"A round as big as a Volkwagen, and just a tad bit heavier."
As BIG as a VW? Uhm... not really. A 16" projectile won't seat 4.
At 2,700 pounds, though, it is as heavy as a Beetle.
The original USS Lexington, CV-2, was in her final form 888 feet long.
IIRC the Lexington and Saratoga were the longest US ships until the Midway class was commissioned near the end of the war.