Key Points and Summary - The Alaska-class ships were unique American warships from World War II, designed as massive "large cruisers" or battlecruisers. -Their mission was to be "cruiser-killers," ...

What You Need to Know: The Alaska-class battlecruisers were conceived by the U.S. Navy in the 1930s to counter Germany’s fast and powerful “pocket battleships” and Japan’s rumored “super cruisers.” ...