A Rich Legacy

If you’re determined to find an alternative for the silly trash-TV we’re subjected to, and want to be entertained while being informed - try exploring the archives regarding naval warfare. Ever since I was a little kid, I had an interest in the design and development of warships, and the discoveries added to them over the years to make them what they became - more efficient and deadly creations of terrible beauty. I was surprised to discover that arrestor cables and all-steel decks on aircraft carriers - along with the “hedgehog” anti-sub weapon - were BRITISH inventions our navy adopted. Battleships built after WWI still had torpedo tubes installed in them, in spite of the miles-long gun-ranges that existed, and the development of anti-sub tactics. Just the different types and classes of ships can make your head swim - check out the ALASKA-class battlecruisers, and the MONTANA-class super-battleships that were the last of our all-gun ships during WWII. FYI

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I am unaware of any Montana-class battleships that were ever built. All five ships were cancelled before the war was over, as the Navy realized that massive battleships were less relevant in modern war than they had been in previous conflicts. The Iowa-class battleships were the last U.S. battleships to be completed, and even the last two ships of that program were abandoned before they could sail. But all four ships of that class- the Iowa, New Jersey, Missouri, and Wisconsin- still exist today as museums, and they are pretty awesome to tour.

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