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INDIANA / BB-58
Notes: The SOUTH DAKOTA class was designed to achieve effective protection against 16" gunfire on the 35,000 ton displacement set by the London Treaty, without dropping below the 27 knot speed set by the preceding NORTH CAROLINA class. Improvements in machinery allowed the SOUTH DAKOTA class to be nearly 50' shorter (with the same beam) than the NORTH CAROLINA class; this reduction in size allowed their armor to be thicker, and the increased output from engines allowed the design speed to remain at 27 knots. Although cramped in space, the design was considered to be successful; the class was extremely maneuverable, and with their stacks fared into the superstructure, they were difficult to visually target. An unusual feature was a "tunnel stern", in which the two outboard propellers were encased in massive skegs, with the two inboard propellers revolving in the "tunnel" thus formed. Among the functions of the skegs was torpedo protection for the propellers on the opposite side. Anti-aircraft armament was augmented during World War II; by 1945, INDIANA had 48-40mm guns in 12 quadruple mounts and 56-20mm guns in four twin and 48 single mounts.
INDIANA arrived in the South Pacific in November, 1942, and saw extensive duty there. On 1 February 1944, she collided with the battleship WASHINGTON; both ships were damaged enough to require repairs at a shipyard, and ten sailors lost their lives (four aboard INDIANA). INDIANA was repaired at the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard, and was back in action by April, 1944. She served as both a escort for the fast carrier groups and in the naval bombardment role. Following the end of World War II, INDIANA was placed in reserve in September, 1946, and decommissioned a year later. INDIANA was deleted from the Navy List on 1 June 1962, and sold for scrapping in October, 1963.