 Plans to begin construction were placed on hold in 1917 . Large numbers of anti @-@ submarine warfare vessels and merchant ships were needed to ensure the safe passage of men and materiel to Europe during Germany 's U @-@ boat campaign and were given top priority . This opened the opportunity for a massive redesign , the need for which had become apparent in light of experience gained in the Battle of Jutland , fought shortly after the initial design for the Lexingtons had been approved and in which three British battlecruisers had been lost . The fact that the U.S. Navy misunderstood the essential points of the battle initially was shown by its ignoring the Lexingtons staying power while increasing their main armament to eight 16 " / 50 caliber guns and their secondary armament to fourteen 6 " / 53 caliber guns . Other factors for this decision were the discovery of plans by Britain and Japan for new battlecruisers armed with 15- and 16 @-@ inch guns ( respectively ) and the recommendation of the Bureau of Ordnance to give these ships the ability " to inflict fatal damage on the enemy 's most powerful vessels at a distance no less than that at which she can be reached by the heavy gunfire of these opponent battleships . " Only 20 of a newer style of boiler were needed , few enough to fit below the armored deck , and the number of funnels was reduced to five . The armor scheme was not modified , as that would have compromised the longitudinal strength of the hull . 
