Iowa as the fast wing of a Montana battle line

Were the Iowas intended as the fast element of a larger Montana-centered battle line?

That dual role is plausible: they could screen carriers or scout, engage, and slow an enemy line for the main battle fleet.

A planned line of Iowas, Montanas, and earlier fast battleships could support a two-part doctrine rather than a simple carrier-escort mission. The Iowas could scout with and protect the carriers, then use their speed to catch and damage an enemy battle line. Slower but heavily armed battleships following behind would complete the engagement. That interpretation is plausible because the US Navy often planned more realistically for a Pacific war than it admitted to Congress.