Iowa Class Battleship Summary

This is a 3D printed sculpf of the Iowa Class battleship by EBard Models

The Iowa class was a class of six fast battleships ordered by the United States Navy in 1939 and 1940. They were initially intended to intercept fast capital ships such as the Japanese Kongō class while also being capable of serving in a traditional battle line alongside slower battleships and act as its "fast wing". The Iowa class was designed to meet the Second London Naval Treaty's "escalator clause" limit of 45,000-long-ton (45,700 t) standard displacement. Four vessels, Iowa, New Jersey, Missouri, and Wisconsin, were completed; two more, Illinois and Kentucky, were never completed.

The four Iowa-class ships were the last battleships commissioned in the US Navy.  Between the mid-1940s and the early 1990s, the Iowa-class battleships fought in four major US wars. In the Pacific Theater of World War II, they served primarily as fast escorts for Essex-class aircraft carriers of the Fast Carrier Task Force and also shelled Japanese positions. During the Korean War, the battleships provided naval gunfire support for United Nations forces, and in 1968, New Jersey shelled Viet Cong and Vietnam People's Army forces in the Vietnam War. All four were reactivated and modernized at the direction of Congress in 1981, and armed with missiles during the 1980s, as part of the 600-ship Navy initiative. During Operation Desert Storm in 1991, Missouri and Wisconsin fired missiles and 16-inch (406 mm) guns at Iraqi targets.

Costly to maintain, the battleships were decommissioned during the post-Cold War draw down in the early 1990s. All four were initially removed from the Naval Vessel Register, but the United States Congress compelled the Navy to reinstate two of them on the grounds that existing naval gunfire would be inadequate for amphibious operations. This resulted in a lengthy debate over whether battleships should have a role in the modern navy. 

The design of the Iowa class is considered to be the best ever because of its effective blending of firepower, speed, range, and protection. All other battleships classes had emphasized one attribute at the expense of another. For instance, the Yamato class was so heavily protected that it was slow. So slow that the Japanese tended to divide the fleet between fast ships and slow ships. This practice contributed to the Midway debacle because Admiral Nagumo grouped all of his slow battleships together and ultimately did not have adequate anti-aircraft firepower to protect his carriers. The Iowa class on the other hand, had the speed and range to keep up with the fast carriers to provide vital anti-air protection.

There are many articles written debating the results of an Iowa vs. Yamato matchup. The Iowa compares well in every category except armor protection. Often overlooked is the Iowas, having radar controlled gunnery and unique armor piercing shells, had almost as much effective offensive firepower as the Yamato's 18" guns. However, no matter how you judge the various attributes, the bottom line is the Iowa class had no known weaknesses and its balanced attributes enabled the class to fulfill all the roles required of the war-time US Navy. 

Ships of Class:

• BB-61 Iowa
• BB-62 New Jersey
• BB-63 Missouri
• BB-64 Wisconsin

Note: Sculpts of the class are identical

Insignia can be added to each deck decal. Select from your choice of roundel images.

Early War	Mid War	ETO

The Iowa class sculpts are large, and a bit longer than aircraft carriers. Approximate dimensions (LWH): 68.5mm x 8.5 mm x 10mm

Customer Reviews

2 review(s) posted (write review)

Details

"Picture shows how much detail and effort that was put in these pieces very happy

" Danny Lester - Sunday, January 7, 2024

USS Missouri

"That beautiful ship with the hull camo is one that Greg did for me. I was hoping to have a ship to represent the USS Missouri, and Greg was able to deliver! Greg was very responsive by email, and he does great work." Brian - Monday, March 20, 2023