Montana-class battleship
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The Montana class was a planned set of battleships for the United States Navy. Intended as the successor to the Iowa class, the Montanas were to be slower but larger, better armored, and better armed.
USS Missouri of the Iowa class, the predecessors of the planned Montana class
1940 study plan, BB-65 Scheme 4 (BB 65-4)
One variant of the fast BB 65-8 design scheme from 1940
An artist's impression of the Montana class
The 16"/50 caliber Mark 7 – United States Naval Gun is the main armament of the Iowa-class battleships and was the planned main armament of the canceled Montana-class battleship.
Montana-class battleship
…in favor of continuing production of Essex-class aircraft carriers and Iowa-class battleships. Armament would have been twelve 16-inch (406 mm) Mark 7 guns in four 3-gun turrets, up from the nine Mark 7 guns in three turrets used by the Iowa class. Unlike the three preceding classes of battleships…
The Iowa-class battleship USS Iowa fires a full broadside of her 16"/50 (406 mm) Mark 7 guns. The roiling water caused by the stupendous muzzle blast creates an illusion of the ship moving sideways from the guns' recoil.
Yard workers hoist one of nine 16"/50 Mark VII gun barrels aboard the USS Iowa during her construction in 1942.
The 16-inch/50 caliber Mark 7 guns of the forward turret of the battleship USS Wisconsin (BB-64) fire at enemy targets ashore on the Korean Peninsula on 30 January 1952 during the Korean War.
Employees working with the automatic 16-inch powder stacking machine at Naval Ammunition Depot Hingham, Mass. during World War II.