When the U.S. Navy embarked on the ambitious Alaska-class battlecruiser project, they envisioned a new breed of warships—powerful titans of the sea, capable of outgunning any adversary’s cruisers.

These vessels were the U.S. Navy’s final battlecruisers, a testament to the transitional period of naval warfare and an embodiment of American naval might during World War II.

Named before Alaska became the state, the class included plans for six ships, but only the USS Alaska (CB-1) and USS Guam (CB-2) were realized. These battlecruisers were remarkable for their size and firepower; at 808 feet long and displacing over 34,000 tons, each was armed with nine 12-inch guns—outclassing their cruiser counterparts of the time.

Designed in the shadow of looming threats from German and Japanese naval expansion, the Alaska class was a response to enemy ships like Nazi Germany’s “pocket battleships” and rumored large Japanese cruisers.

The Alaska and Guam were constructed by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation, and their story unfolds as a saga of might-have-beens and what-ifs. The third ship, USS Hawaii, saw her construction halted at 84% completion.

Alaska and Guam never fulfilled their planned roles. After Imperial Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941, the U.S. Navy shifted its focus to the development of aircraft carriers.

Rather than dueling with enemy cruisers, they found their niche in anti-aircraft defense and as escorts for carrier task forces. The USS Alaska notably earned three battle stars, distinguishing herself in the aerial onslaughts over Okinawa and the subsequent defense of the crippled USS Franklin.

Curator James Linn of the National World War II Museum encapsulates their armament’s superiority, stating, “Standard American heavy cruiser design… were armed with (9) 8” guns, (12) 5” guns, and (24) 20mm guns. By comparison, the Alaska’s were… armed with (9) 12” guns, (12) 5” guns, (56) 40mm guns, and (34) 20mm guns.”

Following the war, the Navy debated converting Alaska and Guam into guided missile cruisers, a transformation that never materialized due to prohibitive costs.

The Alaska was decommissioned in 1960 and sold for scrap, ending her 32-month service life with only 18 months spent on active duty. Her sister ship, the Guam, followed a similar fate.

Reflecting on their legacy, it’s evident that these battlecruisers were the Navy’s strategic hedge in a rapidly evolving theater of war. They were powerful figures in the naval arms race, designed for a conflict that shifted beneath them. Despite the brevity of their service, the Alaska and Guam stood as imposing symbols of a bygone era of naval engineering—a time when the might of a nation could be measured in the caliber of its guns and the length of its warships.

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Relevant articles:
– Alaska-Class: The Navy’s Last Battlecruisers Were Powerhouses, The National Interest
– Battlecruiser or Cruiser : Origins of the Alaska Class Cruiser, Navy General Board
– American battlecruisers of the Alaska class, TracesOfWar.com