The North Carolina class was a class of two fast battleships , North Carolina and Washington , built for the United States Navy in the late 1930s and early 1940s. The navy was originally uncertain whether the ships should be fast enough to counter the Japanese Kongō class , which was believed by the United States to be capable of 26 kn (48 km/h ; 30 mph ), or should sacrifice speed for additional firepower and armor. The Second London Naval Treaty 's requirement that all capital ships have a standard displacement of under 35,000 LT (35,600 t ) prevented the desired objectives from being fully realized within its limits, and the navy considered over fifty designs before one was chosen.