Battlecruisers of the United States Navy - Lexington Class Battlecruisers, USS Saratoga, USS Lexington, USS Constitution, USS Constellation (Paperback)

Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: Lexington Class Battlecruisers, Uss Saratoga, Uss Lexington, Uss Constitution, Uss Constellation, Uss United States, Uss Ranger. Excerpt: The Lexington class battlecruisers were the only class of battlecruiser to ever be ordered by the United States Navy. Sixgiven names from battles in the American Revolutionary War or the original six frigateswere planned as part of the massive 1916 building program, but their construction was repeatedly postponed in favor of escort ships and anti-submarine vessels. During these delays, the class was redesigned several times; they were originally designed to mount ten 14"/50 caliber guns and eighteen 5"/51 caliber guns on a hull with a maximum speed of 35 knots, but by the time of the definitive design, these specifications had been altered to eight 16"/50 caliber guns and sixteen 6"/53 caliber guns, with a speed of 33.25 knots to improve hitting power and armor (the decrease in speed was mostly attributed to the additions of armor). While four of the ships were eventually canceled and scrapped on their building ways in 1922 to comply with mandates outlined by the Washington Naval Treaty, two (Lexington and Saratoga) were converted into the United States' first fleet carriers. Both saw extensive action in the Second World War, with Lexington conducting many raids before being sunk after the Battle of Coral Sea and Saratoga battling in the Pacific and the Far East. Though she was hit by torpedoes on two different occasions, Saratoga survived the war only to be sunk as a target ship during Operation Crossroads. As early as 1912, the U.S. Navy (USN) was considering the construction of battlecruisers to combat the four new Kong class ships currently building for the Imperial Japanese Navy. However, when it wa... More: http://booksllc.net/?id=23977292