What You Need to Know: The USS Kentucky (BB-66), initially planned as a Montana-class battleship, was reordered as an Iowa-class vessel in 1940 to prioritize speed and adaptability to carrier task forces. However, shifting priorities during World War II led to repeated construction delays, with the ship never being completed.

-Proposals to convert the Kentucky into an aircraft carrier or guided-missile battleship were ultimately abandoned due to cost, time, and advancing technology. The incomplete Kentucky was later used as a parts depot, with its bow notably salvaged for the USS Wisconsin.

-In 1958, the ship was scrapped, marking the end of its storied but incomplete history.

As war loomed in the 1930s, the U.S. Navy raced to build up its battleship fleet. The Washington Naval Treaty’s restrictions on ship size and armaments were being set aside as Japan and Italy scrapped the treaty to build larger fleets. In response, the U.S. designed the South Dakota- and Iowa-class battleships.

In addition to these two fast battleship types, Navy........

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