New York and Texas were capable 14-inch-gun battleships and the ships on which the United States would pin much of its immediate defensive hope. Their twin-screw machinery hid a vulnerability behind that firepower because damage to one shaft or engine would remove a much larger share of their propulsion. A four-screw design can retain three working shafts after a comparable casualty, while a twin-screw ship is left with only one. That difference affects speed, steering, withdrawal, and the ability to remain with a formation. Machinery redundancy directly affected combat survival.
Notable Point · 2:00:39-2:01:38
Twin screws made battle damage more consequential
The New York class was America’s strongest available capital-ship type, but its two-shaft arrangement reduced propulsion redundancy after damage.