Baltimore Class, U.S. Heavy Cruisers

Naval Historical Center #NH 91451

ONI 222

Specifications:

The Baltimores were completed in 1943-45. A development of the singular Wichita, work on the design began in September 1939. The ships were designed to remedy the stability problems and cramped layout of Wichita while retaining her protective scheme, and the turret arrangement was to be based on Cleveland. A powerful secondary battery of 5"/38 dual-purpose guns was also specified. The final design deviated considerably from Wichita, extending the hull by 65' (19.8m) and the beam by 9' (2.7m). Much of the increase in weight over Wichita went into strengthening the hull rather than increasing the protection. The machinery was the same high-pressure design adopted for the Clevelands, but the cruising turbines were abandoned in the later construction and removed from the first units.

They were the definitive wartime American heavy cruiser class, well-protected and well-armed, particularly in their antiaircraft battery, and with good subdivision. 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). The ships were intended as the middle class of a three-class system of cruisers, with the Clevelands forming the lightweight class and the Alaskas forming the heavyweight class.

The U.S. Navy was never happy about the slow rate of fire of 8" guns relative to 6" guns, which was one reason light cruisers continued to be built in large numbers. The loading angle on the Baltimores was brought as close as practical to the likely firing angle, the elevation speed was improved to ten degrees per second, and separate hoists were provided for each gun, but the gun cycle could not be reduced in practice to below about 13 seconds.

All the ships were fitted with CICs, but there was some uncertainty where these should be located. They initially replaced the navigator's sea cabin and chart house, then were placed on the main deck, and finally were placed within the citadel on Pittsburgh and later units.

Though the ships could carry four seaplanes, the hangar only had capacity for two seaplanes.

None of the ships ever saw surface combat. They were used primarily as escorts for carrier task forces, having an antiaircraft battery second only to the fast battleships. None were lost and only Canberra suffered significant battle damage, from an aircraft torpedo.

They were quite expensive ships at $40 million apiece.

Units in the Pacific:

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References

DANFS

Friedman (1984)

Globalsecurity.org (accessed 2014-12-13)

Gogin (2010; accessed 2012-12-7)

Whitley (1995)

Worth (2001)

The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia © 2007, 2009, 2012, 2014 by Kent G. Budge. Index

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