Ship Baltimore. Baltimore-class heavy cruisers

We have already talked about how heavy cruisers became a favorite class for American sailors. Large 10,000-ton ships were the best suited for operations in the ocean, where the distances between bases were several thousand miles. Therefore, at the new naval conference that met in London in 1930, overseas admirals fought for them as ardently as in battle. And in the end they succeeded: the United States finally managed to defeat the “mistress of the seas”. Let at least in one class of ships, but the most (as it seemed then) interesting. The Americans “knocked out” for themselves the right to have 18 heavy cruisers, while the British were allowed no more than 15, and the Japanese only 12. All this looked just fine, but in fact the London Agreement fixed the situation that had arisen at that moment. The United States already had 16 units in service or on the stocks that fell into the "heavy" category, and not all of them came out successful and strong. The seventeenth was the Vincennes, which was built according to the already finished project of the New Orleans. As a result, with the further development of the class, there was very, very little space left for maneuver - only one ship. Then we would have to wait until the first of the “Washingtonians” served their 20-year term and they could be replaced with new ones.

It is clear that in such a situation, the designers wanted to invest as much as possible in the "last hope". Moreover, by 1934 cruisers of all projects were already in service and it was possible to draw some conclusions. Having first gone over with the relief of the hulls, the Americans gradually reached the 10,000-ton limit and now, without any particular twinge of conscience, moved on. On the Astorias, the limit was exceeded by about 140 tons - in fact, a trifle compared to the tricks that were done in other countries. Therefore, the engineers were given a not too, however, advertised order: the new project can be “weighted” by another couple of hundred tons.

In the same 1934, the laying of the SA-44, called "Wichita", took place. The design of the new heavy cruiser was almost completely reworked. The next increase in weight was only one and rather insignificant difference from its predecessors. The hull for the Wichita was taken from the large Brooklyn-class light cruisers laid down a year earlier. Design thought has come full circle and returned to the smooth-deck scheme. However, instead of a rather significant bend on the Salt Lake City, the hull now had a high side along the entire length. This not only guaranteed uninterrupted firing on ocean waves from the rear turret, but also made it possible to launch aircraft from catapults now installed in the stern itself. The Americans considered this solution to be optimal, since it freed up valuable space in the middle of the ship, which was so necessary for anti-aircraft artillery. At the same time, the “house”-hangar, which occupied a lot of space on the deck in the central part of the ship, also disappeared. He migrated directly to the hull in the stern under the catapult. The cruiser got rid of the “shed”, which not only spoiled the appearance, but also represented a hefty target that threatened dangerous fires when hit. As a result, the general arrangement began to correspond to a complete and very rational scheme, which the Americans actively implemented on all classes of large ships. Perhaps its only drawback was the inability to fire from the rear turret directly into the stern. Muzzle gases easily carried overboard fragile seaplanes located directly in the line of fire. Therefore, it remained either to carefully hide them below deck in the hangar and not use them in battle, or to release them at the first sign of the appearance of the enemy, or to dodge in battle so that the enemy did not end up in the aft sector.

On the last "London" cruiser, the long-standing problem of eight-inch barrels being too close was finally completely solved. They were "pulled away" for a fairly long distance and placed in separate cradles. True, there was a problem with the size of the barbettes, the diameter of which increased so much that they did not fit into the graceful contours of the hull. Then the designers contrived and gave the barbets the shape of an inverted cone, tapering from the tower to the cellar.

Anti-aircraft weapons have undergone a major change. Already in the course of construction, the fleet command managed to “push through” the installation of new 127-mm universal guns with a barrel length of 38 calibers - the famous cannon, which has been used since the mid-30s on all US ships, from aircraft carriers to escort destroyers and auxiliary vessels, and played a big role. role in the Pacific War. "Navy" wanted to have twin installations at once, but work on the "Wichita" advanced so much that they had to limit themselves to single ones, and some of them did not have shields. And so, in order to balance the weight, 200 tons of cast iron had to be loaded into the holds as ballast. This completely useless cargo increased the transshipment to 600 tons compared to the Washington limit. However, other transshipment items made much more sense. First of all, the weight went to the next strengthening of the reservation. The thickness of the belt increased to 152 mm on 16 mm plating, the barbettes - up to 178 mm, and the frontal plates of the towers up to 8 inches - 203 mm. The roofs of the towers, covered with 70-mm plates, came out very solid - a thickness worthy of dreadnoughts from the First World War. As a result, the Wichita stood in the honorary ranks of the most protected cruisers of its time. The solution to the problem of the survivability of a mechanical installation also looked interesting. Three boiler rooms were located in front, followed by two turbine rooms, between which a fourth boiler room was squeezed. Such a "half-echelon" scheme has become a reasonable compromise between a full-fledged alternation of machines and boilers and a traditional sequential one.

In general, the ship turned out to be very successful and served as the basis for all subsequent US heavy cruiser projects. However, it was not without overlaps. It was not possible to “pull out” the planned increased cruising range, although the achieved 8800 miles with a 15-knot course can be considered a good result. But with low stability, nothing reasonable could be done. As a result, the ship, heavily overloaded with weapons and equipment placed on a tall hull, had much less room for upgrades than its predecessors. So, it was not possible to replace single 127-graph papers with paired ones, and the traditional melee assault rifles - "Bofors" and "Oerlikons" - were placed on Wichita with special precautions.

The last contracted heavy cruiser had barely entered service when World War II began. Although the United States has not yet participated in it, the admirals could not miss a great opportunity to get new "toys", taking advantage of the fact that restrictive naval agreements had lost their meaning. A decision was made to return to the construction of their favorite type - heavy cruisers. It is quite natural that the successful Wichita was chosen as a model; this saved a lot of time both in the development and in the construction of new ships. Initially, the repetition was supposed to be almost complete, the only change was to increase the width of the case by just over half a meter. However, the removal of restrictions opened up too tempting opportunities, and the designers began to reshape the "caftan", which was no longer "Trishkin": something, but the Americans had enough materials and money.

First of all, anti-aircraft weapons were strengthened. The cruisers received twelve 127-mm anti-aircraft guns in twin mounts - quite a battleship norm. An impressive number was supported by an excellent location: two towers were located along the diametrical plane and could fire over the bow and stern artillery groups of the main caliber. For the first time, the project from the very beginning provided for the placement of multi-barreled machine guns - four four-barreled 28-mm installations, nicknamed "Chicago pianos" in the United States (as in the heyday of the gangster "business", which Chicago became a kind of capital, they called the favorite weapon of gangsters - Thompson submachine guns, able in a few seconds to fill with lead a competitor or a policeman who has turned up out of place). However, the development was not very successful, plus it was not easy to manufacture, and the Americans switched to more powerful and technologically advanced 40-mm Swedish "bofors". It is difficult to argue against such timely innovations, but they caused a completely natural increase in displacement, which reached 13,600 tons of the "standard" without fuel and other cargo. The Baltimores turned out to be 20 m longer than the Wichita and almost two wider, and this despite the fact that the main caliber has not changed at all, and the armor has not fundamentally improved. (The main highlight of the protection was a really thick 65 mm deck.) Dimensions and displacement could have become even larger if not for the use of a new boiler plant with very high steam parameters. only four heavy-duty boilers fed the steam. Although the power plant turned out to be quite efficient and made it possible to exceed the design capacity by 10% without any problems, the design 34 nodes could not be achieved due to the continuous “swelling” of the load. The number of 40-mm machine guns grew by leaps and bounds, their installations occupied all free convenient (and not very) places, making the ships heavier. However, the achieved 33 knots looked quite dignified and solid, as the cruisers themselves turned out to be impressive. The echelon arrangement of boilers (each of the four had its own "separate apartment") and turbines ensured good survivability.

184. Heavy cruiser Baltimore (USA, 1943)

It was built by Bethlehem Steel Corporation at a shipyard in Quincy. Standard displacement - 14,470 tons, full - 17,030 tons, maximum length - 205.26 m, width - 21.59 m, draft - 7.32 m. The power of the four-shaft steam turbine plant is 120,000 hp, the speed is 33 knots. Reservation: board 165 - 114 mm, deck 57 mm, towers 203-51 mm, barbettes 178 mm. Armament: nine 203/55-mm guns, twelve 127/38-mm anti-aircraft guns, forty-eight 40-mm machine guns, 4 seaplanes. In total in 1943 - 1946. 14 units built: Baltimore, Boston, Canberra, Quincy, Pittsburgh, Saint Paul, Columbus, Helena, Bremerton, Fall River, Macon ”, “Toledo”, “Los Angeles” and “Chicago”. In reality, no more than two seaplanes were accepted. Upon entry into service, an additional twenty to twenty-eight 20-mm machine guns were carried. The first (in 1969 and 1971, respectively) were excluded from the lists "Macon", "Fall River" and "Baltimore", the rest were scrapped until the end of the 70s of the XX century, with the exception of "Chicago" and "Albany".

185. Heavy cruiser Wichita (USA, 1939)

Built at the Navy Yard in Philadelphia. Standard displacement - 10,590 tons, full - 13,015 tons, maximum length - 185.42 m, width - 18.82 m, draft - 7.24 m. Power of the four-shaft steam turbine plant 100,000 hp, speed 33 knots. Reservations: board 165 - 114 mm, deck 57 mm, towers 203-37 mm, barbettes 178 mm. Armament: nine 203/55 mm guns, eight 127/38 mm anti-aircraft guns, eight 12.7 mm machine guns, 4 seaplanes. During the war, twenty-four 40-mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns and eighteen 20-mm Oerlikons were installed. Sold for scrap in 1959.

186. Heavy cruiser Oregon City (USA, 1946)

It was built by Bethlehem Steel Corporation at a shipyard in Quincy. Displacement, dimensions, mechanisms, armor and weapons - like the Baltimore. In 1946, 3 units were built: Oregon City, Albany and Rochester. The fourth and last unit of the series, the Northampton, was completed in 1951 as a control ship. Oregon City delisted in 1970, Rochester in 1974, Northampton in 1977. 30/6/1958 "Albany" put on conversion to the cruiser URO. 11/1/1958 received a new tail number CO-10. Commissioned 11/3/1962. On March 1, 1967, he embarked on another modernization, which lasted 20 months. 11/9/1968 re-commissioned. In 1973, he was put into reserve. In May 1974, she was commissioned into the active fleet and became the flagship of the 2nd Fleet. From 1976 to 1980 the flagship of the 6th US Fleet. On August 29, 1980, it was excluded from the lists of the fleet and was soon dismantled for metal.

Not only the ships themselves grew, but also orders for them. Initially, in July 1940, it was supposed to order 4 units, but after only 2 months their number doubled. And 2 years later, in August 1942, an order for 16 pieces immediately followed! Taking into account the death of many heavy cruisers from among the opponents during the war years, the "park" of American "heavyweights" threatened to fill all the oceans. The end of hostilities slightly softened this rather frightening picture: two cruisers laid down in the last days of 1944, Norfolk and Scranton, decided not to complete construction.

However, by that time, the construction of advanced heavy cruisers had already begun. "Oregon City" outwardly differed from its predecessors with one wide pipe instead of two "Baltimore". Inside, the changes were kept to a minimum. Although the displacement has once again grown, the additional tons this time went to increase stability and seaworthiness. The more spacious hull and the initial focus on enhanced anti-aircraft weapons contributed a lot to further improvements and upgrades. While representatives of the pre-war types, by the end of the war, were sinking deeper and deeper into the water, weighing several hundred (somewhere even thousands) tons, the last series was limited to overload - at least half that of all the others.

The first of the "Oregons" was laid down in March 1944, and by the time it was launched, it became clear that none of them would have time to fight. And so it happened: the lead cruiser entered service only in February 1946, followed by two more, and the fourth, the Northampton, was completed quite slowly. The flag on it was raised in March 1953, already in the new realities of the next war - the "cold". The last two units were dismantled on the slipways, thereby establishing a kind of justice in relation to the "ancestors" - the "Baltimores", a series of which was also cut into two ships.

It is curious that the lion's share of orders for "American heavyweights" went to the shipyard owned by the metallurgical giant - the Bethlehem Steel Company (Bethlehem Steel Corporation). Only 4 units were ordered from a well-known specialized shipbuilding company from New York, and the state arsenal in Philadelphia was limited to building just a couple of ships.

However, regardless of the tricks of the designers and the power of the shipbuilding industry, the excellent qualities of American military-built heavy cruisers turned out to be not very in demand. In the competition over time, time won, of course. Only 7 units took part in the hostilities, and they practically failed to shoot at the enemy with their main caliber. "Baltimore", "Boston" and "Canberra" became part of the carrier formations, and they had to repel the desperate attacks of Japanese aircraft, both kamikazes and traditional dive bombers and torpedo bombers. One of the last in October 1944, near Taiwan, managed to put a torpedo in the very middle of the Canberra hull. Despite all the tricks of the designers, the cruiser took 4.5 thousand tons of water and lost speed. Only complete dominance of the sea allowed the Americans to tow it across half the ocean. His fellow Quincy ended up in the European theater of operations, becoming the only representative of the most modern American cruisers there. His shells smashed the German positions both during the landing in Normandy and in operations in southern France. The Pittsburgh career turned out to be somewhat embarrassing, sailing only 4 months before, in June 1945, he, along with his unit, fell into a strong typhoon. The vaunted solid construction could not withstand the blows of the elements: the ship emerged from the hurricane without the bow, torn off along the front turret. I must say that such an outwardly impressive loss did not prevent the cruiser from reaching the base on its own, and restoring the status quo took three times less time than repairing the Canberra.

All "warriors" immediately after the war, in 1946-1947, went to the reserve. It's a shame, but still they at least managed to shoot and serve for three years. It was much more offensive to get to the wall in a mothballed form to their colleagues, who had just entered the ranks. True, the "forgotten war" in Korea soon broke out, when the Americans put into action most of the "well-endowed" units. Due to the complete absence of the enemy at sea, they had to mainly shoot at coastal targets. The rest of the Baltimore and Oregon service took place during the years of the bloodless Cold War, and after the prescribed 20 years, from the mid-70s of the last century, they sedately followed one after another for cutting.

By that time, their progenitor, Wichita, had already ceased to exist for a decade and a half. The cruiser went through the entire war, from 1941 to 1945, and traveled to all corners of Europe, from Arctic Norwegian waters, where she escorted Lend-Lease convoys, to the coast of Morocco, taking part in the Allied landings in Casablanca. Sent then to the Pacific Ocean, "Wichita" and there "examined" all corners of the huge maritime theater. In the north, his shells plowed up the island of Kiska, from which the Japanese garrison was safely evacuated even before the American battleships and cruisers were engaged in it. In the south, his eight-inch supported almost bloodless landings in the Dutch East Indies. On October 13, 1944, the "ancestor" provided significant assistance to his "descendant" by taking the heavily damaged Canberra in tow. And at the end of October, in the battle in Leyte Gulf, artillery was also used against enemy ships, although the targets were completely “lame ducks”. In company with colleagues, Wichita finished off the heavily damaged light aircraft carrier Chiyoda and the destroyer Hatsuyuki, which was trying to cover it. However, the previous three-day towing exercise of the heavy Canberra had an adverse effect on the turbines, and the well-fought cruiser went to the USA for repairs. However, he managed to return to the capture of Okinawa and other operations of the final period of the war, having received 13 "stars" - combat distinctions - and went on a well-deserved rest along with the rest, in 1947. The fate of the veteran was finally decided at the end of the 50s, when it was supposed to be converted into a rocket ship. But after examining a lot of floating hull, the experts decided that the game was not worth the candle, since there were quite a few much newer cruisers “in idle”, and in August 1959, the Wichita proceeded to the factory for disassembly for metal.

Built in large numbers, American heavy cruisers followed the fate of even more numerous "smooth-deck" destroyers that entered service after the First World War, then existed peacefully and without much use. But if the share of the surviving "flash deckers" still fell to participate in another world war, then the "Baltimores" did without it - for the general happiness. Since our cruisers could well become the main enemy for them: the Soviet Union quickly took second place in the world among maritime powers and first among potential enemies of an overseas superpower. And this threat (largely invented in the United States itself) spurred on to continue the arms race, leading to the creation of an even more advanced type of cruiser-class artillery ships. But more on that in future releases.

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Continuation of issue No. 17. The role that the US Navy heavy cruisers played in World War II is enormous. The importance of heavy cruisers in the Pacific increased especially after the Japanese carrier-based aircraft neutralized on December 7 virtually all the American battleships of the Pacific Fleet. Not a single heavy cruiser was damaged in that historic raid. All heavy cruisers took part in the battles with the samurai-Japanese and Nazi aggressors.

Baltimore-class cruisers

The heavy cruisers of the Baltimore type continued the line of development of the Brooklyn-class ships and the successful ship named Wichita.

The lead cruiser in the series, the Baltimore, was ordered on October 1, 1940; Massachusetts, May 26, 1941. The first eight cruisers of the series (CA-68 - CA-75) were built in Quincy. The cruiser Oregon City (CA-122) differed from the previous Baltimores and actually became the lead in a new series of three ships - Oregon City, Albany (CA-123) and Rochester (CA-124). These ships were also built by Blisleyham Steel. The Oregons were single-tube ships, while the Baltimores carried two chimneys. The series split again in 1950 with the development of the lead Des Moines (CA-134), followed by the cruisers Salem (CA-139) and Newport News (CA-148). In their configuration, these ships differed from the Baltimores and Oregons.

The length of the cruisers of the Baltimore / Oregon City type along the hull is 205.3 m. along the waterline - 202.4 m, width along the midship frame - 21.6 m. Standard displacement - 14,472 tons (13,129 metric tons), full - 17,030 tons (15,450 metric tons). The draft in full load is 8.2 m. On the Des Moines, the length along the hull was increased to 218.4 m, and the width along the midship frame was up to 23.3 m. The standard displacement of the Des Moines was 17,000 tons ( 15,422 metric tons), gross - 21,500 tons (19,505 metric tons).

All cruisers of the three series had eight Babcock and Wilcox boilers and four General Electric turbines with a total capacity of 120,000 hp. the turbines were powered by four propellers. Full speed 33 knots. The oil reserve provided a cruising range of 10,000 nautical miles at a speed of 15 knots. The cruising range, as on other cruisers, could be increased due to passing and oncoming refueling in navigation. The booking of the Baltimore-class cruisers as a whole was carried out similarly to the booking of the Wichita cruiser. The thickness of the armor varied from 15.24 cm in the area of the engine rooms to 10.2 cm in the area of the waterline. The thickness of the armored deck is 5 cm. The thickness of the barbets of the towers is 6 inches. The thickness of the frontal armor of the main caliber towers is 20.3 mm, the sides are 7.62 cm, and the roofs are 7.62 cm.

The cruisers "Baltimore" / "Oregon City" were armed with nine 203-mm guns with a long barrel of 55 calibers in the Mk 12 or Mk 15 variant, three guns in three towers; two towers in iosu, one above the other, one in the stern, separate in itself. The maximum firing range of an armor-piercing projectile weighing 152 kg was 27.5 km. On the "DS Moins" there were nine automated guns of 203 mm caliber with a barrel length of 55 calibers in the Mk 16 Mod 0 variant, three in three towers. The new, heavier, 8-inch guns had a rate of fire of 12 rounds per minute and were loaded with unitary ammunition, rather than separate loading rounds. Shooting with the main caliber was controlled using an Mk 34 optical rangefinder and a radar rangefinder.

The medium-caliber artillery consisted of 12 127 mm (5 in) 38-caliber guns mounted in six fully enclosed twin-gun turrets. The aiming of 127-mm guns was carried out by means of optics and radars. Purely anti-aircraft weapons were proven 40-mm Bofors. The first four Baltimore-class cruisers (CA-68 - CA-71) were armed with 12 quadruple Bofors - 48 barrels in total! On the remaining cruisers, the number of quadruple Bofors was reduced to 11, but the total number of barrels did not change, since two twin 40-mm anti-aircraft guns were placed at the stern. During the war, the anti-aircraft armament of the cruisers was reinforced by the installation of 24 single-barreled Oerlikons of 20 mm caliber. After the war, Bofors and Oerlikons were dismantled from cruisers, and 76.2-mm automatic guns were installed instead. The total number of anti-aircraft guns at the same time significantly decreased.

Like the Wichita, the Baltimore-class cruisers were equipped with an aircraft hangar, two catapults for launching seaplanes and two cranes (the CA-68 - CA-71 cruisers). On the other cruisers, only one crane was installed. On all cruisers, catapults were mounted on a quarterdeck. Three types of seaplanes were used: originally Curtiss SOC "Segal", since 1943 - Vought OS2U "Kingfisher", in 1945 - Curtis SC-I.

By the time the Baltimore-class heavy cruisers appeared in the Atlantic and Pacific, the defensive battles of the first period of the war had already ended. The dramatic battles of late 1942 - early 1943, in which Allied cruisers and destroyers took part, also went down in history. The glory of Japanese aircraft carriers remained in the past - the Japanese did not have enough ships, aircraft and, most importantly, well-trained carrier-based pilots. In the Pacific, the Americans launched a general offensive, moving from island to island. Landings were always preceded by powerful air and artillery strikes against Japanese garrisons. Heavy cruisers began to be included in the protection of aircraft carriers. "Baltimores" were involved in the shelling of Japanese positions in the Marshall Islands to Okinawa and Japan proper.

The cruiser "Canberra" (SA-70) October 13, 1944 was hit by one torpedo dropped by a Japanese airplane. The torpedo hit the side between the 3rd and 4th boiler rooms. As a result of the torpedo explosion, the bulkhead was destroyed and both boiler rooms were flooded. The cruiser lost its course. The Canberra was towed for repairs to Manus, Admiralty Islands. After the repair, the cruiser managed to take part in the battles of the last month of the Pacific War.

The Pittsburgh (SA-72) became the second and last Baltimore, which, along with the Canberra, received significant damage, but the Japanese had nothing to do with it - Mother Nature tried. June 4, 1945, shortly after participating in the campaign against Okinawa, the cruiser was caught in a typhoon. Wind and waves tore off the bow of the Pittsburgh. The cruiser was saved from flooding by the transverse bulkhead No. 1, which withstood the pressure of the elements, installed in front of the tower No. I of the main caliber. The cruiser came to Guam for repair under its own power. The severed nose, which remained afloat, was also towed to Guam. They did not attach the nose to the cruiser's hull. "Pigteburg" was sent for a full repair in the United States, this ship did not take part in the war anymore.

Most of the Baltimores operated in the Pacific. Only the Quincy (SA-71) had a chance to work in the waters of the Atlantic. The Quincy supported the 6 June 1944 Allied invasion of Normandy. Then the ship was transferred to the Mediterranean, where it ensured the invasion of Southern France with the fire of its calibers. At the end of February 1945, the presence of the Quincy in the Mediterranean ceased to be necessary. The cruiser went to the Pacific Ocean, where he was seen in the waters of Okinawa.

Until the end of the war, 11 Baltimore-class heavy cruisers were put into operation, seven of them were awarded battle stars for the heroism and courage shown by the personnel of the ships in battles with the enemy. The most honored among the "Baltimores" was the cruiser "St. Paul" (SA-73) - one battle star for the Second World War, eight for Korea and eight for Vietnam. In total, during World War II, Baltimore-class cruisers received 34 battle stars.

"Alaska" after the entry into service underwent combat training in the Atlantic by 1944. Outwardly, the cruiser looked more like a battleship, although the swiftness of the lines left no room for error. The Alaska cruiser successfully combined the enormous power of the battleship's main battery artillery and the high speed of the cruiser's full speed. There was already one such "successful" ship - it was called "Hood" ... From the word "thin" - "Bismarck" did not fiddle with "Hood" for a long time. Ironically, Alaska never showed what it was capable of: in the Pacific, the cruiser was mainly engaged in providing air defense for aircraft carrier formations, occasionally taking part in shelling Japanese garrisons on the islands.

Developing their cruising line, American designers, already during the outbreak of World War II, began to develop a new heavy cruiser, which is an alternative to the Cleveland-class light cruisers being developed at the same time. The fact is that its predecessor, the Wichita cruiser, did not have very good stability, which affected its combat qualities.

In the course of a series of works, taking the Wichita as a model, the designers increased the length and width of the hull, changed the location of the machine installation, providing for the possibility of locating and strengthening anti-aircraft artillery.

The first experience of naval military battles that flared up in Europe revealed the danger of a new weapon - magnetic mines. Considerable attention was also paid to protection from them. As a result, in May 1941, the lead ship of the series, the cruiser Baltimore, was laid down. With only 9 guns of the main caliber, it was literally dotted with anti-aircraft guns of various calibers.

In less than two years, the cruiser had already joined the fleet and immediately went to the Pacific Ocean, where, together with its sisterships Boston, Canberra and Quincy, it became part of the 10th cruiser division. The first combat test for the Baltimore was the landing on Makin Island in November 1943. Then the cruiser with its fire supported the marines landing on the island. Further similar operations went one by one:

December - strike on the Kwajalein atoll;
- January - participation in the shelling of coastal airfields of the Marshall Islands with the participation of ships of the 58th operational group;
- February - a raid on Truk, again as part of OS 58;
- March - raids on Palau, Ulithi and Yap;
- April - landing in Holland, shelling of the island of Satavan, located south of Truk;
- May - artillery attacks on Japanese troops on the islands of Marcus and Wake.

The peak of combat activity for the cruiser was June, when the Baltimore became a participant in several raiding operations and battles in the Philippine Sea at once, when the hopes of the Japanese military to turn the tide of hostilities at sea were finally buried in their favor. True, in this battle the main emphasis was placed on aviation, and the cruiser rather played the role of an escort for the aircraft carriers operating there, but this does not at all detract from its merits.

After a scheduled repair, which lasted more than three months, the ship returned to combat work in the Pacific Ocean, taking part in a number of raiding and landing operations. Unfortunately, and maybe fortunately for the ship, she never met with an enemy equal in strength to her - one of the Japanese heavy cruisers, more performing the functions of a floating artillery battery. So the Baltimore served until the end of World War II, and shortly after its end, in July 1946, was enlisted in the fleet reserve, having actually been in service for a little over three years.

But for him it was not the end. In November 1951, in the wake of the Korean crisis, the Baltimore was again remembered and the existing ones were again put into operation. True, the ship did not participate in the war itself, but served in the Atlantic Ocean. The second time, and now finally, he was withdrawn from the fleet at the end of May 1956. It was finally considered obsolete and had lost all combat value.

Heavy cruiser type Baltimore

Displacement: 136001.17070 t

Dimensions: 205.26 (SA-68 - 71: 204.74) x 21.59 x 7.32 m

Machines: 4-shaft GE GE, 4 Babcock-Wilcox boilers, 120000shp= 32.5 knots; 2,735 tons of oil = 10,000 miles @ 15 knots

Armor: belt 102 - 152 mm; deck 65 mm; barbettes 160 mm; tower forehead 203 mm, roof 76 mm, sides 95 mm; cellars 76 mm walls, 65 mm roof

Armament: 9 - 203/55 mm (3 x 3); 12 - 127/38 mm (6 x 2); 48 - 40 mm (11 x 4 + 2 x 2) SA-68 - SA-71: 48 - 40 (12 x 4), SA-68 - SA-71: 22 - 20 (22 x 1), SA-68 - CA-71: 24 - 20 (24 x 1), CA-68 - CA-71: 28 - 20 (28 x 1); 20 - 20 mm (10 x 2); 2 catapults, 4 aircraft

Crew : 1142 people (1969 military)

SA-68 Baltimore	Bethlehem, Quincy	26.5.41	28.7.42	15.4.43	Withdrawn to reserve 8.7.46
SA-69 Boston	Bethlehem, Quincy	31.6.41	26.8.42	30.6.43	Withdrawn to reserve 12.3.46
SA-70 Canberra (ex-Pittsburgh)	Bethlehem, Quincy	3.9.41	19.4.43	14.10.43	Withdrawn to reserve 7.3.47
SA -71 Quincy (ex-St. Paul)	Bethlehem, Quincy	9.9.41	23.6.43	15.12.43	Withdrawn to reserve 10/19/46
CA-72 Pittsburgh (ex-Albany)	Bethlehem, Quincy	3.2.43	22.2.44	10.10.44	Withdrawn to reserve 12.3.46
CA-73 St. Paul (ex-Rochester)	Bethlehem, Quincy	3.2.43	16.9.44	17.2.45	Withdrawn to reserve 30.4.70
CA-74 Columbus	Bethlehem, Quincy	28.6.43	30.11.44	8.6.45	Withdrawn from the fleet 31.5.71.
CA-75 Helena (ex-Des Moines)	Bethlehem, Quincy	9.9.43	28.4.45	4.9.45	Withdrawn to reserve 29.6.63
CA-130 Bremerton	New York S.B.	1.2.43	2.6.44	29.4.45	Withdrawn to reserve 9.4.48
CA-131 fall river	New York S.B.	12.4.43	13.3.44	1.6.45	Withdrawn to reserve 10/31/47
CA-132 Macon	New York S.B.	14.6.43	15.10.44	26.8.45	Withdrawn to reserve 12.4.50
CA-133 Toledo	New York S.B.	13.9.43	5.5.45	27.10.46	Withdrawn to reserve 10/21/60
CA-135 Los Angeles	Philadelphia NY	28.6.43	20.8.44	22.7.45	Withdrawn to reserve 9.4.48
CA-136 Chicago	Philadelphia NY	28.7.43	20.8.44	10.1.45	Withdrawn to reserve 6.6.47
CA-137 Norfolk	Philadelphia NY	27.12.44
CA-138 Scranton	Philadelphia NY	27.12.44

The first work on the new heavy cruiser project began in September 1939 as an alternative to the 8,000 ton light cruiser project.CL-55. The last heavy cruiser, the Wichita, suffered from insufficient stability, and the main attention was paid to eliminating this shortcoming. The new design was the Wichita with a hull width increased by 2 feet. However, the General Council of the Navy decided that this was not enough. The desire was expressed to place all 127-mm guns in two-gun turrets and change the location of the machine mount, as was done on the Cleveland. It was also necessary to increase the length of the armor belt, but otherwise the project repeated the Wichita. The experience of the war in European waters showed the danger of magnetic mines, which led to new changes in the project. Wartime requirements led to an increase in the planned number of ships. On July 1, 1940, an order was placed for the construction of the first 4 cruisers. On September 9, 1940, 4 more ships were ordered - SA-72 - SA-75. The last batch of 16 SA-122s, the SA-138, was ordered on 7 August 1943 as part of the 1943 fiscal year.

The dimensions of the hull have been greatly increased, increasing the length by 65 feet and the width by 9 feet. This greatly improved stability. The armor scheme was similar to that used on the Wichita, but a significant part of the tonnage was used to strengthen the hull structures, and not to increase the thickness of the armor. To increase survivability, all windows in the hull were completely eliminated. The main belt had a thickness of 152 mm, on the lower edge - 102 mm, and covered the engine rooms. In the bow and stern, its thickness decreased to 76 - 52 mm, respectively. Starting with SA-72, the main belt began with 52 frames to cover the radio station, and not with 57. The main armored deck had a thickness of 65 mm, transverse traverses - 127 and 152 mm. The project included a conning tower with an armor thickness of 152 mm, but it was not installed on the first 6 ships. The latest ships had a conning tower armor thickness of 165 mm. The total weight of the armor was 1790 tons or 12.9% of the standard displacement. The invulnerability zone for 203-mm shells of 118 kg for the Baltimore-class cruiser extended from 77.5 cabs to 120 cabs. When the Bureau of Arms created a new super-heavy projectile weighing 152 kg, the invulnerability zone was reduced to 98 - 105.5 cab. After some hesitation, the proposal to restore the former invulnerability zone was rejected, as this required a significant increase in displacement.

The power of the engine installation was increased, since the displacement of the ship increased sharply compared to the Wichita. Its power has increased by 20%, which would allow ships to reach speeds of 34 knots. There were other fundamental changes as well. These cruisers had new high pressure boilers fitted, although the pressure was slightly reduced compared to the light cruisers. Each boiler was located in an isolated compartment. Between the front and rear pairs of boiler rooms was the forward engine room. The power of electric generators was sharply increased. On tests, "Boston" showed the following results: 118536shp= 32.85 knots with a displacement of 16570 tons.

203/55 mm gun models Mark 12 or Mark15 were located in three-gun towers and had an elevation angle of 41 °. The layout of the 127 mm universal guns also repeated the Cleveland. It was supposed to install 4 x 4 - 28-mm machine guns as light anti-aircraft weapons, but they immediately decided to replace them with 4 x 4 - 40-mm Bofors. Torpedo tubes were not provided. The cruisers had 2 catapults and could carry 4 aircraft each, although only 2 cars could be placed in the hangar.

Since the first ship entered service only in the spring of 1943, it became possible to take into account military experience. Therefore, during the war, the cruisers were not subjected to major upgrades. Starting with SA-72, the installation of cruising turbines was discontinued, which were then removed from the first ones. 3 ships. The number of 40-mm machine guns has increased (12 x 4 on SA-68 and SA-71, see the rest above). The appearance of sparks was explained by the installation of a crane in the DP. It was planned to install 28 - 20 mm Oerlikons. The thickness of the armor of the conning tower was reduced to CA-68 - CA-73, but after the objections of the sailors, an armored wheelhouse with a wall thickness of 165 mm was installed, fortunately, the stability margin allowed this to be done.

In 1942, a revised design was created, but in 1943, due to problems at the shipyards, it was abandoned, and CA-130 - CA-136 were built with 2 pipes. However, SA-122 - SA-129 and SA-137, SA-138 were built according to a modified project. At the end of the war, it became clear that the new automatic 203-mm guns were significantly superior to the old models, and the SA-134 was assigned to the new Des Moines type, and the construction of 6 more units of the Baltimore type was canceled. One ship ("Northampton") was completed after the war as a command cruiser.

Service History

BALTIMORE This cruiser, together with 3 of the same type ("Boston", "Canberra" and "Quincy") formed the 10th cruiser division, which operated in the Pacific Ocean. In November 1943, Baltimore, as part of OG 52.2, participated in the landing on Makin. In December, as part of TF 50.1, he participated in the attack on Kwajellein. In January, as part of OG 58.1, Baltimore takes part in strikes against the Marshall Islands. In February, as part of OS 58, it raids Truk, and at the end of March, Palau, Yap and Ulithi. After that, the cruiser participates in the landing in Holland. 30 April 9 cruisers escorted by destroyers shell the Satavan Islands south of Truk. In May, as part of TF 58.2, Baltimore takes part in strikes on Marcus and Wake Islands. In June, raids are carried out against the Mariana Islands. In June, TF 58.1 attacks Iwo Jima, Chichijima and Hahajima. In the same month, the cruiser participates in the landing on Saipan and the battle in the Philippine Sea. In July, he leaves for the USA for repairs and returns only in November. On Ulithi, it is part of OG 58.3. After that, he participates in attacks on Luzon, Formosa, China and Okinawa until the end of January 1945. In February, as part of OG 58.5, Baltimore participates in a raid against Japan. Then the unit strikes at Iwo Jima and returns to Japan again. In March, targets in the Inland Sea are struck. In April, the cruiser returns to Okinawa, where she operates until the end of the summer. "Baltimore" during the Second World War earned 9 battle stars. July 8, 1946 in Bremerton he was assigned to the reserve. On November 28, 1951, the cruiser was put back into service. He does not participate in the Korean War and serves in the Atlantic. Decommissioned again from the active fleet on May 31, 1956.

BOSTON The cruiser joined OS 58 in January 1944 and took part in the landings on Kwajalein, Eniwetok and Majuro. At the end of March, he operated in Palau and the western Caroline Islands. In April, the cruiser covered an amphibious landing in Holland. At the end of the month, along with other cruisers and destroyers, she shelled the Satavan Islands. In May, the Boston took part in carrier raids against Marcus and Wake Islands. In June, as part of OG 58.1, he participated in the attack on the Mariana Islands. In the same month, the cruiser participated in the landing on Saipan and the battle in the Philippine Sea. After landing on Guam in August and September, as part of TF 38.1, he participates in raids against Palau, Mindanao, Luzon and Visayas. In October, the same task force operates off Formosa and the Philippines, participating in the Battle of Leyte. At the end of the year, the cruiser participates in raids against Formosa and the Ryukyu Islands, mainly Okinawa. From the beginning of 1945, he participated in aircraft carrier raids on the Chinese coast, as well as in the first attacks on Tokyo and targets in the Inland Sea. On March 1, the Boston returned to the West Coast for repairs, which were completed in early June. At the end of the war, he participated in carrier raids against Japan itself. During the Second World War, "Boston" earned 10 battle stars. January 4, 1952 the cruiser received a new designationCAG-one. On November 1, 1955, she again entered service as a missile cruiser.

CANBERRA The ship was named after an Australian cruiser that was killed in action off Savo in August 1942. The cruiser arrived at Pearl Harbor on 1 February 1944 and joined OS 38, which provided the landings on Eniwetok. He further participated in raids against Palau, Yap, Ulithi, Truk and Satavan. In May, as part of OG 58.2, the cruiser participated in attacks on the Marcus and Wake Islands. In June, already as part of TF 58.1, Canberra participates in operations in the Mariana Islands, strikes against Guam, Iwo Jima, and other islands. He also participates in combat in the Philippine Sea. In August, as part of OG 38.1, the cruiser strikes at the Philippines, Palau, Mindanao, Visayas. In October, the Canberra participates in aircraft carrier raids against Formosa, Okinawa and Luzon. However, on October 13, just 90 miles from the coast of Formosa, the cruiser receives an air torpedo hit in boiler room No. 4. Damage to the shaft line leads to the flooding of another boiler room and both engine rooms. The cruiser took 4500 tons of water. However, it was towed to Uliti and then to Manus for temporary repairs. A complete overhaul at the Boston shipyard took place from February to October 1945. The Canberra cruiser earned 7 battle stars during the Second World War. January 4, 1952 "Canberra" received a new designation CAG-2 and June 15, 1956 entered service as a missile cruiser.

QUINCY Renamed October 16, 1942 in honor of the heavy cruiser that died in the battle off Savo Island. The only ship of this type that served most of the war in the Atlantic. She joined OS 22 in March 1944. In April she went to England and joined the 12th Fleet preparing the invasion of Normandy. The cruiser was assigned to Force A, which supported the landings in the Utah sector. The Quincy bombarded German positions until early July, after which it was transferred to the Mediterranean for operations against Palermo. During the landing in the south of France, the Quincy was in OG 86.4, which carried out shelling of the coast. However, in September the cruiser returned to the United States and underwent repairs at the Boston shipyard, after which she sailed with the president on board to the Great Salt Lake in the Suez Canal. Roosevelt wanted to meet with Arab leaders. In February 1945, the Quincy returned to the United States and was transferred to the Pacific Ocean in the 10th cruiser division. She arrived at Ulithi on April 11, 1945. During the last few months of the war, she covered aircraft carriers and bombarded Okinawa as part of OS 58. In July, the cruiser participated in the final strikes against the Japanese metropolis. During the Second World War, the Quincy earned 4 battle stars. Later, the cruiser was withdrawn from the reserve and participated in the Korean War.

PITTSBURGH The cruiser arrived at Ulithi on February 13, 1945 and became the flagship of the 19th division. He became part of OG 58.2 and participated in attacks on Iwo Jima and Japan. In March, he participated in operations against Nansei Shoto and Kyushu. On March 14, Japanese bombers heavily damaged the USS Franklin, and Pittsburgh was assigned to escort the damaged ship. In March - May, the cruiser participated in the battles for Okinawa. However, in early June, during a typhoon, he lost the bow to the first tower. Temporary repairs were made in Guam. Overhaul at Puget Sound ended only in September 1945. The cruiser earned 2 battle stars in World War II. Later he was withdrawn from the reserve and participated in the Korean War.

SAINT PAUL The cruiser arrived at Pearl Harbor in early June 1945 and became part of the 19th division. As part of OS 38, he managed to take part in the last strikes against Japan. The cruiser participated in the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Saint Paul earned 1 battle star in World War II, 8 stars in Korea, and 8 stars in Vietnam.

COLUMBUS The cruiser did not have time to take part in the battles of the Second World War. May 8, 1959 received the designationCG-12 and was rebuilt as a missile cruiser. Commissioned December 1, 1962.

HELENA The cruiser did not take part in the Second World War, but fought in Korea. The cruiser received the Commendation from the President of the Republic of Korea and the Korean Medal of Merit with 4 stars.

BREMERTON With the outbreak of the Korean War, it was again commissioned. Earned 2 battle stars.

FALL RIVER He did not participate in the battles, he was in service for only 2 years, but he was in the reserve for 24 years.

MACON He did not take part in the battles. During the Korean War, it was again commissioned, but was in the Atlantic.

TOLEDO Entered service after the end of World War II, but participated in the Korean War. The cruiser earned 5 battle stars.

LOS ANGELES He entered service before the end of the war, but did not take part in the hostilities. In 1948 it was put into reserve, but on January 27, 1951 it was put back into service. Participated in the Korean War, earned 5 battle stars.

CHICAGO As part of the 21 cruiser divisions, he managed to take part in the final shelling of Japan in July - Augustf945, for which he received 1 battle star. November 1, 1958 received the designation CG-11 and rebuilt as a missile cruiser. Entered service May 2, 1964. Participated in the Vietnam War.

At the end of the repairs, the Wichita went to the Pacific Ocean, where she arrived just in time for the Battle of Rennell Island, Solomon Islands. The battle took place on January 29, 1943. Then the cruiser Chicago (SA-29) sank from numerous torpedo hits. The Wichita was hit by one torpedo, which did not explode. During the Battle of Leyte Gulf in October 1944, the artillery of the cruiser Wichita sank the Japanese aircraft carrier Chiyoda and the destroyer Hatsuzuki.

The cruiser "Wichita" in 1945 took part in the battles for Okinawa, was present at the surrender of Japan. On April 27, 1945, near Okinawa, the cruiser was hit by a small shell, probably a 5-inch caliber, fired from a Japanese coastal battery. The shell pierced the left side below the waterline behind the tower number 3 of the main caliber. The explosion of the shell did not cause serious damage to the cruiser, and the ship continued the battle.

The Pittsburgh came to Guam without a bow. The nose of the ship was lost in a typhoon, but the rest of the hull withstood the onslaught of the elements. Two sailors in the dock inspect the damage to the cruiser, wondering how the cripple made it to the port under its own power. For battles in the Pacific, the cruiser Pittsburgh received two battle stars.

"Pittsburgh" with a temporary bow attached to Guam to go to the States in Bremerton, pcs. Washington. VE Day over Japan found the cruiser Pittsburgh under repair. After the repair was completed, the cruiser was put into reserve, but with the outbreak of the Korean War and 1950, Pittsburgh was again called into service.

Saint Paul is the most honored of the Baltimore-class cruisers - 17 battle stars: for World War II - one, Korea - eight and Vietnam - eight. After commissioning and a training trip, the ship came to the Pacific Ocean, where she joined TF-38. "St. Paul" is painted according to the scheme Measure 21, NAVY Blue System. The cylindrical object at the stern is a smoke generator.

In the post-war period, the Saint Paul cruiser underwent intensive modernization. By May 1955, turret No. 1 with 5-inch guns, all 20- and 40-mm anti-aircraft guns, and catapults were dismantled from the ship. An NTDS combat information system antenna is installed in the bow. On the mast, among other antennas, an antenna of the TACAN long-range navigation radio system is installed. A variety of antenna facilities are located throughout the ship. The cruiser was painted according to the scheme Measure 27 - completely in the color Haze Gray, peacetime coloring.

The heavy cruiser Wichita was in the US Navy from February 1939 to February 1947, when she was put into reserve with the Atlantic Fleet. The cruiser was finally decommissioned in 1959, in the same year the ship was sold for scrap. During the combat service in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans during the Second World War, the heavy cruiser was awarded a battle star 13 times.

Baltimore-class cruisers

The heavy cruisers of the Baltimore type continued the line of development of the Brooklyn-class ships and the successful ship named Wichita.

Volley of bow towers of the main caliber of the cruiser "Saint Paul". The cruiser fires at No Hangnam, North Korea, December 1950. Gunfire from American ships ensured the evacuation of military and civilians from the port in the face of Korean-Chinese hordes. The last shots in the Korean War "Saint Paul" fired at 21:59 on July 27, 1953 - one minute before the armistice came into force.

Vietnamese coastal artillery shelling the cruiser Sept Paul, Gulf of Tonkin, August 1967. The cruiser provided fire support to US and South Vietnamese troops in 1965-1970. On September 2, 1965, a shell fired by the Vietnamese coastal artillery hit the bow of the ship. There were no casualties among the crew.

The cruiser "St. Paul" passes on the port side of the tanker "Navasota" (AO-106) on the way to the Gulf of Tonkin, 1967. Pay attention to the large number of different antennas.

Sailors of the tanker "Navasota" serve the ends of the cruiser "St. Paul". The cruiser will have to take oil from the tanker. Tanker sailors are wearing fire helmets; work on a tanker is extremely unpredictable and dangerous. Pi the stern superstructure of the cruiser is visible sighting Mk 54 fire control of the stern turret of the main caliber. Ahead and above the Mk 54 system is the Mk 37 system used to control the fire of 5-inch artillery.