CSS New Mexico (BB-1936)

Back to Condfederate States List

The three Confederate States Navy ships of the New Mexico class were their efforts at a 35,000 ton Treaty battleship. The CSN's previous efforts had been more battlecruiser than battleship. Like other navies the CSN termed their new ships as Fast Battleships.

These ships sacrificed gunpower for speed. Armed with the excellent triple 14" in three turrets, the New Mexico's had a twelve inch armoured belt with a propulsion sytem for 30 knots, which was two to three knots faster than their competitors on the same tonnage. Those countries that had not started building new ships directly at 1930 got the advantage from the various treaties expiring 1931-32.

The secondary dual purpose and anti-aircraft armament were second to none. Having access to the French 5.1" quad turrets, of which six were fitted, gave the ships a superlative anti-destroyer and dual anti-aircraft armament. More and more 40 & 20 mm guns were fitted. The original 1.1" failure being ditched in 1938-39. The one thing that was superior to prior classes of ship was the deck armour which had increased from the 3" of the Georgia class to 6" in these ships.

The three ships of the class were ordered on a two by two by two year diferential. The CSN actually had a choice to scrap the 3rd ship and redesign it as a 40-45,000 ton type, but fiscal considerations by the third ship of a class being cheaper to build than the lead ship of a new class. This two year ordering gave completion dates of 1936, 1938 and 1940.

King George the VI inspects the crew of the New Mexico on a visit to Britain.

Back to Condfederate States List