North Carolina-class
An item reported that the US Navy department informed private shipyards that they could bids until 5 October for building 3-35.000 ton battleships. The fourth ship was to be built at a navy yard. According to the American newspaper New York Times was the navy busy with designing a 45.000 tons battleship.(1)
Note
1. An increase of the displacement was possible. The London Naval Treaty was a result of the Second London Naval Disarmament Conference and which begun on 9 December 1935. Finally was the treaty signed by United Kingdom, USA and France on 25 March 1936. Italy and Japan which in the past signed the other naval treaties both declined to sign. Capital ships were under this new treaty limited to a maximum of 35.562 tons and 35,6cm/14” guns. The escalator clause supplied the possibility to use 16” guns and larger battleships if Japan or Italy still had not signed after 1 April 1937. The USA built first the battleships of the North Carolina-class consisting of the North Carolina and Washington, with a displacement of 35.000 tons and commissioned in 1941 and the South Dakota-class consisting of the South Dakota, Indiana, Massachusetts and Alabama, with a displacement of 38.000 tons and commissioned in 1942. These classes were succeeded by the 48.500 tons Iowa-class, consisting of the Iowa, New Jersey, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois and Kentucky commissioned between 1943-1944, except for the latter two which were never completed.
