View source for Virginia-class battleship

{{Short description|Pre-dreadnought battleship class of the United States Navy}}
{{Use shortened footnotes|date=October 2022}}
{{Good article}}
{| {{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
| Ship image   = USS Virginia BB-13 underway.jpg
| Ship caption = USS ''Virginia'' (BB-13) {{circa}} 1910–1913
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
| Name = ''Virginia'' class
| Builders = 
| Operators = {{navy|United States|1912}}
| Class before = {{sclass|Maine|battleship|4}}
| Class after = {{sclass|Connecticut|battleship|4}}
| Built range = 1902–1907
| In commission range = 1906–1920
| Total ships completed = 5
| Total ships retired = 5
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header =
|Header caption =
|Ship type = [[Pre-dreadnought battleship]]
|Ship displacement =
*[[normal displacement|Normal]]: {{convert|14948|LT|t|lk=on}}
*[[Full load]]: {{convert|16094|LT|t}}
|Ship length = {{convert|441|ft|3|in|abbr=on|0}}
|Ship beam = {{convert|76|ft|3|in|abbr=on|0}}
|Ship draft = {{convert|23|ft|9|in|abbr=on|0}}
|Ship power = 
*12 × [[Babcock & Wilcox]] [[boiler]]s
*{{convert|19000|ihp|kW|lk=on|abbr=on}}
|Ship propulsion =
*2 × [[triple-expansion steam engine]]s
*2 × [[screw propeller]]s
|Ship speed = {{convert|19|kn|lk=on|abbr=on}}
|Ship range =
|Ship complement = 812
|Ship armament =* 4 × [[12"/40 caliber gun|{{cvt|12|in|0}}/40 caliber guns]]
* 8 × [[8"/45 caliber gun|{{cvt|8|in|0}}/45 cal guns]]
* 12 × [[6"/50 caliber gun|{{cvt|6|in|0}}/50 cal]] Mark 6 guns
* 12 × [[3"/50 caliber gun|{{cvt|3|in|0}}/50 cal guns]]
* 12 × [[QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss|3-pounder]] guns
* 4 × [[American 21 inch torpedo|21 inch (533 mm)]] [[torpedo tube]]s
|Ship armor =*[[Belt armour|Belt]]: {{convert|6|-|11|in|abbr=on|0}}
*[[Barbette]]s: {{convert|10|in|abbr=on|0}}
*[[Gun turret|Turret]]s: {{convert|12|in|abbr=on|0}}
*[[Conning tower]]: {{convert|9|in|abbr=on|0}}
|Ship notes =
}}
|}

The '''''Virginia'' class''' of [[pre-dreadnought battleship]]s were built for the [[United States Navy]] in the early 1900s. The class comprised five ships: {{USS|Virginia|BB-13|2}}, {{USS|Nebraska|BB-14|2}}, {{USS|Georgia|BB-15|2}}, {{USS|New Jersey|BB-16|2}}, and {{USS|Rhode Island|BB-17|2}}. The ships carried a mixed-caliber offensive battery of four {{convert|12|in|adj=on|0}} and eight {{convert|8|in|adj=on|0}} guns; these were mounted in an uncommon arrangement, with four of the 8-inch guns placed atop the 12-inch turrets. The arrangement proved to be a failure, as the 8-inch guns could not be fired independently of the 12-inch guns without interfering with them. Additionally, by the time the ''Virginia''s entered service, the first [[dreadnought|"all-big-gun"]] battleships—including the British {{HMS|Dreadnought|1906|6}}—were nearing completion, which would render mixed battery ships like the ''Virginia'' class obsolete.

Nevertheless, the ships had active careers. All five ships took part in the cruise of the [[Great White Fleet]] in 1907–1909. From 1909 onward, they served as the workhorses of the US [[United States Fleet Forces Command|Atlantic Fleet]], conducting training exercises and [[:wikt:show the flag|showing the flag]] in Europe and Central America. As unrest broke out in several Central American countries in the 1910s, the ships became involved in police actions in the region. The most significant was the American intervention in the [[Mexican Revolution]] during the [[United States occupation of Veracruz|occupation of Veracruz]] in April 1914.

During the American participation in [[World War I]], the ''Virginia''-class ships were used to train sailors for an expanding wartime fleet. In September 1918, they began to escort convoys to Europe, though Germany surrendered two months later, ending the conflict. After the war, they were used to bring American soldiers back from France and later as [[training ship]]s. The 1922 [[Washington Naval Treaty]], which mandated major reductions in naval weapons, cut the ships' careers short. ''Virginia'' and ''New Jersey'' were sunk in bombing tests in 1923, and the other three ships were [[ship breaking|broken up]] for scrap later that year.

==Design==
The United States' victory in the [[Spanish–American War]] in 1898 had a dramatic impact on battleship design, as the question of the role of the fleet—namely, whether it should be focused on coastal defense or high seas operations—had been solved. The fleet's ability to conduct offensive operations overseas showed the necessity of a powerful fleet of battleships. As a result, the [[US Congress]] was willing to authorize much larger ships; the ''Virginia''s, three of which were authorized on 3 March 1899, were the first of these new ships. Two more were authorized on 7 June 1900, with the displacement for all five ships proposed at {{convert|13500|LT|lk=on}}, a significant increase over previous designs. Initial design work, which began with a memorandum issued on 12 July 1898, called for a battleship based on the {{sclass|Maine|battleship|4}}, to be armed with four 12-inch guns, sixteen {{convert|6|in|adj=on|0}} guns, and ten {{convert|3|in|adj=on|0}} guns, protected with a 12&nbsp;in belt of [[Krupp armor]], and capable of steaming at {{convert|18.5|kn|lk=in}}.{{sfn|Friedman 1985|p=42}}

Arguments over the projected displacement and armament prevented further work until October 1899. Captain [[Charles O'Neill (US Navy officer)|Charles O'Neill]] argued for a mixed battery of 12&nbsp;in and {{convert|8|in|abbr=on|0}} guns with [[:wikt:superpose|superposed]] turrets, while [[Phillip Hichborn]], the chief constructor at the [[Bureau of Construction and Repair]], preferred a {{convert|13000|LT|adj=on}} design armed uniformly with {{convert|10|in|abbr=on|0}} guns instead of the mixed battery. The decision was made to adopt the mixed battery, since the 8&nbsp;in gun could penetrate the medium armor on foreign battleships that protected their [[secondary armament|secondary batteries]]. Captain [[Royal Bradford]], the chief of the [[Bureau of Equipment]], suggested that 18.5&nbsp;knots would be sufficient, though O'Neill demanded {{convert|20|kn}}; a compromise was found by requiring a minimum of {{convert|19|kn}}. These compromises produced two variants: "A", which arranged the 8&nbsp;in guns in four twin turrets [[amidships]] as with the {{sclass|Indiana|battleship|4}}, and "B", which placed two of the four turrets atop the 12&nbsp;in turrets, as on the {{sclass|Kearsarge|battleship|4}}. The "A" design included sixteen 6&nbsp;in guns in casemates, while "B" had only twelve.{{sfn|Friedman 1985|p=42}}

The [[Board on Construction]] initially favored "A", though one officer on the board rejected the design so strongly that the [[Secretary of the Navy]] ordered a second, larger board to be formed to examine the two designs. Eight [[line officer]]s were added to the board; this group favored the superposed turrets of "B". One of the members, [[Rear Admiral]] [[Albert S. Barker|Albert Barker]], suggested to build the first three ships to "A" and the last two to "B". The board initially approved the idea, but the chief of the [[Bureau of Ordnance]] rejected it in favor of uniformity of design. The Secretary of the Navy convened a third board to settle the matter, and ten of the twelve members voted for "B". The finalized design was approved on 5 February 1901.{{sfn|Friedman 1985|p=42}}

The superposed turrets ultimately proved to be very problematic; the arrangement had been conceived initially to save weight and allow the much faster firing 8&nbsp;in guns to shoot during the long reload time necessary for large caliber guns. By the time the ''Virginia''s entered service, smokeless propellant and [[Quick-firing gun|rapid firing]], large caliber guns had reduced the time between shots from 180&nbsp;seconds to 20. The 8&nbsp;in guns could no longer fire at their maximum rate without interfering with the 12&nbsp;in guns, since the concussion and hot gasses would disrupt the crew below. In addition, the British {{HMS|Dreadnought|1906|6}}—the first [[dreadnought|"all-big-gun"]] battleship to enter service—commissioned in late 1906 shortly after the ''Virginia''s and rendered them obsolescent at a single stroke.{{sfn|Friedman 1985|p=43}}

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

The ships of the ''Virginia'' class were {{convert|435|ft}} [[length at the waterline|long at the waterline]] and {{convert|441|ft|3|in}} [[length overall|long overall]]. They had a [[beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|76|ft|3|in|abbr=on}} and a [[draft (nautical)|draft]] of {{convert|23|ft|9|in|abbr=on}}. They [[Displacement (ship)|displaced]] {{convert|14948|LT}} as designed and up to {{convert|16094|LT}} at [[full load]]. The ships had a high [[metacentric height]], which made them unstable even in moderate seas. Steering was controlled with a single [[rudder]]. As built, the ships were fitted with a pair of heavy [[military mast]]s with [[fighting top]]s, but they were replaced by [[cage mast]]s in 1909. They had a crew of 40&nbsp;officers and 772&nbsp;enlisted men.{{sfn|Campbell|p=143}}{{sfn|Friedman 1985|pp=43, 429}}

The ship was powered by two-shaft [[triple-expansion engine|triple-expansion]] [[steam engine]]s rated at {{convert|19000|ihp|lk=in}}. Steam was provided by coal-fired [[water-tube boiler]]s; in ''Virginia'' and ''Georgia'', they were equipped with twenty-four [[Niclausse boiler]]s, while the other three ships received twelve [[Babcock & Wilcox boiler]]s. These were trunked into three [[funnel (ship)|funnels]] amidships. The engines generated a top speed of {{convert|19|kn}}. By 1919, ''Virginia'' and ''Georgia'' had their Niclausse boilers replaced with twelve Babcock & Wilcox boilers. The ships carried {{convert|1955|LT}} of coal, which allowed them to steam for a designed cruising radius of {{convert|3825|nmi|lk=in}} at a speed of {{convert|10|kn}}. In service, they could actually steam for {{convert|4860|nmi|abbr=on}}. The ships were equipped with electricity generators with a combined output of {{convert|500|kW}}.{{sfn|Campbell|p=143}}{{sfn|Friedman 1985|p=429}}

===Armament===
[[File:USS Georgia turret.tiff|thumb|''Georgia''{{'}}s rear turrets]]
The ships were armed with a [[main battery]] of four [[12"/40 caliber gun|12-inch/40 caliber]]{{efn|/40 refers to the length of the gun in terms of [[Caliber (artillery)|calibers]]. A /40 gun is 40 times long as it is in bore diameter.}} guns in two twin [[gun turret]]s on the [[Centerline (nautical)|centerline]], one forward and aft.{{sfn|Campbell|p=143}} The guns fired a {{convert|870|lb|adj=on}} shell at a [[muzzle velocity]] of {{convert|2400|ft/s}}. The turrets were Mark V mounts, which allowed for reloading at all angles of elevation. These mounts could elevate to 20&nbsp;degrees and depress to −7&nbsp;degrees. Each gun was supplied with sixty shells.{{sfn|Friedman 2011|pp=168–169}}

The secondary battery consisted of eight [[8"/45 caliber gun|8-inch/45 caliber]] Mark 6 guns and twelve [[6"/50 caliber gun|6-inch/50 caliber]] Mark 6 guns. The 8-inch guns were mounted in four twin turrets; two of these were superposed atop the main battery turrets, with the other two turrets abreast the forward funnel.{{sfn|Campbell|p=143}} The 8-inch guns were the Mark VI type, and they fired {{convert|260|lb|abbr=on}} shells at a muzzle velocity of {{convert|2750|ft/s|abbr=on}}.{{sfn|Campbell|p=143}}{{sfn|Friedman 2011|pp=177–178}} They were supplied with 125&nbsp;shells per gun.{{sfn|Friedman 2011|p=169}} The 6-inch guns were placed in [[casemates]] in the [[hull (watercraft)|hull]]. The 6-inch Mark VI guns fired a {{convert|105|lb|abbr=on}} shell at {{convert|2800|ft/s|abbr=on}}.{{sfn|Friedman 2011|pp=180–181}}

For close-range defense against [[torpedo boat]]s, they carried twelve [[3"/50 caliber gun|3-inch/50 caliber]] guns mounted in casemates along the side of the hull and twelve [[QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss|3-pounder]] guns. As was standard for [[capital ship]]s of the period, the ''Virginia'' class carried four [[American 21 inch torpedo|21 inch (533 mm)]] [[torpedo tube]]s, submerged in her hull on the [[Broadside (naval)|broadside]].{{sfn|Campbell|p=143}} They were initially equipped with the Mark I Bliss-Leavitt design, but these were quickly replaced with Mark II, designed in 1905. The Mark II carried a {{convert|207|lb|adj=on}} [[warhead]] and had a range of {{convert|3500|yd}} at a speed of {{convert|26|kn}}.{{sfn|Friedman 2011|p=342}}

===Armor===
[[File:USS Georgia LOC det.4a15469.jpg|thumb|USS ''Georgia'' just after launch]]

''Virginia''{{'}}s main [[armored belt]] was {{convert|11|in|abbr=on|0}} thick over the magazines and the machinery spaces and {{convert|8|in|abbr=on|0}} elsewhere. It extended {{convert|3|ft}} above the [[waterline]] and {{convert|5|ft}} below. The main battery gun turrets (and the secondary turrets on top of them) had {{convert|12|in|adj=on|0}} thick faces and {{convert|2|in|abbr=on}} thick roofs. For the main battery turrets, their sides were 8&nbsp;in thick, while the superposed turrets had reduced protection on their sides, at 6&nbsp;in of armor plating. The supporting [[barbette]]s had the {{convert|10|in|abbr=on|0}} of armor plating. The two waist turrets had {{convert|6.5|in|abbr=on}} thick faces, 6&nbsp;in thick sides, and 2&nbsp;in thick roofs. Six inch thick armor plating protected the casemate guns. The [[conning tower]] had {{convert|9|in|abbr=on}} thick sides and a 2&nbsp;in thick roof. The ships' decks ranged in thickness from {{convert|1.5|to|3|in}} and they were sloped on the sides to connect with the lower edge of the main belt.{{sfn|Campbell|p=143}}{{sfn|Friedman 1985|p=429}}

==Construction==
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+ Construction data
! scope="col" | Name
! scope="col" | Builder{{sfn|Campbell|p=143}}
! scope="col" | Laid down{{sfn|Campbell|p=143}}
! scope="col" | Launched{{sfn|Campbell|p=143}}
! scope="col" | Commissioned{{sfn|Campbell|p=143}}
|-
! scope="row" |{{USS|Virginia|BB-13}}
| [[Newport News Shipbuilding Company]]
| 21 May 1902
| 5 April 1904
| 7 May 1906
|-
! scope="row" |{{USS|Nebraska|BB-14}}
| [[Seattle Construction and Drydock Company|Moran Brothers Shipyard]]
| 4 July 1902
| 7 October 1904
| 1 July 1907
|-
! scope="row" |{{USS|Georgia|BB-15}}
| [[Bath Iron Works]]
| 31 August 1901
| 11 October 1904
| 24 September 1906
|-
! scope="row" |{{USS|New Jersey|BB-16}}
| [[Fore River Shipyard]]
| 3 May 1902
| 10 November 1904
| 12 May 1906
|-
! scope="row" |{{USS|Rhode Island|BB-17}}
| Fore River Shipyard
| 1 May 1902
| 17 May 1904
| 19 February 1906
|}

==Service history==
[[File:Uss new jersey bb-16.jpg|thumb|''New Jersey'' as completed]]

All five ships of the class served with the [[United States Fleet Forces Command|Atlantic Fleet]] for the majority of their careers. In 1907, ''Virginia'', ''Georgia'', and ''New Jersey'' took part in the [[Jamestown Exposition]] to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the founding of the [[Jamestown colony]]. The five ships took part in the cruise of the [[Great White Fleet]] in 1907–09, though ''Nebraska'', which had been built on the west coast of the United States, joined the fleet after it had reached California in 1908.{{efn|name=bundle|See the [[Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships|DANFS]] entries for ''Virginia'',{{sfn|DANFS Virginia}} ''Nebraska'',{{sfn|DANFS Nebraska}} ''Georgia'',{{sfn|DANFS Georgia}} ''New Jersey'',{{sfn|DANFS New Jersey}} and ''Rhode Island''.{{sfn|DANFS Rhode Island}}}} The fleet left [[Hampton Roads]] on 16 December 1907 and steamed south, around South America and back north to the US west coast. The ships then crossed the Pacific and stopped in Australia, the Philippines, and Japan before continuing on through the Indian Ocean. They transited the [[Suez Canal]] and toured the Mediterranean before crossing the Atlantic, arriving bank in Hampton Roads on 22 February 1909 for a [[naval review]] with President [[Theodore Roosevelt]].{{sfn|Albertson|pp=41–66}}

The ships then began a peacetime training routine off the east coast of the United States and the [[Caribbean Sea|Caribbean]], including gunnery training off the [[Virginia Capes]], training cruises in the Atlantic, and winter exercises in Cuban waters. In late 1909, ''Virginia'', ''Georgia'', and ''Rhode Island'' visited French and British ports. Throughout their careers, political unrest in several Central American countries prompted the United States to send the ships to protect American interests in the region. ''New Jersey'' was sent to Cuba to assist the [[Second Occupation of Cuba|Cuban Pacification]] in support of the government of President [[Tomás Estrada Palma]]. All five ships became involved in the [[Mexican Revolution]] as the United States intervened to protect its nationals living in the country, culminating in the [[United States occupation of Veracruz|occupation of Veracruz]] in April 1914. ''New Jersey'' was also sent to protect American interests in Haiti and the Dominican unrest in 1914.{{efn|name=bundle}}

[[File:USS Nebraska experimental camouflage.tiff|thumb|left|''Nebraska'' painted with experimental camouflage c. 1918]]

In July 1914, World War I broke out in Europe; the United States remained neutral for the first three years of the war. Tensions with Germany came to a head in early 1917 following the German [[unrestricted submarine warfare]] campaign, which sank several American merchant ships in European waters. On 6 April 1917, the United States declared war on Germany. The ''Virginia''-class ships initially were used for training gunners and [[engine room]] personnel that would be necessary for the rapidly expanding wartime fleet. Starting in September 1918, the ships began to be used as escorts for [[convoy]]s bringing soldiers to France, though this duty was cut short by the [[Armistice of 11 November 1918|Armistice with Germany]] signed in November. With the war over, the ''Virginia''s were used to ferry American soldiers back from France through mid-1919.{{efn|name=bundle}}{{sfn|Jones|p=122}}

The ships—thoroughly obsolete by this time—were briefly retained in the post-war period before being decommissioned. ''Nebraska'', ''Georgia'', and ''Rhode Island'' were transferred to the [[United States Pacific Fleet|Pacific Fleet]], with the latter serving as the [[flagship]] of the 1st Squadron, though they were all out of service by 1920. Under the terms of the [[Washington Naval Treaty]], signed in 1922, they were to be discarded as part of the naval armament limitation program.{{efn|name=bundle}} ''Virginia'' and ''New Jersey'' were sunk as [[target ship]]s off [[Cape Hatteras]] by Army bombers under the supervision of [[Billy Mitchell]] in September 1923.{{sfn|Wildenberg|pp=112–114}} The other three ships were sold to [[ship breaking|ship breakers]] in November that year.{{efn|name=bundle}}

==Footnotes==
{{Commons category|Virginia class battleships}}

===Notes ===

{{notelist}}

===Citations===

{{reflist|20em}}

==References==
* {{cite book
  | last = Albertson
  | first = Mark
  | title = U.S.S. Connecticut: Constitution State Battleship
  | location = Mustang
  | publisher = [[Tate Publishing & Enterprises|Tate Publishing]]
  | year = 2007
  | isbn = 978-1-59886-739-8
  | ref={{sfnRef|Albertson}}
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last = Campbell
  | first = N. J. M.
  | chapter = United States of America
  | pages = 114–169
  | editor1-last = Chesneau
  | editor1-first = Roger
  | editor2-last = Kolesnik
  | editor2-first = Eugene M.
  | year = 1979
  | title = Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905
  | publisher = Conway Maritime Press
  | location = Greenwich
  | isbn = 978-0-85177-133-5
  | ref = {{sfnRef|Campbell}}
  | url-access = registration
  | url = https://archive.org/details/conwaysallworlds0000unse_l2e2
  | name-list-style=amp
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last = Friedman
  | first = Norman
  | year = 2011
  | title = Naval Weapons of World War One
  | publisher = Naval Institute Press
  | location = Annapolis
  | isbn = 978-1-84832-100-7
  | ref = {{sfnRef|Friedman 2011}}
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last = Friedman
  | first = Norman
  | year = 1985
  | title = U.S. Battleships: An Illustrated Design History
  | location = Annapolis
  | publisher = [[Naval Institute Press]]
  | isbn = 978-0-87021-715-9
  | ref = {{sfnRef|Friedman 1985}}
  }}
* {{cite web
  |url=http://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/g/georgia-bb-15.html
  |title=Georgia (BB-15)
  |work=[[Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships]]
  |publisher=[[Naval History & Heritage Command]]
  |date=3 April 2014
  |access-date=6 June 2015
  |ref={{sfnRef|DANFS Georgia}}
  }}
* {{cite book
  |last=Jones
  |first=Jerry W.
  |title=U.S. Battleship Operations in World War I
  |location=Annapolis
  |publisher=Naval Institute Press
  |year=1998
  |isbn=978-1-55750-411-1
  |ref={{sfnRef|Jones}}
  }}
* {{cite web
  |url=http://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/n/nebraska.html
  |title=Nebraska
  |work=[[Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships]]
  |publisher=[[Naval History & Heritage Command]]
  |date=31 March 2014
  |access-date=6 June 2015
  |ref={{sfnRef|DANFS Nebraska}}
  }}
* {{cite web
  |url=http://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/n/new-jersey-i.html
  |title=New Jersey (BB-16) i
  |work=[[Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships]]
  |publisher=[[Naval History & Heritage Command]]
  |date=16 April 2015
  |access-date=6 June 2015
  |ref={{sfnRef|DANFS New Jersey}}
  }}
* {{cite web
  |url=http://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/r/rhode-island-ii.html
  |title=Rhode Island (BB-17) ii
  |work=[[Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships]]
  |publisher=[[Naval History & Heritage Command]]
  |date=5 May 2014
  |access-date=6 June 2015
  |ref={{sfnRef|DANFS Rhode Island}}
  }}
* {{cite web
  |url=http://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/v/virginia-iv.html
  |title=Virginia
  |work=[[Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships]]
  |publisher=[[Naval History & Heritage Command]]
  |access-date=6 June 2015
  |ref={{sfnRef|DANFS Virginia}}
  }}
* {{cite book
  |last=Wildenberg
  |first=Thomas
  |title=Billy Mitchell's War with the Navy: The Army Air Corps and the Challenge to Seapower
  |location=Annapolis
  |publisher=Naval Institute Press
  |year=2014
  |isbn=978-1-61251-332-4
  |ref={{sfnRef|Wildenberg}}
  }}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book
  | last = Alden
  | first = John D.
  | year = 1989
  | title = American Steel Navy: A Photographic History of the U.S. Navy from the Introduction of the Steel Hull in 1883 to the Cruise of the Great White Fleet
  | location = Annapolis
  | publisher = [[Naval Institute Press]]
  | isbn = 978-0-87021-248-2
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last1 = Reilly
  | first1 = John C.
  | last2 = Scheina
  | first2 = Robert L.
  | year = 1980
  | title = American Battleships 1886–1923: Predreadnought Design and Construction
  | publisher = Naval Institute Press
  | location = Annapolis
  | isbn = 978-0-87021-524-7
  }}

{{Virginia class battleship}}
{{WWI US ships}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Virginia Class Battleship}}
[[Category:Battleship classes]]
[[Category:Virginia-class battleships| ]]
[[Category:World War I battleships of the United States]]