Montana class battleships

Not really a 'conspiracy' per se, but something I thought was interesting. Did a quick search and didnt see anything posted recently, pardon if it IS a repost.

I was trolling around a Navy website for some battleship info. Being from NJ I have an interest in the battleship that bears my home states name. Impressive ships to say the least, the Iowa class. I was suprised by some info I found though, specifically that keels had been laid for an additional 2 Iowa class battleships which ended up being scrapped, they were to be Illinois (BB-65) and Kentucky (BB-66).

Even more surprising were the designations given AFTER the Iowa class... 5 ships listed under the never build Montana Class: Montana (BB-67), Ohio (BB-68), Maine (BB-69), New Hampshire (BB-70) and Illinois (BB-65). It turns out an even larger battleship than the Iowa class had been planned but cancelled before construction had begun. These would have had 4 turrets, giving them 12 total 16"/50 guns, and been slower but better armored than the Iowas.

None were built, but the specs, pictures and models are available here.

www.history.navy.mil...

Though would most likely be considered obsolete now as are the Iowas, I can't help but wonder what it would have been like to see or even stand on one, as I have the NJ.

If i remember rightly the Montana's were canceled mid '42,probably after the Navy realised the Aircraft Carriers' were the new queen of the sea's.
I think they would have been a very impressive sight had they been built and wouldnt like to have been on the receiving end...

they were too slow and could not maintain stay with the fast aicraft carreirs thats why its canceled and the fast Iowa class battleships were produced instead. no point in making these battleships.

Yep, thats basically what the page I read explained, about the navy at that point becomming more carrier centered than battleship.

Perhaps their story is a little more common knowledge to many here, but they really came as quite a surprise to me, I had never heard anything about them.

True their speed would have been an issue at the time of their constuction, but I've got to wonder if that might have changed had one actually been built, and put through the same series of upgrades as the NJ...

Anyway I appologize if this is old news to most, It was sure news to me so I thought it might be interesting to some

Talk about changing times in WW2..the poor old Alaska class Battlecruisers were built to face an non-existent Japanese Vessel.They spend the majority of their time escorting the fast carrier task forces around the Pacific.And to top it all off they were scrapped shortly after the end of the war as they were too costly in terms of manpower....

the montana clas BB ? here goes :

canncelled_BBs_of_WWII

a picture gallery of WWII warships real and planned

pictures

the montanas get a good write up in conways , but for some reason " battleships of wwii " by whitley ignres the montana [ all other proposed designs are covered - go figure ]

in addition to the other issues that led to the cancellation - the requirement to widen the panama canal locks played a small factor