A Floating Fortress Would Bolster America’s Naval Power

"Fortunately, there is a solution. The Navy should transform a supertanker into a highly armed, virtually unsinkable warship—known as a “expeditionary ship.” Noted naval architect Kenneth S. Brower came up with the concept, which Mr. Mattis supported as a Marine general."

I've got news for this "noted naval architect"...ain't no such thing as an unsinkable warship.

The very fact that such a person would even say this, especially about a converted supertanker which would be nothing more than a wallowing sow in terms of maneuverability, no matter how well armed, indicates a serious lack of understanding of how naval ships work and survive.

If we're going to go through the trouble to "transform a supertanker into a highly armed, virtually unsinkable warship", we might as well start by recommissioning the Iowa class battleships...and building more battleships on top of those.

Those are true warships...a supertanker, no matter how you dress it up, is NOT a warship on par with something like a battleship. Anybody who thinks that a heavily armored and armed supertanker is "virtually unsinkable" is invited to google the ballistic test of the turret armor from the IJN Shinano (the third in the Yamamato class battleships).

Here's a pic of the results of that test:

http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/14671292_ [login to see] 82184_ [login to see] 467525540_n.jpg

I guess you have to subscribe to read the article.

WSJ wouldn't let me read the article. What's the argument in a nutshell?