Post by cowboy40 on Feb 8, 2024 9:03:11 GMT -7
Considered the most balanced design of a a super-dreadnought, the Montana class, of 1940. was the best attempt to reach the compromise of firepower, speed, and armor. These are the trinity in warship design. you have to sacrifice one to gain the others, unless you are willing to build a ship that is huge and pushes the limits of industrial capability of the building nation.
The US had the best industrial complex in the world during World War II era. USS Montana was the result of this.
At an estimated 63,221 tons standard displacement and dimensions measuring over 921 feet overall and with a beam of 121 feet she was designed to large to pass through the Panama Canal. She had a speed of 28 knots and a range of over 15,000 nautical miles at 15 knots.
In firepower, the class was designed to carry twelve 16in/50 Mk.7 naval rifles in four triple gun turrets. These guns proved to be one of the best heavy guns ever developed with an excellent range and good ballistics that could pierce the armor of any other warship. The secondary guns were twenty 5in/54 caliber Mk. 41 on ten twin mounts. The design also carried several light anti-air batteries.
The ship carried enough armor to give her protection against her own guns. Her 16 inches of armor gave her an immune zone of 16,000 to 32,000 yards. She was the first American battleship with this level of protection. A point to mention is that the Iowa class only had 12 inches of armor on the belt. She also was well protected from torpedoes.
Her engines were designed to propel her to 28 knots on 172,000 shaft horsepower. This kept her on pace with the rest of the "new" battle line that consisted of the North Carolina, South Dakota II and Iowa classes. That said the Iowas were the outliers of the force that could make 33 knots on 212,000 shaft horsepower, but that was because Iowa was designed to be a the fast wing elements of the new line, and this leads to several people arguing that Iowa was more of a true battle-cruiser to the rest of the line. That is an argument for another day.
With all that said, Montana didn't make it into the fleet because of priorities changed during World War II and the five ships were suspended in 1942 and finally cancelled in 1943 even though supplies, weapons and other items were waiting to be used. That said blueprints were in builders' hands and keels were prepared to be laid.
This ships would have been the queens of the seas
