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 . Ships . USS " Mississippi " ( BB - 23 ) . The second " Mississippi " ( Battleship No . 23 ) was laid down in 1904 , launched in 1905 , and commissioned in early 1908 , 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 . 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 out of 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 . In late 1913 she was assigned duty as an aeronautic station ship at Pensacola , Florida . With the outbreak of fighting in Mexico in April 1914 , " Mississippi " sailed to Veracruz , arriving with the first detachment of naval aviators to go into combat . In June 1914 she returned to Hampton Roads where in July she was decommissioned and transferred to the Greek Navy . USS " Idaho " ( BB - 24 ) . The second " Idaho " ( Battleship No . 24 ) was laid down in 1904 , launched in 1905 , and commissioned in mid 1908 . 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 . 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 . 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 . 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 . 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 October 27 , 1913 . " 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 on July 17 , 1914 . There she was formally transferred to the Greek Navy on July 30 , 1914 . Greek service . 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 July 8 , 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 " New Mexico " - class super - dreadnought , " Idaho " ( BB - 42 ) . " Mississippi " was renamed " Kilkis " for the crucial battle of the Second Balkan War , while " Idaho " became " Limnos " 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 . 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 . " World War I . In 1916 , there was a serious division in the Greek government between King Constantine I and Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos over whether Greece should enter World War I . This became known as the " National Schism " , where separate governments emerged . 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 October 19 , 1916 , the breech blocks , munitions , and torpedoes were removed from the " Limnos " and " Kilkis " . At the same time the crews were reduced to one third of normal size . 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 . When France returned the ships , the " Limnos " and " Kilkis " took part in Allied operations in the Aegean . The greatest Allied need in the Mediterranean was for anti - submarine units , thus battleships were not a priority . 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 the Ukraine . Later careers . The ships were also active in the operations of the Greco - Turkish War in Asia Minor from 1919 to 1922 . 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 . On May 15 , 1919 , twenty thousand Greek soldiers landed in Smyrna and took control of the city and its surroundings under cover of the Greek , French , and British navies . " Limnos " 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 . 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 . 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 . " Limnos " guns were removed and installed in a coastal defense battery on the island of Aegina . When they were both anchored in the Salamis Naval Base on April 23 , 1941 , both ships were sunk during the German invasion of Greece by Junkers Ju 87 " Stuka " dive bombers . " Kilkis " was hit by bombs and went down in shallow water at her moorings ; " Limnos " was also hit but was able to get underway enough to be beached . The wrecks were refloated and sold for scrap in the 1950s .