Montana Class BB

[Soulmage]

Any plans for the "What If" Montana Class battleship that was approved but never built late in the war? Any chance we might see this in S&P from one of our experts here?

Panzerschiffe is making them, and I've got to pick them up! Would be nice to have some stats to go along with them!!

 

[DM]

I think thats pretty much inevitable

 

[ericski]

IIRC, they were supposed to be much like the Iowas except with an additional triple 16" turret. Secondary armament was the same, probably would have had a similar AA fitting. Speed was reduced to 28 knots. I don't remember if the armor was different.

As to how that all translates into game stats, I don't know.

 

[BuShips]

Soulmage, I have two 1/2400 Montanas that I got years ago from GHQ. Here is a pic of them.

The Panzerschiffes models will of course be less detailed and a whole lot more affordable. Here are a few pics of builders models before they were cancelled.

These were going to become masters of their domain but only for those pesky aircraft :wink:. The five battleships of the Montana class, authorized under the 1940 "Two Ocean Navy" building program and funded in Fiscal Year 1941, were the last of their kind ordered by the U.S. Navy. With an intended standard displacement of 60,500 tons, they were nearly a third larger than the preceding Iowa class, four of which were the final battleships actually completed by the United States. The Montanas were intended to carry twelve 16"/50 guns, three more than the earlier class. Protection against underwater weapons and shellfire was also greatly enhanced. They would have been the only new World War II era U.S. battleships to be adequately armored against guns of the same power as their own. To achieve these advances, the Montana class was designed for a slower maximum speed than the very fast Iowas and had a beam too wide to pass through the existing Panama Canal locks.
The preceeding info from: http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/usnshtp/bb/bb67.htm

Montana class design characteristics:

Displacement: 60,500 tons (standard); 70,965 tons (full load)
Dimensions: 921' 3" (length overall); 121' 2" (maximum beam)
Powerplant: 172,000 horsepower steam turbines, producing a 28 knot maximum speed
Armament (Main Battery): Twelve 16"/50 guns in four triple turrets
Armament (Secondary Battery): Twenty 5"/54 guns in ten twin mountings (ten guns on each side of the ship)

Note that the 5" secondary guns were of a new more powerful design, and were later fitted to the Midway class heavy carriers. You should be able to calculate VaS specs by starting with an Iowa, and "stretching" it by adding an additional triple 16"/50 turret. Since you are an owner of the rules, post what you have for an Iowa and we can figure it out here.

 

[Soulmage]

Here is the Iowa. . . hopefully the Mongoose guys don't mind the posting of one ship's stats. If so, just go ahead and delete.

speed 7
turn 1
target 4+
armour 6+
damage 49/16
crew 114/38

Weapon Ranger AD DD Special
a turret 3x16 43 3 3 super ap
b (same) 43 3 3 super ap
y (same) 43 3 3 super ap
2nd wpns 12 6 1 weak
AA 8 18 -- --

So, obviously we would add an X turret with the same stats as the others.

Probably drop the speed to 6 to reflect the slower ship. Maybe even 5 if somebody wants to do a calculation of how "fast" each inch of movement is.

Probably kick the 2ndary weapons up to 8 or 10 dice, with a range increase to 14 or 16

I have to think with the dominance of aircraft late in the war that the AA weapons would have been upgraded as well. Maybe range 10 with 20 dice? (As if the 18 wasn't scary enough! LOL!!)

We'd have to create a new "Armageddon" ship classification for this one though. A bit much to be a "War" ship I think. If we did up the stats for the Super-Yamatos that the Japanese contemplated but never built, we could include that one in there as well.

You know. . . because Iowa and Yamato class battleships don't lay waste to everything in their path enough as it is. . . LOL!!!

 

[Soulmage]

As I think about it. . .

Everything I've read makes a big deal about how heavily armored the Montana would have been.

Based on that, I'd go ahead and drop the speed to 5, and give the Montanta the special quality: Tough.

ToughThe ship's controller may force any or all successful damage dice against this ship to be rerolled. The results of the second roll are final and no die may be rerolled more than once for any reason.

 

[BuShips]

As far as whether the Montana should be speed 5 or 6, just compare the 28kt. speed factor to other historical ships with that speed and see what their VaS rating is. But you are correct, as it is either 5 or 6 :wink: .

 

[DM]

Its 6

One of the other playtesters has statted the ship. Hopefully she'll be posted sometime soon.

 

[BuShips]

Its 6

One of the other playtesters has statted the ship. Hopefully she'll be posted sometime soon.

I like "6". I'm good with 6. "Six, lies and videotape" it is, then. :wink:

 

[Lord David the Denied]

Anyone done stats for HMS Vanguard? She wasn't as powerful as the Iowas, but she was the best the Royal Navy ever had. She was also the only Royal Navy battleship to never fire her guns in anger. She didn't serve in the Second World War, but if the door's being opened to what-if ships I think she ought to make an appearance.

 

[DM]

Yes, she's coming. Also the Lions, Malta and Colossus class carriers, G3, N3 etc.

 

[Lord David the Denied]

Awesome. Models will be needed. Ideas?

 

[Soulmage]

Panzerschiffe has the Colossus at least. . .

 

[DM]

Navwar do some, if not most.

 

[Lord David the Denied]

I like the GHQ models, though. Navwar don't go as big as 1/2400 do they?

 

[Soulmage]

No, Navwar is 1/3000 scale.

Here is the States we have lots of room, so we can play at 1:2400. But the UK is a lot more crowded so they have to go with the smaller scale!