The Iowa class battleships have a great deal of history, conflicts, and contributions. The four Iowa class battleships were the biggest, strongest, and overall the best battleships ever built for naval purposes. The most famous of their purposes was to provide fire support for ground troops. The Iowa class battleships are intriguing from their development and early history, through significant military contributions and their present positions, yet controversy has always been a part of their uniqueness.
The earliest origins of the Iowa class battleships can be traced to the early 1930's, although the specific design process began in early 1938. The need for fast battleships grew greater and greater as aircraft carriers became more popular. The battleships had to be well-armored and well-armed, fast, maneuverable escorts for the fast carrier task forces. They needed to be slender due to the necessity of building them to fit through the narrow walls of the Panama Canal. They were designed to be fleet flag ships because of their mighty fire power and strength. After the design was finalized, a contract was signed with the ship yards in 1939.
Even during the early design process there was controversy over the Iowa class battleships due to a conflict between the battleship's needs and the 1936 London Treaty about how much water ships could displace. The United States, Britain, and France agreed to raise the maximum displacement from 35,000 to 45,000 tons due to rumors of 46,000 ton Japanese battleships. “The Iowas as built exceeded the latter limit” (Sturton 183).
There were also significant design issues concerning guns. Originally the Iowa class battleships were designed with Mark 2 guns but due to a miscommunication between the Bureau of Ordnance and the Bureau of Construction and Repair the barbettes wouldn't support them. The Mark 2 guns had to be replaced with lighter Mark 7 guns (Iowa class battleship 2).
Late in the design process there was controversy about hull protection partly due to a lack of consensus and partly because new heavier shells had been developed. “Even at this late stage of battleship design there was no consensus on the best manner of vertical protection” (Ireland 182). “It was too late in development to solve the problem of increasing the armor” (Iowa class battleship 2).
Out of six Iowa class battleships that were planned, only four were completed. The USS Iowa (BB-61)was laid down on June 6, 1940, and completed on February 22, 1943, at the New York Navy Yard in Brooklyn, New York. The USS New Jersey (BB-62)was laid down on September 16, 1940, and completed on May 23, 1943, at the Philadelphia Navy Yard in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The USS Missouri (BB-63)was laid down on January 6, 1941, and completed on June 11, 1944, in the New York Navy Yard in Brooklyn, New York. The USS Wisconsin (BB-64) was laid down on January 25, 1942, and completed on April 16, 1944, in the Philadelphia Navy Yard in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The USS Illinois (BB-65) was ordered in December 1942 from the Philadelphia Navy Yard in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and cancelled on August 11, 1945. The USS Kentucky (BB-66) was laid down on December 6, 1944, in Norfolk Navy Yard in Norfolk, Virginia and construction was suspended on February 17, 1947. The USS Illinois and the USS Kentucky had not been completed by the end of World War Two and “after some indecision, they were both scrapped” (Walmer 19).
General data on the Iowa class battleship includes the size, displacement, armament, machinery, and armour. They had a general displacement of 52,000 tons and full load displacement of 57,450 tons; an overall length of 887.8 feet; a beam of 108.3 feet; and a draught of 32.5 feet. Armament included nine 16-inch guns, twenty 5-inch guns, sixty/eighty 40 mm guns and four aircraft. Machinery included eight boilers and four geared turbines capable of delivering a shaft horse power of 200,000 and an approximate speed of 35 knots. Armor included belts up to 12.1 inches, bulkheads up to 14.5 inches, decks up to 6 inches, turrets up to 17 inches and barbettes up to 17 inches.
The four Iowa battleships were the largest, most powerful, and fastest battleships built by the U.S. Navy in World War II. They were also among the most heavily armed ships of the age and time. The main battery could hit targets 24 miles away while the secondary battery could inflict heavy damage to smaller ships (Iowa class battleship 3). The armor provided excellent protection against plunging shells and bombs.
The Iowa class battleships were extremely expensive and were built without regard to cost; however, there would soon be question regarding their value. Even as the Iowa class battleships were entering service they were being eclipsed by aircraft carriers as the most important naval vessels (Iowa class battleship 1). The USS Illinois and the USS Kentucky were scrapped rather than being completed.
