The US Navy's Lost Monster: Why the Montana-class Battleship Never Sailed

In naval history, the Japanese battleship Yamato is legendary for being the heaviest and most powerful battleship ever constructed. But few people know that the United States had a direct answer to the Yamato—a ship so massive it would have dwarfed the famous Iowa-class.

This is the story of the Montana-class battleship (BB-67), the “Ghost Fleet” that never sailed.

The “Yamato Killer” Concept

By the late 1930s, rumors were swirling that Japan was building super-battleships that violated international naval treaties. The US Navy needed a counter. The Iowa-class was fast, but its armor couldn’t withstand the 18-inch shells that intelligence suggested Japan was using.

Enter the Montana-class. Authorized in 1940, these five ships (USS Montana, Ohio, Maine, New Hampshire, Louisiana) were designed with one philosophy: Firepower and survivability over speed.

Montana vs. Iowa: A Size Comparison

While the Iowa-class was built narrow enough to fit through the Panama Canal (limiting its width to 108 feet), the Montana-class ignored this restriction.

• Beam (Width): 121 feet (vs. Iowa’s 108 feet).
• Displacement: 65,000 tons standard / 72,000 tons full load (vs. Iowa’s 57,000 tons).
• Armor: A massive protection scheme designed to be immune to its own guns.

The Firepower: 12 Massive Guns

The most terrifying aspect of the Montana-class was its main battery.

• Iowa-class: 9 x 16-inch guns (3 turrets).
• Montana-class: 12 x 16-inch guns (4 turrets).

With superior American radar fire control, a Montana-class broadside would have been devastatingly accurate. In a hypothetical duel, while the Yamato had bigger individual shells (18.1 inches), the Montana could throw more metal per minute with better accuracy.

Why Was It Cancelled?

So why isn’t the USS Montana sitting in a museum today alongside the USS Missouri?

The answer lies in Pearl Harbor. When the Japanese attacked on December 7, 1941, they ironically proved that the era of the battleship was over. The Aircraft Carrier had become the new king of the ocean.

1. Speed: The Montanas were slow (28 knots) compared to the fast carrier task forces (33 knots). They couldn’t keep up with the fleet they were meant to protect.
2. Resources: The US needed aircraft carriers and anti-submarine destroyers now, not massive battleships in 3-4 years.
3. Obsolescence: A battleship, no matter how big, was just a large target for uninterrupted air attacks. The fate of the Yamato in 1945 proved exactly this.

The Legacy

All five Montana-class ships were cancelled in 1943 before their keels were even laid. They remain the ultimate “What If” of naval history—the pinnacle of battleship design that arrived just as the battleship age ended.

Watch the full video above to see our detailed simulation of a Montana vs. Yamato duel!