President

Баллистика

Модель бронирования

Обзор

The U.S. Navy leadership first considered the need for a battlecruiser as early as 1911, when information about the construction of Japanese Kongō-class ships emerged. The initial American design included ten 254 mm guns. Battlecruisers were officially included in the construction program in 1916, but their laying was repeatedly delayed because resources were occupied by anti-submarine ships and escort vessels. In early 1918, the characteristics of the British Hood-class battlecruisers, described as "fast battleships," became known. After studying this data, the U.S. Navy leadership demanded a redesign of the American battlecruisers, increasing armor and strengthening armament to 406 mm main battery guns. Accordingly, displacement also grew—to 55,000 tons. In May 1918, several draft design options were presented, one of which included a 254 mm armor belt. These options were not implemented, and further development of the project led to the creation of the Lexington-class battlecruisers.