During the development of the
Iowa class, the Navy wanted more powerful armament than the
16"/45 Mark 6 used on the preceding
North Carolina class. There wasn't much weight margin, but the Bureau of Ordnance informed the Bureau of Construction and Repair that it could design a smaller barbette capable of using the
16"/50 Mark 2 cannons planned for the design. However, for some reason the Bureau of Ordnance continued working on the larger barbette design, while the Bureau of Construction used the smaller design in drafting the ship. This incompatibility was not realized until shortly before the design was to be finalized. The Bureau of Ordnance was able to design the lighter and smaller diameter
16"/50 Mark 7, as well as a smaller barbette, allowing the design to be completed.
What if the issue is unable to be resolved, or cannot be resolved in time? Could the Navy order the
Iowa into production with the Mark 6? What about increasing the number of
South Dakota class ships ordered? Alternatively, might it decide to skip the
Iowa class entirely and wait a few months, opting to build a more powerful battleship such as the
Montana class instead?