This may be premature: US/CA/1918

Perhaps this is too early, but I went with 9-8in guns and 32 knots for ships laid down in 1918. I am not being ambitious enough, as the US was considering fast ships with 12-8in guns at that point. This is the Springsharp report:

US/CA/1918, United States Heavy Cruiser laid down 1918 (Engine 1931)

Displacement:
 11,513 t light; 11,977 t standard; 13,500 t normal; 14,718 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
 618.47 ft / 615.00 ft x 62.00 ft x 22.00 ft (normal load)
 188.51 m / 187.45 m x 18.90 m  x 6.71 m

Armament:
      9 - 8.00" / 203 mm guns (3x3 guns), 256.00lbs / 116.12kg shells, 1918 Model
   Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
   on centreline ends, majority forward, 1 raised mount - superfiring
      8 - 5.00" / 127 mm guns in single mounts, 62.50lbs / 28.35kg shells, 1918 Model
   Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts with hoists
   on side, all amidships
      16 - 0.50" / 12.7 mm guns in single mounts, 0.06lbs / 0.03kg shells, 1918 Model
   Machine guns in deck mounts 
   on side, all amidships, all raised mounts - superfiring
 Weight of broadside 2,805 lbs / 1,272 kg
 Shells per gun, main battery: 120
 6 - 21.0" / 533.4 mm above water torpedoes

Armour:
   - Belts:  Width (max) Length (avg)  Height (avg)
 Main: 4.00" / 102 mm 540.00 ft / 164.59 m 15.00 ft / 4.57 m
 Ends: Unarmoured
   Main Belt covers 135 % of normal length
   Main belt does not fully cover magazines and engineering spaces

   - Torpedo Bulkhead:
  1.00" / 25 mm 540.00 ft / 164.59 m 21.00 ft / 6.40 m

   - Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
 Main: 4.00" / 102 mm 2.00" / 51 mm  2.00" / 51 mm

   - Armour deck: 2.00" / 51 mm, Conning tower: 4.00" / 102 mm

Machinery:
 Oil fired boilers, steam turbines, 
 Geared drive, 4 shafts, 103,041 shp / 76,869 Kw = 32.00 kts
 Range 10,000nm at 15.00 kts
 Bunker at max displacement = 2,741 tons

Complement:
 626 - 814

Cost:
 £2.258 million / $9.031 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
 Armament: 351 tons, 2.6 %
 Armour: 3,012 tons, 22.3 %
    - Belts: 1,293 tons, 9.6 %
    - Torpedo bulkhead: 420 tons, 3.1 %
    - Armament: 254 tons, 1.9 %
    - Armour Deck: 997 tons, 7.4 %
    - Conning Tower: 49 tons, 0.4 %
 Machinery: 3,081 tons, 22.8 %
 Hull, fittings & equipment: 5,069 tons, 37.5 %
 Fuel, ammunition & stores: 1,987 tons, 14.7 %
 Miscellaneous weights: 0 tons, 0.0 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
 Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
   17,771 lbs / 8,061 Kg = 69.4 x 8.0 " / 203 mm shells or 2.4 torpedoes
 Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.21
 Metacentric height 3.5 ft / 1.1 m
 Roll period: 14.0 seconds
 Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 58 %
   - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.65
 Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.16

Hull form characteristics:
 Hull has rise forward of midbreak
 Block coefficient: 0.563
 Length to Beam Ratio: 9.92 : 1
 'Natural speed' for length: 24.80 kts
 Power going to wave formation at top speed: 57 %
 Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50
 Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 3.00 degrees
 Stern overhang: 2.00 ft / 0.61 m
 Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
    - Stem:  28.00 ft / 8.53 m
    - Forecastle (20 %): 24.00 ft / 7.32 m
    - Mid (67 %):  24.00 ft / 7.32 m (17.00 ft / 5.18 m aft of break)
    - Quarterdeck (15 %): 17.00 ft / 5.18 m
    - Stern:  17.00 ft / 5.18 m
    - Average freeboard: 22.01 ft / 6.71 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
 Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 139.0 %
  - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 161.3 %
 Waterplane Area: 26,944 Square feet or 2,503 Square metres
 Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 113 %
 Structure weight / hull surface area: 113 lbs/sq ft or 553 Kg/sq metre
 Hull strength (Relative):
  - Cross-sectional: 0.95
  - Longitudinal: 1.52
  - Overall: 1.00
 Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is cramped
 Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent