Board Thread:Game Updates/@comment-26154973-20190430095737/@comment-2605:6001:F447:8400:993:1D77:E798:8949-20190508024547

AnimeFreak40K wrote: 67.11.151.242 wrote: I know both European powers and Japan called it the Maryland class. This is because Newport News finished their Colorados(Maryland, West Virginia) faster than the New York ship building corporation finished theirs(Colorado, uncompleted Washington). This is most likely why the US Navy chose West Virginia over Washington to keep(there is no official reason we have been able to find but this is probably one of the big factors). My understanding is that West Virginia was complete (or mostly complete) while Washington was not. Further, apprently the Japanese made a strong case to keep Mutsu with regard to the Washington Naval Treaty, becuase otherwise they would have had to get rid of her...and the US would have only been able to keep Colorado. That would be wrong. Washington was launched in September 1921. West Virginia was launched in November 1921. At time of being Struck Washington was 75.5% complete. West Virginia at the time when she was launced was 65% complete. According to https://www.usswestvirginia.org/uss_west_virginia_history.htm

Take not Washington was struck on February 8, 1922.

While West Virginia might have caught up to her unlucky sister I doubt she was anymore complete especially considering her commissioning wouldn't be until the following year inn December 1923. Most likely they were in a similar state of completeness at the time of the Washington Naval treaty but it was clear that Newport News was the better shipyard at completing this battleship class faster. Note that Colorado(built at the same shipyard as Washington) herself wasn't complete until August of 1923. Perhaps New York ship building corporation could only build one BB at a time efficiently. In any case it was clear who was better at building ships rapidly.