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Key Points: The Montana-class battleships could have been America’s most powerful warships, surpassing even the iconic Iowa-class. Authorized but never built, these 921-foot-long vessels were designed with heavier armor, twelve 16-inch guns, and cutting-edge welding techniques to reduce weight.

-They were envisioned to displace over 72,000 tons and offer formidable defenses against enemy fire.

-However, as naval aviation emerged as the dominant force during World War II, the US Navy prioritized aircraft carriers over battleships, canceling the Montana-class in favor of this new paradigm.

-The Montana represents the end of the battleship era, forever remaining a blueprint of unrealized maritime power.

The Montana-Class Battleship: America’s Epic Warship That Never Was

What could have been. The US Navy almost proceeded in the construction of an epic battleship class, bigger even than the mighty Iowa-class. With a design that had more length, heavier displacement, and bigger guns than anything in the Navy fleet, the proposed Montana-class would have been America’s most fearsome surface vessel. 

Forever a Blueprint

Of course, the Montana-class was never built. Instead, the Iowa-class would be the last battleship the US ever created.

The Montana-class did get close, though, even getting as far as to be authorized for construction. But ultimately, with World War II underway, the Navy began to appreciate that the battlespace was changing. New technologies were emerging and the hierarchy of need was reshuffling.

Specifically, naval aviation was becoming a decisive force in the battlespace, and accordingly, the aircraft carriers were gauged to have more and more value. And in the zero-sum game of military resource allocation, the battleship was gauged to have less and less value.

The scheduled Montana-class was cancelled. 

Designing the Montana-Class 

Had the Montana ever entered construction, here are the specifications the builders would have wrought: 921-feet long with a 121-foot beam and a36-foot draft. With a full load, the Montana would have displaced over 72,00 tons.

Montana-class model.

For propulsion, the vessel would have relied on eight Babcock & Wilcox water-tube boilers, good for 172,000 horsepower, which would have turned four screw propellers. Behind the two inboard screws, the Montana would have featured two semi-balanced rudders.

Oddly, the Montana would have been less powerful than the 212,000 Iowa. But the Montana’s design allowed for machinery spaces to be more subdivided. The top speed was expected to be around 28 knots with a range of 15,000 nautical miles.

For armament, the Montana would have been outfitted with twelve 16-inch Mk 7 guns, twenty 5-inch Mark 16 guns, a few dozen Bofors 40-mm anti-aircraft guns, and 56 Oerlikon 20-mm anti-aircraft cannons. In sum, the Montana would have been a very heavily armed vessel. And she would have been equipped to withstand punishment, too – with armor as thick as 22.5-inches at its deepest. 

While the Montana was eventually passed over for aircraft carriers, the unmade battleship did have the capacity to carry three floatplanes, which would have been launched with two aft catapults. The aircraft would have been used for reconnaissance and gunnery spotting, without the ability to launch offensive attacks.  

Of note, the Montana’s design called for the extensive use of welding, rather than riveting. The benefit of welding over riveting was a reduction in weight.  

End of an Era for Battleships 

After canceling the Montana-class, the US never built another battleship. The Iowa would be the last battleship class ever built. And repeatedly, the Iowa would be resurrected for service, most recently under the Reagan administration in the 1980s.

Montana-class Battleships

Montana-class Battleships. Image: Creative Commons.

But in truth, the battleship era ended during World War II, right around the time that the US opted not to build the Montana-class.  

About the Author: Harrison Kass 

Harrison Kass is a defense and national security writer with over 1,000 total pieces on issues involving global affairs. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the US Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.