Author: Stille, Mark, Wright, Mr Paul
United Kingdom, Great Britain
Published on 22 December 2022 by Bloomsbury Publishing PLC (Osprey Publishing) in the United Kingdom as part of 'the New Vanguard' series.
Paperback | 48 pages, Illustrated throughout with 40 photos and 8 pages of colour illustrations
247 x 185 x 7 | 166g
An illustrated study of the design, development and eventual fates of the uncompleted super-battleships intended to be built before and during World War II.
Before the start of World War II, the
battleship was still king, and all the major powers were designing even mightier battleships to
surpass their most modern and powerful classes. But when war broke
out, aircraft carriers would dominate naval warfare, and none of these
monster warships would ever be completed. In this book, naval expert Mark
Stille uncovers these lost battleships as they are reconstructed with the help of superb new full-colour artwork and photos. The US Navy planned five
Montana-class ships, based on the Iowas but with a heavier main battery and improved
protection, while the Royal Navy began work on three 16in-gun Lion-class fast
battleships. The German Navy began to develop its H-class designs, initially an
improved Bismarck-class which became more fantastical, culminating in the 141,500-ton,
20in-gun H-44. The Japanese A-150 was based on the Yamato-class but with 20.1in
guns, while the 15 ships planned for the USSR’s Sovetsky Soyuz-class would
have rivalled the Montanas in size. Explaining the design, intended roles and fate of these ships, this is the story of the last super-battleship designs in history.