The General Board began preparations for a new class of battleships in May–July 1935. Three design studies were submitted to them: "A" would be armed with nine guns in triple turrets—all forward of the bridge—capable of 30–knots, and armored against 14-inch shells; "B" and "C" would both be over , able to reach and armored against 14-inch shells—the major difference between the two was the planned main battery, as "B" had twelve 14-inch guns in triple turrets, while "C" had eight 16-inch/45-caliber guns in dual turrets. "A" was the only one to remain within the 35,000–tons displacement limit set in the Washington Naval Treaty and reaffirmed in the Second London Naval Treaty. When the Bureau of Ordnance introduced a "super-heavy" 16-inch shell, the ships were redesigned ("A1", "B1" and "C1") in an attempt to provide protection against it, but this introduced severe weight problems: "A1" was only below the 35,000-ton limit, while the other two were close to .