World War II cruisers were large, multipurpose, fast gunships that performed a variety of offensive and defensive missions. They accomplished these goals independently and within the framework of naval formations. The wide variety of tasks performed by cruisers led to the emergence of an entire subclass of specialized ships.
For example, during the Second World War, light, heavy battle cruisers, armored and armored ships, training and aircraft carriers were distinguished. Less than a third of them were built during the war itself, another part - in the 20-30s of the twentieth century, and the remaining naval units participated in the First World War
Quantity
Cruisers played an important role in the confrontation in World War II. Currently, researchers and military historians have calculated that a total of 346 cruisers were used by the warring parties, 138 of which were lost.
The absolute leader in this indicator was Great Britain, which was armed with 108 cruisers. 37 of them were destroyed. Most of all the British had the so-called light cruisers.
The top three countries by the number of cruisers in World War II also include the United States (84 ships) and Japan (51 cruisers). At the same time, the Japanese fleet suffered the most significant losses in percentage and absolute terms. By the end of the war, only four cruisers remained in service.
Statistics for other countries are as follows:
- Italy - 25 cruisers.
- France - 19 cruisers.
- Germany - 12 cruisers.
- Soviet Union - 10 cruisers.
- Argentina - 7 cruisers.
- Spain - 6 cruisers.
- Netherlands - 5 cruisers.
- Sweden - 4 cruisers.
- Türkiye - 3 cruisers.
- Brazil, Greece, Peru, Poland - 2 cruisers.
- Yugoslavia - 1 cruiser.
Linear
In this article we will consider the main types of cruisers of the Second World War that took part in battles and engagements.
An important place was occupied by battlecruisers - a class of artillery ships whose armament was as close as possible to battleships, but they had higher speed due to light armor.
This type of World War II cruiser appeared during the development of battleships. It was assumed that they would become the vanguard of naval forces, and in battles they would begin to perform the function of a high-speed vessel. In essence, battlecruisers found themselves in a transitional position between heavy cruisers and battleships.
They were assigned to perform the following tasks:
- assistance and support for small reconnaissance cruisers;
- intelligence service;
- expeditions behind enemy lines;
- pursuing an enemy who has decided to retreat in battle;
- encircling the enemy during combat operations.
Those ships that were built before the war were considered unbalanced in terms of tactical and technical characteristics, and therefore became virtually unnecessary for the fleet. Battlecruisers were a dying class of ships that did not have any impact on the outcome of the war.
Heavy
Heavy cruisers were much more important in World War II. They were designed to conduct combat operations over considerable distances, participated in the installation of minefields, and ensured amphibious landings. These ships had advanced armored protection that could effectively withstand enemy artillery.
Becoming an important force for all major navies participating in the war, they were intensively used by the armies of Great Britain, Japan, the United States, France, Italy and Germany. But at the same time, the results of their activities were considered very ambiguous. For example, English cruisers proved effective in the defense of communications; due to their autonomy, they could remain on the ocean for a long time, causing significant damage to the enemy fleet.
These ships also turned out to be useful when escorting polar convoys. But there were also significant disadvantages. When faced with a serious enemy, the primitive fire control system and weak protection significantly limited their combat capabilities. For example, they were extremely vulnerable to air attacks due to their poorly developed air defense system.
American heavy cruisers were effective as fire support during amphibious operations, but suffered significant losses when faced with Japanese destroyers. The Italian heavy cruisers were unable to achieve success at long distances, and deliberately did not approach each other due to weak armor. Moreover, they rarely went to sea due to lack of fuel, so they achieved no success in principle.
Hitler's heavy cruisers did not fare well during the war either. Only at the beginning they had some success, and then they were almost completely destroyed by British aircraft.
Japanese ships performed admirably during the first stage of the war. But when submarines and aircraft came into play, they could not resist them.
Missile fleet cruisers
The history of guided missile weapons in the Soviet fleet began with cruisers. In 1950, the 10X [14] projectile aircraft, developed by the Chelomey Design Bureau, was experimentally adopted into service with the Navy. On the light cruisers Dombrovsky and Kirov, equipment was installed to launch projectiles from a ship’s catapult at coastal targets at a distance of up to 240 km. The idea was not further developed - the projectile itself turned out to be too imperfect, no longer meeting the requirements of modern air warfare.
In 1955, on the Project 68-bis cruiser “Admiral Nakhimov”, the “Quiver” guided anti-ship weapon complex was mounted for experimental purposes. A guide for launching KSS [15] anti-ship missiles with a range of up to 40 kilometers was mounted on the elevated bow turret of the cruiser. Recharging the installation was carried out using a folding crane from hangars located on the sides of the superstructure. Tests of the complex were successful, and subsequently eight light artillery cruisers of Project 68-K and Project 68-bis were modernized according to Program 67, with the installation of launchers on elevated towers, reloading from a hangar located in the superstructure.
In the early 1950s, the rapid increase in the speed of jet aircraft put an end to the future prospects of heavy anti-aircraft artillery. The only way to ensure the survival of warships was to switch to guided anti-aircraft missiles. This was well understood in the USSR, where on January 11, 1955, a decree was issued “on the development of controlled means of protecting warships from aviation.” In accordance with the resolution, it was planned to develop three anti-aircraft missile systems: M-1 “Volna” (short range, similar to the ground-based S-125), M-2 “Volkhov” (medium range, analogous to the S-75) and M- 3 (long range).
The sailors were not happy with this decision. The main objections were raised by the S-75 anti-aircraft missile system, which was supposed to be “bulked”: the liquid missiles of the complex were inconvenient to store, needed to be refueled before launch, and in addition used extremely toxic fuel. Admiral Kuznetsov pointed out that on land, where space is not limited, these features of the air defense system do not pose a problem, but in the limited volume of the ship, a fire during refueling or the entry of toxic vapors into the ventilation can lead to catastrophic consequences. As a result, faced with a “revolt of the admirals,” the USSR government made a compromise: for the ship version of the S-75, the fleet was offered a new B-758 missile, equipped with an axial ramjet engine.
Running on ordinary kerosene, the direct-flow engine created significantly fewer operational problems and was much more convenient to use. Research conducted at the initiative of the Navy showed that through the use of ramjet missiles it is possible to increase the range of the complex to 55 km. Thus, the adoption of two air defense systems - M-2 and M-3 - was considered unnecessary, and they were both replaced by the new M-4 Amur-M.
To test the capabilities of the new air defense system, the light cruiser of Project 68 bis “Dzerzhinsky” was chosen. In 1957-1958, the 3rd main battery turret was dismantled on the cruiser and in its place an experimental two-beam SM-63 launcher and a drum magazine for 12 missiles were installed. During tests carried out in 1958, the first salvo shot down an unmanned Il-28 flying at an altitude of 10,000 meters.
The Dzerzhinsky was followed by the Ordzhonikidze cruiser, modernized according to a similar project. Since the conversion of ready-made cruisers presented certain difficulties (including those associated with the unscheduled withdrawal of ships from the fleet), it was decided in the future to use the unfinished cruisers of Project 68-bis, standing on the stocks. The fleet was in dire need of missile cruisers - in 1956-1961, four new heavy aircraft carriers of Project 81, which needed escort ships, joined it. In addition, on Khrushchev’s initiative, a program was launched to build 25,000-ton aircraft carriers of the PBIA type (floating base for fighter aircraft), which also required a reliable escort.
In 1959-1962, two light cruisers, Admiral Kornilov and Petropavlovsk, were completed according to the improved project 72-R. On these cruisers, the entire aft group of turrets was dismantled, and two launchers were installed in its place - SM-63 and SM-65[16]. Two main drum stores could hold 24 B-758 missiles, and one auxiliary store (for mounting the CM-65) could hold 16 B-600 short-range missiles. The modernized control system made it possible to effectively guide both types of missiles.
The most extensive modernization was carried out in 1961-1964 by four light cruisers of Project 68 bis - Tallinn, Arkhangelsk, Novorossiysk and Vladivostok - which were in the least degree of readiness.
The heavy artillery weapons on these four cruisers were completely dismantled, replacing them with four (!) SM-65 launchers. Two bow and two stern drum magazines could accommodate forty-eight B-758 missiles, and an auxiliary magazine located behind the fourth launcher in the stern could accommodate sixteen B-600 short-range missiles. Thus, the total ammunition of the cruisers reached 64 missiles of two types! Two guidance posts made it possible to simultaneously aim up to 6 missiles at two targets within a radius of up to 55 km from the cruiser.
Rebuilt missile cruisers formed the basis of the escort forces of the Soviet aircraft carrier fleet in the first half of the 1960s. On average, each Soviet carrier force included one escort cruiser. In 1967, each cruiser's two B-758 missiles were replaced by B-760 missiles, each with a 5 kt equivalent nuclear warhead.
By the end of the 1960s, however, missile escorts became noticeably in short supply. The unfinished Sverdlovs ran out: the idea of a major modernization of artillery cruisers was not approved due to the high cost. The aircraft carrier fleet of the USSR continued to increase, and was in dire need of new missile cruisers.
In 1965, the first four missile cruisers (initially designated as KPVO - air defense ships) of Project 1138 were laid down.
Based on the design of the large Project 1134 anti-submarine ship, the new missile cruisers were 12 meters longer and had a total displacement of about 8,200 tons. Like the previous missile-carrying cruisers of the Soviet fleet, they were armed with the Amur-M long-range air defense system. The ships carried two modified launchers, allowing for faster reloading. The bow launcher had two magazines for 14 B-758 missiles, and the stern launcher had one magazine for 14 B-758 missiles and one magazine for 16 B-601 missiles. In addition to missile weapons, the cruisers carried light AK-725 guns and a hangar for the Ka-25PL anti-submarine helicopter.
Light and armored
On such cruisers, an armored deck protected the guns and mechanisms of the ship itself. They were equipped with an armor belt along the waterline. However, such vessels were obsolete at the outbreak of World War II. As a rule, they were used only as auxiliary ships.
Another thing is the light cruisers of World War II. They had advanced armor protection and significant artillery armament. During different periods of the confrontation, they took part in almost all significant operations, however, their effectiveness was contradictory. German light cruisers in World War II demonstrated poor seaworthiness, so they were transferred to the Baltic. There they operated until the very end of the war without much success.
Italian ships had high speed, but could not take advantage of this advantage due to low armor protection. In addition, their artillery was imperfect. After the first significant defeats, they began to act extremely carefully. But even then they suffered losses, including from British destroyers.
Japanese light cruisers were considered obsolete, which did not allow them to claim success directly in battle. Therefore, they were used to escort landing ships. Like the Germans, they suffered their main losses from aircraft and submarines.
The light cruisers of the British fleet managed to successfully resist even an enemy who significantly outnumbered them. Under certain circumstances, they posed a significant threat even to ships of a higher class. In terms of price-quality ratio, ships of the Fiji type were considered by many to be ideal ships. The main losses were caused by aviation.
American light cruisers were very modern and even engaged in night battles with the heavy cruisers of the Imperial Japanese Navy. In some cases, they even emerged victorious due to their high fire performance.
The Soviet Union also used this type of ship. However, not in the sense that was intended during their construction. In the Baltic Fleet throughout the Great Patriotic War, these ships served as floating batteries that supported the defenders of Leningrad. On the Black Sea they were used to solve a variety of problems, for example, for landing troops. The main danger for them was fascist bombers. Since the middle of the war, they have not participated in major operations, fearing significant losses.
History of creation
Scotsman and Irishman. Yes, only two ships were built. Their fates turned out to be different, but we can only say unequivocally that they were simply beautiful ships. "Edinburgh" took part in the sinking of "Bismarck" , "Belfast" took part in the battle in which the "Scharnhorst" . But about the track record in due time, let’s go in order.
And the order was as follows: having cut their teeth on the development and construction of the Linder, Arethusa, Sydney and Southampton series of cruisers, the British shipbuilders came to their crowning glory - the Town series, ships not without flaws, but very, very good .
In principle, the Towns came very close to the heavy cruisers of the County type in terms of armament and power plant power, and even surpassed them in terms of armor.
At that time, the arms race was already in full swing in the world, and the main shake-up for everyone was caused by the Japanese, who created the Mogami, the armament of which at that time consisted of 15 155-mm guns and had an armored belt 102 mm thick and armored cellars 140 mm thick.
"Mogami" still in the form of a light cruiser
The Americans responded with the Brooklyn, which had even thicker armor (belt from 127 mm to 82, turrets 165 mm, barbettes 152 mm, and so on) and armament of 15 152 mm guns.
In general, given the higher rate of fire of 155-mm and 152-mm guns compared to 203-mm, the weight of the salvo made the light cruisers closer to the heavy ones.
In general, this balance of power did not suit the British at all, and therefore it was decided to convert the last two cruisers of the Town series into light cruisers so that they could compete with the Mogs and Brooklyns. It is clear that with “Brooklyn” on paper, but the Japanese could easily become opponents.
But in order for the new ships to be comparable to American and Japanese ones, it was necessary to increase the number of guns to 15. But there were problems with this. Five towers, as on Japanese or American cruisers, were impossible to accommodate on British ships; there would be a problem with docking, since the British docks could not accept ships longer than 188 meters. And the five-turret cruiser designed by British shipbuilders could not be shorter than 195 meters. Not much, some 7-8 meters, but this is enough for problems to start.
There was a project to equip ships with four turrets with 4 barrels each, which ultimately gave 16 guns. However, even in this case, the cruisers “corroded” in width, which entailed an increase in length and armor, and required other elevators for ammunition. Well, the new towers did not fit into the allotted volumes of the ships; they had to be raised to the forecastle level. On the one hand, this worsened stability, on the other, it gave some advantage when shooting, especially when there was rough seas.
But in the end, it was not possible to build four-gun turrets. More precisely, it was not possible to solve the problem of projectile dispersion during a full salvo. Powder gases from closely spaced barrels (a little more than a meter) had a negative effect on the projectiles and greatly increased dispersion. It was necessary to increase the distance between the barrels, and this entailed an increase in the width of the hull.
In the end, they decided to return to conventional three-gun barrels. But the enlarged deck made it possible to install 6 twin installations of 102-mm universal guns in the project instead of the usual 4 and increase the fuel supply by more than 300 tons, which increased the cruising range.
The use of standard towers made it possible to spend the freed weight on armor and other useful things. The alteration began in 1936 and lasted quite a long time. It was necessary to reduce the artillery magazines, rearrange all control posts, moving them under the armored belt and armored deck, and design box-shaped protection for the magazines.
102-mm anti-aircraft guns were spread along the entire length of the ship, four-barreled 40-mm “pom-poms” were replaced with eight-barrel ones and moved to the second chimney.
Belfast was laid down at Belfast, Edinburgh at Wallsend in December 1936. The “Godmother” of “Belfast” was the wife of Prime Minister Chamberlain. Edinburgh was the first to enter service, on July 6, 1939, Belfast on August 3 of the same year.
Structurally, these ships were not very different from the Towns. The main difference from the “Town” series was the different placement of boiler rooms and engine rooms and the equipment of ammunition magazines for 102 mm guns in front of them. Plus, the location of the pipes was changed to reduce smoke on the bridges. And the cruisers acquired very characteristic and recognizable silhouettes.
In general, the ships turned out to be adequate in terms of stability and seaworthiness, however, the raised main battery turrets still affected the stability of the ships, especially when fuel was consumed from the bottom tanks.
Therefore, it was recommended to fill the empty tanks with sea water. But the rolling on these cruisers was surprisingly smoother.
Minelayers and specialized cruisers
Minelayers are most widespread in France and Great Britain. For example, English ships of this type were armed with universal artillery, and lightly armored French ships were capable of carrying up to two hundred mines.
The navies of other participants in the war did not build special cruisers that became minelayers. However, they often included the possibility of carrying large numbers of mines on the ship if necessary.
Since the 1930s, some countries began to use specialized cruisers, which eventually became known as air defense cruisers. They were built on the basis of small armored ships that were capable of resisting bombers and acted as the leader of destroyers. For example, in Great Britain such ships were cruisers of the Dido type, and on the American continent - of the Atlanta type.
Experts note that this fundamentally new class has not justified itself. It was weak for a naval battle with a serious enemy, and did not prove itself to be an effective stronghold of naval air defense. British ships of this type lacked aiming speed and firepower, and American ones experienced constant difficulties with the reliability of control systems.
Soviet Union Navy
USSR cruisers were deployed in the Black and Baltic Seas in World War II. Already on the first day of Hitler’s attack on the Soviet Union, the cruiser Kirov opened fire on fascist planes heading to Riga.
From September 4, when fascist troops reached Leningrad, and until January 1944, they were regularly fired upon from cruisers stationed in the Baltic Sea.
On the Black Sea, German troops hoped to capture ports from land from Tuapse to Odessa. What Soviet vessels were used in this area in World War II? The USSR cruisers were called “Red Caucasus” and “Chervona Ukraine”. In the spring of 1942, together with a powerful ship called Voroshilov, they staged a successful breakthrough to Sevastopol, delivering artillery, troops and ammunition so necessary at that time to the city, which was under siege.
The Black Sea cruiser Slava, which was the only one equipped with an experimental radar station, also regularly successfully broke through to Sevastopol. The bulky structure made of metal rods with a rotating antenna was still far from perfect, but regularly reported approaching enemy aircraft.
In mid-1942, during a battle off the coast of Crimea, the stern of the cruiser Slava was torn off. The workers of the marine plant, evacuated from Sevastopol in time, borrowed this part of the ship from the unfinished cruiser Frunze, attaching it to the damaged ship. So it returned to service.
In November 1944, Sevastopol was finally liberated. On the Grafskaya pier today there is a memorial plaque in memory of the USSR cruisers of the Second World War.
Japanese ships
Japan became famous for its successful use of light cruisers. "Noshiro", "Agano", "Sakawa" and "Yahagi" actively participated in battles almost from the very beginning of the war. They became the basis for the next series, of which only Oedo managed to be put into operation.
At the very beginning of World War II, Japanese cruisers (there were 39 of them) were in service with the Imperial Navy. Of these, 21 are light and 18 are severe. After the start of the war, four more Japanese light cruisers were put into service. The Second World War could have ended with a Nazi victory.
However, if at first the situation for the Japanese fleet was favorable, then by the end of the war significant losses began. In 1944, ten ships sank in literally four days.
What happened a year before the end of World War II? In November, the Japanese heavy cruiser Naki, while in the Philippine Sea under the command of Vice Admiral Shima, tried to escape from Manila Bay. A fierce battle began with American aircraft, during which it demonstrated outstanding qualities, after which it even began to be considered unsinkable. The Americans still managed to sink it, but for this they needed 16 missiles, 6100-kilogram and 13 half-ton bombs, and 9 torpedoes.
The already sunken Naki was examined by American divers, who found many secret documents and two million yen on it. The uniqueness of the situation lay in the fact that this was the only case in history when so much secret information of enormous importance was discovered at one time. Within a month after this, American aircraft destroyed two more Japanese heavy cruisers - Kiso and Kumano.
In total, by the end of the war, the enemy sank 38 ships of this type, and three more were completely disabled. Of the entire armada, only the Kashima, a Japanese light cruiser, survived. In World War II it was used to transport Japanese troops after the final surrender. And also the Sakawa, which sank off Bikini Atoll during the American tests of an atomic bomb.
Introduction
Introduction
The heavy cruiser San Francisco (CA-38) fires at Japanese ships during the Third Battle of Sivo Island, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, November 13, 1942. The heavy cruiser New Orleans then received direct hits from Japanese calamity shells. 356 mm, but did not leave the battle. During the war, the San Francisco was awarded a battle star 17 times and once received the gratitude of the US President, thereby becoming the most honored cruiser in the history of the US Navy.
At the time of the Japanese carrier-based aircraft attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, almost all the battleships of the United States Pacific Fleet found themselves in this harbor. The treachery of the Japanese, coupled with the primordial treachery of these Asians, left the United States without the most powerful component of the navy - the linear one. Heavy cruisers had to take the place of battleships in the ranks.
The history of the cruisers of the United States Navy dates back to the very first years of the existence of this bastion of democracy and the rule of law. The enterprising Yankees needed cruisers to protect commercial shipping throughout the World Ocean. It is clear that the cruisers also had to be able to fend for themselves. During the Civil War of 1861–1865, the first ships were built by order of the federal Navy (northerners), which were classified as cruisers. These ships, known as Wampanoag-class cruisers, were unsuccessful and were soon withdrawn from the fleet. These were wooden ships with full sails, equipped with a steam engine driven by a single propeller.
The heavy cruiser New Orleans (SL-32) leaves Bremerton heading for Pearl Harbor, July 1943. The ship returned to service after repairs to the bow end of the hull. In the Battle of Tassafaronga on the night of November 30/December 1942, the cruiser lost 36.6 m of her bow. The ship is painted in Measure 21 - NAVY Blue System (FS 35044).
The cruiser Rochester (ACR-2, CA-2) was laid down on December 2, 1891 under the name New York. When the US Navy began a campaign to assign state names to ships, this ship received the proud name "Saratoga" in 1911, and it became "Rochester" only in 1917. The cruiser's main battery consisted of six S-inch guns with a barrel length of 35 calibers Auxiliary armament - 12 4-inch caliber guns (barrel length 4 (1 caliber), eight 6-pounder guns, four 1-pounder guns. The armament also included three 356-mm surface torpedo tubes. "Rochester" was sunk in the Philippines in December 1941 to avoid the ship falling into Japanese hands.
The cruiser Olympia (C-6) was laid down on May 2, 892. The cruiser became the flagship of Commodore George Divey, commander of the Asian Pacific Fleet. The cruiser carried four 8-inch guns (barrel length 35 calibers) and ten 5-inch guns (barrel length 40 calibers). In 1931, the cruiser Olympia was reclassified as a training ship IX-40, and in this capacity the ship served throughout World War II. In 1957, the cruiser was permanently moored in Philadelphia, USA. Pennsylvania.
The cruiser Minneapolis (CA-I7), like her sister ship Columbia (CA-I6), was built as a commercial raider with a lightweight armament. The ship was laid down at the Crump and Sons shipyard in Philadelphia on August 12, 1893. On the quarterdeck of the cruiser there was one 8-inch gun (barrel length 40 calibers), the cruiser was also armed with two 6-inch guns (barrel length 40 calibers), eight 4-inch cannons (barrel length 40 calibers) and 12 6-pounder cannons. Like all the first cruisers, the Minneapolis vehicles ran on coal.
The armored cruiser Brooklyn (ACR-2, SA-3) was laid down by Crump with the help of the Sons on October 2, 1895. During the Spanish-American War, the cruiser was the flagship of Commodore W. S. Schley in the Battle of Santiago, Fr. Cuba, July 3, 1898. Brooklyn was armed with eight 8-inch guns (35-min. barrel length) and 12 5-inch guns (40-caliber barrel length).
The cruiser Pennsylvania (ACR-4, SA-4) is equipped with a landing platform for Eugene Ely's aircraft. The historic landing took place on January 18, 1911. For the first time in history, an airplane landed on a ship. Pennsylvania was laid down on August 22, 1903; on August 17, 1912, the cruiser was renamed Pittsburgh. The renaming was associated with the beginning of the construction of battleships in the United States, which urgently needed names.
All over the world at that time, cruisers were equipped with both sails and steam engines. The first steam engines were not reliable and economical. The cruiser was required to have a huge cruising range. which the old mechanical propulsion systems did not provide. Hence the sails. The sails pulled with them an increase in the number of sailors in the crew - all sorts of topsailers, spars... Due to the large dimensions of steam engines and the need to accommodate a supply of coal, the ships turned out to be large in size. The same cruisers of the Wampanoag type, built in 1868, with a hull length of 102.1 m, had a displacement of 3719.5 tons. Armored cruisers of the Pennsylvania type, built in 1899, already had a length of 153.3 m and a total displacement of more than 13,600 tons.
The hulls of the first cruisers were built of wood, but the strength was increased by steel ties. The increase in size due to the expansion of weapons, the installation of additional boilers, sails, exhausted the reserves of wood as a structural material. The hulls of large cruisers began to be made of iron or steel. The first all-steel American cruisers were ships of the Atlanta and Boston class, laid down in 1883. They were built from the best steel at that time. The steel really turned out to be of high quality - the Boston served in the US Navy until the end of the First World War. As soon as steel appeared, the idea of protecting the most important elements of a ship with armor immediately appeared.
For the first time, American cruisers received baptism of fire during the American-American War of 1898. The war was provoked by the sinking of the American battleship Maine (BB-2) on February 15, 1898 in Havana.
Crump began construction of the cruiser "Pueblo" (ACR-7, SA-7) in the campaign with the Sons on April 23, 1903. The cruiser was laid down under the name "Colorado", and it was renamed "Pueblo" in 1916. Initially, the hull of the cruiser was painted white color, superstructures - cream. The armament of the cruiser "Pueblo" consisted of four 8-inch guns (barrel length 40 calibers) in two turrets and 14 6-inch guns (barrel length 50 calibers) in the side casemates. Auxiliary artillery included 18 three-inch (barrel length 50 calibers) and 12 3-pounder guns.
The cruiser Pittsburgh (CA-4) underwent modernization in 1922, during which 32 Nicklaus boilers were removed from it, and 16 Babcock and Wilcox boilers were installed instead. The ship's armament was as follows: four 8-inch guns (barrel length 40 calibers) in two turrets, 14 6-inch guns (barrel length 50 calibers) and 18 3-inch guns (barrel length 50 calibers). In 1931, the Pittsburgh was withdrawn from the Navy and sold for scrap.
Either the boiler on the ship exploded, or a mine was placed under the ship. Either he stole it himself, or it was stolen from her. Belly’s incident happened. On April 21, the United States declared war on Spain.
At the end of the 19th century, two types of cruisers were built in the United States - armored and armored. Cruisers of the first type had an armored deck and armored hull sides, cruisers of the second type had only an armored deck. Atlanta and Boston were the first American armored cruisers with 3.8 cm (1.5 inches) thick armored decks. Armored cruisers were usually larger than armored cruisers. The size and displacement of cruisers continued to grow as their armament and armor increased. The growth in size and displacement continued until it was limited by the terms of international treaties.
During the First World War, not a single cruiser was built in the United States, but in 1916, huge battle cruisers and small reconnaissance cruisers were laid down in the United States. Lexingon-class battlecruisers, Omaha-class scouts. Representatives of all the leading naval powers of the world soon came to this conclusion. that warships have allegedly become too large and heavy, and most importantly, very expensive to build. In 1921, a conference was held in Washington at which the issue of limiting naval armaments was discussed. Smart people from Great Britain, France, Italy, Japan, China, Holland, and Portugal took part in the conference sessions. Belgium and the United States. At the conference, restrictions were developed on the displacement and tonnage of ships of all main classes. Under the terms of the Washington Treaty, the United States proposed to rebuild two Lexington-class cruisers into aircraft carriers.
PENSACOLA
NORTHAMPTON
PORTLAND
NEW ORLEAN
The cruiser Washington (ACR-11, AC-11) was laid down at the New York Shipbuilding shipyard on March 18/905, in 1916 the ship was renamed Seattle. The cruiser was armed with four 10-inch (254 mm) guns in two turrets and 16 6-inch guns in side casemates. The ship's auxiliary armament consisted of 22 3-inch guns (barrel length 50 calibers) and 12 3-pounder cannons. At 194! Seattle was reclassified as the IX-39 vessel.
The cruiser Pensacola (CL-24) was the first American cruiser built after the end of the First World War. The Pensacola-class ships carried ten 8-inch guns, which were mounted in a very unusual manner: in two- and three-gun turrets, with the three-gun turrets being placed above the two-gun turrets. At the top of the foremast the CXAM radar antenna is visible, below is the FC artillery control radar antenna. The cruiser is painted according to Measure 21 - NAVY Blue System, 1942.
Vought OS2U "Kingfisher" aircraft launched from the catapult of the cruiser "Pensacola", photo taken in early 1943. All off-duty sailors always looked after the clearances of seaplanes, and rescue parties were always assigned from the crew just in case. The aircraft of the cruiser Pensacola, as well as other heavy cruisers and battleships, were intended to conduct aerial reconnaissance and adjust artillery fire. By 1945, radars had firmly taken the place of airplanes as a means of adjusting artillery fire. Seaplanes became redundant on large ships.
In 1930, another international conference was held devoted to the problems of naval weapons; meetings and receptions took place in London. Here the process went in the opposite direction - the increase in displacement and the strengthening of armament of large ships were discussed. According to the Treaty of London, the displacement of a battlecruiser was limited to 10,000 tons (9071 metric tons), and the main caliber was limited to no more than 8 inches (203 mm). The maximum displacement for a light cruiser was also set at 10,000 tons, but the main caliber was limited to 6 inches (152 mm). Heavy cruisers received the code “A”, light cruisers received the code “B”. Previously built armored and armored cruisers were reclassified as either simply "C" cruisers or heavy "A" cruisers.
In the period between the two world wars, the navies of Great Britain, the USA and Japan took first place in the ranking of the strongest. Germany and Japan, in violation of the terms of the Washington and London agreements, began building battleships. The Germans laid down the Bismarck, the Japanese laid down the Yamato.
"Bismarck" and "Yamato" did not fit into the restrictions established by the treaties, either in terms of displacement or in the caliber of the main artillery.
"Pensacola" and the sister ship "Salt Lake City" (CA-25) from October 1943 to May 1944 sailed painted according to the Measure 33/10d scheme - medium spot camouflage. To distinguish the ship from the Salt Lake City, the Pensacola's forward smokestack was painted black. The Curtis SOC Seagal seaplane is visible on the catapult.
Heavy cruiser Pensacola at anchor, early 1944. Main caliber turret No. 3 is turned forward to the left. The photo shows the antennas of the SK radar and two SG radars installed on the masts. The anti-aircraft cruiser's armament was reinforced with 40 mm Bofors and 20 mm Oerlikons.
For the United States, World War II began on the morning of December 7, 1941, with a Japanese carrier-based air raid on Earl Harbor. Six aircraft carriers were involved in the strike against the Japanese fleet. The main purpose of the strike was to destroy the battleships and aircraft carriers of the American Pacific Fleet in Pearl Harbor. As for the battleships, the number was a success - all the battleships located in Pearl Harbor were damaged, but the Japanese did not find any aircraft carriers in Hawaii. With the failure of battleships, heavy cruisers had to take their place.
Between 1929 and 1937, the United States built 17 heavy cruisers, six of which were lost during the Pacific War, in most cases from Japanese torpedoes. Heavy cruisers were built in accordance with the restrictions of the Washington Treaty with a displacement limit of 10,000 tons. The designers managed to create ships with parameters close to optimal within the established restrictions. The displacement of Pensacola (SA-24) and Salt Lake City was each 9,100 tons (8,255 metric tons). The displacement was reduced by reducing the reservation.
PENSACOLA 1942
Three-gun turret over a two-gun turret
203 mm turrets of Pensacola-class cruisers
In 1944, the heavy cruiser Pensacola was repainted using the Measure 32/14d camouflage scheme. The crane boom, which is below the main caliber tower No. 2, is folded back in order to install the paravan. Radar antennas SG, SK and FC are installed on the foremast.
American heavy cruisers were named after cities or states. Destroyers, cruisers, and battleships of the US Navy were numbered in chronological order. When numbering, cruisers were not divided into light or heavy. Beginning in 1939, side numbers were depicted on the sides in the bow of the hull in white or light gray paint. The name of the ship was most often written on the stern in black paint.
In the 1930s, heavy cruisers were painted light gray; this paint scheme became known as Measure 3. As soon as the cloud of war covered Europe, the Americans began to think about ways to camouflage ships - by 1943, the Yankees had developed 33 color options that had more than one hundred subspecies. Heavy cruisers operating during the Pacific War were most often found in camouflage schemes with a predominance of gray and blue colors - Measure 21, NAVY Blue System; Measure 22, Graded System - NAVY Blue/Gray; Measure 12 is a disruptive camouflage of stripes and spots. The Measure 33 and Measure 31 and 32 color schemes were designed to mislead shore and ship observers as to the ship's true distance. The Measure 17 scheme was developed from a paint scheme used in the British Navy. The cruiser Augusta (L-31) and the escort cruiser Songhi (CVE-29) were painted according to scheme 17. The symmetrical paint scheme of this type was widely used during the Allied landings in North Africa in November 1942.
Sailors and dockers prepare the Pensacola for sea, 1944. The main caliber guns of turret No. 2 are raised to the maximum elevation angle. The Measure 32/14d paint scheme consists of spot stripes of black, light gray and ocean gray. The length of the cruiser Pensacola is 178.5 m, the total wartime displacement is 12,610 metric tons.
In 1945, the cruiser Pensacola was sent for repairs on Mary Island, PC. California. Then the cruiser was repainted in Measure 21, NAVY Blue System camouflage. During the repair, 40-mm quad Bofors were added to the ship, and an SK-2 radar antenna was installed on the main mast. The appearance of new colors and additional anti-aircraft guns was associated with the growing threat from kamikazes (suicide aircraft). The US Navy command considered the NAVY Blue scheme to be the best camouflage paint scheme for ships operating in the Pacific Ocean.
In 1945, the right catapult was removed from the Pensacola in order to save weight, after which aircraft from the cruiser began to take off only to the left. Since ancient times, pilots have been flying in the wrong direction, so it was the right catapult that was removed. The designers were forced to save a lot of money due to the need to build up the ship's anti-aircraft and radar weapons. The photo clearly shows universal 127 mm cannons (barrel length 25 calibers).
"Pensacola" leaves the hospitable Mary Island, California, 1945. The main mast is equipped with an SU water radar antenna, SX and SK-2 airspace radar antennas, and SK and surveillance radar antennas are mounted on the other mast water surface SG. Smoke production equipment is installed on the quarterdeck. Pay attention to the fence installed on board in the area of the main caliber tower No. 4 - the fence prevents objects dropped from the deck from reaching the propellers.
The Pensacola survived the fires of World War II, only to be caught in the fire of nuclear testing at Bikini Atoll. The atomic explosion had a much smaller impact on the cruiser than expected. Tests of special weapons on Bikini Atoll demonstrated the high resistance of large ships to the damaging factors of a nuclear explosion. After Bikini, the cruiser Pensacola was used as a target. The Pensacola was finally sunk in 1948.
"Salt Lake City" (SL-25), painted according to the Measure 3 scheme - all light gray, mid-30s. The deck is the color of natural wood. Both cruiser masts will soon be shortened to increase stability. The left catapult is equipped with a Vought O21-4 Corsair seaplane. Usually, four reconnaissance seaplanes were simultaneously based on the cruiser. Below the left catapult a three-tube torpedo tube of 533 mm caliber is visible.
“Salt Lake City” in Measure 21 camouflage, NAVY BIе System; photograph taken in 1943. A radar antenna was mounted at the top of the foremast about the Jurassic airspace of SK. just above is the SG water surface surveillance radar antenna. The radar antenna of the GS fire control system is installed on the range finder of the centralized aiming system for 8-inch guns. "Salt Lake City" is preparing for another military campaign in the waters of the Pacific Ocean.
The cruiser "Salt Lake City" is on the cruise. The ship is painted according to Measure 3 - all light gray, late 30's. Long- and short-wave radio transceiver antennas are strung between the masts. Both catapults carry Curtiss SOC Seagal seaplanes.
"Salt Lake City" fires with its main battery, the waters of Wake Island, February 24, 1942. The Japanese captured Wake Island in a treacherous blow in December 1941. The February 1942 raid of the American fleet on Wake Island was intended to remind the cross-eyed who really is the master islands. In the foreground is an SOC Seagal seaplane mounted on a catapult.
"Salt Lake City", painted according to Measure 33/10d. The cruisers Pensacola and Salt Lake City sailed in this coloring from October 1943 to May 1944. Two OS21 Kingfisher seaplanes were installed on the ship’s catapults. The cruiser Salt Lake City spent the entire Second World War in the Pacific Ocean. The ship's combat career was successful - the cruiser avoided serious battle damage and was not sunk.
"Salt Lake City" under repair, Mary's Island, San Francisco, 1944. During the repair, the cruiser's electronic equipment was updated and anti-aircraft weapons were strengthened. The increase in the mass of the cargo installed above the waterline had a negative impact on the stability of the ship and, as a result, on the firing accuracy of its artillery.
During repairs in 1944, armor was installed around the artillery sight on the rear superstructure of the Salt Lake City. 40-mm quadruple Bofors anti-aircraft guns were installed on the deck. An SG radar antenna was installed at the top of the foremast, and a Mark-12 radar antenna was installed at the main caliber fire control post.
"Salt Lake City" in Measure 32/14d livery, repaired on Mary Island, 1944. Aviation gasoline is pumped onto the ship from a tank on the pier for the ship's seaplanes. The SG radar antenna is installed on an additional pole above the SK radar antenna to increase the radius of the inspected space. During the repairs, additional 20 mm Oerlikon cannons and Mk-51 gun sights were installed on the cruiser
The cruiser Northampton (CA-26) photographed from an O3U reconnaissance aircraft in the waters of Pearl Harbor, 1933. In the background are the sister ship Chicago (CA-29) and Louisville (CA-28), in The frame partially shows the cruiser Salt Lake City (SA-25). Northampton was the flagship of the 4th Cruiser Division. The ship is painted according to the peacetime scheme - completely in light gray.
NORTHAMPTON Class, 1935
In 1940, blue stripes were painted on the roofs of the two bow turrets of the main battery of the cruiser Northampton, and blue discs were painted on the roofs of the stern main gun turrets. This marking was applied during Pacific Fleet exercises. The ship's two catapults are equipped with three SOC Seagal seaplanes from VCS-4 squadron. Directly behind the catapults on the Northampton-class cruisers, universal artillery of 127 mm caliber was concentrated.
All American heavy cruisers were armed with 8-inch naval guns with a long barrel of 55 calibers of various models. At first, the guns were placed in casemates, then in towers. The Pensacola-class cruisers were armed with ten 8-inch guns mounted in four highly unusual casemates—one two-gun casemate above a three-gun casemate forward and aft. The later cruisers Northampton, Portland and New Orleans were armed with nine 8-inch guns each in three three-gun casemates. Auxiliary artillery consisted of eight 5-inch (127 mm) guns with a barrel length of 25 calibers. These guns were intended to repel air attacks and shell the coast from short distances. After the United States entered World War II, additional anti-aircraft weapons were installed on cruisers. At first, Browning M2 machine guns of 12.7 mm caliber became such air defense systems. Machine guns were placed in the bridge area. The machine guns proved ineffective, after which the machine guns were replaced by quad 28 mm (1.1 in) automatic cannons. With the advent of 20-mm Oerlikons, Oerlikons began to be mounted on cruisers. The 28 mm guns were not stable in firing and required intensive maintenance. The "Chicago Pianos" were replaced with quadruple and twin 40 mm Bofors automatic cannons. Cruisers of the Pensacola and Northampton classes are armed with 533 mm torpedo tubes - two three-tube tubes on each ship. The torpedo tubes were installed on the upper deck in the middle part of the hull along the sides of the superstructure. At the beginning of the war, torpedo tubes were removed from cruisers.
The Washington cruisers carried two aircraft catapults each, the catapults were mounted in the middle part of the ship. Seaplanes - reconnaissance aircraft - fired catapults. Cruisers of the Pensacola, Northampton and Portland class each carried one crane designed for lifting and lowering seaplanes; cruisers of the New Orleans class had two such cranes. During the war, in order to save weight, the right cranes and left catapults were dismantled from the New Orleans. Weight had to be saved due to the need to install radars on ships.
Northampton enters Pearl Harbor after searching for the Japanese fleet, December 7, 1941, whose aircraft successfully dealt with the battleships of the American Pacific Fleet in the morning. The cruiser is painted according to the Measure I scheme in a dark gray system: the hull is dark gray, the superstructures are light gray, and a fake breaker is painted in white paint at the bow of the hull. A CXAM radar antenna is installed on the foremast. The cruiser Northampton was lost in the Battle of Tassafaronga on November 30, 1942 near Guadalcanal.
Northampton became part of a special task force tasked with searching for the Japanese fleet. The formation also included the aircraft carrier Enterprise. Northampton and Enterprise were 200 nautical miles west of Pearl Harbor when the American battleships were attacked by Japanese planes. Two Seagal seaplanes that took off from the cruiser were intercepted by Japanese Zeros 100 miles north of Pearl Harbor on the morning of December 7, but the reconnaissance crews reported meeting Japanese planes only after returning. During the period of fighting in the Pacific Ocean, the cruiser Northampton managed to receive six battle stars.
The cruiser "Chester" (CA-27) left the naval shipyard in Norfolk, pcs. Virginia, July 30, 1943. The ship is painted in Measure 21 - NAVY Blue System. The SG radar antenna is mounted on the main mast, and the SK radar antenna is mounted on the foremast. The SOC Seagal seaplane is visible on the right catapult.
On October 30, 1945, a long pennant was attached to the mainmast of the ship Chester, which at the other end was held taut by a helium-filled balloon. The pennant with the balloon was intended for weather study by specialists of the Meteorological Department. For battles in the Pacific Ocean during World War II, the cruiser Chester was awarded 11 battle stars.
A reconnaissance and observation squadron consisting of four or six aircraft was usually based on a heavy cruiser. On board the ship there was all the fuel necessary for the operation of aviation. spare parts, alcohol, etc. It was even possible to assemble an entire additional airplane from spare parts! On the Pensacola, the aircraft were stored on catapults and on a special deck, on the Northampton, Portland and New Orleans - on catapults and in a hangar. The hangar was located behind the aft superstructure. On ships such as the Northampton and Portland, the hangar doors were hinged, while the hangar doors on the New Orleans class were sliding.
A typical regular reconnaissance seaplane of the early 1930s was the Chance-Vought Q3U Corsair aircraft. No, no, calm down, don’t worry: this is not the Chance-Vout “Corsair” and not even the Ling-Temko-Vout “Corsair”. The last “Corsair”, which O3U, was purchased by the US Navy in 1936. Since 1936, the “Corsairs” began to be replaced by Curtiss SOC “Seagal” seaplanes. These aircraft remained on cruisers until the end of World War II. To replace the Seagal, Curtiss developed the seaplane SO3C-1 Simyu, a monoplane with a liquid-cooled engine. The first Seamew seaplanes entered service with the cruisers Chicago and Chester at the end of 1942 - beginning of 1943. The Simyu did not fly for long in the US Navy; the vehicle turned out to be unsuccessful and was quickly removed from service.
Vought OS2U "Kingfisher" aircraft began to enter service with reconnaissance and observation squadrons of heavy cruisers in 1944, although these airplanes had been based on battleships and light cruisers since 1940. Another type of Curtis aircraft was registered on several heavy cruisers in 1940 - SC-I "Seahawk", a single-seat reconnaissance aircraft with improved characteristics compared to its predecessors. The Seahawks also did not fly from cruisers for long, but the reason was no longer their flight qualities. It’s just that the work of the reconnaissance aircraft was taken over by the ship’s radars. By 1950, the heavy cruisers of the US Navy were completely deprived of aircraft weapons and all aircraft accessories.
The cruiser "Chester" at anchorage in Ulithi Harbor, March 15, 1945. Ulithi Atoll became a safe harbor. For the ships of the American Pacific Fleet, where ships and people had the opportunity to get a break from the suffering of war. The cruiser is painted according to Measure 32/9d. Four 127 mm cannons with a barrel length of 25 calibers are installed on the former boat deck.
12.7 mm machine gun
Single 20mm cannon
Twin 20mm cannon
Louisville (CA-28) off the coast of Pearl Harbor, April 7, 1931. The cruiser recently entered service with the US Navy. There are three Vought seaplanes on the hangar deck.
About
3U-1.
The ship is painted according to the peacetime scheme - light gray. 28mm quad mount
40mm twin mount
40mm quad mount
"Louisville" at anchor, mid-30s. The torpedo tubes from the cruiser have not yet been dismantled. In 1940, the ships' anti-aircraft armament was strengthened to eight 5-inch (127mm) universal guns and four 3-inch guns. The crane for loading aircraft was sometimes used for lowering and lifting ship craft.
"Louisville" with signal flags raised, Hawaii area, November 22/942. The ship is painted according to the Measure 21-NAVT Blue System scheme. Four universal 5-inch guns with a barrel length of 25 calibers are installed on the hangar deck. The TS and SK radar antennas are mounted on the foremast. During the years of the war in the Pacific, the cruiser Louisville received a battle star 13 times.
The cruisers "Chicago", "Augusta" and "Houston" were built taking into account the possibility of using them as flagship ships of fleets, for which purpose the superstructure was expanded on the ships, which went beyond the aircraft deck. "Northampton", "Chester" and "Louisville" were built as the flagship ships of the squadron; they also had a more developed superstructure, but more modest. than the flagships of the fleets. The Indianapolis was also built as a flagship; during the war, this ship became the flagship of the 5th Fleet of the US Navy.
The first radars appeared on heavy cruisers in 1940, when CXAM radars were installed on the cruisers Pensacola, Northampton, Chester and Chicago. In 1942, the SK radar was installed to replace the CXAM radars. SC and SK-2. To survey the water surface, SG radars were used, which were first installed one on the cruisers, and then two on each cruiser. The firing of the main caliber guns was controlled using the MK-34 artillery fire control radar; these radars were installed on all American heavy cruisers except the New Orleans-class ships. Massive additional antennas on the tops of the masts dangerously reduced the New Orleans' stability margin. The SC radar was used to control the artillery fire of these cruisers.
"Washington" cruisers took part in the battles of World War II, both in the Pacific and in the Atlantic. There were some losses. Two months after the start of the war in the Pacific Ocean, the Houston sank, sunk by shells and torpedoes from Japanese cruisers and ten destroyers in the Sunda Strait on February 25, 1942. On August 9, 1942, the US Navy suffered the heaviest losses in cruisers during the entire period of the campaign on Pacific Ocean. Then, in the battle of Savo Island, the heavy cruisers Astoria, Quincy and Vincennes were lost. They also became victims of shells and torpedoes from Japanese cruisers and destroyers. The Northampton was sunk by a Japanese destroyer near Lusha. In the same battle, New Orleans lost 36.6 m of its bow; the "Minneapolis" had its nose blown off all the way to the main caliber turret No. 1, and the "Pensacola" was hit by one torpedo. The Japanese again defeated the US Navy cruisers. Chicago died on January 30, 1943. That day, in the area of Rennell Island, the cruiser was twice attacked by Japanese torpedo bombers, receiving a total of at least six torpedo hits. The last heavy cruiser of the US Navy died on the night of July 29-30, 1945... just a few days before the surrender of Japan. Indianapolis delivered the atomic bomb to Tinian Atoll, where the B-29 bombers were based, which was dropped on Hiroshima. On the way back, the cruiser was torpedoed by the submarine I-58 in Leyte Gulf. About 800 of the crew survived the attack by the Japanese submarine, but rescuers arrived only three days later.
Only 316 people waited for rescuers to arrive; the rest died from lack of water and food or became victims of sharks. The death of 833 people from the crew of the cruiser Indianapolis is the largest single-time (on one ship) loss in the history of the US Navy.
"Chicago" (SA-29) became the flagship of the 5th cruiser division on May 31, 938. The main caliber turret No. 2 bears the red, white and blue “Spanish patrol” stripe, designed to prevent the supply of weapons from third countries to both sides that took part in the Spanish Civil War. US and German ships operated side by side as part of the neutral patrol. Seaplanes 03U-1 are stored on the hangar deck of the cruiser, including one with a blue fuselage and a silver wing - the Admiral's personal plane.
The cruiser Chicago off the coast of California, October 1939. There are seaplanes on the hangar deck. Squadron SOC VCS-5. The cruiser's anti-aircraft armament is reinforced with 12.7 mm Browning M2 machine guns with water-cooled barrels; the machine guns are installed above the bridge. The cruiser is painted entirely in light gray according to the peacetime scheme. Before she sank on January 30, 1943 at Rennell Island, the cruiser Chicago was awarded a battle star three times.
"Chicago" in dry dock, mid-30s. The distance indicator mounted on the mainmast is clearly visible. This scale was used to show other ships the approximate distance to the target in yards. With the beginning of the war, all the holes in the sides of the hull were sealed.
The cruiser "Chicago" at the Mary Island shipyard, 1940. A CXAM radar antenna is installed on the mainmast. During the repairs, shields were then installed on the 5-inch guns. The ship is painted light gray, following a peacetime scheme.
"Chicago" at the Mary Island shipyard, 1940. Turret No. 3 of the main battery has blue tactical markings, such symbolism was often used in pre-war exercises. An optical rangefinder is mounted on the roof of the tower. The name of the cruiser is written on its stern in black paint.
Chicago and the British cruiser Linder at anchor somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, 1942. During the early stages of the Pacific campaign, American and British ships often fought a common enemy together. "Chicago" is painted according to the Measure 14 scheme, "Linder" is painted according to the Admiralty scheme. Linder survived the war, but Chicago was sunk in the waters of Rennell Island on January 30, 1943, after being hit by at least six torpedoes dropped by Japanese aircraft.
"Chicago" passes between the cruisers "Louisville" (CA-2H) and "Wichita" (CA-45, the photo was taken from it). Three cruisers are heading towards the Solomon Islands, Rennell Island in particular. The photograph was taken on January 29, 1943. The Wichita sailors are preparing the guard paravan for launch. The CXAM radar antenna is clearly visible on the Chicago mast.
US Navy
Construction of American cruisers began only in 1918. Over the course of several years, several light ships of the Omaha type were created, followed by a long break of six years.
US light cruisers were in short supply by 1939, prompting a rush to design the missing units. Ships of the Dido type were intended to fight Japanese destroyers. The next stage was seven air defense cruisers at once.
When designing American cruisers for World War II, attention was paid to their ability to make long journeys and fight at a considerable distance from their naval bases. At the same time, large ships from the United States have always been more successful than small ones. So US heavy cruisers in World War II posed a significant threat to their opponents.
For example, the cruiser Baltimore was in service with the US Navy. She was called by many the strongest heavy cruiser of World War II.
Cruiser power plant
The power plant was supposed to consist of eight boilers and four turbo-gear units (all of the Kanpon type), with a total shaft power of 170,000 hp. would allow us to achieve the required speed of 33-34 knots. As noted above, in accordance with Japanese practice, all boilers and turbine units were located separately, each in its own compartment. The steering included two rudders, an auxiliary one in front of the main one, and two steering gears in separate compartments located quite far from each other.
German forces
German cruisers for World War II began to form part of the German fleet only in 1925. It was then, under the Treaty of Versailles, that the country that lost the First World War was allowed to receive 6 light cruisers. One of them was the Emden ship.
Since 1935, Germany refused to recognize any restrictions of the Versailles Peace Treaty and began building powerful heavy cruisers. The Germans carefully concealed everything related to these projects, underestimating displacement figures and other indicators.
The fate of the fascist heavy cruisers was very successful at first, especially if you do not take into account the death of the Blucher. The ship “Prinz Eugen” is known, which since 1940 was on the roadstead in the North Atlantic, accompanied the battleship “Bismarck”, which was sunk by the British, and she managed to break away and enter the French port of Brest.
From here he set out together with the battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, heading for the waters of Norway. Here she was hit by an English torpedo, after which she went to the Baltic for repairs.
His fate turned out to be sad. Together with Nuremberg he was forced to surrender in Copenhagen. He was captured by the Americans, who sank him near Bikini Atoll.
Design of B-64 supercruisers
The design of new cruisers began in the summer of 1940. At the same time, the first two ships were included in the “Fifth Fleet Replenishment Program of 1942-43.” under construction numbers 795 and 796, and from August they appeared in the planned composition of the 2nd Fleet instead of the Kongo-class battleships.
The preliminary design of the basic B-64 design was completed in September 1940. (Projects for battleships were designated by the letter "A", battlecruisers - "B", heavy cruisers - "C", etc., and the number indicated the development number.) The new ships had much in common with the Yamato-class battleships: hull shapes , general location, reservation system, torpedo protection, superstructure that made even their silhouettes similar.
The Project B-64 supercruiser was called the “lightweight Yamato.” The similarity with this battleship can be seen even in its outline.
The contours of the smooth-deck hull corresponded to those adopted by the naval technical department, which were proposed in 1930 by Captain 1st Rank Fujimoto when designing contract battleships.
The hull reached its greatest width somewhat aft from the middle of the ship. The height of the freeboard in the bow was determined by the requirements of high seaworthiness, in the middle part - by the necessary reserve of buoyancy and stability, in the stern - the least possible in order to save weight. The main structural elements that ensured longitudinal strength were three decks, of which the middle one was armored, three platforms at the ends and an armor belt included in the power structure of the hull.
Throughout the boiler rooms and engine rooms, the lower platform turned into a triple bottom, which was not the case on the Yamato-class battleships and which distinguished the cruisers of the B-64 project for the better. To reduce water resistance, the bow received a special, rounded shape.
