Alaska's value as a fast carrier escort

How would Montana-class battleships have performed as carrier escorts?

Their speed made them a poor fit; Iowa and Alaska were much more natural fast-carrier escorts.

Speed is the critical differentiator in carrier escort. A Montana-class battleship at about twenty-eight knots could not manoeuvre comfortably with a fast carrier group. Iowa and Alaska could both reach roughly thirty-three knots and therefore remain with the carriers. Alaska also carried enough gun power to make a Japanese Kongō or other surface attacker hesitate. Because the class was cheaper and smaller than a full battleship, several could theoretically be assigned across carrier groups. The role makes Alaska a fast heavy escort rather than a substitute for the battle line.