Mightiest, Fastest

To accent what was already its proudest Navy Day, the world's most colossal Navy last week told some colossal facts about its most colossal ships: the 45,000-ton Iowa and her sister battleships are the mightiest and fastest in the world, bigger by 5,000 tons than Britain's Lion, faster than Germany's 42,000-ton Tirpitz.

Armed with 158 cannon, ranging in caliber from 16-inchers (nine) down to 20-mm. antiaircraft pieces, an Iowa needs more than half her complement of 2,500 men simply to man her guns. She is armored with 16-inch plate, is built so ruggedly that the recoil of her main batteries is reduced to an unexciting whoosh in the engine rooms below. Her speed is "more than 30 knots," her maneuverability better than many warships one-tenth as large.

Of the new class, the Iowa, Missouri, New Jersey and Wisconsin are in service, the Illinois and Kentucky still abuilding. Japan has new 45,000-ton battleships in service; the U.S. Navy confidently stands by its superlatives for the lowas.

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