Preliminary design work for the Montana class began before the US entry into World War II. They also would have been the only class to rival the Empire of Japan's Yamato-class battleships in terms of displacement. With an increased anti-aircraft capability and substantially thicker armor in all areas, the Montanas would have been the largest, best-protected, and most heavily armed US battleships ever. Unlike the three preceding classes of battleships, the Montana class was designed without any restrictions from treaty limitations. Their intended armament would have been twelve 16-inch (406 mm) Mark 7 guns in four 3-gun turrets, up from the nine Mark 7 guns in three turrets used by the Iowa class. Five were approved for construction during World War II, but changes in wartime building priorities resulted in their cancellation in favor of continuing production of Essex-class aircraft carriers and Iowa-class battleships before any Montana-class keels were laid. The Montana-class battleships were planned as successors of the Iowa class for the United States Navy, to be slower but larger, better armored, and with superior firepower. Main deck: 7.05–7.35 inches (179–187 mm)Ģ × aft catapults for launch of seaplanes.56 × Oerlikon 20 mm (0.79 in) anti-aircraft cannon.

A 1944 model of a Montana-class battleship on top of filing cabinets

World of warships missouri vs montana