High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The Delaware-class battleships of the United States Navy were the second class of American dreadnoughts. They carried a battery of ten 12"/45 caliber Mark 5 guns in five turrets, an increase of two guns over the preceding South Carolina class. They were also larger, displacing 25% more than the South Carolinas. The Delawares were capable of 21 knots (40 km/h), a significant improvement over the earlier class, which was limited to 18.5 knots (30 km/h). The two ships of the class, Delaware and North Dakota, were both launched in 1909.