Concur with the Alaskas: they should have been canceled when it became clear that the ships they were meant to counter weren't being built. What to do with the hulls? Convert them to carriers; there were studies, and there was also a proposal if memory serves to convert the last two Iowa hulls (Illinois and Kentucky) to carriers. If the war had gone on longer, I can see that.
Also agree with the Yamatos: fuel hogs for starters, and the events of both Pearl Harbor and the Destruction of Force Z should have been a wake-up call to the IJN that the days of the battleship were numbered. Be that as it may, it was too late to cancel the first two, but after December '41, Shinano should have had a "Stop work" order issued, along with the unnamed fourth ship (Hull #111). It's been calculated that for each Yamato, two or three Shokaku-class CVs, with the air group, could've been built instead. What's a better use of the IJN's resources?
Also agree with the Yamatos: fuel hogs for starters, and the events of both Pearl Harbor and the Destruction of Force Z should have been a wake-up call to the IJN that the days of the battleship were numbered. Be that as it may, it was too late to cancel the first two, but after December '41, Shinano should have had a "Stop work" order issued, along with the unnamed fourth ship (Hull #111). It's been calculated that for each Yamato, two or three Shokaku-class CVs, with the air group, could've been built instead. What's a better use of the IJN's resources?