The American cruiser is designed for about 32 knots on oil-fired geared turbines. A shallow draft suits access around the Caribbean, while ten-inch main guns and five-inch secondaries establish the armament. Armour and deck protection remain on a cruiser scale. Sonar is a deliberate preference inspired by Royal Navy cruiser practice, with the historical US omission acknowledged. Torpedoes are another deliberate departure from the US practice described here, and deck-mounted tubes would be preferred to the game's available arrangement. Those choices belong to this counterfactual design and reflect personal preferences about how an American cruiser should be equipped.
Notable Point · 46:07-56:29
Designing an American 10-inch treaty cruiser
The American counterfactual balances a 15,000-ton limit, high speed, shallow draft, and deliberate departures from historical US cruiser practice.