The era of battleships was greatly characterized by the extremes in human ambition, engineering daring, and naval rivalries. Countries brought technology to its utmost to create giant warships that could rule through their mere firepower and impregnable armor. These were the super-battleships – colossal warships that were heavily armed with very large caliber guns that were capable of firing shells that weighed several tons. However, as naval warfare developed, a good number of these wonders stayed in the conceptual stage only. Here are four of the most remarkable super-battleship designs ever conceptualized.
4. British Lion-class (1944 Design)
British Lion-class battleships were the top of the Royal Navy’s planning and innovation. In fact, the 1944 design was the largest and most advanced variant, weighing over 76,000 long tons and measuring 935 feet in length. With nine 16-inch guns arranged in triple turrets, these ships were to have powerful main batteries combined with high-speed secondary weapons and up-to-date anti-aircraft defenses.
The Lion’s design leaned towards lighter belt armor and had strong decks, and also reinforced underwater protection. Due to its design, the battleships would be able to achieve speeds of over 33 knots and thus would have been among the fastest ever built.
However, increasing costs and the change in military strategy towards aircraft carriers led to the cancellation of the project, so that only HMS Vanguard, which was a smaller Lion offshore, was completed.
3. US Montana-class
The Montana-class was the highest point of the American battleship design that came after the Iowa-class, with an even more significant concentration on firepower and protection. These ships were planned to have a displacement of more than 70,965 long tons, equipped with twelve 16-inch guns in four triple turrets and armor that was considered the thickest ever that had a maximum of 409mm on the belt, and the decks were up to 10.6 inches.
The Montana-class was designed for maximum safety around which included a lot of advanced features and strong constructions. However, a decision to go for more aircraft carriers means that none of them were eventually built, although the plan was for five ships. The Montana-class today continues to be a sign of the ability of the American industry and the decline of the battleship era.
2. German H-41 Class
The H-class battleships of Germany were very ambitious in their design, of which the H-41 was the most practical one. The ships would have a displacement of almost 78,000 long tons and be 925 feet long; they would be armed with eight 16.5-inch guns, twelve 5.9-inch secondary guns, and a host of anti-aircraft weapons.
The bulkheads for submarines and those for torpedoes were installed in the works of German engineers who were very concerned about the armor and the ship’s survival underwater. They also had parts of the rear hull built stronger to absorb the shock, with extra rudders and skegs being there. Unfortunately, due to war pressures and industrial limitations, the H-41 was only at the planning stage when the project was aborted.
1. Japanese A-150 “Super Yamato”
What the A-150 “Super Yamato” was aiming at could not be less than the already historic Yamato-class. The super battleship was originally conceived and built to allow the monsters of the Japanese navy to continue their drug under the sea, feature wise carrying less but heavier guns along with the thickest armor and highest speed of the day.
The A-150, conceived to help the Japanese maintain control of the seas during World War II, was the ultimate in paper navies – a stunning showcase of extravagant and outrageous naval design.
These are the four that exemplify how far the idea of naval supremacy took the powers. Despite most of them having not sailed, they still are the lasting reminders of human inventiveness and its technology reaching the zenith of ambition on the wide open sea.