Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:02:06-1:05:23

Unbuilt ships and the drawing-board restriction

The choices include F3, a Tillman battleship, an enlarged Hood design, and Malta carriers, with eligibility turning on whether construction had begun.

Admiral Class BattlecruisersF3 BattlecruiserLexington Class BattlecruisersMalta Class Aircraft CarriersNaval AviationTillman Maximum Battleship DesignsUnbuilt WarshipsUSS United States (CVA-58)
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Question

Which three warships that never left the drawing board do you wish had been built?

Short answer

The identifiable selections include F3 and Tillman designs, an enlarged Hood design, Malta carriers, and postwar cruisers.

Notes

The initial choices include the F3 battlecruisers as an alternative to Nelson and Rodney and one of the enormous Tillman battleships. A later choice is an enlarged Hood or Admiral-class design, jokingly called 'Hoodicus Maximus'. The question's requirement that a ship never leave the drawing board excludes designs for which steel was cut. The Soviet battleships, Lexington battlecruisers, and USS United States are discussed under that restriction, with United States described as canceled just after construction began. Malta-class carriers qualify despite the confusion caused by reused names and shipyard orders. Substantial postwar cruiser designs also appeal as alternatives to further modified Fiji hulls.