And so, as time went by, the Japanese began constructing the Nagato class, which was quite remarkably at the time, for it had a high speed (25 knots) and had, to come to the point of this intro, 406mm guns in four twin turrets.  The United States, which at that time was not involved in any war-time problems, but clearly saw the need for armament, not only in light of the European war, but also due to the disturbing Japanese advance.

    In accordance to these thoughts, the US ordered the construction of a slightly remodelled Tennessee design, its only significant difference being the 406mm guns, which added offensive punch.
    The class was originally thought and ordered to comprise four ships, but the Washington Treaty cut this short at three, the latter only being build because the US stated that they needed the third 406mm gun ship to keep ahead of the Japanese, as the treaty allowed.  

    Maryland was stationed at Pearl during the attack, but received only two lightly damaging bomb hits, and made Puget Sound under her own power. She guarded several island chains in her pre-yard time, including Midway, the New Hebrides and Samao. She then supported Kinkaids 7th Fleet and it's amphibious groups in several landings and participated at the battle of Surigao Straits. Scrapped beginning 1959.
    Colorado had just entered a Naval Yard before the attack on Pearl Harbor and was hurriedly rushed out of it again, having about the same schedule before her that Maryland did.  
    West Virginia sank at Pearl Harbor after being hit by six or seven torpedoes and two bombs, was salvaged and repaired until June 1944 and paid back some of her "debt" to the Japanese at Surigao Strait.  
She was scrapped in 1961.