The British and Germans had built several such ships even the Japanese navy (then an ally to the U.S. The concept for the design had first been floated in 1909 and was quite popular in naval thinking. The battle-cruiser was supposed to be able to hit hard and still be able to outrun lumbering dreadnought battleships. The idea was a hard-hitting ship with the predatory speed and big guns to catch and destroy the fastest cruisers sent to sea by the enemy (whichever country that might turn out to be). The SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN does not know exactly the thickness and distribution of this armor, and if we did we would not tell for if there is one feature of warship design more than any other upon which the Naval Constructor is silent, it is that of the armor plan of new ships.” On one point only, that of armor protection, is information lacking. It will be agreed that, without exaggeration, these stupendous war ships, in their combination of size, speed and power, must be considered to be the most novel and sensational (if we may use the word) ships designed for any Navy since the day of the British “Dreadnought.” They have the length of the largest transatlantic liners, the speed of the fastest destroyers, and the gun power of a modern battleship. “By the courtesy of the Secretary of the Navy, we are enabled to publish the above official drawing of the accepted design for our new battle-cruisers, the construction of a division of six of which was authorized last summer. The headline for the article in the issue from 100 years ago today is short, sweet and enthusiastic-bordering on gushing: “Our Superb Battle-Cruisers.”
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