Most US battleships did not exchange heavy-calibre fire with enemy capital ships, but their guns remained useful against targets ashore. The Iowa class later served effectively as shore-bombardment and cruise-missile platforms. A viewer argues that one Texas salvo delivered more high explosive than an early B-17 Flying Fortress's roughly four-ton bomb load. The reply accepts the broad comparison while stressing the battleship's drastically shorter range. It praises battleships as efficient bombardment platforms and allows heavy cruisers a role at shorter ranges. The salvo comparison remains qualitative here, without a calculation of the shells' explosive filling.
Notable Point · 8:55-9:27
Battleships as shore-bombardment platforms
Battleship shore bombardment is praised through the Iowa class's postwar service and a viewer's comparison of a Texas salvo with a B-17's bomb load.