USS Massachusetts was powered by geared turbines, steam for which was provided by eight boilers. The boilers were among the earliest examples of the US high-pressure/high-temperature steam technology so important to secure long range for Pacific operations; they operated at 600 pounds per square inch and a superheater temperature of 850 degrees F. The turbines ran at very high speed, up to 9628 RPM; gears reduced this to 185 RPM at the propellers.

USS Massachusetts never ran formal trials, for the Navy was reluctant to expose its most valuable units to enemy submarines on well-known measured mile courses. However, BB59's sister ship, the USS Alabama, ran trials off California in March 1945, making 28.08 knots at 133,070 SHP, which was consistent with the design requirements of the South Dakota class as determined by the General Board in 1937.

What does it take to build a battleship?

RIVETING DETAILS: It took 6,250 shipbuilders from the Fore River Shipyard nearly three and half years to build USS Massachusetts at a cost of more than $120M, well in excess of her projected $80M budget. Her construction required:

• 4.3M feet of welding
• 1.1M rivets
• 422,000 feet of piping
• 9.5 acres of decking
• 900 electric motors
• 5,300 electric lighting fixtures
• 89,480 feet of air duct vents
• 1,091 telephones
• 1.2M feet of electrical cable

Many of these components were stripped while BB59 was in mothballs. To learn about our efforts to restore her to her original configuration, click here.