Hawkins displaced about 12,500 tons at full load and carried seven 7.5-inch guns. Omaha mounted twelve six-inch weapons, eight in single mountings and four in two twin turrets, while Nagara carried seven 140 mm guns. Their quoted speeds were 31, 35, and 36 knots respectively. Omaha is described as having thicker armour in several respects than Hawkins, while Nagara had very little protection. Their torpedo batteries also differed. These lightly protected, transitional cruisers provided examples for the treaty's smaller-warship category before an international cruiser design standard had settled.
Chapter · 21:14-23:48
Hawkins, Omaha, and Nagara as cruiser benchmarks
A comparison of contemporary British, American, and Japanese cruisers shows the varied ships behind the treaty's new cruiser definition.