zzz

Backstory

In November of 1941, an Japanese informant leaked the existence of the massive 66,000 ton Yamato-class to the United States. The Japanese failed to confirm or deny this accusation and continued with their new super-battleship. On December 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor was attacked and Japan declared war on the United States. Knowing the power of the Yamato class, and intelligence reporting that 4 would be constructed, the United States pulled directly out of the Washington and London Naval Treaties, allowing it no restrictions on its battleships. Such a design to counter the Yamato class was unheard of, but from a dusky drawer, the original Tillman series of "Maximum Battleships" was set as the project's baseline. Tillman IV-2 would go through a set of design studies; eventually a truncated Tillman with more powerful steam turbines and 1 less turret was chosen, having a displacement of 75,000 tons. This would become USS Vermont.

Due to her massive size and cost, only 1 was constructed, and only 2 Iowas were built due to their incredible cost siphoning funds. They mostly served shore bombardment roles due to the rise of the carrier, but at the end of the war, Vermont took out both the outdated Fuso and Yamashiro with her massive guns. They were capable of engaging the Yamatos with ease and accuracy, but never accomplished this role with the advent of mass carrier usage. The 1945 surrender of Japan would be signed on Vermont (the Missouri had not existed in this universe). She would be modernized for the Korean, Vietnam, and Gulf Wars (but that build is for a later day), despite her massive operating costs. Today, Vermont is a museum ship in Pearl Harbor and the world's largest battleship, facing towards the USS Arizona to symbolize the end of the war.

Vermont is a fictional design realization of the Tillman IV-2 "Maximum Battleship" redesigned for the 1945s late-war era alongside ships such as the Iowa. Her main highlight is her massive size, able to carry 12 457mm/48 Mk2 rifles in four turrets of 3 independent guns each. As the counter to Yamato her speed is slightly slower in favor of heavier armor (derived from the 1920s Tillman), and her star 18" guns, which throw much more broadside weight than Yamato thanks to quantity and the use of Super Heavy shells. These 18"/48 Mk2 guns are much more powerful than any other naval gun, rivaling those of the Yamatos, but with super heavy shells bent on total penetration. She is armed with the highest quality fire control equipment of the time, including a radar system. Her AA is heavily intensive, but she lacks in secondary weapons due to all the AA mounts added, only carrying 16 of the upgraded 5"/52 guns. Unlike the standard battleship before her, USS South Dakota 1920, she is not as slow and her torpedo bulge has been placed slightly more internally, although still massively visible from the air as a lower deck. The usage of 3 funnels forces the ship to have measly firing arcs for its secondaries and AA guns.

Features

• Highly detailed exterior
• Fire Control System
• ALL AA guns work
  

  ---

Instructions

Alternate Versions