The Colorado class battleships (or Maryland class, for those who prefer to name ship classes after the first unit to be completed) were up-gunned versions of the preceding Tennessee class, sharing their general design and appearance, but replacing the earlier ships' twelve 14"/50 guns with eight 16"/45s. Built with Fiscal Year 1917 appropriations and delayed by higher priorities during World War I, two of the Colorados were the last new U.S. battleships to enter service for nearly two decades. The fourth of the class, Washington, was the only new U.S. ship cancelled under the Naval Limitations Treaty that had actually been launched. Their 32,600-ton standard displacement was slightly heavier than that of the Tennessee class, and the power and accuracy of their sixteen-inch guns represented a notable improvement. The multi-layered anti-torpedo side protection system, armor, turbo-electric drive, and improved fire controls of the Tennessees were repeated in the Colorados, which were typical U.S. battleships of the day: robust, heavily-armed and armored but relatively slow. During the Twenties and Thirties, the five ships of these two classes were popularly known as the Battle Fleet's "Big Five".

During the early 1930s, it was intended to modernize the "Big Five", but the only work actually done produced a modest increase in anti-aircraft guns and the associated fire control systems. Two of the Colorado class, Maryland and West Virginia were at Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attack there started the Pacific War. The latter was sunk, her side protection system overwhelmed by a mass of Japanese torpedoes. Colorado was then completing an overhaul that added additional depth to the side protection, increasing her beam to 108 feet, and Maryland soon received similar improvements. Both ships were further altered later in 1942, with their "cage" mainmasts cut down and anti-aircraft guns increased in numbers. Later, they received new after superstructures to carry better gun directors. Following Kamikaze damage in late 1944, Maryland was fitted with a sixteen-gun 5"/38 dual-purpose secondary battery, replacing the previous mixed lot of low-angle 5"/51s and high-angle 5"/25s. Colorado finished her days with the mixed second battery.

The massively damaged West Virginia was salvaged in 1942 and 1943, and received the same extensive modernization applied to the two Tennessees: hull widened to 114 feet, greatly improved fire controls and anti-aircraft batteries, a secondary battery of sixteen 5"/38 guns in twin mounts, and a generally "modern" appearance.

These ships saw the usual wartime employment of older battleships, serving as a "fleet in being" in 1942-43 and thereafter providing big-gun bombardment in support of amphibious operations. Maryland and West Virginia were present for the last fight between opposing battleships, the Battle of Surigao Strait on 25 October 1944. Laid up after the War, the three Colorado class ships were part of the Reserve Fleet until 1959, when they were sold for scrapping.

The Colorado class included four ships, three of which were completed. All were built at east coast shipyards:


Colorado (BB-45), built at Camden, New Jersey. Keel laid in May 1919; launched in March 1921; completed in August 1923.

Maryland (BB-46), built at Newport News, Virginia. Keel laid in April 1917; launched in March 1920; completed in July 1921.

Washington (BB-47), built at Camden, New Jersey. Keel laid in June 1919; launched in September 1921. Construction cancelled in 1922 under the terms of the Naval Limitations Treaty. Ship sunk as a target on 25 November 1924.

West Virginia (BB-48), built at Newport News, Virginia. Keel laid in April 1920; launched in November 1921; completed in December 1923.


Colorado class design characteristics:


Displacement: 32,600 tons (standard)

Dimensions: 624' (length overall); 97' 4" (maximum beam)

Powerplant: 28,900 horsepower steam turbines with electric drive, producing a 21 knot maximum speed

Armament (Main Battery): Eight 16"/45 guns in four twin turrets

Armament (Secondary Battery-as built): Twelve or fourteen 5"/51 guns in single casemate mountings (six or seven guns on each side of the ship). Later in the 1920s, eight 5"/25 anti-aircraft guns were added.