Lexington class battle cruisers
The Iowa was part of the South Dakota-classs battleships
Minister Denby (1) intended to propose the Congress to built at least one mother airplane ship. Original were some of these ships proposed but both chambers didn’t approve the building. Senator King (2) of Utah proposed for himself and his Democratic allies to convert 3 battle cruisers into mother airplane ships (3) and to stop at the same time the building of 6 warships of the Iowa-class as soon as the results of this disarmament conference became known. At the same time he wished to stop temporarily the further accomplishment of 3 battle cruisers still on stocks. He explained his proposal by referring to the bombing of former German warships which proved clearly that the value of capital ships was overestimated and that planes and submarines were more important to posses.
Notes
1. Edwin Denby (Evansville, Indiana 18 February 1870-Detroit, Michigan 8 February 1929), secretary of the Navy in 6 march 1921-10 March 1924.
2. William Henry King (Fillmore, Millard County 3 June 1863-Salt Lake City 27 November 1949).
3. The battle cruiser Lexington laid down on 8 January 1921 was although ordered in 1916 as a battle cruiser converted into an aircraft carrier. Together with her sister ship the Saratoga originally designed as a 7-funnelled battle cruiser of 35,900 tons.
