terms of displacement, armament, and role. Both designs also straddled the line between heavy cruisers and battlecruisers. The genesis of the 'large cruiser' or 'super-heavy cruiser' and, ultimately, the design of the Alaska-class itself may have been at least partly inspired by the desire to counter the Design B-65, or at least earlier IJN proposals. However, unlike the never-built Design B-65, the Alaska-class would see two ships completed.

Mission and plan

The Japanese navy's experience

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