The six battle cruisers of the Lexington class, authorized under the 1917-1919 building programs, were the only ships of their type ever ordered by the U.S. Navy. Intended as fast combat scouts for the battle fleet, these large ships had a prolonged development history. Their original 1916 design was to displace 34,300 tons with a main battery of ten 14-inch guns, rather light armor, seven smokestacks with many of the boilers above the armored deck, and a speed of 35 knots. By 1919, the plans had been recast on the basis of World War I experience to produce larger ships armed with 16-inch guns, much better protection, two smokestacks with all boilers below the armored deck, and a somewhat lower speed.
Construction of the Lexington class ships was held up by other priorities during the First World War, and none of them were laid down until mid-1920. The following year's naval limitations conference in Washington, D.C., had these expensive battle cruisers, and their Japanese and British contemporaries, among its main targets. Following adoption of the Washington Treaty, their construction was stopped in February 1922. The treaty allowed the conversion of two of the battle cruiser hulls to the aircraft carriers Lexington (CV-2) and Saratoga (CV-3). The other four were formally cancelled in August 1923 and scrapped on their building ways.
The Lexington class consisted of six ships, under construction
at four locations:
Original (1916) Battle Cruiser Numbers 1 - 4 design characteristics:
Definitive (1919) Lexington class (Battle Cruiser Numbers 1 - 6) design characteristics:
This page features all our images concerning the Lexington class battle cruiser designs and provides links to what views we have of the individual ships under construction.
For coverage of other classes of U.S. Navy battleships, see: Battleships -- Overview and Special Image Selection.
If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions." |
Click on the small photograph to prompt a larger view of the same image.
Photo #: NH 41960 U.S. Battle Cruisers Nos. 1 - 4 Artwork by F. Muller, circa 1916, depicting the original design adopted for these ships. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 75KB; 900 x 355 pixels Note: The original print for this photograph has a vertical crack through its middle. |
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Photo #: NH 61245 Lexington Class (CC-1 through CC-6)Battle Cruiser Artwork by F. Muller, circa 1919, depicting the definitive design for these ships, whose construction was cancelled under the Washington Naval Limitations Treaty of 1922. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 51KB; 740 x 325 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 41961 U.S. Battle Cruisers Nos. 1 - 6 Contemporary photograph of a painting by Louise Larned, 1922, depicting the definitive design of these ships, whose construction was cancelled under the Washington Naval Limitations Treaty. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 75KB; 740 x 580 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 99411 U.S. Battle Cruisers Nos. 1 - 6 Silhouette and table of principal characteristics for the definitive design of these ships, circa 1920. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 39KB; 900 x 355 pixels |
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Photo #: 80-WP-975 "New Naval Vessels Now Building for Our Fleet" Poster from the "What the Navy is Doing" series, published by the Navy Recruiting Bureau, New York, circa 1919. It depicts the Lexington (CC-1) class battle cruisers and South Dakota (BB-49) class battleships then planned or in early stages of construction. These twelve ships were cancelled under the naval limitations treaty of 1922. Photograph from the Collections of the U.S. National Archives. Online Image: 100KB; 740 x 650 pixels |
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Photo #: 80-WP-1002 "16 Inch Guns for Our Dreadnaughts" Poster from the "What the Navy is Doing" series, published by the Navy Recruiting Bureau, New York, circa 1919. It depicts the manufacture of 16"/50 guns at the Washington Navy Yard, D.C., for installation in the Lexington (CC-1) class battle cruisers and South Dakota (BB-49) class battleships then planned or in early stages of construction. Also shown are pictures of the battle cruiser design, a firing test at Indian Head, Maryland, and the effect of 16-inch shells on heavy armor. Photograph from the Collections of the U.S. National Archives. Online Image: 103KB; 740 x 650 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 81481 Sixteen-inch, 50 Caliber, Mark 2, Mod. 1 Gun Barrel On display in East Willard Park, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., in October 1972. This gun is Number 111, built at the Washington Navy Yard in 1922 for planned installation on the abortive South Dakota (BB 49-54) class battleships and Lexington (CC 1-6) class battle cruisers. Note railway trucks supporting the gun barrel. The two sixteen-inch projectiles displayed alongside the gun are inert shells fired by USS New Jersey into San Clemente Island, California, during shore bombardment practice in 1968. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 161KB; 740 x 615 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 81482 Sixteen-inch, 50 Caliber, Mark 2, Mod. 1 Gun Barrel On display in East Willard Park, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., in October 1972. This gun is Number 111, built at the Washington Navy Yard in 1922 for planned installation on the abortive South Dakota (BB 49-54) class battleships and Lexington (CC 1-6) class battle cruisers. Note railway trucks supporting the gun barrel. The two sixteen-inch projectiles displayed alongside the gun are inert shells fired by USS New Jersey into San Clemente Island, California, during shore bombardment practice in 1968. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 181KB; 740 x 615 pixels |
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Photo #: 80-CF-395b Rear Admiral David W. Taylor, USN (left), Chief of the Bureau of Construction and Repair, and Rear Admiral John K. Robison, USN (right), Chief of the Bureau of Engineering, Hold a model of the battle cruisers (CC-1 class) then under construction, 8 March 1922. In the foreground is a model of an aircraft carrier design converted from the battle cruiser hull. This photo illustrates the genesis of the Lexington (CV-2) class aircraft carrier design. Standing in the background are (from left to right): Rear Admiral William A. Moffett, USN, Chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics; Congressman Frederick C. Hicks, of New York; Congressman Clark Burdick, of Rhode Island; and Congressman Philip D. Swing, of California. Photographed at the Navy Department by Harris & Ewing. Photograph from Department of the Navy collections in the U.S. National Archives. Online Image: 86KB; 740 x 540 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. |
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For coverage of other classes of U.S. Navy battleships, see: Battleships -- Overview and Special Image Selection.
If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions." |
Page made 20 February 2000
New images added and text revised 26 June 2004