USA - Montana Class Battleship

[BB1987]

I was looking at Worcesters and Des moines themselves to get an idea for 76mm-guns placement, i do not plan to put a twin mount on the bow because it would be too wet; for the ones near the bridge my concern would be about space and top wight issues, the 76mm mounts occupies more space and weight more than the 40mm bofors, that's why i have decided to go for two instead of three and putting them a deck lower.
the Helicopter idea is interesting instead, by changing the year from 1947 to 1948 i can get rid of the seaplane thus showing a little more changes between the other versions, while other features could remain just like they are; for boats, i have deleted them among the crane to get space for one of the 76mm sponsoons, getting them back on place could not be really immediate (and boats with no crane are hard to be moved).
I have also made some adjustements so you can now see what is changed in the drawing above.

[Colombamike]

I'm thinking to also show the battleship in a possible configuration as commissioned with a stronger 40/20mm AA suite (montana beign commissioned in 1945 with a 3 year building time like the Iowas?) and another one for later ships (coming around 1947 or later) with 76mm guns for AA.

YES
If you draw this ship, the version must be the "1946-1948".
Because, at best, the first ship will be "keel laid down" by mid-1943, hull launched by late 1945 and commissioned by mid/late-1946.

So the only chance to see montana commissioned in 1945 would be an improbable keel laying in mid 1942 just after they where approved by congress right?

also started the 1947 (more plausible never-where) following Colombamike advices.

the Helicopter idea is interesting instead, by changing the year from 1947 to 1948 i can get rid of the seaplane thus showing a little more changes between the other versions, while other features could remain just like they are; for boats, i have deleted them among the crane to get space for one of the 76mm sponsoons, getting them back on place could not be really immediate (and boats with no crane are hard to be moved).

SOME HISTORIC DETAILS TOWARD A REALISTIC MONTANA COMMISSIONED by 1947-1948.
US IOWA CLASS:
(laid-down/launched/commissioned dates)
- Iowa: 27 june 1940 - 27 august 1942 - 22 february 1943 (32 months to be built)
- New-Jersey: 16 september 1940 -07 december 1942 - 23 may 1943 (32 months to be built)
- Missourri: 06 january 1941 - 29 january 1944 - 11 june 1944 (37 months to be built)
- Wisconsin: 25 january 1942 - 07 december 1943 - 16 april 1944 (27 months to be built)
- Illinois: 06 december 1942 - RE***-laid-down 15 january 1945 - cancelled 12 august 1945 at 22% completed
- Kentucky: 07 march 1942 -RE***-laid-down around 06 december 1944 - cancelled by february 1947 at 72% completed.

*** = RE laid-down due to others wartimes priorities (amphibious shipyards construction shortage/delays)

(as usual, a IOWA battleships was laid-down 2 years after the official order)

at the best, USS MONTANA - BB-67 - laid-down by late 1943 - launched by late 1945/mid 1946 - completed by 1947/1948 (mainly due to the "slowdown" of the US military shipyards immediatly in the postwar period (1946-1949...).

(sorry for my very-bad english )

[acelanceloet]

I do not know if you modified your drawing before or after Colombimikes comment, but the fact is you have an helicopter in dutch colours on your drawing now.

[Colombamike]

deleted

[BB1987]

I do not know if you modified your drawing before or after Colombimikes comment, but the fact is you have an helicopter in dutch colours on your drawing now.

that was after, my bad.. i will correct the issue.

edit: what about now.

[acelanceloet]

not your fault, I thought so.
anyways, there is an grey (unpainted) one in the planebucket thread, the dutch one on the dutch sheet and the british one on bombheads carrier sheets and drawings. an USN version is not yet done IIRC, so you'd best mod your own version from the grey one

also, wasn't this helo not primary an SAR and transport helo, somewhat unsuitable for this ship?

[BB1987]

they where on Des Moines CA from 1948 also.

[Colombamike]

A handfull fo comment, mainly about the 20mm AA battery by 1947/1948


BB, don't forget that even by 1945 the US Navy considered the 20mm gun almost obsolete vs the latest threat (suicide aircrafts, early guided german/japanese bombs).

By late 1946+, almost 80%+ of all 20mm battery was deleted (mainly for "postwar manpower shortage concern").
Usually, only a handfull of twin 20mm mount remained on each large warships (mainly for ultimate self-defence againt aircrafts or small crafts).

1947/1948 drawing almost completed...

[Colombamike]

And BB, you can use the aft crâne for small boat handling (à la Worcester CL)

[BB1987]

And this should be the finished 1948 version; now i just need to made some small fix on the 1945 version (add 2 or 3 more quad bofors), then i can call everithing finished.

Does someone wants a 1980's version?