Comparing Lexington with HMS Hood

Lexington and Hood were contemporaries that divided weight and machinery differently. Lexington was credited with 33 knots and 10,000 nautical miles at 10 knots; Hood with 32 knots and 5,332 nautical miles at 20 knots. Lexington carried four twin 16-inch mountings, while Hood had four twin 15-inch mountings. Sixteen water-tube boilers fed Lexington's turbo-electric drive for 180,000 shaft horsepower across four shafts; Hood's twenty-four Yarrow boilers and geared turbines produced 144,000 shaft horsepower. The extra 36,000 horsepower bought Lexington one knot. Lexington is quoted at about 44,200 tons near standard load and 45,304 tons deep, compared with Hood's 47,430 tons deep. These figures show how the shared battlecruiser label concealed different choices about propulsion and protection.