Changes

==History==

==History==

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".

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 [[Attack on Pearl Harbor|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.

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 [[Attack on Pearl Harbor|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.