US Navy Heavy and Light Cruisers: USS Cleveland (CL-55), USS Columbia (CL-56), USS Montpelier (CL-57), USS Denver (CL-58), USS Amsterdam (CL-59), USS Santa Fe (CL-60), USS Tallahassee (CL-61), USS Birmingham (CL-62), USS Mobile (CL-63), USS Vincennes (CL-64), USS Pasadena (CL-65), USS Springfield (CL-66), USS Topeka (CL-67)
Early Second World War
When the United States entered the Second World War it had three major classes of cruisers under construction: the Atlanta and Cleveland light cruiser classes (with 5-inch and 6-inch main batteries, respectively), and the Baltimore-class of heavy cruisers. The Cleveland-class was an improvement of the Brooklyn design, while the Baltimore-class was an improved Wichita. These ships would form the bulk of the cruiser war construction effort, with eight Atlanta-class, twenty-seven Cleveland-class, and fourteen Baltimore-class cruisers ultimately completed. Early in the war nine Cleveland hulls would be diverted for conversion into Independence class light aircraft carriers (CVLs). By the end of the war three Cleveland hulls would be canceled, and one incomplete hull would later be converted to a guided missile cruiser. (Wikipedia)
Cleveland class
(CL-55) Cleveland (1942) – WW2: 13 battle stars.
(CL-56) Columbia (1942) – WW2: 10 battle stars.
(CL-57) Montpelier (1942) – WW2: 13 battle stars.
(CL-58) Denver (1942) – WW2: 11 battle stars.
(CL-59) Amsterdam (completed as Independence (CVL-22)).
(CL-60) Santa Fe (1942) – WW2: 13 battle stars.
(CL-61) Tallahassee (completed as Princeton (CVL-23)).
(CL-62) Birmingham (1943) – WW2: 8 battle stars.
(CL-63) Mobile (1943) – WW2: 11 battle stars.
(CL-64) Vincennes (ex-Flint) (1944) – WW2: 6 battle stars.
(CL-65) Pasadena (1944) – WW2: 5 battle stars.
(CL-66) Springfield (1944) – WW2: 2 battle stars, later converted to CLG-7.
(CL-67) Topeka (1944) – WW2: 2 battle stars, later converted to CLG-8.
USS Cleveland (CL-55)
USS Columbia (CL-56)
USS Montpelier (CL-57)
USS Denver (CL-58)
USS Amsterdam (CL-59)
USS Santa Fe (CL-60)
USS Tallahassee (CL-61)
USS Birmingham (CL-62)
USS Mobile (CL-63)
USS Vincennes (CL-64)
USS Pasadena (CL-65)
USS Springfield (CL-66)
USS Topeka (CL-67)
Baltimore class
(CA-68) Baltimore (1943) – WW2: 9 battle stars.
(CA-69) Boston (1943) – WW2: 10 battle stars, later converted to CAG-1.
(CA-70) Canberra (ex-Pittsburgh) (1943) – WW2: 7 battle stars, later converted to CAG-2.
(CA-71) Quincy (ex-St Paul) (1943) – WW2: 5 battle stars.
(CA-72) Pittsburgh (ex-Albany) (1944) – WW2: 2 battle stars.
(CA-73) St. Paul (1945) – WW2: 1 battle star, Korea: 8 stars, Vietnam: 9 stars.
(CA-74) Columbus (1945) – later converted to CG-12.
(CA-75) Helena (ex-Des Moines) (1945) – WW2: 4 battle stars.
USS Baltimore (CA-68)
USS Boston (CA-69)
USS Canberra (CA-70)
USS Quincy (CA-71)
USS Pittsburgh (CA-72)
USS St. Paul (CA-73)
USS Columbus (CA-74)
USS Helena (CA-75)
Cleveland class
(CL-76) New Haven (completed as Belleau Wood (CVL-24)).
(CL-77) Huntington (completed as Cowpens (CVL-25)).
(CL-78) Dayton (completed as Monterey (CVL-26)).
(CL-79) Wilmington (completed as Cabot (CVL-28)).
(CL-80) Biloxi (1943) – WW2: 9 battle stars.
(CL-81) Houston (ex-Vicksburg) (1943) – WW2: 3 battle stars.
(CL-82) Providence (1945) – later converted to CLG-6.
(CL-83) Manchester (1946) – Korea: 9 battle stars.
(CL-84) Buffalo – canceled.
(CL-85) Fargo (completed as Langley (CVL-27)).
(CL-86) Vicksburg (1944) – WW2: 2 battle stars.
(CL-87) Duluth (1944) – WW2: 2 battle stars.
(CL-88) Newark – canceled.
(CL-89) Miami (1943) – WW2: 6 battle stars.
(CL-90) Astoria (ex-Wilkes-Barre) (1944) – WW2: 5 battle stars.
(CL-91) Oklahoma City (1944) – WW2: 2 battle stars, later converted to CLG-5.
(CL-92) Little Rock (1945) – later converted to CLG-4.
(CL-93) Galveston (completed as CLG-3).
(CL-94) Youngstown – canceled after construction started.
USS New Haven (CL-76)
USS Huntington (CL-77)
USS Dayton (CL-78)
USS Wilmington (CL-79)
USS Biloxi (CL-80)
USS Houston (CL-81)
USS Providence (CL-82)
USS Manchester (CL-83)
USS Buffalo (CL-84)
USS Fargo (CL-85)
USS Vicksburg (CL-86)
USS Duluth (CL-87) s.
USS Newark (CL-88)
USS Miami (CL-89)
USS Astoria (CL-90)
USS Oklahoma City (CL-91)
USS Little Rock (CL-92)
USS Galveston (CL-93)
USS Youngstown (CL-94)
Atlanta class (Oakland subclass)
(CL-95) Oakland (1943) – WW2: 9 battle stars.
(CL-96) Reno (1943) – WW2: 3 battle stars.
(CL-97) Flint (1944) – WW2: 4 battle stars.
(CL-98) Tucson (1945) – WW2: 1 battle star.
USS Oakland (CL-95)
USS Reno (CL-96)
USS Flint (CL-97)
USS Tucson (CL-98)
Cleveland class
(CL-99) Buffalo (completed as Bataan (CVL-29)),
(CL-100) Newark (completed as San Jacinto (CVL-30)).
(CL-101) Amsterdam (1945) – WW2: 1 battle star.
(CL-102) Portsmouth (1945).
(CL-103) Wilkes-Barre (1944) – WW2: 4 battle stars.
(CL-104) Atlanta (1944) – WW2: 2 battle stars, later IX-304.
(CL-105) Dayton (1945) – WW2: 1 battle star.
USS Buffalo (CL-99)
USS Newark (CL-100)
USS Amsterdam (CL-101)
USS Portsmouth (CL-102)
USS Wilkes-Barre (CL-103)
USS Atlanta (CL-104)
USS Dayton (CL-105)
Late Second World War
As the Navy gained experience with Second World War combat conditions, it was decided that the Atlanta, Cleveland, and Baltimore classes needed improvement. However, major improvements would cause unacceptable delays in the construction programs. A new generation of cruisers with minor improvements would consist of the Juneau and Fargo classes of light cruisers (respectively 5-inch and 6-inch main batteries), and the Oregon City-class of heavy cruisers. The major noticeable difference would be that the Fargo and the Oregon City classes would have their engine exhausts trunked into a single funnel to aid anti-aircraft fire. Due to the near-total destruction of the Imperial Japanese Navy, the number of the ships of this generation to be completed as gun cruisers would be small: three Juneau-class, two Fargo-class, and three Oregon City-class cruisers. A fourth Oregon City-class cruiser would be completed postwar as a command cruiser. Seventeen hulls from among the three classes were canceled. (Wikipedia)
Late in the war the Baltimore-class would also serve as the basis of the two Saipan class light aircraft carriers (CVLs).
Fargo class
(CL-106) Fargo (1945).
(CL-107) Huntington (1946).
(CL-108) Newark – canceled after construction started.
(CL-109) New Haven – canceled after construction started.
(CL-110) Buffalo – canceled after construction started.
(CL-111) Wilmington – canceled after construction started.
(CL-112) Vallejo – canceled.
(CL-113) Helena – canceled.
(CL-114) Roanoke – canceled.
(CL-115) – canceled unnamed.
(CL-116) Tallahassee – canceled after construction started.
(CL-117) Cheyenne – canceled after construction started.
(CL-118) Chattanooga – canceled after construction started.
USS Fargo (CL-106)
USS Huntington (CL-107)
USS Newark (CL-108)
USS New Haven (CL-109)
USS Buffalo (CL-110)
USS Wilmington (CL-111)
USS Vallejo (CL-112)
USS Helena (CL-113)
USS Roanoke (CL-114)
Unnamed (CL-115)
USS Tallahassee (CL-116)
USS Cheyenne (CL-117)
USS Chattanooga (CL-118)
Juneau class
(CL-119) Juneau (1946).
(CL-120) Spokane (1946).
(CL-121) Fresno (1946).
USS Juneau (CL-119)
USS Spokane (CL-120)
USS Fresno (CL-121)
Oregon City class
(CA-122) Oregon City (1946).
(CA-123) Albany (1946) – later converted to CG-10.
(CA-124) Rochester (1946) – Korea: 6 battle stars.
(CA-125) Northampton (completed as CLC-1)
(CA-126) Cambridge – canceled after construction started.
(CA-127) Bridgeport – canceled after construction started.
(CA-128) Kansas City – canceled after construction started.
(CA-129) Tulsa – canceled.
USS Oregon City (CA-122)
USS Albany ((CA-123)
USS Rochester (CA-124)
USS Northampton ((CA-125)
USS Cambridge (CA-126)
USS Bridgeport (CA-127)
USS Kansas City (CA-128)
USS Tulsa (CA-129)
Baltimore class
(CA-130) Bremerton (1945) – Korea: 2 battle stars.
(CA-131) Fall River (1945) – Operation Crossroads nuclear test participant.
(CA-132) Macon (1945).
(CA-133) Toledo (1946) – Korea: 5 battle stars.
USS Bremerton (CA-130)
USS Fall River (CA-131)
USS Macon (CA-132)
USS Toledo (CA-133)
Post-Second World War
The Navy agreed in the waning days of the war to construct a small number of cruisers for the purpose of operationally testing new gun designs and other major improvements incorporating the lessons learned of World War II combat: the ‘CL-154’ and Worcester classes of light cruisers (respectively 5-inch and 6-inch main batteries), and the Des Moines-class of heavy cruisers. Initially the Navy wanted at least one squadron of six ships of each class, but in the end only two Worcester-class and three Des Moines-class cruisers would be completed, and the CL-154 class would be cancelled in its entirety. A total of seventeen hulls from among the three planned classes would be canceled. (Wikipedia)
Des Moines class
(CA-134) Des Moines (1948).
USS Des Moines (CA-134)
Baltimore class
(CA-135) Los Angeles (1945) – WW2: 1 battle star, Korea: 5 stars.
(CA-136) Chicago (1945) – WW2: 1 battle star, later converted to CG-11.
USS Los Angeles (CA-135)
USS Chicago (CA-136)
Oregon City class
(CA-137) Norfolk – canceled after construction started.
(CA-138) Scranton – canceled after construction started.
USS Norfolk (CA-137)
USS Scranton (CA-138)
Des Moines class
(CA-139) Salem (1949), museum ship.
(CA-140) Dallas – canceled after construction started.
CA-141 to 143 – canceled unnamed.
USS Salem (CA-139)
USS Dallas (CA-140)
Unnamed CA-141 to 143
Worcester class
(CL-144) Worcester (1948) – Korea: 2 battle stars.
(CL-145) Roanoke (1949).
(CL-146) Vallejo – canceled after construction started.
(CL-147) Gary – canceled after construction started.
USS Worcester (CL-144)
USS Roanoke ((CL-145)
USS Vallejo (CL-146)
USS Gary (CL-147)
Des Moines class
(CA-148) Newport News (1949) – Vietnam: 3 battle stars.
(CA-149) – canceled unnamed.
(CA-150) Dallas – canceled.
CA-151 to 153 – canceled unnamed.
USS Newport News (CA-148)
Unnamed (CA-149)
USS Dallas (CA-150)
Unnamed CA-151 to 153
CL-154 class
CL-154 to 159 – canceled unnamed.
The last ship to be assigned a hull number in the Heavy and Light Cruiser sequence would be the 1950s era nuclear powered Long Beach, though this ship would be assigned another number and designation under the guided missile cruiser hull classification before launch.
Long Beach class
(CLGN/CGN-160) Long Beach, completed as CGN-9 (1961)
USS Long Beach (CLGN/CGN-160)