CUS Manitoba (BB-1918 (1941-mod))

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The Manitoba class were the Battlefleet  ships to the Pennsylvania classes Scout support ships. For their time these were some of the largest ships in the world only equalled in power by the Nagato class and the later Nelson class ships. With a main armament of eight 16" guns in four twin turrets the design was a logical extension of the Vermont class, the triple 14" being replaced with the 16". The secondary armament remained the 6" gun and kept with the double storey mountings for four of the guns. Single 3" AA guns were added to the design from 1916 onwards with a final 10 guns being fitted. The ships were all completed as fleet flagships and carried an admirals quarters at the stern. These were removed in the later 1930's when flagship duties were handed over to the more modern battleships. The class was originally to have been six ships but the last pair due for completion in 1922 were axed by the Geneva Arms Limitation Talks. The treaties from those talks limited the number of battleships that could be completed and kept by each country.

Many different fittings were added and deleted during the 1920's and 30's, catapults and aircraft, single 4" AA replaced the 3" AA, 0.5" AA guns were added then replaced with 20mm, 1.1" were added and then replaced during the ships 1939-41 rebuilding.

The above drawing shows the Manitoba type after its final refits in 1944-45. The aircraft and catapults etc have been removed, the aft crane has been kept and the quarterdeck used to store the ships boats. This allowed another pair of quad 40mm mountings where the boats had been. The rebuilding undertaken followed the Vermont class standard with appropriate differences for the slightly larger Manitoba.

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