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WWII history and tactics

Gatordev

Well-Known Member
pilot
Site Admin
Contributor
The USS Long Beach is right behind the battleships, her superstructure is very distinctive.

I was about to ask if that was the Long Beach. Looks like her bridge is even taller than a Tico, which I didn't think was possible (all....those....stairs...).
 

jmcquate

Well-Known Member
Contributor
I know it's not WWII, but was the Long Beach the first and last non CV nuclear surface vessel in the USN?
 

nittany03

Recovering NFO. Herder of Programmers.
pilot
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
I was about to ask if that was the Long Beach. Looks like her bridge is even taller than a Tico, which I didn't think was possible (all....those....stairs...).
Things not to have happen on cruise . . . being in the hangar bay and realizing "Shit! I'm almost late for Tower Flower!"

10 stories later . . .
 

Flash

SEVAL/ECMO
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
I know it's not WWII, but was the Long Beach the first and last non CV nuclear surface vessel in the USN?

No, there were several others to include the California class cruisers.

As HH says no, several other nuke cruisers were made but all were decommissioned by the mid 90's due to cost. The Long Beach was the last cruiser built on a long and slender WWII 'traditional' cruiser-style hull though, a point pride for the crew.
 

jmcquate

Well-Known Member
Contributor
As HH says no, several other nuke cruisers were made but all were decommissioned by the mid 90's due to cost. The Long Beach was the last cruiser built on a long and slender WWII 'traditional' cruiser-style hull though, a point pride for the crew.
.....and being the first by a couple of months.
 

Randy Daytona

Cold War Relic
pilot
Super Moderator
Ah, the Montanas. WWII vaporware, but still really cool vaporware. :)

The Montana class were Leviathans. 35 feet longer, 13 feet wider, 14,000 tons heavier than the Iowa class. Not only did it have a 4th main gun turret, but the 5" secondary armament went from a 38 calibre to a 54 calibre. They were to be massive.

016712.jpg
 

jmcquate

Well-Known Member
Contributor
And now the largest caliber gun on an active Navel vessel is on the USS Constitution...........my how things have changed.
 

Pags

N/A
pilot
The Montana class were Leviathans. 35 feet longer, 13 feet wider, 14,000 tons heavier than the Iowa class. Not only did it have a 4th main gun turret, but the 5" secondary armament went from a 38 calibre to a 54 calibre. They were to be massive.

016712.jpg
Although a good representation of the penultimate USN BB the resources that would have been needed to build them were far better off being used in CVs and SSs.
 

nittany03

Recovering NFO. Herder of Programmers.
pilot
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
The Montana class were Leviathans. 35 feet longer, 13 feet wider, 14,000 tons heavier than the Iowa class. Not only did it have a 4th main gun turret, but the 5" secondary armament went from a 38 calibre to a 54 calibre. They were to be massive.

016712.jpg
Weren't they the first class to be designed after the intel broke on the Yamatos? And to be a pedantic putz, the "ultimate" class. The Iowas were the second to last, making them "penultimate." :)
 

Pags

N/A
pilot
Weren't they the first class to be designed after the intel broke on the Yamatos? And to be a pedantic putz, the "ultimate" class. The Iowas were the second to last, making them "penultimate." :)
I don't think so. The Montana class was designed prior to the war and the USN didn't have a full grasp of the capability of the Yamato BBs until later in the war (http://www.navweaps.com/index_tech/tech-084.htm).
 

Randy Daytona

Cold War Relic
pilot
Super Moderator
The US had the Montana class, Japan had plans for a Super Yamato class armed with 6 (3x2) 20"guns and Germany had plans for the H class (variants H-39 through H-44) - the biggest version was the H-44 at 1,131 long and armed with 8 (4x2) 20" rifles. It makes the Bismarck class look tiny. Two of the H-39's had their keels laid before the war but production was stopped after hostilities commenced.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H-class_battleship_proposals

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Design_A-150_battleship

Realistic fictional depiction of H44 dwarfing the Tirpitz to the left

e4.jpg
 

Flash

SEVAL/ECMO
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Eh, everyone had plans but then reality intruded. Even the US, with the most resources of anyone in the war by far, had to cry uncle when it came to the Montana-class. And some weren't even practical, like the later Japanese and German designs where the guns would have exceeded the contemporary targeting capability. A huge shell isn't much good if it can't hit the target or is fired only once every minute or two.
 
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