User blog comment:Void Samukai/The 7 key BBs in history/@comment-10905876-20160120133721/@comment-27822411-20160122060555

Still, the simlarities in terms of concept between the design of the Iowa and the Hood are pretty numerous. Both were fast, well armoured for their time, larger and faster versions of past ships, the list is actually numerous.

And to the BCs of WW2's credit, most were simply late WW1 eras with only the Kongos and Renown being modernised in a significant way, and it is true that even then they were still Vunerable, but comparing them to many of the WW2 era BBs is kinda unfair. It would be like comparing Invincible to Nagato, the age difference is quite major. The only modern BCs were the Scharnhorst (which were just undergunned BBs), the Alaskas and the Dunqurk, both of which WOULDVE indeed proven vulnerable to BB shells. So yeah, a BCS being not as well protected as BBs is without a doubt true unless you are willing to make major time gaps.

And for 10000 extra tonnes, the fact that the Iowa designers devoted a lot of it to speed makes it seem BC like. But of course, technology could allow for such ships to be built, though a much more balanced designed would have 28-30 knots and improved belt armour and/or torpedo defence. In my eyes, they were the HMS Hood of their day: BCs with protection that rivalled many BBs.