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"Stand aside I'm coming through. This is Ching Lee."
-- Adm. Willis 'Ching' Lee to P.T. boats as 'USS Washington' entered Iron Bottom Sound headed for 'Kirishima' (November 15, 1942)
President Theodore Roosevelt sent the Great White Fleet around the world to show off America's expanding naval power. After World War I, Britain was bankrupt and could not afford an arms race with the United States. And he United States had no desire to participate in a costly naval arms race. The Washington Naval Conference agreed to limits on naval spending (1921-22). America and Brattain were allowed the largest number of battleships. This essentially froze construction of new battleships and why at the time of Pearl Harbor, American battleships were largely of World War I vintage. Italy, Japan, and France were allowed smaller numbers. At the time battleships were seen as the war-winning capital ships. Carriers were still experimental and given next to no consideration at the Washington Naval Conference. American Admirals insisted that aircraft could not sink a battleship. When Col. Billy Mitchell proved they could, the Navy dismissed the results of the trial bombing. Forward thinking naval officers challenged this doctrine, but at the time of Pearl Harbor, the big gun club in all navies, including the U.S. Navy, dominated naval thinking. Japan leaned after the Washington Naval Talks that the Americans had broken their secret codes. The Japanese invested in complicated new naval ciphers which they believed has solved their security concerns. This battleship dominance did not change until Pearl Harbor (December 1941). The U.S. Navy was the first to change, largely because the Pacific Fleet battleship were all sunk or heavily damaged. Admiral Nimitz only had carries to work with as it attempted to control Japanese attacks. Japanese and German naval expansion before Pearl Harbor resulted in renewed American and British construction leading to the fleets that would face off when Hitler and Stalin launched World War II (1939). It was America hat had the capacity to build new ships in quantities no other country could match. In the 1930s with the rise of the NAZIs and rising Japanese militarism, the United States began building naval vessels again. At first the number of vessels were small, but after the Fall of France the Two Oceans Navy Act was passed (1940). This authorized massive naval construction, including battleships, carries and smaller vessels. But it takes time to build a large ship, especially a battleship. As a result, when the Japanese struck Pearl Harbor only a few fast, modern battle ships were in service. At the time the U.S. Navy had 17 battleships in commission, but eight were sunk at Pearl, although thanks to them being at anchor only two were destroyed. This meant the Navy had only nine battleships and most importantly, only two were built after 1923. The Unlimited states would eventually bring nine new battleships into service and refloat the six battleships damaged at Pearl. Actually this was only a fraction of what the United States could have done. Rather than battleships the emphasis for construction was placed on carriers. Contrary to expectations, battleship engagements were infrequent. During the Pacific War, American battleships were primarily used for shore bombardment and carrier protection.
Battleship was relatively new name for ship types. What might be called a battleship is what was called a 'ship of the line' in the 18th and early-19th century. The term 'line-of-battle ship' was also used. This was because the naves of he era used to form lines and hen batter each other over the line. The most important such battle was of course Trafalgar (1805). This form of fighting declined, in part no other country could form a line of battle to fight a naval engagement. We are not sure just ho coined the term battleship for the big-gun ships to appear in the late-19th century we believe in Royal Navy parlance. It was soon picked up by other navies, including the U.S. Navy which at the time was a minor naval player. The United States built a huge navy during the Civil War (1861-65), but largely decommissioned it after the War. The United States became the world's leading industrial power (1880s). All countries with major economies, especially industrial economies, built substantial industrial sectors, built large militaries--except the United States. There was no interest in a large army, but interest in a substantial navy was growing. Secretary of the Navy William H. Hunt argued that America need to match Europe's expanding navies that ignited an intense debate. There was resistance until it was learned Brazilian Empire commissioned the iron-clad battleship Riachuelo making Brazil the post powerful naval power in the Americas (1883). Historian Alfred Thayer Mahan published his book The Influence of Sea Power upon History (1890). He had a huge impact not only in the Navy, but he public at large. Three years later as part of the New Navy program, President Harrison's Navy Secretary Benjamin F. Tracy, proposed the Navy Act (1890) authorizing the construction of 'three sea-going, coast-line battle ships' which would become became the Indiana class of battleships. The United States Navy began the construction of battleships with USS Texas (1892), although it did not begin numbering them for some reason until the second ship--Indiana (BB-1). There were famous ship in American history, including 'Bon Hom Richard', 'Constitution' (Old Iron Sides), 'Monitor', and 'Merrimack'. Maine was the first famous American battleship, actually an armored cruiser--famous because it blew up and started a war. The proponents of sea power because for the need of 'coastal defense', interesting because the Maine arguably caused the Spanish American War (1898). As a result, of these new ships, the United States Navy at the turn of the 20h century emerged from a naval non-entity to be the world's fifth strongest naval power and growing.
President Theodore Roosevelt significantly expanded the U.. Navy. His final naval action was personally ordering the American Navy on a global cruise around the world--showcasing America's naval power to the world (December 1907-February 1909). The American public began calling it the Great White Fleet as the ships were painted white for the display of naval power. It consisted of 16 mostly brand new battleships and escorts. It was a formidable display of naval power. For whatever reason, the only stop in Europe was Spain. Looking back, a visit to Hamburg might have been efficacious. Notably the Fleet had to sail around the tip of South America as the Panama Canal was still under construction and would not be competed until the President left office (1914).
World War I navies were assessed in terms of the number of battleships which as a result were considered to be capital or the most important ships. Early American battleships including the ships built in President Roosevelt massive construction program (1902-08) had a variety of naval artillery with varying caliber and range. After the battle of Tsushima (1906), it was clear to naval planners that the armament of a battleship should be primarily the big guns. HMS Dreadnought was the embodiment of this principle. American had begun building a modern fleet including capital ships. The U.S. Navy quickly shifted construction to the Dreadnought types. At the time of World War I the U.S. Navy has some 36 capital ships. This was a force comparable by itself to the German High Seas Fleet. We are unsure how the two fleets compared in fire power and capabilities. There was some discussion at the time as to where the Germans or Americans had the world's second most powerful fleet. One contemporary American source suggests that the American battleships were decidedly superior. 【Brandyce】 The main American battle fleet was not deployed to Europe even though further action was expected in the North Sea. The Germans, however, never came. The German High Seas fleet after Jutland (1916) kept their high seas fleet in port. The United States like the British had begun shifting the fleet over to from coal to oil-fired propulsion, but still relied heavily on coal. The British were having trouble supplying their own oil-fired ships. So the only capital American ships deployed to the North Sea were the older coal-fired ships. American admirals were hesitant to divide the American battle fleet, but eventually dispatched Battle Ship Division Nine to join the British Grand Fleet in the North Sea. They were based at Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands. The British Grand Flee was based at Scapa Flow at the beginning of the War. The British moved the battle-cruisers Rosyth (February 1915). This put them in a better position to protect Britain's east coast. The Battleships gradually followed over time. As a result, the American battleships could be accommodated at Scapa. Division Nine began with four older coal-fired ships, but the composition changed over time. It participated in Grand Fleet exercises as well as Scandinavian convoy escort duties and helped to lay the Northern Mine Barrage designed to stop U-boats from reaching the Atlantic. There were unsuccessful German U-boat attacks. Division Six was dispatched to assist with Atlantic convoy protection. It consisted of three ships and was based Berehaven, Bantry Bay, Ireland. Notable in Division Six was the brand new BB-37 USS Oklahoma a Nevada-class battleship which was the first American class of oil-burning dreadnoughts. Oklahoma is better known as one of the two battleships destroyed by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor launching the Pacific War.) The other American battleships patrolled off the American East Coast. The battleships were also used in convoy escort duty, both supplies and men. The German admirals had guaranteed the Kaiser that the U-bots would prevent the Americans from transporting an army to France. In fact, the U-boats totally failed. The American-based battleships only went half way across the Atlantic. There were rendezvous points where other escorts, we believed Irish-based American escorts, would take them on to France. (We believe this was primarily a measure to conserve British coal supplies.) The American battleships also served as as training platforms for the many untrained men inducted during the War, some of whim were deployed in European waters. BB-3 USS Oregon was deployed to the Pacific and supported the U.S. expeditionary force in Siberia. After the War the battleships were used to help bring the AEF home.
After the War Britain was bankrupt and could not afford an arms race with the United States. And he United States had no desesire to participate in a costly naval arms race. The Washington Naval Conference agreed to limits on naval spending (1921-22). America and Brattain were allowed the largest number of battleships. This essentially froze construction of new battleships and why at the time of Pearl Harbor, American battleships were largely of World War I vintage. Italy, Japan, and France were allowed smaller numbers.
At the time battleships were seen as the war-winning capital ships. Carriers were still experimental and given ext to no consideration at the Washington Naval Conference. American Admirals insisted that aircraft could not sink a battleship. When Army Air Corps Col. Billy Mitchell proved they could, the Navy dismissed the results of the trial bombing. Forward thinking naval officers challenged this doctrine, but at the time of Pearl Harbor, the big gun club in all navies, including the U.S. Navy, dominated naval thinking. This battleship dominance did not change until Pearl Harbor (December 1941). The U.S. Navy was the first to change, largely because the Pacific Fleet battle ships were all sunk. It only had carriers to work with as it attempted to control Japanese attacks.
Japan leaned after the Washing to Naval Talks that the Americans had broken teir secret codes. The Japanese invested in complicated new naval ciphers which they believed has solved their security concerns.
Japanese and German naval expansion before Pearl Harbor resulted in renewed American and British construction leading to the fleets that would face off when Hitler and Stalin launched World War II (1939). It was America hat had the capacity to build new ships in quantities no other country could match. In the 1930s with the rise of the NAZIs and rising Japanese militarism, the United States began building naval vessels again. At first the number of vessels were small, but after the Fall of France the Two Oceans Navy Act was passed (1940). This authorized massive naval construction, including battleships, carriers and smaller vessels.
Pearl Harbor Changed everything. But it takes time to build a large ship, especially a battleship. As a result, when the Japanese struck Pearl Harbor only a few fast, modern battle ships were in service. At the time the U.S. Navy had 17 battleships in commission, but eight were sunk at Pearl, although thanks to them being at anchor only two were destroyed. This meant the Navy had only nine battleships and most importantly, only two were built after 1923. The United states would eventually bring nine new battleships into service and refloat the six battleships damaged at Pearl. Actually this was only a fraction of what the United States could have done. Rather than battleships the emphasis for construction was placed on carriers. Contrary to expectations, battleship engagements were infrequent. During the Pacific War, American battleships were primarily used for shore bombardment and carrier protection. It is interesting to speculate how the Navy's 23battle ships rained death and destruction on Axis shore positions throughout the War. Marine Corps legend still speak in awe of the Japanese battleship bombardment on Guadalcanal by Kongō and Haruna (October 14, 1942). That was one night. The Axis soldiers had to face 23 of these monsters throughout the War, especially in the Pacific.
The Pacific War was concluded on the deck of the USS Missouri (September 1945). Missouri one of the new fast Iowa class battleships. It had a limited role in the War, but President Truman was from Missouri. The Pacific War began with the Japanese winged Samurai warriors demolishing the Pacific Fleet's Battleship Row with impunity. The War ended with the chastened Japanese warlords signing the surrender documents under the barrels of Missouri's 16 in guns, a power statement ethched in the history of warfare. At the time the U.S. Navy had 23 battle ships in commission. The only two lost were the twin Pearl Harbor victims (Arizona and Oklahoma. The oldest classes of battleships that were in commission during World War II were the Wyoming, New York and Nevada class ships. his was followed by the New York, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and New Mexico classes, completing the World War I era battleships. The Tennessee Class was commissioned after the War, but still w basically World War I technology. It should be noted that these World War I v ` battle wagons, were modernized and refitted during the 1920s and 30s. Thus they were not as outdated as one might think, except for their speed.
The Wyoming class were the first American Dreadnoughts. The Wyoming class consisted of Wyoming (1912) and Arkansas (1912). Wyoming was converted to training (1931), but Arkansas saw limited action in the Atlantic beginning with the
Neutrally Patrol declared by President Roosevelt before America entered the War. During the War it was involved in convoy escorts and support for Allied amphibious landings beginning with Torch and ending with Neptune (Overlord) and Dragoon (1942-45). It was then transferred to the Pacific and used for shore bombardment of Iwo Jima and Okinawa (1945). Shore bombardment was an important part of the success of these operations. The Germans simply could not contest ground supported by naval gunfire. The Wyomings had 12 in guns and a maximum speed of 20.5 knots. After Pearl Harbor, the battle ships were primary used for shore bombardment unless it had the speed to keep up with the carriers.
The New York class consisted of New York (1914) and Texas (1914). They were classified as super dreadnoughts, because of the up-graded guns. The New York class was actually similar to the Wyoming class, but corrected serious design flaws, both steam pipe fittings and limiting the middle two turrets were limited to firing broadside. There were engine improvements. The New York class had upgraded 14 in guns, but continued at the slow 20.5 knot speed. Both ships participated in the Atlantic Neutrality Patrol and convoy protection (1940-41) and supporting Operation Torch. Texas and Arkansas dueled with the German battery Hamburg protecting Cherbourg. It saw some duty as a training ship, but rejoined Texas for shore bombardment off Iwo and Okinawa.
The Nevada Class incorporated major changes from the previous classes, although armament continued at 14 in guns and the maximum speed was still only 20.5 knots. The class consisted of Nevada (1916) and Oklahoma (116). The changes focus on the armor protection. There was a heavily protected armored citadel and large areas with little or no armor. It was the first to have triple gun turret And he first U.S. Navy 'standard-type' battleship. The Nevadas were the first American battleships deigned with oil-fired boilers. There were upgrades from coal to oil, but the Nevadas were designed for oil. Both ships were Pearl Harbor victims. Oklahoma was a total loss, although capsizing losses were less than Arizona--429 men. Nevada was the only battleship to get underway, but this only attracted the attention of he attacking Japanese aircraft. The ship was heavily damaged and the captain decided to beach her so as not to clog the channel to the sea. Although heavily damaged It was easily refloated and extensively rebuilt it was and used extensively in the Atlantic. It was he main support for he Overlord Utah Beach landings. After supporting Dragoon, Nevada transited to the Pacific and supported both the Iwo and Okinawa invasions.
The Pennsylvania Class included Pennsylvania (1916) and Arizona (1916). The initial plan was to build copies of Nevada with its armored citadel. but incremental improvements were made. Congress balked at two new battle ships, but after construction began on Pennsylvania, finally agreed to build Arizona. Pennsylvania was built as the fleet flagship. The armament continued to be 14 in guns, but the speed was increased slightly to 21.4 knots. Both were at Pearl Harbor when the Japanese struck, but had very different fates. Pennsylvanian was in dry dock and not on Battleship Row and was not heavily damaged. It fought throughout the Pacific War, primarily used for shore bombardment, but was among the old battle wagons that devastated the Japanese southern force in the Surigao Straits--one of the few classic apostleship actions of the War (October 1944). While the old riffles wee unchanged, the action demonstrated the chilling efficiency of American radar-controlled gunnery by this stage of the War. Arizona in contrast was obliterated at Pearl when a Japanese bomb penetrated a magazine. Some 1,177 sailors were lost, about half the crew--the greatest lost of life of any U.S. Navy ship. It was also about half of total Pearl casualties. Arizona today is the basis for the Pearl Harbor memorial.
The New Mexico class included New Mexico (1917), Mississippi (1917), and Idaho (1919). New Mexico was designed as a flag ship. The New Mexicos continued to have 14 in guns and a 21 knot speed. New Mexico had in innovative electrical power plant. All three had active World War II service careers. The Navy was thinking about larger ships with 16 in guns, but had to settle on basically more ships based on the Pennsylvania class design. Plans were to build two new ships,but the sale of several order ships gave the Navy the money to build a third ship. The major design change was a clipper rather than a ram bow. These ships were heavily modified and as a result wee by far the most modern of all the pre-Washington Treaty battleships. All three were deployed for Neutrality Patrol (940-41), but brought back to the Pacific where they were primarily used for shore bombardment. Mississippi participated in the action at Surigao Strait (October 1944).
The Tennessee class consisted of two ships , Tennessee (1920) and California (1921). Construction began before America entered the War, but the ships were not commissioned until after the War. Both continued to be done with 14 in guns and a speed of 21 knots. The Tennessee class was very similar to the New Mexico class. The primary difference was changes in he under-water protection scheme. Both were at Pearl Harbor when the Japanese struck. California was the battleship flag ship. Tennessee was badly damaged and California sunk. Both were rebuilt and modernized. They wee primary used for shore bombardment. California and Tennessee were an effective part of the action at Surigao Strait because of their modern fire control systems.
The Colorado class was the last of the slow standard battle ships that began to be built during the World War I era. They were authorized by Congress during World War I (1917). There were, however, one huge changes with the Colorados. The armament was upgrades to 16 in guns. This was a response to intelligence reports that the new Japanese Nagato class was to have 16 in guns--the only major change from the Tenseness class. But the speed remained at only 21 knots. There were four Colorados: Colorado (1923), Maryland (1921), Washington, and West Virginia (1923) Washington was never completed because of the Washington Naval Conference limitations (1922). The five battleships of the Tennessee and Colorado Classes came to be known as the 'Big Five'. These ships (Tennessee, California, Colorado, Maryland, and West Virginia represented as one autos puts it, "the culmination of the development of the American dreadnought battleship, and were the epitome of the American battleship between the world wars." 【Jacobs】 Four would be damaged or sunk at Pearl Harbor. While these were the most modern of the standard American battle ships, for this reason they did not under go much of the modern upgrades the other American battleships received (1920s-30s). West Virginia was in a vulnerable position on Battleship Row and was struck by seven torpedoes. She was sunk to avoid capsizing, but refloated and rebuilt. Maryland was the most lightly damaged of the Perla Harbor battleships other than Transylvanian which was not in the water. Colorado was not at Pearl when the Japanese struck because it was undergoing modernization in the States and formed part of Task Force !, the early war defense of the Pacific Coast. Colorado as also deployed into the South Pacific to defend South Pacific islands still in Allied hands. The rebuilt Colorados, because of their slow speed, were used primarily for shore bombardment. Maryland and West Virginia participated in the action at Surigao Straits (October 1944). West Virginia was especially important because of is modern radar and fire support system. (It was so heavily damaged at Peal, it got the most upgrades.) Naval gunners traditionally had to fire ranging salvos before getting hits. (Adm Cunningham famously said hat the preferred range in a naval battle is point blank at which range even naval gunners cannot miss at that range.) This is what occured, for example in the Bismarck-Hood engagenent in the Denmark Straits (March 1941). With modern radar and fire support, American battleships could get hits on salvo one which is what happened in the Surigao Straits.
After World War I, the United Statues planed to build six new battleships of he South Dakota Class. These included South Dakota, Indiana, Montana, North Carolina,
Iowa, and Massachusetts These were the largest ships the Navy had ever ordered. . Because of the Washington Naval Treaty (1922), plans for these ships had to be scrapped even though they had already been laid down (1920-21). This froze battleship construction. Ironically it helped to promote naval avionic. Carriers were not covered by the Treaty. One ship was saved from he scrapyard by converting it to a carrier--the CV-1, Langley (1922). Two battle cruisers were saved from the scrap yards by classifying them as carriers: CV-2, Lexington (1922) and CV-3 Saratoga (1922). And other carriers could be ordered because they did not violate the Treaty: CV-4, Ranger (1931), CV-5 Lexington (1933), and CV-6, Enterprise (1933).
It is with the North Carolina class that the U.S. Navy entered the brief but vital modern age of battleships. Naval design was given little prioritize during he 1920s because of the Washington Treaty, but by the 1930s with Japan's increasing belligerency than the rise of the NAZIs, it became clear that the Navy would need new modern ships. This led to naval rearmament. Japan refused to renew the Washington Treaty and it lased (1936). The U.S. Navy was ready with modern new designs and construction began (1937). he Japanese did not appreciate that continued limitation on Mexican naval construction was vial. Their industrial capacity limited what they could build. There was virtually no limit on what America could build. The Japanese would eventually face 23 America battleships. The North Carolinas were the first of the new fast battleships needed to support carrier operations. There were two ships in the class: North Carolina (1941) and Washington (1941). They packed the same 16 in guns introduced on the Colorados, but had a power plant capable of generating the 28 knots capable of supporting the carriers. And they reached the fleet just when they were most needed, 7 months before Pearl Harbor. They were initially kept in the Atlantic because of the German Tirpitz threat, but after Pearl Harbor joined the Pacific Fleet. They were the only battleship support for the American carrier task forces in the desperate naval fighting of 1942, although they were joined by South Dakota at the end of the year. It is at this time that Adm. Willis 'Ching' Lee executed the most important battleship action of the War. Battleships normally operated in groups, but with South Dakota crippled, Lee turned back a Japanese bombardment fleet and blew the Japanese battleship Kirishima out of the water on his first salvo. Lee who could not pass a basic eye test, had won an Olympic medal in marksmanship, scored this triumph because of a computer-like mind and an unrivaled understanding of both gunnery and radar. At the time, radar skills were still very new in the U.S. Navy and not yet understood or trusted by most American commanders. It was the only single battleship engagement of he War and surely the most important single ship engagement--saving the hard-pressed Marines on Guadalcanal.
As construction began on the North Carolina-class battleships, naval planners addressed deficiencies already noted. The chief of these being padding around the main gun emplacements. These included South Dakota (1942), Indiana (1942) Massachusetts (1942) and Alabama (1942). The design replicated the 16-in gun main armament and a very small speed reduction--27.5 knots. The still unshaken-down South Dakota ran into trouble in on Bottom Sound, but was saved by Washington. What Admiral Nimitz had after Pearl Harbor had to hold the line against the rampaging Imperial Fleet. New ships like the South Dakota class had to go through like shake downs and training after commissioning and were not ready for combat fo the most part until 1943. It is at this time that that new Essex-class carriers began to reach the fleet. The Japanese knew that they could not match American industry. But they did not understand the immense naval power they would have to face after only a year. Until Pearl Harbor, the big-gun battleship was the e queen of the fleet. Naval power was measured in the number of battleships a country possessed. Pearl Harbor changed that calculation. South Dakota was the first to reach the Pacific fleet and probably saved Enterprise at the Battle of Santa Cruz (October 1942), but had to the saved by Washington at the Second Naval Battle of Guadalcanal (November 1942). It was not until 1943 that most reached the Fleet. Massachusetts supported the Torch landings in North Africa (November 1942). Alabama was first deployed with the Royal Navy to counter Tirpitz and then used to support the Arctic convoys to the Soviet Union. By 1943, all the South Dakotas were in the Pacific to support the Central Pacific campaign. The South Dakota battleships are not high up on the recognition of even World War II historians. That is because they had become bit-players. It was not even their main armament that was important. It was the AA fire wall they could throw up to protect the carriers--immensely intensified by the Swedish Boffar guns and the British-invented proximity fuse--part of the Tizard treasure. The British couldn't build 23 battleships, but radar and the proximity fuse immensely increased the punch of America sea power.) It would be the carriers which became he new arbiter of naval power. Of course the battleship main armament came into play for their other role--beach bombardment.
Finally comes the Iowa-class destroyers--the apogee of battleship design. Six Iowas were planned, four were actually built. The four actually built were: Iowa (1943), New Jersey (1943), Missouri (1944), and Wisconsin (1944). Illinois and Kentucky wee laid down, but slowed by changing Navy priorities. They were never completed. By the time work on the Iowas began there were fewer penny-pinchers left in Congress. Bigger and more powerful ships are what the public and the Navy wanted. The Iowas were huge--48,000 ton displacement. That was basically 50 percent larger than earlier American battlewaggon. The Iowas were approaching a football field longer than the South Dakotas. The Japanese were planning the even larger Yamato class, but the Navy had no real idea about just how large Yamato would be. The original Iowa design concepts were to counter the growing fleet of Japanese battleships that could be faster than the 27 knot American battle ships--carrier support was not yet a concern. Of course, by the time the Iowas began reaching the fleet (beginning 1943), the role of the battleship in naval warfare had changed dramatically. Battleships were now AA gun platforms to protect the carriers and shore bombardment. There was something about the battleship even with the most clear-thinking admiral of World War II- Raymond Spruance. After using his carrier air to decimate Japanese installations on Truk, he could not help himself from taing New Jersey on a hunting expedition for escaping Japanese ships (February 1944). Despite the change in mission, the Iowas perfectly fill both bills. Their 33 knot speed could more than keep up with carriers and the upgraded 16 in guns could be fired with great precision, enormous support for marines and soldiers landing on countless Pacific beaches. The armor protection of the Iowas has been criticized, but this related to the need for speed--especially important as their role changed to carrier support. Pacific War buffs wondered what would have happened if Adm. Halsey had not been lured north and the Third fleet had met Adm. Kurita's Center Force at San Bernandino Strait (October 1944). It would have been a big gun fight rivaling the World War I Jutland battle (1916). The most famous Iowa is of course Missouri, chosen by Missouri-native President Truman to stage the Japanese surrender under the ship's big guns.
No one knew how long the Pacific War was going to last. And in 1942 and even '43 it looked like it could be many years. So the U.S. Navy began planning for a successor to the Iowa-class battleships. The Iowas were fast, but some viewed as poorly armored which of course is why they were so fast. No ship design is perfect compromises had to be made between speed, armor protection, and firepower. The same with tanks. The Iowas got seed in part because of lighter protection. Bu t was a successful compromise. Some Iowas were hit (mostly by Kamikazes) and there were casualties, but significant loss of life was rare and no Iowas came even close to sinking. The Montana were to be a little slower, but larger and better armed, far grater firepower. he initial plan was to build five. And the war turned against Japan, and the Iowas performed brilliantly, the Montana-class battleship was cancelled in favor of building more Iowas and Essex carriers. No Montana-class keels were actually laid.
Brandyce, H. D. "A comparison of the German and American Navies: Our great superiority in gun-fire places the United States in the lead," (July 22, 1911). A CIH consultant writes, "He could be right. The comparisons would have to be by ship types and gun types, not by weight of ships. But I can't see how they can compare accuracy of gun crews because they never fought against each other. By World War II RADAR took over accuracy issues.
Jacobs, Paul. "The Tennessee & Colorado classes in 1250 scale".
Mahan, Alfred Thayer. The Influence of Sea Power upon History (1890).
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