In 1890 , the US Navy had pioneered the use of 8 - inch ( 203 mm ) intermediate guns with the Indiana class , but had not used these consistently in their previous designs .
Opinions and experiences varied .
In 1890 , the US Navy had pioneered the use of 8 - inch ( 203 mm ) intermediate guns with the Indiana class , but had not used these consistently in their previous designs because opinions and experiences varied .