The Great Lakes Battleships created in Harry Turtledove's fictional Timeline-191 alternate history novels about the Great War were developed by the United States in the years following the Second Mexican War. These ships were designed to ensure US naval dominance on the Great Lakes, protecting US cities and threatening Anglo-Canadian positions and cities. The Canadians commissioned a similar fleet of ships. Despite their name, the Great Lakes Battleships were significantly weaker than a fully modern dreadnought-class battleship of the Great War era. They were similar to the 'coast defense' battleships employed by many minor navies and to certain pre-dreadnought designs.

The Great Lakes Battleships proved a wasted investment during the Great War, as one of the first actions both powers took after the onset of hostilities was to mine the Great Lakes heavily, and to deploy submersibles. The mines and submersibles so restricted surface operations on the Lakes that the battleships were effectively trapped in port for the duration of the war. After the war, the US occupation of Canada obviated the need for a fleet of (already obsolete) battleships on the Great Lakes, and the ships were scrapped.

This model is from the hull of a 1/800 scale USS Arizona completely stripped down and the rest of it is from the spare parts box including 1/600 PE railings. You can call a Great Lakes Battleship like the HMS Winnipeg the penultimate brown water navy gunboat.

Right side

Bow on

Right plaque

Left plaque

Various Great Lakes ships profiles