Yankee Modelworks will be releasing a 1/350 (yep, you read that right!) USS Montana in April. She will be rigged with 5"/54s, plus the planned gaggle of 20s and 40s. Better have deep pockets, though, as she will cost $450.

wasn't the Montanna the proposed 4 triple turret 16" update of the Iowa class. She must be a monster kit

Yes, the Montanas were 16 gun, four triples, battleships that were basically enlarged Iowas. They looked basically like the Iowas, but it's more than just chopping off the stern of one and adding it to the stern of another.

Actually, the Montanas were an alternate design, with more emphasis on firepower. They were slower, and had a different hull plan. I can't speak more to it as I was never a fan myself. They were to be big mothers! :-)

Halfyank,
You mean 12 guns (4X3).
Got some figures here. All in metres
length o. a. 280.9
beam 36.9
draught app. 11.0
Tom

Ooops, I actually meant to say "16 inch gun, 4 triples." Serves me right to no review the post before hitting enter.

I agree with Desertmole. The were larger, slower, more heavily armored, but I don't think they would have been nearly as effective as the Iowas.

Effectiveness is dependent on what you want them for. In a surface fight, they would probably wupp the tar out of anything they faced. The American armoring schemes were more effective than most other countries, due to the use of layering and sloping. Her 16" had a higher rate of fire than the Yamato's 18", and she would have had much better fire control. I think if I were going into a surface fight I'd prefer her over an Iowa. Six knots speed won't make much difference in a slugging match.

As a carrier escort, they would have been slower than the Iowas, but so were the SoDaks and Washingtons. The tradeoff was that she would have mounted 5"/54s that were, IIRC, semi-automatic or automatic. Higher rate of fire, longer slant range and higher vertical range. Oh, bigger shell than the 5"/38s, so more shrapnel. I think this is a six of one, half dozen of the other.

Like I say, I am not really a fan, but they would have been one tough mother in a fight! :-)