American firepower at the cost of speed

The American South Dakota-derived model assumes 40,000 tons standard displacement, allowing a twenty-first ship within the proposed fleet allowance. Its 45,000-ton game target includes an assumed 5,000-ton load margin, although the finished model exceeds that target by 430 tons. The model carries twelve 16-inch guns and makes 23 knots, against 30 knots for the Japanese design. Increasing speed within this model would require sacrificing a turret. A British-style arrangement with all-forward armament is considered as another possible development if construction continued. The chosen American model retains the larger battery, accepting that the faster Japanese ships can disengage.