The United States Navy's cruiser shortfall

The United States waited four years after the 1922 treaty to lay down Pensacola, the first ship of its new heavy-cruiser class. The resulting shortage distorted later choices, including the decision to fit eight-inch guns and their high-mounted ammunition weight to the Lexington-class carriers for self-defense. A navy rich in battleships and four-stack destroyers still lacked the intermediate ships needed for scouting, peacetime presence, and fast task-force support. Cruisers had been central to American victories in the Spanish-American War, yet Congress declined to fund them when the treaty left cruiser construction open.