#balao class

USS KRAKEN (SS-370) being launched at Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co, Manitowoc, Wisconsin. She was sponsored by Mrs. John Z. Anderson (wife of Congressmen Anderson of California).

She had a cool name and insignia.

Photographed on April 30, 1944.

USS Trepang (SS-412) au large du chantier naval de Mare Island – Vallejo – Californie – 12 juillet 1944

USS KRAKEN (SS-370) running surfaced in Lake Michigan, Michigan.

Photographed in September 1944.

"Vought OS2U Kingfisher floatplane, from USS NORTH CAROLINA (BB-55) afire after it was hit by gunfire from USS TANG (SS-306), off Truk on May 1, 1944. The plane had landed inside Truk lagoon to recover downed airmen. Unable to take off with a load of nine men, it then taxiied out to TANG, which was serving as lifeguard submarine during the April 29-May 1 carrier strikes on Truk. The plane was destroyed after its crew and passengers were removed."

U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command: 80-G-227992

Shortly before and during WWII, the U.S. Navy set about building a Fleet to meet the Axis head on and win. To due this, the Navy needed build a large number of ships, so it could effectively operate in both in the Atlantic and Pacific theaters.

By 1945, the war in the Atlantic and Pacific could be won with the ships already completed. So, starting in March, a number of ships were cancelled. The largest number were cancelled in August and shortly after the surrender of Japan. Final cancellations happened in 1946, as the military budget was being cutback.

Note: This list contains ships ordered or were intended to be completed during WWII but never completed/commissioned. It doesn't contain ships whose construction was suspended and completed at a later time.

Note: I have updated the list with some of the expected commission date.

Aircraft Carrier

REPRISAL (CV-35), Essex Class, expected commission July 1946

Unnamed (CVB-44), Midway Class

IWO JIMA (CV-46), Essex Class, expected commission, expected commission November 1946

Unnamed (CV-50), Essex Class, expected commission December 1946

Unnamed (CV-51), Essex Class, expected commission July 1947

Unnamed (CV-52), Essex Class, expected commission October 1947

Unnamed (CV-53), Essex Class, expected commission September 1947

Unnamed (CV-54), Essex Class, expected commission July 1947

Unnamed (CV-55), Essex Class, expected commission November 1947

Unnamed (CVB-56), Midway Class, expected commission June 1947

Unnamed (CVB-57), Midway Class, expected commission November 1947

Battleship

ILLINOIS (BB-65), Iowa Class, expected commission June 1947

KENTUCKY (BB-66), Iowa Class, expected commission September 1946

Note: see my other posts on their cancellation, link and link.

MONTANA (BB-67), Montana Class

OHIO (BB-68), Montana Class

MAINE (BB-69), Montana Class

NEW HAMPSHIRE (BB-70), Montana Class

LOUISIANA (BB-71), Montana Class

Note: the Montana Class was ordered in 1940, but were delayed due to the need for more carriers and later cancelled when it became apparent carriers were the new capital ship. There are other reasons but it's better to do a separate post on them. They were originally expected to be commissioned between July and November 1945.

Cruiser

BUFFALO (CL-84), Cleveland Class

NEWARK (CL-88), Cleveland Class

Note: these two were cancelled due to issues with the Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company.

YOUNGSTOWN (CL-94), Cleveland Class, expected commission August 1946

NEWARK (CL-108), Fargo Class, expected commission April 1946.

NEW HAVEN (CL-109), Fargo Class, expected commission July 1946

BUFFALO (CL-110), Fargo Class, expected commission August 1946

WILMINGTON (CL-111), Fargo Class, expected commission December 1946

VALLEJO (CL-112), Fargo Class

HELENA (CL-113), Fargo Class

ROANOKE (CL-114), Fargo Class

Unnamed (CL-115), Fargo Class

TALLAHASSEE (CL-116), Fargo Class, expected commission August 1946

CHEYENNE (CL-117), Fargo Class, expected commission December 1946

CHATTANOOGA (CL-118), Fargo Class, expected commission February 1947

CAMBRIDGE (CA-126), Oregon City Class, expected commission August 1946

BRIDGEPORT (CA-127), Oregon City Class, expected commission September 1946

KANSAS CITY (CA-128), Oregon City Class, expected commission December 1946

TULSA (CA-129), Oregon City Class, expected commission April 1947

NORFOLK (CA-137), Oregon City Class, expected commission June 1946

SCRANTON (CA-138), Oregon City Class, expected commission July 1946

DALLAS (CA-140), Des Moines Class, expected commission March 1947

Unnamed (CA-141), Des Moines Class, expected commission April 1947.

Unnamed (CA-142), Des Moines Class, expected commission July 1947.

Unnamed (CA-143), Des Moines Class, expected commission November 1947.

VALLEJO (CL-146), Worcester Class, expected commission February 1947

GARY (CL-147), Worcester Class, expected commission May 1947

Unnamed (CA-149), Des Moines Class, expected commission November 1947

DALLAS (CA-150), Des Moines Class, expected commission July 1947

Note: it is doubtful this cruiser would be named DALLAS since CA-140 was also named DALLAS.

Unnamed (CA-151), Des Moines Class, expected commission September 1947

Unnamed (CA-152), Des Moines Class, expected commission November 1947

Unnamed (CA-153), Des Moines Class, expected commission December 1947

CL-154 class

Unnamed (CL-154), CL-154 class, expected commission October 1947

Unnamed (CL-155), CL-154 class, expected commission December 1947

Unnamed (CL-156), CL-154 class, expected commission October 1947

Unnamed (CL-157), CL-154 class, expected commission November 1947

Unnamed (CL-158), CL-154 class, expected commission December 1947

Unnamed (CL-159), CL-154 class, expected commission October 1947

Note: this class of unnamed cruisers were to be anti-aircraft cruisers and the natural evolution of the Atlanta, Juneau and Worcester Classes. They were ordered in 1945 but never assigned names or laid down before being cancelled

Note: there were a further 8 Worcester Class cruisers planned but never ordered and don't have hull numbers assigned to them.

Large Cruiser

HAWAII (CB-3), Alaska Class, expected commission May 1946.

Note: she was nearly finished after the war but like Alaska and Guam, she didn't have purpose anymore. Several conversion proposal were drawn to use her but none were chosen.

PHILIPPINES (CB-4), Alaska Class

PUERTO RICO (CB-5), Alaska Class

SAMOA (CB-6), Alaska Class

Destroyer

WATSON (DD-482), Fletcher Class

12 Allen M. Sumner Class destroyers

54 Gearing Class Destroyers

Escort Carrier

16 Commencement Bay Class Carriers

Submarine

62 Balao Class Submarines

51 Trench Class Submarines

It should be noted, a lot of the ships ordered in 1944 and 1945 were for Operation Downfall, the planned invasion of mainland Japan if they had not surrendered. But also, the massive building program was institute to overwhelmed the Axis with superior numbers, just like the Air Corps and Army did with aircraft and tanks.

source, source, source, source, source, source, source, source

USS RAZORBACK (SS-394) underway in the latter half of 1945.

She had a long life, servering in the US Navy from 1944 to 1970. Then with the Turkish Navy from 1970 to 2001. Since 2005, she is now an exhibit at the Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum.

"In her 26 years of service in the U.S. Navy Razorback earned five battle stars for World War II service, four campaign stars for Vietnam War service and two awards of the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal.”

Colorized by Alex Color Studio: link