Article

The USS Kentucky (BB-66), laid down in 1944, was never commissioned and ultimately scrapped in 1958. Initially designed as the sixth Iowa-class battleship, it was overshadowed by the rise of aircraft carriers.

The incomplete hull served as a testbed for conversion proposals, including a guided-missile battleship. The Kentucky's bow was salvaged for the USS Wisconsin after a collision in 1956, and her engines were repurposed for fast combat support ships.

The Kentucky's cancellation marked the end of the battleship era in the U.S. Navy.