 The initial impetus for the design of the Alaska class came from the commerce-raiding abilities of German and Japanese ships; the three Deutschland-class cruisers, also known as "pocket battleships", the two Scharnhorst-class battleships, and Japan's large force of both heavy and light cruisers. By the time that they were built, their role had expanded to protect carrier groups. It was thought that the class's bigger guns, greater size and higher speed would give them a marked advantage in this role over heavy cruisers, and they would also provide insurance against reports that Japan was building "super cruisers" more powerful than American cruisers limited by the London Naval Treaty.
