Naval Historical Center #NH 91451
| Tonnage | 14,472 tons standard |
| Dimensions | 673'6" by 70'11" by 26'11" 205.26m by 21.59m by 7.32m |
| Maximum speed | 33 knots |
| Complement | 2039 |
| Aircraft | 2 catapults 4 seaplanes |
| Armament | 3x3 8"/55
guns 6x2 5"/38 dual-purpose guns 11x4, 2x2 40mm Bofors AA guns 28 20mm Oerlikon AA guns |
| Protection | 6" (152mm) belt backed by STS steel 2.5" (64mm) deck 6.3" (160mm) barbettes 8"/3.75"/3" (203mm/95mm/76mm) turret 6" (152mm) conning tower |
| Bunkerage | 2250 tons fuel oil |
| Range | 10,000 nautical miles (16,000 km) at 15 knots |
The Baltimores were completed in 1943-45. A development of the singular Wichita, they were the definitive wartime American heavy cruiser class, well-protected and well-armed, particularly in their antiaircraft battery. This was in spite of the fact that their design originated under the treaty restrictions and there was little time to take advantage of the lapse of the treaties in the rush of naval construction just before and during the war. No foreign navy's heavy cruisers came close to matching them. They were almost as capable as the German Panzerschiffe (pocket battleships).
None of the ships ever saw surface combat. They were used primarily as escorts for carrier task forces.
They were quite expensive ships at $40 million apiece.
| Baltimore | arrived 1943-10 |
| Boston | arrived 1943-12-1 |
| Canberra | arrived 1944-1-20 |
| Pittsburgh | arrived 1945-1-20 |
| Quincy | arrived 1945-3-10 |
| Chicago | arrived 1945-5-15 |
| Saint Paul | arrived 1945-5-25 |
References
The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia (c) 2007 by Kent G. Budge. Index
