Even before construction, polished renderings made the Lexingtons part of peacetime information warfare. The clipper bow, low quarterdeck, large guns, twin funnels, and tall masts advertised speed and force. Completed ships could have taken the same sort of world tour as Hood and Repulse on the Royal Navy's Empire Cruise, visiting Japan, China, India, Australia, Europe, Britain, and South America. Each port call would have linked American diplomacy to a memorable capital ship. Later encounters with smaller US cruisers, sloops, or gunboats could revive that image, extending the battlecruisers' influence beyond their immediate presence.
Notable Point · 8:00-12:17
Battlecruisers as peacetime presence ships
A fast, imposing Lexington could have projected US naval power through world cruises and diplomatic visits before combat.