 Although one of the two designs had been rejected , the debate did not end . In November , the Board decided on a different plan , with eight 8 @-@ inch guns mounted in four waist turrets and 12 7 @-@ inch guns . This arrangement was chosen because the 8 @-@ inch gun could penetrate medium armor on battleships , and the 7 @-@ inch gun was capable of rapid fire . The new design also had heavier armor and a thicker belt than the first design . Two ships of this plan , Connecticut and Louisiana , were authorized on 1 July 1902 , and three more were added on 2 March 1903 : Vermont , Kansas , and Minnesota . New Hampshire was authorized on 27 April 1904 . 
