 The Delaware class was the second of 11 distinct US capital ship designs begun from 1906 to 1919 ; some 29 battleships and six battlecruisers were laid down during this period , though seven of the battleships and all six of the battlecruisers were cancelled . Except for the Lexington @-@ class battlecruisers , these were all relatively slow ships , designed for no more than 23 kn ( 26 mph ; 43 km / h ) . They ranged in displacement from 16 @,@ 000 to 42 @,@ 000 long tons ( 16 @,@ 257 to 42 @,@ 674 t ) . At this time , no US dreadnought class battleship had yet hit the water as all were either at some stage of building or in design . Virtually the entire US Navy battle line was being designed by drawing on experience from pre @-@ dreadnought designs , or from observation of foreign battleship design . 
