User:AN.FSQ-7/Maximum Battleship

The Maximum Battleships are a series of U.S. Navy battleship design studies from 1912 and 1916. The design studies were produced by the Bureau of Construction and Repair at the request of Senator Benjamin R. Tillman to examine the upper limits of battleship size using period technology. Although never considered a serious proposal for construction, these design studies represent what the U.S. Navy considered possible at the time if cost restrictions were removed.

Background
The introduction of dreadnought-type battleships rendered the existing stock of mixed-battery, predreadnought battleships obsolete. A naval arms race followed, with large amounts of naval construction and a progressive increase in the displacement of new battleships through the early twentieth century. America's first dreadnought, the USS South Carolina (BB-26), was laid down in 1906 and had a normal displacement of 16,000 long tons. Five years later, the USS New York (BB-34), laid down in 1911, had a normal displacement of 27,000 long tons. The final class of battleship laid down for the U.S. Navy prior to the Washington Naval Treaty, the Colorado-class battleships, displaced 32,600 long tons.

The "maximum battleship" design studies were proposed by Senator Tillman twice: first in 1912 and then in 1916. In Senate Resolution 361 from July 16, 1912, the Committee on Naval Affairs was instructed to investigate "the maximum size and the maximum draft, and the maximum armament, and the maximum thickness of armor to make the very best battleship or cruiser that the world has ever seen or will see" with the resulting warship still capable of passing through the Panama Canal. This document was reprinted on June 20th, 1916 along with an essay titled "Build the Limit" by Admiral Moffett.