At roughly 30,000 tons standard and nearly 35,000 tons fully loaded, Alaska was substantially smaller than an Iowa but far larger than a conventional cruiser. A first ship carries the expense of developing the design, tooling, and construction arrangements. Repeating that design in quantity spreads those costs and makes later ships cheaper. Alaska gained little from that advantage because so few were built. Her 12-inch battery also required separate guns, turrets, and shell production instead of using the established 8-inch cruiser or 16-inch battleship systems. The resulting price came uncomfortably close to that of an Iowa.
Chapter · 18:54-21:24
The cost of a bespoke large cruiser
Alaska's smaller displacement did not deliver a proportionately low price: her 12-inch guns, turrets, ammunition, and small production run kept costs close to an Iowa's.