WW2 American Cruisers

Nomenclature of USN Cruisers

Omaha class scout cruisers (1920)

The Omaha were the first American cruisers after a very long eclipse dating back to 1907 (the Chester). They were originally designed in 1919, originally to take the squadrons of large-scale destroyers (Wickes and Clemson) from the end of the Great War. Like them, they had this hull flush-deck and were recognisable “oven pipers”. Their artillery was original, with an arrangement of two double turrets and pieces in barbettes, an unlikely mix that illustrated their transitional nature. They were launched in 1920-23 and completed in 1922-24, bearing the names of southern American cities (Omaha, Milwaukee, Cincinnati, Raleigh, Detroit, Richmond, Concord, Trenton, Marblehead, and Memphis).

Built lightly, they relied on speed and were part of this generation of what were called tin-clad cruisers, relying on speed as their only protection. lower on the water and in heavy weather in the North Atlantic, they loaded so much sea water that the sailors used to joke that their machines did not run on oil but with water from the sea. Atlantic … More poorly isolated, they were icy and wet in winter, furnaces in the summer sious the tropics. Their anti-submarine protection was very advanced and their active service was very active and long.

These ten ships received in 1936 a new main telemeter, their front mast was reinforced, and a more modern DCA was added to them in 1939, consisting of several double cal.50 (12.7 mm) machine gun carriages. In 1942 with the war, they were taken in hand for a deep modification of their DCA, modernized notably with new 127 mm pieces and a very reinforced light armament (see specifications). Those sent to the Pacific as those assigned to the Atlantic served as escorts.

At min-1942 a radar was added to them, and what they had left of torpedo tubes (four quadruple benches, originally 16 tubes) were removed to improve their stability, as well as the catapults for seaplanes that fitted some of them. . In 1944, the Milwaukee was transferred to the USSR as a lease-loan becoming the Murmansk, to provide escorts from that port. None of these were sunk during the war. They were all scrapped in 1946, except the Murmansk, returned in 1947.

Read More about the Omaha class

The USS Milwaukee in June 1942, departing for Guadalcanal. The camouflage of the time was quite complex but well adapted to the landscape of South Pacific islands.

Characteristics (in 1942)

Displacement: 7050 t, 8950 T FL
Dimensions: 172 x 16.2 x 7.25 m
Propulsion: 2 propellers, 2 Westinghouse turbines, 2 BW boilers, 70,000 hp. and 32 knots max.
Armor: 90 mm belt, 25-50 mm blockhouse, bridges and CT.
Armament: 10 x 152mm guns (2×2, 6×1), 6 x 127mm guns, 2×4 x 40mm, 8 x 20mm, 8 Mitt. 12.7 mm, 2×4 TLT 533 mm.
Crew: 750

Pensacola class heavy cruisers (1928)

The USS Pensacola in March 1945, in support of Okinawa. Note the evolutions with the original design – see below.

When the treaty of Washington was ratified by the great naval powers in 1922, the nomenclature of the types was modified and somehow concepts, consecrated. Among these changes, the most notable was the appearance of a new class in its own right, the “Washington Cruiser” which in fact was the typical form of the heavy cruiser, a new category with almost intangible, 10,000 tons – Eight 8-inches (203 mm). If the British, French and Italians chose the double turret configuration, the Americans from the beginning adopted a triple turret configuratiosn already well initiated for their dreadnought. It appeared natural to adapt it for their cruisers, while maintaining a configuration in four axial turrets.

The Admiralty had thus in this design choose a compromise with the most powerful artillery possible (ten pieces) crammed on a strictly limited tonnage. Like other navies, welding construction technique was adopted to save tons of steels rivets. But these choices were paid later in practice and throughout their careers. For reasons still unclear the triple turrets were placed in superfiring positions rather than the contrary.

In addition, this was compounded by the adoption of tripod military masts, both tall and heavy, to suppoer the fire control posts, and a tall bridge blockhouse. With a limited beam and a lightly built hull, this caused a dangerous overweight and the Pensacola cruisers were quickly seen as excessive “rollers”. So excessive in fact that from trials, captain voluntarily limited their evolutions and turns in particulars. Each time these manoeuvers needed to be made a a lower speed than the operation required. Morover their pitch was high due to flush deck hull too short, narrow and overloaded in the front, making these ships ploughing excessively and disturbingly, in heavy weather.

The Pensacola class was quasi-experimental. USS Pensacola twin, USS Salt Lake City, was launched in 1930 and completed in 1931. Both ships received already counterkeels in 1939 to improve their stability, but in 1942 their superstructures were massively lightened, and the massive tripod masts were removed. This did dot resolved completely their problem, but having their turrets swapped for example or the superrfiring ones removed seemed not to have been an option. They received a radar, new fire control systems, and a powerful AAA. This settled some of their deficiencies and they participated in the major pacific operations before being removed from active service in 1947.

Their example helped to define the next class, the Northampton. It must be said that the last class of “heavy” cruisers in USN service dated back to the Saint Louis of 1908. This partly explains many theoretical deficiencies leading to the blueprints for these ships, a true novelty in the US Navy.

The USS Salt Lake City in 1939. These over-armed sailors were so severely weighted in the highs that they were rebuilt in 1942.

The USS Pensacola in March 1945, in support of Okinawa. Note the evolutions with the original design

Characteristics (in 1939)

Displacement: 9100 tons, 11,500 tons FL
Dimensions: 178.5 x 19.9 x 5.9 m
Propulsion: 2 shaft, 4 Parsons turbines, 4 WF boilers, 107,000 hp. 32.5 knots
Armor: Turrets 165, belt 63, blockhouse and casemate 105-50 mm, bridge 51 mm.
Armament: 10 x 152mm guns (2×2, 2×3), 4 x 127mm guns, 8 Mitt. 12.7 mm, 2×3 TLT 533 mm, 4 seaplanes.
Crew size: 631

Northampton class heavy cruisers (1930)

Succeeding to the Pensacola, the Northampton class improved many points. The very poor behavior at sea was compensated by a raised bow and forecastle instead of a flush deck, three triple turrets instead of four mixed, an increased width, and lowered superstructures. However, speed remaining a priority, their armor was sacrificed, only capable against destroyers shells, and their subdivision, especially for parabolic shells, was insufficient. These were the USN “tin-clad cruisers”. The class included six ship built at Newport News and New York’s arsenal respectively: USS Augusta, Chicago and Houston, Northampton, Chester and Louisville.

The war quickly imposed the adoption of an AAA more convincing than single 5-in (127 mm) mounts and 0.5 in (12.7 mm) HMGs with nothing in between. One of their side TT bank was sacrificed for four additional 5-in and four twin 0.5 in mounts. Their aft superstructure was lightened, and from 1943, a new drastic overhaul of the superstructure occured, which were lowered and lightened, but better armored. Subsequently survivors of Guadalcanal in late 1943 saw the replacement of their 0.5 in by quadruple 40 mm and single 20 mm (in 1944, typically twenty 40 mm and thirteen to twenty 20 mm Oerlikon). Houston, Northampton and Chicago were sunk around Guadalcanal, USS Chester was badly damaged in never repaired, while the other two survived and left the active lists in 1949.

USS Houston in march 1942, with an early navy blue camouflage measure, in the Solomons.

Characteristics (in 1941)
Displacement: 9,006 t, 11,420 T FL
Dimensions: 182.96 x 20.14 x 5.9 m
Propulsion: 2 shafts, 4 Parsons turbines, 4 WT boilers, 107,000 hp. and 32.5 knots max.
Armor: Turrets 50-60, belt 76, blockhouse and casemate 95-20 mm, bridge 25 mm.
Armament: 9 x 152mm (3×3) guns, 8 x 127mm guns, 8 Mitt. 12.7 mm, 2×3 TLT 533 mm, 4 seaplanes.
Crew: 670 (1941) 850 (1944).

Portland class heavy cruisers (1931)

USS Portland, colorized by Hirootoko JR.

Designed after the Northampton, the two new heavy cruisers, Portland and Indianapolis, were contemporary of the New Orleans which on their side improved on many points and mainly that of protection. Spacious, larger and heavier than the Northamptons, they were nonetheless also the last of the “tin clad” cruisers. Their tonnage was already 10,260 tonnes standard, so there was no additional armor margin possible within the limitations.

Some areas were protected against 6-in shells at certain angles, but 8-in shells could pass through them without problem. Torpedo tubes were removed and AAA increased in compensation. Among their originality, the front mast was much lower, as well as the rear one, lighter and cleared of projectors, relegated to footbridges behind the funnel, for a better stability. Their large accommodations make them ideal to serve as command ships.

Until May 1943, these two ships were taken over for a redesign, among other things to clear the bow for more AAA, which more than doubled. The superstructure were rebuilt, lightened and lowered, with an open deck, and the tripod mast removed in favor of a mast-lattice in front of the rear funnel. AAA went up to four quadruple carriages, and four twin 40 mm and 12 singles 20 mm Oelikon. These two ships were heavily engaged in the Pacific. These modifications were the prototypes of the subsequent Northampton class reconstruction.

USS Indianapolis

USS Portland (CA33), was very active and deployed during most major naval operations of the Pacific, and several times damaged. She survived the war and was broken up in December 1959. In 1945, USS Indianapolis was doubly (in)famous. First for delivering the A Bomb (“Little Boy”) at Tinian, where a B29 bomber named Enola Gay, carried it to sow apocalypse in Hiroshima.

As a kind of stroke of fate (or celestial vengeance for the Japanese), the cruiser on her return on July 29 was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine. The last USN major loss in this war. She sank quickly, taking with her a large part of the crew, the others having to survive through the burning oil, and later isolation and fatigue, shark attacks for several days before being collected. The last ship of the allies to be sunk during the Second World War was the centrepiece of a drama that inspired a movie, USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage in 2016.

USS Indianapolis en 1945, at the time she delivered the atomic bomb, sunk soon after on her way back.

Specifications
Displacement: 10,258 t. standard -12,755 t. Full Load
Dimensions: 185.9 m long, 20.12 m wide, 6.40 m draft
Machines: 4 propellers, 4 Parsons turbines, 8 Yarrow boilers, 107,000 hp.
Maximum speed: 32.5 knots
Shield: Belt 57, turrets 65, bridges 160-50
Weaponry: 9 guns of 203 (3 × 3), 8 of 127, 8 ML 12.7 mm AA, 4 aircraft
Crew: 917

New Orleans class heavy cruisers (1933)

No doubt the “tin class cruisers” of the previous Washington designs, imposed by the tonnage limit forced the office of construction and repair within the Admiralty to review its copy by gaining weight where it was necessary for a better distribution and improve protection. The “tin clad cruisers” period was drawing to an end in Europe, Italy unveiling the Zara class and France the Algérie. Also it was no longer claimed that the range and firepower of 8-in artillery made any protection superfluous. From 1929 a plan called for 20 new cruisers, and very quickly the admiralty was interested in well-balanced European designs.

The bureau studies demonstrated that by restricting dimensions and weight distributon it was possible to maintain good protection, sufficient horsepower and reasonable speed while remaining within the required tonnage limit. But that implied also a slower speed. This design work led to the definition of an internal compartmentation with an internal armor extending only around the superstructures and main turrets, called the “immune zone” using the all or nothing scheme already tried on battleships, and inspired from ancient protected cruisers.

In addition to this redistribution, lighter and still powerful machines were used, while torpedo tubes were eliminated from the design. The hull was also shortened and lowered. This allowed a 5.5 in (130 mm) armour thickness overall on the central cell and belt. Machine rooms were protected by an extra 3.5-in (90 mm) and the decks by 2.5-in (64 mm).

The US Navy used this class, first called Astoria after the lead ship (which sank later), to test variations on a design that remained broadly similar. There are three series, the New Orleans, Astoria and Minneapolis, for the first, the Tuscaloosa and San Francisco for the second and the Quincy and Vincennes for the last. Blueprints were revised between each series and a difference of 600 tons existed between the first and last. These were test benches and the direct ancestors of all upcoming American cruisers. The turrets received 0.9-3 in (25-70 mm) and the barbettes 7-in (170 mm). The blockhouse was protected by 5.5-in also. But speed remained very comfortable at 33 knots. On their time, the New Orleans were probably among the world’s most successful heavy cruisers, although protection (as shown by events) was still not optimal.

On the other hand, anti-aircraft artillery was entrusted to eight 5-in (127 mm), way too slow to deal with modern strafing aviation, alongside eight 2.5 in way too short in range. This was largely compensated during the war, with many quadruple Bofors 40 mm and fifty or so single oerlikon guns. They also received radar and new targeting and firing controls, while their superstructure was lightened again, reworked but “bunkerized”. USS Astoria, Quincy and Vincennes were famously destroyed during the battle of Savo in August 1942, and the others participated in many hard engagements but survived the war.

USS San Francisco in March 1945, the horizontal livery in effect since the end of 1944, of light gray/medium gray/dark blue

Characteristics (in 1941):
Displacement: 9,950 t, 12,400 T FL
Dimensions: 179,27 x 18,82 x 5,9 m
Propulsion: 2 shafts, 4 Westinghouse turbines, 8 B&C boilers, 107,000 hp. 32.7 knots max.
Armor: Turrets 30-70, belt 120, CT 130 and casemate 80 mm, decks 60 mm.
Armament: 9 x 203 mm (3×3), 8 x 127 mm, 8 x 12.7 mm, 4 seaplanes

Brooklyn class heavy cruisers (1936)

The signing of the Treaty of London, then a report from the US Naval Attaché to Japan which noted that the IJN Admiralty with the Mogami was working on a new type of cruiser combining low displacement and great firepower, presided over the design of Brooklyn class ships. They were by tonnage heavy cruisers, with a displacement of nearly 10,000 tons, but “light cruisers” as armed with fifteen 6-in (152 mm) guns of a new semi-automatic type, twice as fast as 8-in guns. Distribution was also in five triple turrets to achieve the greatest possible firepower.

On the other hand, this passage to fifteen guns took place at the cost of a drastic reduction of armor compared to New Orleans. The hull was nevertheless of a new model, more massive and roomy, especially with a near square stern, incorporating a hangar for 4 seaplanes. Compartimentation was stronger, compensating the lack of armor by dissipating the rounds energy. As a result, the superstructures were also reduced to allow the installation of the five axial turrets.

Just like the previous class, seven of the Brooklyn class were built between 1935 and 1938. USS Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Savanah, Nashville, Phoenix, Boise, Honolulu, St Louis, and Helena. The latter two had their machines rearranged, and new 5-in/38 in the brand new twin turret instead of the previous single unprotected mounts, while their superstructures were revised behind the aft funnel.

USS Brooklyn 1942

In 1942, they all received a new open gangway, with lightened superstructure, the CT removed, and portholes largely welded shuts. They were later supplemented by a massive AAA, reaching its maximum at the end of 1944 with four quadruple and six twin 40 mm carriages, and twenty 20 mm AA in twin or 18-20 in single mounts.

They were all well engaged in combat with mixed success, in Europe for the most part, especially in the Mediterranean. In 1943, in July, the USS Helena was sunk by German guided flying bombs. It was proved that her AA did not have sufficient scope. This was the only loss of this class, and only USN cruiser sunk by missiles. After the war, those who were not broken up in 1960 had been sold to the three “naval powers” of South America, Brazil (StLouis), Argentina (Phoenix, Boise), and Chile (Brooklyn), Nashville). They were still in service in the 1980s, with little change.

USS Philadelphia

Read More about the Brooklyn class

Characteristics (in 1941):
Displacement: 9,767 t. standard -12 207 t. Full Load
Dimensions: 185.42 m long, 18.82 m wide, 6.93 m draft
Machines: 4 propellers, 4 Parsons turbines, 8 B & W boilers, 100,000 hp.
Maximum speed: 32.5 knots
Shield: Belt 127, turrets 155, bridges 25, blockhouse 127
Armament: 15 guns of 152 (5 × 3), 8 of 127 mm, 30 of 40 mm AA (4 × 4, 6 × 2), 20 of 20 mm, 8 mitt. 12.7 mm AA, 4 aircraft
Crew: 868

USS Wichita (1937)

USS Wichita and USS Wasp at Scapa Flow by April 1942

USS Wichita in 1945

This heavy cruiser, derived from the Brooklyn class, shared the hull with its square stern, and was authorized under the Treaty of London, for the fiscal year 1935. A Brooklyn derivative was proposed, with better equipment and space available for its onboard aviation, and superstructures revised to release additional firing arc, and a more modern secondary armament in single DP turrets, a higher freeboard, better stability, and new turrets, more spaced, plus a much better protection, while exceeding the 10,000 tonnes limit.
The Wichita entered service in 1939, and she was an important milestone in the design of USN heavy cruisers of the 1940s: The Baltimores class studied in 1940 were closely inspired by the Wichita.

However, as the boundaries of the treaty flew away at the beginning of the conflict, engineers became free to add additional 5-in turrets and largely reinforce the AAA, now including 40 and 20 mm guns (8 of 40 mm and 15 of 20 mm). Wichita was little modified until 1944, gaining a radar while her bridge was lightened and rebuilt in the same standard as other cruisers.
USS Wichita spent most of her career in the Atlantic, escorting convoys with the Royal Navy. In 1948, the office of ships and repair conducted a study for her conversion into a missile cruiser. In the end Baltimore class units were preferred and she joined the demolition yard in 1959.

Author’s illustration of USS Wichita in 1945

Characteristics (in 1941):
Displacement: 10,589 t. standard -13 015 t. Full Load
Dimensions: 185,42 m long, 18,82 m wide, 7,24 m of draft
Machines: 4 propellers, 4 Parsons turbines, 8 Babcock and Wilcox boilers, 100,000 hp.
Maximum speed: 33 knots
Shield: Belt 152, turrets 203, bridges 57mm
Weaponry: 9 guns of 203 mm (3 × 3), 8 of 127 mm, 8 ML 12.7 mm AA, 4 aircraft
Crew: 929

Atlanta class AA cruisers (1941)

At the end of the 1930s, the concept of “super destroyer” became fashionable. The Admiralty also sought to define a new type of light cruiser to replace the old Omaha class from the 1920s. The concept had resulted in a lightweight generic ship exclusively armed with the new standard 5-in (127 mm) dual purpose, twin turrets. Semi-automated, these had excellent anti-aircraft capabilities as well as anti-ships and became widespread on the USN.

To survive in front of heavier ships, the Atlanta class had to rely on their speed. The displacement being limited to 6,000 tons was the result of the second treaty of London in 1936 for extra tonnage cruisers. Initially only four ships were ordered, followed by four others much later, and war broken out in the meantime, and so they come as completely redefined in the 1940s with a new rearmament program in a serie of 11 vessels, later curtailed.

USS_San_Diego_Yokosuka_30_August_1945

From USS Oakland, they differed by an open deck and additional light AAA instead of their side turrets. Due to the increase of AAA during the war many modifications were imposed, including the addition of ballasts, removal of TTs, new lightened superstructures, more concentrated, seen on the last launched in 1944-46, USS Juneau (2), Spokane and Fresno. They did not participated in the conflict unlike the other eight completed in 1942-45, USS Atlanta, Juneau, San Diego, San Juan, Oakland, Reno, Flint, and Tucson. They were all named after major Texan cities.

The first four, accepted in emergency in January-February 1942 were immediately thrown into the hell of the Salomon Islands: Two did not return from it, USS Atlanta and Juneau, sank together on November 13 near Guadalcanal. They were the only losses of the war.

The others served as AA escorts for the large Task Forces of the Pacific. Their characteristics made them relatively unhelpful vessels (like the British Dido class), as their engines proved to be disappointing, speed and manoeuvrability very inadequate. As squadron destroyer leaders they proved a little more useful. They remained in service between 20 and 25 years, disarmed 1962-66, even 1973 for USS Spokane.

USS Juneau in 1942, showing her particular camouflage

Characteristics (in 1941):

Displacement: 6,718 t. standard -8,340 t. Full Load
Dimensions: 165 m long, 16.21 m wide, 6.25 m draft
Machinery: 2 shaft Westinghouses turbines, 4 B & W boilers, 75,000 hp.
Top speed: 32.5 knots
Shielding: Max: 90 mm
Armament: 16 guns of 127 (8 × 2), 16 of 40 mm AA (4 × 4), 8 of 20 mm, 8 TLT 533 mm (2 × 4), 80 grenades ASM
Crew: 623

Cleveland class light cruisers (1942)

USS Denver Underway, circa December 1942. Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives.

The Cleveland-class cruisers formed series of ships which became the most prolific ever for cruisers. With 29 completed out of 52 keels laid down, 13 cancellations and 10 converted into fast aircraft carriers (USS Independence class), this was the new standard of USN “light” cruisers. They were “light” only in contrast with the Baltimore, as their wartime tonnage reached 12,000 tonnes empty and 14,000 fully load, above Washington limits.

Among these units, two will be completed on a different design, the USS Fargo and USS Huntington. This revised 1942 design was to give them a better arc of fire for their AAA by adopting a more compact superstructure, entirely reviewed and simplified, plus a single funnel.

The attempt to respect the treaty fell out at the outbreak of the war, and to save time, the Cleveland were chosen for mass production. Their limited size and the hunting of excess weight made their protection insufficient. The original project, defined in 1939, was to include 5 twin turrets of the new semi-automated 6-in, but development time meant that we relied on the proven triple model of the Brooklyn class instead, while the model was ready for the next Worcester.

The Cleveland were more Brooklyn than Wichita in concept, which rather inspired the Baltimore. As expected, the Cleveland had a little more machine space and integral power supply that made portholes obsolete as source of waterways. The AAA artillery differed between ships, 28 x 40 mm and 21 x 20 mm for both Fargo subclasses in 1945.

The Cleveland class ships were laid down between 1 July 1940 and 20 February 1944 and launched between 1 November 1941 and 22 March 1945. Some were completed too late to participate in the war: the USS Manchester, Galveston, Fargo and Huntington, who did not have the opportunity to assert the relevance of their new design in operations. But they were deployed both in Korea and Vietnam.
After the conflict, this force was of course largely involved in many support operations, and some were later converted into hybrid missile launchers. Some were dropped from the lists after 1960, and others survived until 1970-78. The USS Little Rock is one of those. She has been preserved and is currently a museum ship, only surviving example of the class, but not in her original state unfortunately.

USS Birmingham in 1944, soon after the battle of Leyte where she was badly damaged by the explosion of the carrier St Lo

Characteristics

Displacement: 11,744 t. standard -14 130 t. Full Load
Dimensions: 185.9 m long, 20.22 m wide, 7.47 m draft
Machinery: 4 propellers, 4 GE turbines, 4 Babcock & Wilcox boilers, 100,000 hp.
Top speed: 32.5 knots
Armor: Belt 127, turrets 165, bridges 51, inner casemate 127-152 mm
Armament: 12 guns of 152 (5 × 3), 12 of 127 (6 × 2), 28 guns of 40 (4 × 4, 2 × 2), 10 of 20 mm AA, 4 aircraft
Crew: 273

Baltimore class heavy cruisers (1942)

The Baltimore class cruisers were not to be the last or the largest conventional cruisers built, followed after the war by the Worcester and the Des Moines, but they are certainly among the best. The Clevelands had been criticized for their lack of space. The Baltimores were to resume studies with the USS Wichita and push their advantage in a more massive hull while paying particular attention to protection.

Peacetime had long been forgotten, since at full load a Baltimore reached 17,000 tons, which was quite considerable, and placed them at the head of allied cruisers in size. The Baltimore class was to have 24 units, but 6 were cancelled on August 12, 1945. The remaining 18 were admitted for service, but after the conflict for six of them. Those who had time to participate were 12: The USS Baltimore, Boston, Camberra, Quincy, Pittsburgh, St. Paul, Columbus, Chicago, Bremerton, Fall River, Los Angeles and Macon. They were launched in 1942-44 and completed in 1943-45.

Their main features, apart from their huge hull, were their artillery in three 8-in triple turrets, as for the Wichita, a secondary AA artillery made of standard 5-in twin turrets, and a much higher light weaponry . The experience of the conflict had made it possible to mount such a concentration of guns around the central redoubt that each ship could set up a veritable “wall of steel” impassable to the torpedo bombers, and later to the Kamikazes.

A simple comparison makes it possible to get an idea of ​​it: The USS Wichita, when it entered service in February 1939, had 8 pieces of 127 mm and 8 machine guns of 12.7 mm. With the Baltimore, we went to 12 of 127 mm, 48 of 40 mm, 24 of 20 mm in 1942, and much more in 1945. Another peculiarity of these ships was the adoption of a better distributed shielding, and new shells for their 203 mm pieces. These much heavier ones could in parabolic trajectory cross the thickest armor of Japanese heavy cruisers in service.

During the war, these ships registered no losses, despite their presence in very hard commitments. But in 1944, the situation in Japan was such that the only threats to be feared were Kamikazes and pocket submersibles of the coastal defense or suicide boats. As for the Cleveland, attempts were made to further improve their arc of fire by reducing the superstructures, while reviewing the distribution of the armor.

This culminated in the sub-class Oregon City, launched as her two sister-ships Albany and Rochester in 1945 and completed in 1946. Soon enough for the Korean War. These ships had a brilliant career after the war, forming the backbone of the US conventional fleet until 1970. Many served as fire support and command ships in Vietnam, and five of them were completely rebuilt in missile cruisers including two, the USS Chicago and the USS Albany was still in service in 1980. They have been put in reserve since.

USS Boston in 1945

USS Pittsburg 1945

USS Quincy in 1944

Characteristics

Displacement: 14,472 t. standard -17 030 t. Full Load
Dimensions: 205.26 m long, 21.60 m wide, 7.32 m draft
Machinery: 4 shaft GE turbines, 4 Babcock & Wilcox boilers, 120,000 hp.
Top speed: 33 knots
Armor: Belt 152, turrets 203, bridges 76, inner casemate 127-155 mm
Armament: 9 guns of 203 (3 × 3), 12 of 127 (6 × 2), 48 guns of 40 (11 × 4, 2 × 2), 24 of 20 mm AA, 4 planes.
Crew: 723

Alaska class large cruisers (1944)

USS Alaska, colorized by Hirootoko Jr.

The Alaska class were the great white elephants of the US Navy. Their conception goes back to the beginning of the war, when all the treaties of limitation became obsolete. The US Navy therefore only released itself to study a new standard of conventional heavy cruiser (the term “conventional” designated during the cold war a ship not armed with missiles, but having artillery like main weapon.). The heavy cruiser genre was then brought to a logical degree of “upsizing” taking into account the reality that applied to all warships, ever larger and more powerful. A cruiser from 1880 rarely exceeded 100 meters and was limited to 5000 tons.

The Baltimore rose to 17,000 tons at full load, and with Prinz Eugen German, to 20,000 tons. However their main armament still remained 8 or 9 pieces of 203 mm. With the Alaska, the Admiralty intended to pass directly to the caliber 305 mm, that in force on the ships of line since 1890 and until 1916. Their distribution and the general physiognomy brought them much closer to the contemporary American battleships, so that they were sometimes placed in the obsolete category of “battle cruisers”, which took into account their speed -33 knots-and their armor-relatively light.

The influence of President Roosevelt on their design is often cited. Enthusiastic like the other Theodore of the beginning of the century by all that touched the navy, he wanted for the fleet a type of ship similar to that which made the pride of the Royal Navy, like Hood. It was also intended to make, like the German Germans, an invulnerable pirate of this “super cruiser”.

The Alaska class was to have 6 buildings, but soon, when it became apparent that the concepts underlying them were totally out of date, the other three, which should have been started in June 1943, were canceled. Two units were completed, Guam and Alaska launched in 1943, and Hawaii in March 1945, but only the first two were completed in June and September 1944. They proved in operation that they were a pretty bastard concept, finally, and having no adversaries after their war, expensive maintenance and in any case outclassed by missiles, these dinosaurs had no place in the fleet. They were put in reserve since 1961.

USS Alaska in july 1944

Characteristics

Displacement: 29,780 t. standard -34 253 t. Full Load
Dimensions: 246.43 m long, 27.76 m wide, 9.70 m draft
Machinery: 4 propellers, 4 GE turbines, 8 Babcock & Wilcox boilers, 150,000 hp.
Top speed: 33 knots
Armor: Belt 220, turrets 315, bridges 80-100, blockhouse 270 mm
Armament: 9 guns of 305 (3 × 3), 12 of 127 (6 × 2), 56 guns of 40 (14 × 4), 34 of 20 mm AA
Crew: 1,417