Lexington-class
An item reported that the number of capital ships tot be built under the US 3 years naval program was reduced from 16 tot 10 ships caused by disagreeing experts about the value of battle cruisers.(1) The naval commission in the House of Representatives approved the annual budget of 750 million including 169 million for new building. The costs of each of the 10 planned battleships was 21 million and each of the 10 cruisers 8 million. A proposal dealing with the building of 130 smaller ships was yet not accepted until the department of navy decided with types were needed regarded the war experiences. The commission accepted the proposal of Daniels (2) to stop the building by the president of international treaties secured a world wide disarmament. (3)
Notes
1. Lexington-class consisting of the Lexington, Ranger, Constellation, Saratoga, Constitution and United States. Never completed as battle cruisers due to the limitations of the Naval Treaty of Washington of 1922. The Lexington and Saratoga were converted into aircraft carriers/ Designed as a response on the Japanese Kongo-class battle cruisers. General technical specifications. With a displacement of 44.200 tons/43.500 long tons-45.354 tons/44.638 long tons (deep load) were the dimensions 266,4 (over all) x 32,1 x 9,4 metres or 874 x 105.4 x 31 feet. The turbines and 16 water tube boilers supplied via 4 shafts 180.000 ship allowing a speed of 33 knots and with a speed of 10 knots a range of 10.000 nautical miles. The crew was to number 1.297-1.326 (when used as flagship). The armour consisted of a 12,7-17,8cm/5-7” thick belt, a deck of 3,8-5,7cm/1.5-2,25”, with the barbettes, gun turrets and coning tower protected by respectively 12,7-22,9cm/5-7‘, 16,2cm/6” (sides)-27,9cm/11” (front) and 30,5cm/12”. The armament was to consist pf 4x2-40,6cm/16” guns, 14x1-15,2cm/6” guns, 4x1-7,6cm/3” anti aircraft guns (to be increased with another 4) and 8-53,3cm/21” torpedo tubes.
2. Josephus Daniels (18 May 1862 Washington, North Carolina, USA-15 January 1948 Raleigh, North Carolina, USA). Secretary of navy 5 March 1913-4 March 1921, in 1933-1941 ambassador to Mexico.
3. The Washington Naval Treaty ratified 17 August 1923 signed between the five major naval powers at that moment (USA, United Kingdom, France, Italy and Japan) limited the numbers and displacement of battleships, battle cruisers and aircraft carriers to be kept and for the other ships like cruisers a maximum displacement of 10.000 tons and a maximum calibre of 8”. The London Naval Treaties of 1930 and 1936 modified the Washington Naval Treaty.
