Their artillery was original, with an arrangement of two double turrets and pieces in barbettes, an unlikely mix that illustrated their transitional nature. Their conception goes back to the beginning of the war, when all the treaties of limitation became obsolete. But dispersion was considerable at this distance. 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. The concept had resulted in a lightweight generic ship exclusively armed with the new standard 5-in (127 mm) dual purpose, twin turrets. In WW2/WW1 they would have been Cruiser classes. It appeared natural to adapt it for their cruisers, while maintaining a configuration in four axial turrets. WRT destroyers I really think pollies have tried to eliminate this classification by coming up with new names to appease their base support. The IJN purchase of license rights and ironically saved Oerlikon from Bankrupcy, helping to refine its model, which came close to prefection when it was largely adopted by the allied during the War. Medium-class Military Motorcycle. You must log in or register to reply here. Technically all French escort ships postwar (... other than the cruisers) have carried D-markings, were reported to NATO as destroyers and were internally called "First Rank frigates" (which has always designated destroyers) or "Squadron Escorts". France fell, and in the meantime from 1935 the USN purchased two Oerlikon 20 mm Model 1934 guns for evaluation, but rejected it for having a low muzzle velocity and rate of fire. The Admiralty had thus in this design choose a compromise with the most powerful artillery possible (ten pieces) crammed on a strictly limited tonnage. The USS Milwaukee in June 1942, departing for Guadalcanal. They remained in service between 20 and 25 years, disarmed 1962-66, even 1973 for USS Spokane. They were ultimately replaced witn new twin moonts in 1945. and 32.5 knots max. The Alaska class were the great white elephants of the US Navy. Sat Feb 13, 2021 4:49 am . Torpedo tubes were removed and AAA increased in compensation. 9. The Des Moines had 24 × 3 inch/50 caliber guns in 12 twin mounts, and the Worcester experimented in a big way: There were five dual 3-in/50 Mk33 port, including 3-in/50s installed in early 1949, five dual 3-in/50 Mk33 starboard, and one dual 3-in/50 Mk33 on the bow plus two single 3-in/50 Mk34 on blisters fantail. 270. I think Chris’s explanation is right on. This was the model fitted on the triple turrets of the USS Brooklyn and the eight other ships of the class. 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. Each time these manoeuvers needed to be made a a lower speed than the operation required. Some Navies operate one class as a Destroyer others as a Frigate and a third as a Corvette. Main reasons behind this choice were: 1- Concentrating budgets on the new, promising but costly dreadnoughts 2- The apparition of 1,500 tons fleet destroyers that can act as scouts 3- Gunboats that can fill the role of cruisers for distant stations 4- Battlecruisers that can take on the tasks of former fleet cruisers. 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. After the conflict, this force was of course largely involved in many support operations, and some were later converted into hybrid missile launchers. Indeed, Admiral King argued strongly for their completion on the theory that a homogeneous group of eight such ships would be extremely valuable. Their large accommodations make them ideal to serve as command ships. Another peculiarity of these ships was the adoption of a better distributed shielding, and new shells for their 203 mm pieces. With a limited beam and a lightly built hull, this caused a dangerous overweight and the Pensacola cruisers were quickly seen as excessive “rollers”. The USS Chicago, Albany and Columbus became CG conversions and Boston and Camberra CAG-1 and 2. In 1943, in July, the USS Helena was sunk by German guided flying bombs. Until the capitulation of Japan, 124,735 Oerlikon were manufactured in the USA alone. Therefore 10,000 tons cruisers armed with 6-in guns were now, if not desirable, realistic. Others were planned for the Lexington class battlecruisers and South Dakota class super dreadnoughts, both cancelled. USN BuOrd investigated in 1940 to replacing the 0.50″ BMG and W.H.P. As a result the ships displaced twice as much, top speed rose to 33 knots, while artillery configuration showed the transitional state of artillery at that time, with twin turrets and casemate guns. The first two, Cleveland and Columbia, were laid down in the summer of 1940, while the last commissioned one of the proper Cleveland class was the USS Portsmouth (CL-102) in June 1945, however ten hulls were completed as fast light fleet aircraft carriers (CVL, Independence class), and many other converted after the war as hybrid missile cruisers. No less than fifty two keels laid down, this was quite an achievement. But these choices were paid later in practice and throughout their careers. BMW R61 . The Alaska “large cruisers” main caliber. Her last cruisers dated back also from 1906. Two 45 pounds (20 kg) silk bags of smokeless powder were loaded each time. 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. The weaker version was the Mark 17, only capable of 5-8 rounds per minute and installed on the Erie class gunboats in single mounts. Distribution was also in five triple turrets to achieve the greatest possible firepower. The first model was used by the Brooklyns and sub-class St Louis, Cleveland and Fargo. Masterpiece Classic: Downton Abbey - Seasons 1-6 Complete Collections with Bonus 1,263. price $ 99. These were fleet escorts to provide cover to the new USN supercarriers, like the nuclear USS Enteprise and previous Kitty Hawk and Forrestal conventional carriers classes. However their main armament still remained 8 or 9 pieces of 203 mm. 1932. If anything there is perhaps a political trend to class a ship as a lower type to make it sound less offensive (ie. Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives. Jan 4, 2021 #4 I think Chris’s explanation is right on. Machine rooms were protected by an extra 3.5-in (90 mm) and the decks by 2.5-in (64 mm). HE shells in this configuration aimed at the superstructures raised interest in the admiralty. 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). As the decision to pass to a new class was made in mid-1943, the next cruisers to be ordered were order to ensure that some of the new twin DP 6in/47 mounts were sent to However, he was overruled and later CA140 and 141, which were little advanced, were cancelled. 95300. Project 1143.7 : Ulyanovsk-class heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser; Project 1144.2 Orlan: Kirov-class nuclear-powered missile cruiser; Project 1145.1 Sokol: Mukha small anti-submarine ship; Project 1151.0: Belyanka-class transport; Project 1154.0 Yastreb: Neustrashimyy-class frigate; Project 1153 OREL: projected nuclear-powered aircraft carrier (1976) Project 1155 Fregat: Udaloy I-class … Speed was just 24 kn (27.6 mph; 44.4 km/h), which was at the time better than most older cruisers. Manage and improve your online marketing. -The basic mark 9 gun unit weighted 30 tonnes, including a liner, tube, jacket, five hoops and its down-swing Welin breech block. Armament: 10 x 152mm guns (2×2, 2×3), 4 x 127mm guns, 8 Mitt. The Russian Carrier is actually an Aircraft carrying Cruiser. Armament: 9 x 152mm (3×3) guns, 8 x 127mm guns, 8 Mitt. Reactions: SniperSquad, ngatimozart and John Fedup. So we will focus here on the main caliber of USN Cruisers since the Omaha. The three ships completed appear to have been successful, USS Newport News serving as a flagship and fire support ship until she was decommissioned in 1975. In this one, emphasis was put on lighter AA cover, sacrificing two 5-inch/38 mounts for 40 mm Bofors at the start, when it was made available. Some areas were protected against 6-in shells at certain angles, but 8-in shells could pass through them without problem. BT-7 (Bystrochodnij Tankov) Light Fast Tank. The first 8-in caliber developed for modern USN cruisers was a 55 caliber, developed into the Mk 9, Mk 12, Mk 14, Mk 15 and Mk 16 variants. Lighter designs such as the Omaha and Atlanta later proved they were quickly overweight and rolled badly. This measure also save some top weight, making the ships more stable. The Pensacola class was quasi-experimental. First for delivering the A Bomb (“Little Boy”) at Tinian, where a B29 bomber named Enola Gay, carried it to sow apocalypse in Hiroshima. She has been preserved and is currently a museum ship, only surviving example of the class, but not in her original state unfortunately. The program called for a fast scout cruiser or flotilla leader able to perform the same missions, on the same displacement, taking advantage of the tonnage limitations, but armed with a completely new battery. The USN had about ten cruiser classes, many sub-classes and two new one under construction during the war, for a total of about 60 cruisers. Each weighted ten tons. Each of the Alaska-class was given nine Mark 8 in three triple arrangements, so 18 in total for the whole class as the remainder ships were cancelled. The Baltimore class heavy cruisers were also placed in reserve in the 1940s-50s, reactivated and modernized, some kept as pure conventional ships, and others as CG/CAG missile cruisers conversions. No colonies to cruise, of course, but I'm sure we can come up with a revised name to fit modern circumstances. Crew: 670 (1941) 850 (1944). They became the stable of heavy short range AA artillery on all USN Cruisers. Ultimately production delays in the 8in gun and the need to send at least a few 6in DP weapons to sea modified this decision, so that four ships were ordered as 6in/47DP light cruisers: CL144-147, of which only two were ultimately completed. However in 1944 the 20 mm was found unable to stop Japanese Kamikaze planes and disappeared together with the 40 mm in the mid-1950s, rendered obsolete by the advent of the Jet age. Displacement: 7050 t, 8950 T FLDimensions: 172 x 16.2 x 7.25 mPropulsion: 2 propellers, 2 Westinghouse turbines, 2 BW boilers, 70,000 hp. Their tonnage was already 10,260 tonnes standard, so there was no additional armor margin possible within the limitations. Blandy recommended the Oerlikon Mark I, approved on 9 November 1940. This was impressive in itself, but the system was way more efficient with radar-fuzed “VT” shells and Mk 37 fire control system and by 1943 the improved Mk 12/Mk 22 radar combination. Their anti-submarine protection was very advanced and their active service was very active and long. 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. So when the need emerged of a true scout cruiser, better armed than destroyers, and with a better range, usable as destroyer leaders, work started on a new design in 1917. 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 Mark 16 rate of fire was about 8-10 rounds per minute, improved on the Mark 16DP to 12 rounds per minute. BT-SV (Stalin-Woroshilov) … 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. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. The latter were of a new standard which lasted for ten more years until 1947, through the Cleveland and sub-classes Fargo and later the revolutionary Worcester. A big chunk has been treated already in sections such as the generic WW2 USN page and the WW2 Battleship section, notably for the 5-in (and dual 3-in/38), 3-in guns and light AA artillery. Intervention cruiser? 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. I have other questions: In Modern meaning, at least for the USN, a modern Destroyer is a Long range high speed escort surface warship meant to support convoy or task forces. This was largely compensated during the war, with many quadruple Bofors 40 mm and fifty or so single oerlikon guns. Blueprints were revised between each series and a difference of 600 tons existed between the first and last. 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. 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). , Review dated 24 February 2009. The term “CA” was a fairly ancient one, dating back to the first USN protected and armoured cruisers, before WW1. These very large ‘light cruisers’ were designed to mount the twin 6in/47 automatic DP gun originally proposed by the Bureau of Ordnance as early as 1937, and intended for the Cleveland as originally designed, in 1939. They are armed for multiple threat missions. 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. BMW R4. However they were seen soon as displaying excessive top weight and being extremely wet. I mean the Japanese call their carriers Destroyers. This cruiser fleet had its moments of glory in 1989 but was largely discarded in 1930. These were the old 3″/50 (7.62 cm) Marks 2, 3, 5, 6 and 8 types, and the more modern 3″/23.5 (7.62 cm) Marks 4 and 14 and 3″/23 (7.62 cm) Marks 7, 9, 11 and 13. USS Denver Underway, circa December 1942. The ‘A’ meant ‘armored’. USS Savannah in Algiers, near a burning Liberty ship, fall 1942. 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. A record which was due to the need of mass-producing cruisers to make it for the losses, notably around Guadalcanal on the infamous ‘ironbottom sound’. These were the USN “tin-clad cruisers”. The USS Little Rock is one of those. They were put in reserve since 1961. They were developed fro 1920 into the models Mk 12, Mk 14, Mk 15, Mk 18 on Mountings Mk 13, Mk 16, and Mk 17. The gargantuan Cleveland and Baltimore classes alone, by tonnage and armament, were made to outclass both in terms of quantity and quality, all the IJN could throw at the pacific fleet. 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. 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