Dropping only three knots from Iowa-like speed would buy the Tillman III three additional 16-inch guns and much heavier armor. A 30-knot ship with twelve such guns becomes a plausible super-Iowa benchmark rather than a slow floating fortress. The Tillman IV's twenty-four 16-inch guns double the Montana class's projected broadside, although the design develops the same basic concept rather than introducing a wholly new type. If either appeared around 1918, later British, German, and Japanese designers would inherit a radically higher baseline for speed, protection, and firepower.
Chapter · 31:18-37:08
Tillman III and IV as super-battleship benchmarks
The Tillman III's speed, armor, and twelve 16-inch guns make it a super-Iowa comparison, while the Tillman IV pursues overwhelming weight of fire.