Montana class battleship

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A model depicting what the Montana class would have looked like had they been completed
A 1944 model of a Montana-class battleship
Class overview
Name: Montana class battleship
Builders: New York Navy Yard
Philadelphia Navy Yard
Norfolk Navy Yard
Operators: Naval flag of United States United States Navy
Preceded by: Iowa class battleship
Succeeded by: N/A, last battleship class authorized
Planned: 5
Completed: 0
Cancelled: Montana
Ohio
Maine
New Hampshire
Louisiana
General characteristics
Displacement: 65,000 tons (standard);[1]
70,965 tons (full load)[2][3][4]
Length: 920 ft 6 in (280.6 m)[2]
Beam: 121 ft 0 in (36.9 m)[2]
Draft: 36 ft 1 in (11.0 m)[2]
Propulsion: 8 Babcock & Wilcox 2-drum express type Boilers powering 4 sets of Westinghouse geared steam turbines 4 × 43,000 hp (128 MW) (steam turbines)[2]
Speed: 28 knot (52 km/h) maximum[5][2]
Range: 15,000 nmi at 15 knots (28 km/h)[1]
Complement: Standard: 2,355 officers and men[2]
Flagship: 2,789 officers and men[2]
Armament: 12 × 16 in (406 mm) 50 cal. Mark 7 guns[2]
20 × 5 in (127 mm) 54 cal. Mark 16 guns[2]
10-40 × Bofors 40 mm anti-aircraft gun[2]
56 × Oerlikon 20 mm anti-aircraft gun[2]
Armor: Side belt: 16.1 in tapering to 10.2 in on 1 in STS plate inclined 19 degrees
Lower side belt: 7.2 in tapered to 1 in inclined 10 degrees[1]
Bulkheads: 18 in forward, 15.25 in aft[1]
Barbettes: 21.3 in, 18 in (aft)[1]
Turrets: up to 22.5 in
Decks: up to 6 in
Aircraft carried: 3–4 × Vought OS2U Kingfisher/Curtiss SC Seahawk
Aviation facilities: Two aft catapults for launch of seaplanes[3]
Notes: Last battleship class designed for the United States Navy

The Montana-class battleships of the United States Navy were planned as successors to the Iowa class, being slower but larger, better armored, and carrying more guns. Five were approved for construction during World War II but changes in wartime building priorities resulted in their cancellation in favor of the Essex-class aircraft carriers before any Montana-class keels were laid.

With an intended armament of twelve 16-inch (410 mm) guns and a greater anti-aircraft capability than the preceding Iowa class, the Montanas would have been the largest and the most heavily armed battleships ever put to sea by the United States. They would have been the only US Navy battleship class to have come close to rivaling the Empire of Japan's Yamato-class battleships in terms of armor, armament, and displacement.[6]

Preliminary design work for the Montanas began before the US entry into World War II. The first two vessels were approved by Congress in 1939 with the passage of the Second Vinson Act. However, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor resulted in priority shifts for the US Navy and construction of the Montana class was suspended. Following the success of carrier combat in both the Battle of Coral Sea and, to a greater extent, the Battle of Midway, the US Navy chose to cancel the Montana class in favor of fast battleships which could escort the Essex-class aircraft carriers then under construction in the United States. The Montana class was the last US Navy battleship design, though the last US battleships actually commissioned were the four completed ships of the Iowa class.[7]

Contents

[edit] History

As the situations in Europe and Asia worsened Carl Vinson, the chairman of the House Committee on Naval Affairs, instituted The Vinson Naval Plan, which aimed to get the United States Navy into fighting shape after the cutbacks imposed by the depression and the naval treaties of the 1930s.[8][9] As part of the overall plan Congress passed the Second Vinson Act in 1939, which cleared the way for construction of the four South Dakota-class fast battleships and the first two Iowa-class battleships (hull numbers BB-61 and BB-62).[10] Four additional battleships (with hull numbers BB-63, BB-64, BB-65, and BB-66) were approved for construction in 1940,[10] with the last two intended to be the first ships of the Montana class.[11] By 1942, it was apparent to the US Navy high command that they needed as many fast battleships as possible, and hull numbers BB-65 and BB-66 were instead allocated to fast battleships Illinois and Kentucky.[12]

The United States Navy, mindful of the ongoing construction of Japan's Yamato-class battleships, had been working on a 58,000-ton "super battleship" concept since 1938.[10] This new class, with twelve 16-inch (410 mm) guns, was assigned the name Montana and cleared for construction by the United States Congress under the Two Ocean Navy Construction Legislation bill in 1940; funding for the new ships was approved in 1941. These ships, the last battleships to be ordered by the Navy, were to be designated BB-67 through BB-71.[12]

Completion of the Montana class, and the last two Iowa-class battleships, was intended to give the US Navy a considerable advantage over any other nation, or probable combination of nations, with a total of 17 new battleships by the late 1940s.[13] The Montanas also would have been the only American ships to come close to equaling Japan's massive Yamato and her sister Musashi in terms of sheer size and firepower.

[edit] Design

Preliminary planning for the Montana-class battleships took place in 1939, when the aircraft carrier was still considered inferior to the battleship. The US Navy began designing a 65,000-ton battleship to counter the threat posed by the Yamato-class battleships of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Although the US Navy knew little about the Yamato class,[14] the new Japanese battleships were rumored to have a main gun battery of 18 inches (46 cm).[15] Initially, plans were drawn for a 45,000-ton US battleship, but after careful evaluation, the Battleship Design Advisory Board decided to increase the displacement of the ship to 58,000 tons.[6]

At the time, the design board issued a basic outline for the Montana class that called for the class to be free of beam restrictions imposed by the Panama Canal, be 25% stronger offensively and defensively than any other battleship completed or under construction, and be capable of withstanding the "super heavy" 2,700 lb (1,200 kg) shells used by US battleships equipped with either the 16"/45 caliber guns or 16"/50 caliber Mark 7 guns. Although freed of the restriction of fitting through the Panama Canal, the length and height of the Montana class were limited by one of the shipyards at which they were to be built: the New York Navy Yard could not handle the construction of a 58,000-ton ship, and vessels built there had to be low enough to clear the Brooklyn Bridge at low tide.[16]

After considerable debate at the design board about whether the Montana class should be fast, achieving the high 33-knot (61 km/h) speed of the Iowa-class, or up-gunned and up-armored, firepower was selected over speed.[6] By returning the Montana class to the slower 28-knot (52 km/h) maximum speed of the North Carolina and South Dakota classes, naval architects were able to increase armor protection for the Montanas, enabling the ships to withstand their own guns' ammunition. This limited the Montanas' ability to escort and defend the Pacific-based Allied aircraft carrier fleet,[10][6] as the class was to be powered by eight Babcock & Wilcox boilers which would have enabled them to sail at approximately 27 to 28 knots (50 to 52 km/h).[17]

[edit] Fate

By January 1941, the design limit for the 58,000-ton battleship plan had been reached, and consensus among those designing the battleship class was to increase the displacement to support the armor and weaponry on the ships. At the same time, planners decided to adopt a slightly greater length and reduce power for a better machinery arrangement, as well as improving internal subdivisions, and selecting as the secondary armament several dual mounted 5"/54 caliber guns instead of the 5"/38 caliber guns used on the preceding Iowa class. At this point, the net design for the Montana class somewhat resembled the Iowa class since both would be equipped with the same caliber main guns and similar caliber secondary guns; however Montana and her sisters had more armor, mounted three more main guns, and were 22 feet (6.7 m) longer and 13 feet (4.0 m) wider than their Iowa-class sisters.[6]

By April 1942, the Montana-class design had been approved; construction was authorized by the United States Congress and the projected date of completion was estimated to be somewhere between 1 July and 1 November 1945. The Navy ordered the ships in May 1942, but the Montana class were placed on hold because the Iowa-class battleships and the Essex-class aircraft carriers were already under construction in the same yards intended to build the Montanas. Unfortunately for the Montana class, both the Iowa and Essex classes had been given higher priorities: the Iowas due to their ability to defend the Essex-class carriers with 20 mm and 40 mm guns, and the Essexes because of their ability to launch US aircraft to gain and maintain air supremacy over the islands in the Pacific and intercept warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Because of this, the entire Montana class was suspended in May 1942, before any of their keels had been laid. In July 1943, the construction of the Montana class was canceled following the results of the Battle of Midway, and the corresponding shift in naval warfare from surface engagements to air supremacy, and, thus, a shift from battleships to aircraft carriers.[10][6]

[edit] Ships

Five ships of the Montana class were authorized on 19 July 1940. All five were subsequently suspended indefinitely until being canceled 21 July 1943. The five ships were to be built at New York Navy Yard, Philadelphia Navy Yard, and Norfolk Navy Yard.

USS Montana (BB-67) 
Montana was to be the lead ship of her class. She was the third ship to be named in honor of the 41st state, and was assigned to the Philadelphia Navy Yard. Montana was the second battleship and third ship overall to be given that name; however, both battleships (the other being BB-51) were canceled. As a result, Montana is the only state in the union during the modern battleship building period (1906–1946) not to have had a battleship completed in its honor.[18][19]
USS Ohio (BB-68) 
Ohio was to be the second Montana-class battleship, however she was canceled before her keel was laid. She was to be named in honor of the 17th state, and was assigned to the Philadelphia Navy Yard for construction. Ohio would have been the fourth ship to bear that name had she been commissioned.[20][21]
USS Maine (BB-69) 
Maine was to be the third Montana-class battleship. She was to be named in honor of the 23rd state, and was assigned to the New York Navy Yard. Maine would have been the third ship to bear that name had she been commissioned.[22][23]
USS New Hampshire (BB-70) 
New Hampshire was to be the fourth Montana-class battleship, and was to be named in honor of the ninth state. She was assigned to the New York Navy Yard, and would have been the third ship to bear that name had she been commissioned.[24][25]
USS Louisiana (BB-71) 
Louisiana was to be the fifth and final Montana-class battleship. She was to be named in honor of the 18th state, and was assigned to the Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Virginia. Louisiana would have been the third ship to bear that name had she been commissioned.[26][27] By hull number, Louisiana holds the unique honor of being the last American battleship authorized for construction.[28][29]

[edit] Armament

The armament of the Montana-class battleships would have been similar in most respects to the preceding Iowa-class battleships, but with an overall increase in the number of primary and secondary guns for use against enemy surface ships and aircraft. Had they been completed, the Montanas would have been gun-for-gun the most powerful battleships the United States had constructed, and the only battleship class that the US built that would have come close to equaling the Imperial Japanese Navy battleships Yamato and Musashi on a gun-for-gun and ton-for-ton basis.

[edit] Main battery

Cut away of a 16-inch gun turret
Cut away of a 16-inch gun turret

The primary armament of a Montana-class battleship would have been twelve 16-inch (406 mm) / 50-caliber Mark 7 naval guns, which were to be housed in four 3-gun turrets: two forward and two aft. The guns, the same used to arm the Iowa-class battleships, were 66 feet (20 m) long—50 times their 16-inch (410 mm) bore, or 50 calibers, from breechface to muzzle. Each gun weighed about 239,000 pounds (108,000 kg) without the breech, or 267,900 pounds with the breech.[30]They fired projectiles weighing from 1,900 to 2,700 pounds (850 to 1,200 kg) at a maximum speed of 2,690 feet per second (820 m/s) up to 24 nautical miles (39 km). At maximum range the projectile would have spent almost 1½ minutes in flight.[30] Each gun would have rested within an armored barbette, but only the top of the barbette would have protruded above the main deck. The barbettes would have extended either four decks (turrets 1 and 4) or five decks (turrets 2 and 3) down. The lower spaces would have contained rooms for handling the projectiles and storing the powder bags used to fire them. Each turret would have required a crew of 94 men to operate.[30] The turrets would not have been attached to the ship, but would have rested on rollers, which meant that had any of the Montana-class ships capsized, the turrets would have fallen out.[31] Each turret would have cost US$1.4 million, but this figure did not take into account the cost of the guns themselves.[30]

The turrets would have been "three-gun", not "triple", because each barrel would have elevated and fired independently. The ships could fire any combination of their guns, including a broadside of all 12. Contrary to myth, the ships would not have moved noticeably sideways when a broadside was fired.[32]

The guns would have been elevated from −5° to +45°, moving at up to 12° per second. The turrets would have rotated about 300° at about four degrees per second and could even be fired back beyond the beam, which is sometimes called "over the shoulder". Within each turret, a red stripe on the wall of the turret, just inches from the railing, would have marked the boundary of the gun's recoil, providing the crew of each gun turret with a visual reference for the minimum safe distance range.[33]

Like most battleships in World War II, the Montana-class would have been equipped with a fire control computer, in this case the Ford Mk 1A Ballistic Computer, a 3,150-pound (1,430 kg) rangekeeper designed to direct gunfire on land, sea, and in the air.[34] This analog computer would have been used to direct the fire from the battleship's big guns, taking into account several factors such as the speed of the targeted ship, the time it takes for a projectile to travel, and air resistance to the shells fired at a target. At the time the Montana-class was set to begin construction, the rangekeepers had gained the ability to use radar data to help target enemy ships and land-based targets. The results of this advance were telling: the rangekeeper was able to track and fire at targets at a greater range and with increased accuracy, as was demonstrated in November 1942 when the battleship USS Washington engaged the Imperial Japanese Navy battlecruiser Kirishima at a range of 18,500 yards (16,900 m) at night.[35] The engagement left Kirishima in flames, and she was ultimately scuttled by her crew.[36] This gave the United States Navy a major advantage in World War II, as the Japanese did not develop radar or automated fire control to the level of the US Navy and were at a significant disadvantage.[35]

“ When you're penetrating armor, there is a thing called frontal density — it's not just the weight of the shell, its the weight of the shell trying to punch a hole through [the armor]. Well, the 16"/50 heavy shell was almost as good an armor penetrator as the Japanese 18.1" shell. ”

—Philip Simms, Naval Architect, [37]

The large caliber guns were designed to fire two different 16-inch shells: an armor piercing round for anti-ship and anti-structure work, and a high explosive round designed for use against unarmored targets and shore bombardment.

The Mk. 8 APC (Armor-Piercing, Capped) shell weighed in at 2,700 pounds (1,200 kg), and was designed to penetrate the hardened steel armor carried by foreign battleships. At 20,000 yards (18 km), the Mk. 8 could penetrate 20 inches (510 mm) of steel armor plate. At the same range, the Mk. 8 could penetrate 21 feet (6.4 m) of reinforced concrete.[38] For unarmored targets and shore bombardment, the 1,900-pound (860 kg) Mk. 13 HC (High-Capacity—referring to the large bursting charge) shell was available. The Mk. 13 shell could create a crater 50 feet (15 m) wide and 20 feet (6.1 m) deep upon impact and detonation, and could defoliate trees 400 yards (370 m) from the point of impact.[38]

The final type of ammunition developed for the 16-inch (410 mm) guns were "Katie" shells. These shells were born from the nuclear deterrence that had begun to shape the United States armed forces as the Cold War began. To compete with the Air Force and the Army, which had developed nuclear bombs and nuclear shells for use on the battlefield, the United States Navy began a top-secret program to develop Mk. 23 nuclear naval shells with an estimated yield of 15 to 20 kilotons. The shells entered development around 1953, and were reportedly ready by 1956; however, the cancellation of the Montana class meant that only the Iowa-class battleships, armed as they were with the same type of gun, could use the shells if the need had arisen.[38][39]

[edit] Secondary battery

The secondary armament for Montana and her sisters was to be twenty 5"/54 caliber guns housed in ten turrets along the island of the battleship; five on the starboard side and five on the port. These guns were to be the replacement for the 5"/38 caliber secondary gun batteries then in widespread use with the United States Navy.[40]

The 5"/54 caliber gun turrets were similar to the 5"/38 gun mounts in that they were equally adept in an anti-aircraft role and for damaging smaller ships, but differed in that they weighed more, fired heavier rounds of ammunition, and resulted in faster crew fatigue than the 5"/38 caliber sisters.[40][41] The ammunition storage for the 5"/54 caliber gun was 500 rounds per turret, and the guns could fire at targets nearly 26,000 yards (24,000 m) away at a 45-degree angle. At an 85-degree angle the guns could hit a target at over 50,000 feet (15,000 m).[40]

Although designed specifically for the battleship Montana and her four sisters, the cancellation of the Montana-class battleships in 1943 pushed the combat debut of the 5"/54 caliber guns to 1945, when they were used aboard the US Navy's Midway-class aircraft carriers. The guns proved adequate for the carrier's air defense, but were gradually phased out of use from the carrier fleet because of their weight.[40]

[edit] Anti-aircraft batteries

For the first time since the construction of the Iowa-class the US Navy was not building a fast battleship class solely for the purpose of escorting Pacific-based aircraft carriers, and thus the Montana-class would not be designed principally for escorting the fast carrier task forces; nonetheless they would have been equipped with a wide array of anti-aircraft guns to protect themselves and other ships (principally the US aircraft carriers) from Japanese fighters and dive bombers.

[edit] Oerlikon 20 mm anti-aircraft guns

An Oerlikon 20 mm anti-aircraft gun aboard the battleship Iowa
An Oerlikon 20 mm anti-aircraft gun aboard the battleship Iowa

The Oerlikon 20 mm anti-aircraft gun was one of the most heavily produced anti-aircraft guns of the Second World War; The US alone manufactured a total of 124,735 of these guns. When activated in 1941, these guns replaced the 0.50"/90 (12.7 mm) M2 Browning MG on a one-for-one basis. The Oerlikon 20 mm AA gun remained the primary anti-aircraft weapon of the United States Navy until the introduction of the 40 mm Bofors AA gun in 1943.[42]

These guns are air-cooled and use a gas blow-back recoil system. Unlike other automatic guns employed during World War II the barrel of the 20 mm Oerlikon gun does not recoil, the breechblock is never locked against the breech and is actually moving forward when the gun fires. This weapon lacks a counter-recoil brake, as the force of the counter-recoil is checked by the explosion of the next round of ammunition.[42]

Between December 1941 and September 1944, 32% of all Japanese aircraft downed were credited to this weapon, with the high point being 48.3% for the second half of 1942. In 1943, the revolutionary Mark 14 gunsight was introduced, which made these guns even more effective. The 20 mm guns, however, were found to be ineffective against the Japanese Kamikaze attacks used during the latter half of World War II. They were subsequently phased out in favor of the heavier 40 mm Bofors AA guns.[42]

[edit] Bofors 40 mm anti-aircraft guns

Bofors 40 mm anti-aircraft guns on a MK 12 quadruple mount fire from the deck of the USS Hornet in World War II
Bofors 40 mm anti-aircraft guns on a MK 12 quadruple mount fire from the deck of the USS Hornet in World War II

Arguably the best light anti-aircraft weapon of World War II, the Bofors 40 mm anti-aircraft gun was used on almost every major warship in the US and UK fleet during World War II from about 1943 to 1945. Although a descendant of German, Dutch and Swedish designs, the Bofors mounts used by the United States Navy during World War II had been heavily "Americanized" to bring the guns up to the standards placed on them by the US Navy. This resulted in a guns system set to English standards (now known as the Standard System) with interchangeable ammunition, which simplified the logistics situation for World War II. When coupled with hydraulic couple drives to reduce salt contamination and the Mark 51 director for improved accuracy the Bofors 40 mm gun became a fearsome adversary, accounting for roughly half of all Japanese aircraft shot down between 1 October 1944 and 1 February 1945.[43]

[edit] Armor

Aside from its firepower, a battleship's other defining feature is its armor. A battleship is usually armored to withstand an attack from guns the size of its own, but the exact design and placement of the armor—factors inextricably linked with the ship's stability and performance—is a complex science honed over decades.[44]

Until the authorization of the Montana-class all US battleships were built within the size limits for the Panama Canal. The main reason for this was logistical: the largest US shipyards were located on the East Coast of the United States, while the United States had territorial interests in both oceans.[10] Requiring the battleships to fit within the Panama Canal shaved days off the transition time from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean by allowing ships to move through the canal instead of sail all the way around South America.[45] By the time of the Two Ocean Navy bill, the Navy realized that the ship designs could no longer be limited by the Panama Canal and thus approved the Montana-class knowing that the ships would be unable to clear the locks.[10]

The reason for the shift in US Navy policy came as a result of the desire to increase the armor protection of the battleship fleet. The Montana-class would have been the only new World War II-era US battleships to be adequately armored against guns of the same power as their own. The armor scheme of the preceding North Carolina class was only proof against 14-inch (36 cm) shells, while the South Dakota and Iowa classes were designed only to resist their original complement of Mark V 2,240-pound (1,020 kg) shells, not the new "super-heavy" 2,700-pound (1,200 kg) APC (Armor Piercing, Capped) Mark7 VIII shells they actually used. The Montanas were the only US battleships designed to resist the Mark VIII.[10]

[edit] Aircraft

A stern view of a model for a Montana-class battleship. Note the catapults and tail crane visible at the end of the ship, which would have been used to launch and recover floatplanes for recon and gunnery spotting.
A stern view of a model for a Montana-class battleship. Note the catapults and tail crane visible at the end of the ship, which would have been used to launch and recover floatplanes for recon and gunnery spotting.

The Montana class would have used aircraft for reconnaissance and for gunnery spotting.[6] The type of aircraft used would have depended on when exactly the battleships would have been commissioned, but in all probability they would have used either the Kingfisher or the Seahawk.[46] The aircraft would have been floatplanes launched from catapults on the ship's fantail.[6] They would have landed on the water, taxied to the stern of the ship, and would have been lifted by a crane back to the catapult.

[edit] Kingfisher

The Vought OS2U Kingfisher was a lightly armed two-man aircraft designed in 1937. The Kingfisher's high operating ceiling made it well-suited for its primary mission: to observe the fall of shot from a battleship's guns and radio corrections back to the ship. The floatplanes used in World War II also performed search and rescue for naval aviators who were shot down or forced to ditch in the ocean.[47]

[edit] Seahawk

In June 1942, the US Navy Bureau of Aeronautics requested industry proposals for a new seaplane to replace the Kingfisher and Curtiss SO3C Seamew. The new aircraft was required to be able to use landing gear as well as floats.[48]

Curtiss submitted a design on August 1, and received a contract for two prototypes and five service-test aircraft on August 25.[48] The first flight of a prototype XSC-1 took place 16 February 1944 at the Columbus, Ohio Curtiss plant. The first production aircraft were delivered in October 1944, and by the beginning of 1945 the single-seat Curtiss SC Seahawk floatplane began replacing the Kingfisher. Had the Montana-class completed construction they would have arrived around the time of this replacement, and would likely have been equipped with the Seahawk for use in combat operations and seaborne search and rescue.[6]

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e US Battleships. USS Missouri Memorial Association. Retrieved on 2007-10-03.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Newhart, Max R. [August 1995] (May 2007). American Battleships: A Pictorial History of BB-1 to BB-71 with prototypes Maine & Texas, Battleship Memorial Edition, Missoula, Montana: Pictorial Histories Publishing Company, p. 102–106. ISBN 1575100045. 
  3. ^ a b United States Navy. NavSource Online: Battleship Photo Archive (BB-67 USS Montana). Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, Vol. IV p. 148. United States Navy. Retrieved on 2008-05-30.
  4. ^ These would have been the heaviest warships in the US Navy at the time of their commissioning; and would have remained the class with the greatest displacement until the commissioning of the Forrestal-class aircraft carriers, which weighed 79,300 lb (36,000 kg) fully loaded. CV-59 Forrestal class. Military Analysis Network. Federation of American Scientists (1999-03-06). Retrieved on 2007-12-24.
  5. ^ Johnston, Ian & McAuley, Rob (2002). The Battleships. London: Channel 4 Books (an imprint of Pan Macmillian, LTD), p. 122. ISBN 0752261886. 
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i Minks, R. L. (September 2006). "Montana class battleships end of the line". Sea Classics. Canoga Park, California: Challenge Publications. OCLC 3922521.  (Convenience copy from FindArticles.com)
  7. ^ In theory the US Navy could resume construction of battleships by building the Montana-class battleships; however a wide array of issues related to the maintenance, cost, and vulnerability of battleships in modern warfare make this option an unattractive one to the US Navy. Government Accountability Office (2004-11-19). Information on Options for Naval Surface Fire Support (pdf). GAO report number GAO-05-39R. Retrieved on 2007-03-14.
  8. ^ Cook, James F. (2002-07-11). Carl Vinson (1883-1981). The New Georgia Encyclopedia. University of Georgia. Retrieved on 2008-05-28.
  9. ^ United States Navy. The Vinson Naval Plan. United States Navy. Retrieved on 2008-05-28.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h Rogers, J. David. Development of the World's Fastest Battleships (pdf). Retrieved on 2007-04-28.
  11. ^ BB-67 Montana Class. Pike, John E.. Retrieved on 2008-05-18.
  12. ^ a b Naval Historical Center. Bureau of Ships' "Spring Styles" Book # 3 (1939-1944) -- (Naval Historical Center Lot # S-511) -- Battleship Preliminary Design Drawings. Retrieved 2007-12-01.
  13. ^ These 17 battleships were authorized after the treaty agreements from the Second London Naval Conference expired on 1 January 1937 (Johnston, Ian & McAuley, Rob (2002). The Battleships. London: Channel 4 Books (an imprint of Pan Macmillian, LTD), p. 122. ISBN 0752261886. ), and include the North Carolina-class battleships North Carolina and Washington, the South Dakota-class battleships South Dakota, Indiana, Massachusetts, and Alabama, the Iowa-class battleships Iowa, New Jersey, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Kentucky, and the Montana-class battleships Montana, Ohio, Maine, New Hampshire, and Louisiana. (Newhart, Max R. [August 1995] (May 2007). American Battleships: A Pictorial History of BB-1 to BB-71 with prototypes Maine & Texas, Battleship Memorial Edition, Missoula, Montana: Pictorial Histories Publishing Company, p. 102–106. ISBN 1575100045. )
  14. ^ The dimensions of the Yamato class were so well concealed that the US only gleaned details from intercepted Imperial Japanese Navy intelligence reports. (SRMN-012: 14th Naval District Combat Intelligence Unit. TS Summaries with Comments by CINCPAC War Plans/Fleet Intelligence Sections, 13 February 1942, RG 457, MHI.)
  15. ^ Although rumored to be carrying 18.1-inch guns the United States Navy did not believe that the Empire of Japan had the technological know-how to engineer such a high caliber gun, and thus estimated that the Yamato-class would mount 16-inch (41 cm) guns. (Toynbee, Summary of International Affairs, 1936, p. 112. W. D. Puleston, The Armed Forces of the Pacific: A Comparison of the Military and Naval Power of the United States and Japan (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1941), p. 208–11. CNO to FDR, 24 March 1938, Navy Department, PSF, FDRL. General Board, "Characteristics of Battleships, 1941 Building Program", 28 June 1939, 121, NHC. Secretary to FDR, 14 April 1937, Claude Swanson Folder, Navy Department, PSF, FDRL.)
  16. ^ The Essex-class aircraft carriers encountered the same clearance problems early in their construction. (Minks, R L "Montana class battleships end of the line". Sea Classics. September 2006. FindArticles.com. Retrieved on 1 December 2007.)
  17. ^ As the class was never completed, the true speed these battleships would have reached during trials remains, at best, educated guesswork. Twenty-seven to twenty-eight knots has frequently been cited as the probable speed based, in part, on the design of the ships hull as established by mathematical formulas used to calculate the speed of the Iowa class, and the known power-output limits for ship engines at this time. Department of the Navy. Montana Class (BB-67 through BB-71). Naval Historical Center. Retrieved on 2008-05-28.
  18. ^ Montana. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval Historical Center. Retrieved on 2007-10-13.
  19. ^ Montana (BB 67). Naval Vessel Register. United States Navy, Naval Sea Systems Command. Retrieved on 2007-12-01.
  20. ^ Ohio. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval Historical Center. Retrieved on 2007-10-13.
  21. ^ Ohio (BB 68). Naval Vessel Register. United States Navy, Naval Sea Systems Command. Retrieved on 2007-12-01.
  22. ^ Maine. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval Historical Center. Retrieved on 2007-10-13.
  23. ^ Maine (BB 69). Naval Vessel Register. United States Navy, Naval Sea Systems Command. Retrieved on 2007-12-01.
  24. ^ New Hampshire. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval Historical Center. Retrieved on 2007-10-13.
  25. ^ New Hampshire (BB 70). Naval Vessel Register. United States Navy, Naval Sea Systems Command. Retrieved on 2007-12-01.
  26. ^ Louisiana. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval Historical Center. Retrieved on 2007-10-13.
  27. ^ Louisiana (BB 71). Naval Vessel Register. United States Navy, Naval Sea Systems Command. Retrieved on 2007-12-01.
  28. ^ USS Kentucky was the highest numbered battleship hull to have been under construction but not completed for the US Navy. See: Kentucky. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval Historical Center. Retrieved on 2006-01-17.
  29. ^ USS Wisconsin (BB-64) is numerically the highest numbered US battleship built, although she was actually completed before USS Missouri (BB-63), making Missouri the last completed US battleship. Wisconsin was commissioned April 16, 1944 (Wisconsin (BB 64). Naval Vessel Register. United States Navy, Naval Sea Systems Command. Retrieved on 2008-05-27.), while USS Missouri was commissioned June 11, 1944. (Missouri (BB 63). Naval Vessel Register. United States Navy, Naval Sea Systems Command. Retrieved on 2008-05-27.)
  30. ^ a b c d DiGiulian, Tony (November 2006). United States of America 16"/50 (40.6 cm) Mark 7. NavWeaps.com. Tony DiGiulian. Retrieved on 2007-02-25.
  31. ^ During his investigation of the wreck of the German battleship Bismarck oceanographer Robert D. Ballard and his team found four large empty barbettes that had once held the turrets Anton, Bruno, Ceaser, and Doris. Ballard noted in his book Exploring the Bismarck that, "None of the four big turrets [were] still attached to the ship", each having fallen out when the battleship capsized and sank. Ballard, Robert D. [1991] (1994). "Exploring the Bismarck", Exploring the Bismarck, with Rick Archbold, 2nd Printing, Italy: Scholastic / Madison Press, 51. ISBN 0-590-44269-4. 
  32. ^ Landgraff, R. A.; Locock, Greg. Do battleships move sideways when they fire?. NavWeaps. Retrieved on 2008-05-19.
  33. ^ Mark 7 16-inch/50-caliber gun. Federation of American Scientists. Retrieved on 2007-03-12.
  34. ^ (1958 edition) Naval Ordnance and Gunnery, Volume 2 Fire Control, NAVPERS 10798-A. Washington 25, D.C.: U.S. Navy, Bureau of Naval Personnel. 
  35. ^ a b Mindell, David (2002). Between Human and Machine. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins, pp. 262–263. ISBN 0-8018-8057-2. 
  36. ^ A. Ben Clymer (Vol. 15 No. 2, 1993). "The Mechanical Analog Computers of Hannibal Ford and William Newell" (pdf). . IEEE Annals of the History of Computing Retrieved on 2006-08-26.
  37. ^ The 10 Greatest Fighting Ships in Military History. The Discovery Channel. Retrieved on 2007-04-23..
  38. ^ a b c Ammunition data is taken from: Garzke, William H.; Robert O. Dulin (1995). Battleships : United States battleships, 1935–1992, Rev. and updated ed., Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 9780870210990. OCLC 29387525. 
  39. ^ Yenne, Bill (2005). "Mega Artillery", Secret Weapons of the Cold War. New York: Berkley Books, pp. 132–133. ISBN 0-425-20149-X. 
  40. ^ a b c d United States of America 5"/54 (12.7 cm) Mark 16. Retrieved on 2007-12-15.
  41. ^ United States of America Experimental and Proposed 5.4" (13.7 cm) and 5" (12.7 cm) Guns 1940s - 1960s. Retrieved on 2007-12-15.
  42. ^ a b c United States of America 20 mm/70 (0.79") Marks 2, 3 & 4 (html) (September 2006). Retrieved on 2007-02-25.
  43. ^ United States of America 40 mm/56 (1.57") Mark 1, Mark 2 and M1 (html) (November 2006). Retrieved on 2007-02-25.
  44. ^ Iowa Class: Armor Protection. Iowa class preservation society. Retrieved on 2007-03-14.
  45. ^ Sailing battleships around South America was unusual, but had been done by the battleship USS Oregon (BB-3) during the Spanish-American War. ( Oregon. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval Historical Center. Retrieved on 2008-05-18.)
  46. ^ As the class was never completed, determining the actual aircraft that would have been used aboard the battleships remains, at best, educated guesswork. Given the estimated date of completion as 1 July to 1 November 1945 and that the floatplanes active at the time were the Kingfisher and the Seahawk it stands to reason that on of these two floatplanes would have been selected for use aboard the battleship class.
  47. ^ Iowa Class: Shipboard Aircraft. Iowa Class Preservation Association. Retrieved on 2007-03-13.
  48. ^ a b Bridgeman, Leonard. “The Curtiss Seahawk.” Jane’s Fighting Aircraft of World War II. London: Studio, 1946. p. 221–222. ISBN 1 85170 493 0.

[edit] References

  • Keegan, John; Ellis, Chris; Natkiel, Richard. World War II: A Visual Encyclopedia PRC Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-85585-878-9
  • Muir, Malcolm Jr. "Rearming in a Vacuum: United States Navy Intelligence and the Japanese Capital Ship Threat, 1936-1945", The Journal of Military History, Vol. 54, No. 4. (Oct., 1990)
  • Naval Historical Foundation. The Navy. Barnes & Noble Inc, China ISBN 0-7607-6218-X

[edit] External links

Military of the United States Portal
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Montana-class battleship

Preceded by: Iowa class - Followed by: None
List of battleships of the United States Navy