
Navy set out to build only one class of battlecruiser: the Lexington class.

The high speed would give them more tactical options, including the ability to control engagements, while maintaining hitting power. Even as power plant efficiency improved, navies were considering the 'battlecruiser' - a capital ship with battleship armament that traded some armor mass for sleekness and speed.

The data presented in the AA Defense sidebar section may be incorrect.įor a graphic summary of ships Tiers VIII thru XI see LittleWhiteMouse's "Actual AA DPS".Īt the turn of the century, capital ships were slow due to the enormous mass of guns and armor that they carried and the wide hull forms required to keep that mass afloat.
