 The Lexington @-@ class ships had an overall length of 874 feet ( 266 @.@ 4 m ) , a beam of 105 feet 4 inches ( 32 @.@ 1 m ) , and a draft of 31 feet ( 9 @.@ 4 m ) . They displaced 43 @,@ 500 long tons ( 44 @,@ 200 t ) at normal load and 44 @,@ 638 long tons ( 45 @,@ 354 t ) at deep load . Because the demand for extreme speed necessitated a long hull with maximum freeboard , the forecastle was extended down 75 percent of the total length of the hull . For this class , Rear Admiral David W. Taylor , who served as Chief Constructor for the Bureau of Construction and Repair , used a relatively new kind of bow called the bulbous bow or Taylor bow . The result of a series of towing tests begun in 1910 , this bow reduced water resistance by an average of six percent , supported the forecastle and reduced bending stress on the hull . At speeds of more than 25 knots , test results were highly favorable . A disadvantage was the formation of a heavy layer of water which would creep up along the outer plating of the forecastle at higher speeds . However , this tendency could be reduced to some degree by careful design of the frames . Taylor first introduced this bow , also known as a bulbous forefoot , in his design of the USS Delaware , which entered service in 1910 . 
