There were six ships constructed of the Connecticut Class, Connecticut, Louisiana, Vermont, Kansas, Minnesota, and New Hampshire.  Except the New Hampshire, the rest made the entire cruise around the world.  They were constructed between 1903 and 1908, many being commissioned within 18-months of the cruise.  The main battery of the ships was four 12-inch guns in two twin gun turrets forward and aft.  The secondary battery consisted of eight 8-inch guns, mounted amidships,  and twelve 7-inch guns mounted in casemates along port and starboard sides.  The easiest way to distinguish this class of battleship is the three boiler funnels aligned down the centerline of the ship and the "single level" 12-inch gun mounts forward and aft.