 This was reaffirmed by a decree of the Council of Ministers on 28 January 1947.By August 1947, the Navy and the Shipbuilding Ministry had winnowed down design proposals to only three, one from each armed with 305 mm guns and a joint design armed with 220 mm guns.The latter's design was slightly smaller () than the Navy's design, and had an armor belt thinner, but was otherwise almost identical.