Article Summary and Key Points: The USS Illinois (BB-65), an Iowa-class battleship planned during World War II, was never completed due to shifting naval priorities. Designed as an advanced, heavily armed battleship, the Illinois faced construction delays and changing warfare strategies.
Key Point #1 – The rise of aircraft carriers, demonstrated by battles such as Midway, diminished the importance of battleships. Consequently, the USS Illinois was canceled shortly after Japan’s surrender in 1945.
Key Point #2 – This episode reflects a significant transitional period in naval warfare, illustrating the evolution from battleships to carriers. The USS Illinois remains an important historical case of how rapid technological and strategic changes can influence military procurement decisions.
USS Illinois: The Lost Iowa-Class Battleship
The USS Illinois was an interesting episode during the Second World War. The USS Illinois (BB-65) was an Iowa-class battleship planned for the United States Navy during the later years of World War II. Despite its promising design and potential, the ship was never completed.
This article explores the history, design, and reasons behind the cancellation of the USS Illinois.
The Iowa-Class Battleships
The Iowa-class battleships were a series of fast battleships designed in the late 1930s to meet the U.S. Navy’s needs for a fleet capable of countering the fast and powerful Japanese Navy.
These ships were intended to be the epitome of naval engineering, combining speed, firepower, and armor.
The class included six ships: USS Iowa (BB-61), USS New Jersey (BB-62), USS Missouri (BB-63), USS Wisconsin (BB-64), USS Illinois (BB-65), and USS Kentucky (BB-66).
The USS Illinois was designed to be a formidable warship, featuring advanced technology for the time and powerful armament. The ship’s specifications included a displacement of 48,110 long tons (standard) and 57,540 long tons (full load), a length of 887 feet 3 inches, a beam of 108 feet 2 inches, and a draft of 36 feet 2.25 inches.
It was powered by 8 Babcock & Wilcox boilers, producing 212,000 shaft horsepower, and had a propulsion system consisting of 4 steam turbines and 4 screw propellers. The ship could reach speeds of 32.5 knots (37.4 mph; 60.2 km/h) and had a range of 15,000 miles at 15 knots (17 mph).
The complement included 117 officers and 1,804 enlisted men. The armament comprised 9 × 16-inch (406 mm)/50 cal Mark 7 guns, 20 × 5-inch (127 mm)/38 cal Mark 12 guns, 80 × 40 mm (1.6 in) anti-aircraft guns, and 49 × 20 mm (0.79 in) anti-aircraft guns.
The armor included a belt of 12.1 inches (307 mm), bulkheads of 14.5 inches (368 mm), barbettes of 17.3–11.6 inches (439–295 mm), turrets of 19.5 inches (495 mm), and decks of 6 inches (152 mm).
Naval Warfare is Changing
The USS Illinois was ordered on September 9, 1940, and her keel was laid down on December 6, 1942, at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. However, the construction of the Illinois faced several challenges and delays.
The pressing need for more warships at the outbreak of World War II in Europe led the Navy to prioritize other projects, and the construction of the Illinois was given a low priority.
The attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and subsequent battles such as the Coral Sea and Midway showcased the dominance of aircraft carriers over battleships. These events forced the Navy to rethink its strategy, shifting focus from battleships to aircraft carriers.
As a result, the construction of the Illinois slowed down significantly in 1942.
By the end of World War II, the Illinois was still under construction. The ship was canceled on August 12, 1945, shortly after Japan’s surrender. The hull of the Illinois remained as a parts hulk until it was finally dismantled in September 1958.
The Navy Pulls the Plug
The Navy had its reasons for canceling the USS Illinois. The success of aircraft carriers in World War II demonstrated their superiority over battleships. The ability of carriers to project air power over long distances made them the new capital ships of the fleet. This shift in strategy led to a decreased emphasis on battleships.
The construction of aircraft carriers and other essential warships took precedence over battleships. The limited resources and shipbuilding capacity during the war meant that projects like the Illinois were deprioritized. The surrender of Japan in August 1945 marked the end of World War II.
With the war over, the need for new battleships diminished, leading to the cancellation of several ongoing projects, including the Illinois. The rapid advancements in naval technology during and after World War II rendered some aspects of the Illinois’s design obsolete.
The focus shifted towards more modern and versatile warships.
The Legacy of the USS Illinois
Although the USS Illinois was never completed, its story is a testament to the evolving nature of naval warfare and the impact of technological advancements on military strategy. The Illinois episode was a transitional period in naval history, where the dominance of battleships gave way to the era of aircraft carriers.
The Iowa-class battleships that were completed, such as the USS Iowa and USS Missouri, went on to serve with distinction in various conflicts, including the Korean War and the Gulf War. These ships demonstrated the enduring value of battleships, even as the focus shifted towards carriers and other modern warships.
The USS Illinois (BB-65) was a symbol of the U.S. Navy’s commitment to maintaining naval superiority during World War II. Despite its promising design and potential, the ship was never completed due to shifting naval strategies, resource allocation, and the end of the war.
The story of the USS Illinois highlights the dynamic nature of military technology and strategy, and its legacy lives on as a reminder of the ever-changing landscape of naval warfare.
Iowa-Class: A Story in Photos
The No. 1 and No. 2 Mark 7 16-inch/50-caliber gun turrets are trained to starboard during the main battery gunnery exercise aboard the battleship USS IOWA (BB 61).
USS Wisconsin (BB-64) Fires a three-gun salvo from her forward 16/50 gun turret, during bombardment duty off Korea. Photograph is dated 30 January 1952. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.
A bow view of the battleship USS IOWA (BB-61) firing its Mark 7 16-inch/50-caliber guns off the starboard side during a fire power demonstration.
An aerial bow view of the battleship USS IOWA (BB-61) with its 15 guns (nine 16-inch and six 5-inch) firing a salvo off the starboard side.
About the Author: Isaac Seitz
Isaac Seitz, a 19FortyFive Defense Columnist, graduated from Patrick Henry College’s Strategic Intelligence and National Security program. He has also studied Russian at Middlebury Language Schools and has worked as an intelligence Analyst in the private sector.
Bruce Rebenstorf GySgt USMCR Retired
March 10, 2025 at 11:57 pm
You overlooked the USS Kentucky BB 66 which was some 70+ percent complete remaining in mothballs while the Navy considered to convert to a guided missile Battleship ship BBG the Navy also had the USS Hawaii CB 3 some 80.percent complete and considered its conversion to that of CBG. In end both were scrapped