Changes

| Twelve 14"/50 main guns in four triple turrets; Fourteen 5"/51 guns in single casemate mountings

| Twelve 14"/50 main guns in four triple turrets; Fourteen 5"/51 guns in single casemate mountings

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The design of the ''Tennessee''-class was a considerable improvement over that of earlier U.S. Navy battleships. The two ships featured the same twelve 14"/50 guns and armor protection as in the preceding [[Idaho-class battleship|''Idaho''-class]], and had a similar hull. However, their newly developed four-layer anti-torpedo system, built into the hull sides, and the revised arrangement of boiler and engine rooms permitted by their turbo-electric machinery greatly enhanced their combat survivability. Increased elevation of the main-battery guns and improved gunfire directors atop heavier "cage" masts allowed greater battle ranges. All of the five-inch secondary battery guns were now in the superstructure, where they were less vulnerable to heavy seas.

The design of the ''Tennessee''-class was a considerable improvement over that of earlier U.S. Navy battleships. The two ships featured the same twelve 14"/50 guns and armor protection as in the preceding [[New Mexico-class battleship|''New Mexico''-class]], and had a similar hull. However, their newly developed four-layer anti-torpedo system, built into the hull sides, and the revised arrangement of boiler and engine rooms permitted by their turbo-electric machinery greatly enhanced their combat survivability. Increased elevation of the main-battery guns and improved gunfire directors atop heavier "cage" masts allowed greater battle ranges. All of the five-inch secondary battery guns were now in the superstructure, where they were less vulnerable to heavy seas.

These ships were active units of the inter-war Battle Force. They received modest improvements during the 1920s-1930s, among them heavier 5"/25 anti-aircraft guns, the addition of .50 caliber anti-aircraft machineguns and improved gunfire controls. Both were at Pearl Harbor when the Japanese began the Pacific War with their 7 December 1941 surprise attack. Following that disaster, the sunken ''California'' was out of the war for over two years, but the relatively lightly-damaged ''Tennessee'' was back in service by early 1942.

These ships were active units of the inter-war Battle Force. They received modest improvements during the 1920s-1930s, among them heavier 5"/25 anti-aircraft guns, the addition of .50 caliber anti-aircraft machineguns and improved gunfire controls. Both were at Pearl Harbor when the Japanese began the Pacific War with their 7 December 1941 surprise attack. Following that disaster, the sunken ''California'' was out of the war for over two years, but the relatively lightly-damaged ''Tennessee'' was back in service by early 1942.