Talk:Iowa/@comment-25284995-20160221172718/@comment-24.98.228.229-20160221194107

common misconception that iowa was designed to be able to keep up with carriers and provide protection as if that were true why would they cancel Illinois and Kentucky so that that they could build more carriers? Iowa was actually designed in 1938 as a cruiser-killer as the US discovered japans advanced heavy cruisers like Atago when japan invaded china. compared to US cruisers at the time (eg. Northampton class) jap cruisers where ahead of the time. little known fact is that iowa almost had 18in guns but was dropped due to the second naval treaty. as for the whole carrier excort thing and iowa being fast enough to do it is more down to sheer coincidence as before pearl harbor the USN was still abit old school and believe that the most important ship in the navy were the battleships and not carriers but this opinion was quickly changed after pearl harbor.

wargaming goes over this in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nevcyobcpBc