To: X Fretensis
The 3 ships of the New Mexico class, 2 of the Nevada Class and the 3 Colorado class battleships all were built with turbo electric propulsions systems.
I think you meant the Tennessee class, not Nevada. The Nevadas were split, Nevada having the then-new-designed geared steam turbines and Oklahoma having the older style triple expansion reciprocating engines. Those old engine design is one of the reasons why Oklahoma wasn't repaired following her sinking at Pearl Harbor - by 1941 she was marginal BB not really suited anymore for the main battle line (the older Arkansas, New York and Texas definitely weren't, and were due for retirement when Pearl Harbor happened), of which she was by far the slowest ship.
The Navy was extremely conservative when it came to trying new technologies in its BBs. They had a pattern of building two (and occasionally three) ships of the same hull, with one using "safe" technologies while the other had tech that pushed the envelope. Once the "new" tech was established they'd carry it onto the next two/three-ship class.
The engine differences between NV and OK are one example of this. Another is that of the New Mexico class (which fell between the Pennsylvanias and the Tennessees) New Mexico had turbo electric while the Mississippi and Idaho had the geared turbines established by Nevada and carried through Pennsylvania and Arizona.
To: tanknetter
Right, should have been Tennessee & California
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