Portland-class heavy cruisers. Portland-class cruisers Portland-class heavy cruisers

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.

Portland-class cruisers

Initially, it was planned to build a series of five Portland-class cruisers, and these ships were classified as light cruisers. In fact, two ships were built: Portland (CA-33) and Indianapolis (CA-35), which retained the light armor of the heavy cruisers of the previous construction.

The length of the Portland-class heavy cruiser along the hull was 186 m, along the waterline - 180.4 m. Beam along the midship frame - 20.1 m, draft at full load - 7.3 m. Displacement - 9800 tons (8890 metric tons) standard and 11,574 tons (10,500 metric tons) total. The main armor belt, 6.4 cm thick, covered the most important parts of the cruiser. The ammunition cellars were covered with armored bulkheads 14.6 cm thick. The thickness of the armored bulkheads of the engine room was 6.4 cm. The wooden deck flooring was laid on an armored deck 6.4 cm thick. The thickness of the turret barbettes was 3.8 cm, the thickness of the turrets in the front part was 6.4 cm, the sides were 1.5 inches, and the roofs were 0.75 inches. (1.9 cm). The frontal part of the tower-like superstructure is made of armor 1.9 cm thick.

The cruisers had eight Yarrow (White Forster) boilers and four Parson turbines. The total power of the machines is 107,000 hp. With. The machines operated with four propellers. The full speed of the cruiser "Portland" is 33 knots. The tanks' capacity of 2,125 tons (1,928 metric tons) of oil allowed the ship to cover a distance of 8,640 nautical miles at a speed of 15 knots or 4,500 nautical miles at a speed of 25 knots.

The cruiser's main armament consisted of nine 8-inch Mk-14 guns with a barrel length of 55 calibers. The guns were mounted in three three-gun turrets. The firing range was 29 km. The mass of the armor-piercing projectile is 118 kg, the initial speed is 853 m/s. The maximum elevation angle of the guns is 40 degrees. The Mk-34 sight was used to control the fire.

The cruiser hangar is open.">
"Minneapolis" in the waters of the Pacific Ocean, the picture was taken shortly before the outbreak of World War II. The cruiser was built by the Philadelphia Navy Yard and upon commissioning became the flagship of the 6th Cruiser Division based at San Pedro, California. One of the sliding doors of the cruiser's aircraft hangar is open.

Initially, the auxiliary battery of the Portland cruisers consisted of eight 5-inch guns with a barrel length of 25 calibers, installed amidships of the ship. The universal 127-mm guns were intended to repel air attacks and fire at coastal and surface targets at short distances. The firing range was 13 km at an elevation angle of 45 degrees, and 8 km at an elevation angle of 85 degrees; the Mk-32 sighting device was used to aim the guns. At the time of commissioning, the cruisers were armed with eight 12.7 mm Browning M2 machine guns with water-cooled barrels.

After the United States entered World War II, the cruisers were equipped with six quad 28-mm automatic cannons, which during the war, along with machine guns, were replaced by 20-mm Oerlikons and 40-mm Bofors. The Portland-class cruiser met Victory Day over imperialist Japan with six quadruple 40-mm Bofors, four twin 40-mm Bofors and 16 20-mm single Oerlikons. At the end of the war, Sister Ship had similar anti-aircraft weapons, but the ship was unable to meet Victory Day.

The cruiser Portland was built by Bezlichem Steel in Quincy. PC. Massachusetts, launched May 21, 1932, entered service with the US Navy February 23, 1933. Indianapolis (CA-35) was built by the New York Shipbuilding Company in Camden, PCs. New Jersey. The cruiser was launched on November 7, 1931, and the ship entered service on November 15, 1932. The Indianapolis was intended to be used as the flagship of the cruising forces. During World War II, Indianapolis was the flagship of the 5th Fleet.

Portland-class cruisers were equipped with two aircraft catapults; a crane was mounted above the aircraft hangar for loading aircraft. In the non-working position, the crane boom was lowered between the catapults in order to shift the center of gravity of the entire ship down to improve its stability. There were four seaplanes based on the Portland, five on the Indianapolis, the “extra” aircraft was the flagship aircraft of the cruising forces. In the early 30s, Vought O2U/O3U “Corsair” seaplanes were based on cruisers, and Curtiss SOC during the war. Vought O2U and Curtis SC.

For participation in battles and campaigns, the cruiser Portland was awarded battle stars 16 times, Indianapolis - ten. All stars were received by both ships in the Pacific campaign. Portland distinguished itself in the confrontation with the Japanese battleship Hue during the Battle of Guadalcanal in November 1942. Indianapolis took part in the battles in the Aleutians, in the battle for the Solomon Islands, and in actions against Okinawa. Near Okinawa, the Indianapolis was hit by a kamikaze (a plane with a suicide pilot), after which the cruiser was sent to San Francisco for repairs. After repairs, the ship was entrusted with an honorable mission - to deliver components of atomic bombs to the island of Tinian, where the B-29 strategic bombers were based. One special product was dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, the second three days later on Nagasaki.

Portland survived the war, after which it was put into reserve; on October 6, 1959, the cruiser was sold for cutting into scrap metal. The fate of Indianapolis was more dramatic. After delivering special supplies to Tinian, the cruiser was ordered to the Philippines and then support operations in Okinawa. The route of the upcoming voyage was not considered dangerous, however, the commander of the cruiser, Captain Charles Mac Vai, requested an escort of destroyers, which he was refused. At 00:14 on July 30, 1945, the Japanese submarine I-5(8), commanded by Lieutenant Commander Mohitsura Hashimoto, fired six torpedoes at the Indianapolis, two of which hit the target. The cruiser sank ten minutes after the torpedoes exploded. About 800 sailors were rescued from the ship at the first moment. Before the sinking, the cruiser's radio operator did not have time to transmit an SOS signal, so the US Navy command did not receive timely information about the Indianapolis tragedy. On August 2, 1945, the Lockheed PV-1 Ventura aircraft was discovered. in the waters of the Pacific Ocean, sailors from the crew of the sunken heavy cruiser sent rescue ships and planes to the site of the death of the Indianapolis. Of the crew of 1,199 people, only 316 sailors managed to escape. The sinking of the Indianapolis resulted in the largest loss of life on a single Allied ship. throughout the Second World War.

Heavy cruiser type Portland

Displacement: 10258t, 12775 t

Dimensions: 185.93 x 20.12 x 6.4 m

Machines: 4-shaft TZA Parsons, 8 boilers (SA-33 Yarrow, SA-35 - White Forster), 107000shp= 32.5 knots; 2125 tons of oil = 10,000 miles @ 15 knots.

Armor: 57 mm belt on a 19 mm base in the MO area; 65 mm deck; cellars 146 mm walls, 54 mm roof, barbettes 37 mm, towers - 65 mm forehead, 52 mm roof, 19 mm sides; cutting 32 mm

Armament: 9 - 203/55 (3 x 3); 8 - 127/25 (8 x 1); 2 catapults, 4 aircraft

Crew: 807 people, 848 military, 952 flagship

SA -33 Portland

SA -35 Indianapolis

Bethlehem, Quincy

New York SB

17.2.30 31.3.30

21.5.32 7.11.32

23.2.33 15.11.32

Placed in reserve 12.6.46

Sunk 30/7/45

These ships were in a sense a hybrid, combining elements of the defensive schemes of the Northampton and New Orleans classes. It was originally planned to order a series of 5 ships C.L.(later SA) 32 - 36. When construction was approved in 1932C.L.-32, it was just a Northampton with a long hull and no bulbous nose. It was assumed that this would increase the cruiser's maximum speed. It soon became clear that Northampton were underloaded and the large reserve weight could be used to bolster the defence. First they decided to lengthen the hull by 8 ft at the bow and 2 ft at the stern, increase the waist armor to 127 mm and add another 12 mm to the deck armor. However, we managed to do very little. Additional armor appeared in the form of a second layer opposite the MO and thicker armor for the cellars. But the cellars still rose above the waterline. An attempt to protect them from underwater explosions made the cellars vulnerable to 8" shells. During the development of the project, the concept of invulnerability zones did not exist, but in 1933 calculations were carried out that showed that the cellars were invulnerable to 203/50 guns at distances of 60 - 102 kb ( aft) and 60 - 115 cab (bow). The belt in the MO area was penetrated from a distance of 120 cab, and the deck above them was penetrated to a distance of 80 cab. The armor of the towers was preserved, and 8" shells penetrated them at any imaginable distance. However, the same calculations showed that cellars are completely invulnerable to fire from 155/50 guns, and engine rooms are not hit at distances of more than 30 kb.

During testing, the Indianapolis reached a speed of 32.86 knots with a displacement of 11,144 tons and a vehicle power of 108,317 shp.

During the war, the ships underwent modernization. The bridge design was simplified and the mainmast was removed. Instead, a lattice structure was installed in front of the second pipe. The modernization was completed in May 1943.

By the beginning of 1942, 4 x 4 - 28 mm machine guns -2 were installed opposite the bridge and 2 between groups of 127 mm guns, as well as about 12 - 20 mm machine guns. At the end of the war, Portland's anti-aircraft armament consisted of 4x4 and 2x2 - 40 mm Bofors and 17 - 20 mm Oerlikons. Indianapolis had 6 x 4 - 40 mm Bofors and 19 - 20 mm Oerlikons. The right catapult was removed, and the number of aircraft was reduced to 2 on the Portland and 3 on the Indianapolis.

Service history

PORTLAND The cruiser's first operation was to rescue the crew of the Akron airship that perished in the Atlantic. He was the first ship to arrive at the disaster site. The disaster killed 73 people, including the head of the Bureau of Aeronautics, Admiral William Moffett. Portland was initially part of the 4th Cruiser Division, but was transferred to the 6th Division the following year. In 1935 he was part of the 5th division, then again to the 6th division. From 1936 to the end of 1940, it was part of the 5th cruiser division, included in the Pacific Fleet Reconnaissance Forces. Portland spent the entire war as part of the 4th cruiser division. When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, the Portland was absent from the harbor. As part of carrier group OS 11, he moved towards Midway. He was involved in a failed attempt to bring reinforcements to Wake. Until May 1, 1942, the cruiser operated off the West Coast, in the area of Hawaii and Fiji. Portland, as part of OS 17, took part in the battle in the Coral Sea. When the aircraft carrier Lexington sank, the cruiser removed 722 people from it. During the Battle of Midway, Portland was part of the OC 17 cover group. Portland, along with other ships, covered the Marine landings at Tulagi and Guadalcanal on August 7–9. After this, he remained in the Solomon Islands to cover the bridgehead and sea communications. The cruiser took part in the battle near the Eastern Solomon Islands as part of OS 61. Then she took part in the battle near the islands of Saita Cruz, where she was hit by 3 torpedoes, none of which exploded. In a night battle near Guadalcanal on November 13, 1942 at 1.58 am, the Portland was hit in the right shell by a torpedo. Both internal screws were torn off. The rudder is stuck at 5° to starboard. Tower No. 3 was also jammed. A 4° roll was corrected by counter-flooding, but control could not be restored. The ship continued to circle to the right. In the morning, still circling in place, Portland opened fire on the Japanese destroyer Yudachi from a distance of 6 miles. After the sixth salvo, the destroyer exploded and sank. Portland managed to get to Tulagi. From there it was towed to Sydney, where temporary repairs were carried out. After this, the cruiser went to the United States for major repairs. After repairs at the end of May 1943, Portland left for the Aleutian Islands. He took part in the shelling of Kiska and covered the landing on this island, but on September 23 he was recalled to Pearl Harbor. From there he went to San Francisco and returned to Hawaii in mid-October. From November 1943 to February 1944, Portland participated in operations in the Gilbert and Marshall Islands. After that, he covered aircraft carriers conducting raids on Palau, Yap, Ulithi and Woleai on March 30 - April 1. Then the cruiser, as part of an aircraft carrier formation, was sent to cover the landing in the Hollandia-Tanamera area on New Guinea. After this he took part in the raids on Truk. Together with 5 other cruisers and several destroyers, Portland bombarded Satawan in the Nomei island group. Having completed these operations, the cruiser went to the Mare Island shipyard for modernization and repairs. In September he took part in the landings on Peleliu. After this, Portland took part in the battle in Surigao Strait. At the beginning of 1945, Portland participated in operations in Lingayen Gulf, off Corregidor and Okinawa. After the end of hostilities, Portland became the flagship of Vice Admiral George D. Murray, commander of the Mariana Naval Region, which received the surrender of the Japanese in the Caroline Islands on Truk. Portland earned 16 battle stars during World War II.

INDIANAPOLIS The cruiser was built as the flagship of the Reconnaissance Forces, and from November 1933 served as the flagship of the Reconnaissance Forces and 4 cruiser divisions throughout its life. On December 7, 1941, the cruiser was transferred to OS 12 and began searching for Japanese ships, which, according to intelligence assurances, were near Hawaii. On December 13, the cruiser arrived at Pearl Harbor and became part of OS 11. She fought her first battle in the South Pacific, about 350 miles south of Rabaul. On the afternoon of February 20, 1942, American ships were attacked by 18 twin-engine bombers. During the battle, 16 Japanese bombers were shot down. On March 10, the task force, reinforced by the aircraft carrier Yorktown, attacked the enemy ports of Lae and Salamaua, New Guinea. Indianapolis then returned to the United States for repairs and modernization at Mare Island Shipyard. Having completed repairs, the cruiser accompanied a convoy to Australia, and from there went to the North Pacific Ocean. On August 7, the task force that included the Indianapolis fired at Japanese fortifications on Kiska Island in thick fog. In January 1943, Indianapolis took part in the landing on Amchitka. On the night of February 19, Indianapolis with 2 destroyers patrolled southwest of Attu, trying to intercept enemy ships with reinforcements and cargo for Attu and Kiska. The American ships discovered the Akagane Maru transport, which tried to shoot back when the cruiser opened fire. Soon the Japanese exploded and sank, so it can be assumed that she was transporting ammunition. In the spring and summer of 1943, Indianapolis operated in the Aleutian Islands area, escorting convoys and covering landings. After repairs at the Mare Island shipyard, the cruiser arrived in Hawaii and became the flagship of the 5th Fleet commander, Vice Admiral Spruance. On November 10, he left Pearl Harbor as part of the Southern Strike Force to conduct Operation Galvanic, the capture of the Gilbert Islands. On November 19, 1943, the Indianapolis, as part of a cruiser squadron, fired at Tarawa, and the next day at Makin. The cruiser then returned to Tarawa to act as a fire support ship. Indianapolis again served as the flagship of the 5th Fleet during the landings in the Marshall Islands. On January 31, a group of cruisers shelled Kwajellain Atoll. The shelling continued until the day of landing, and the Indianapolis suppressed 2 coastal batteries. In March and April, Indianapolis, along with other ships of the 5th Fleet, struck the western Caroline Islands. On March 31, Yap and Ulithi were attacked, and on April 1, Woleai. On June 5, the Fleet supported the landings in the Mariana Islands. On June 19, a battle took place in the Philippine Sea. On June 23, the Indianapolis returned to Saipan and for 6 days supported the troops on the shore with the fire of its guns. Then he moved to Tinian, where he solved the same problems. Meanwhile, the Americans had captured Guam, and the Indianapolis became the first American ship to enter Apra Harbor since the Japanese captured the island early in the war. The ship operated in the Mariana Islands area for several more weeks, after which it sailed to the western Caroline Islands, where new landings were planned. From 12 to 29 September he bombarded Peleliu. Then he went to Manus, and from there to the United States for repairs. Leaving the Mare Island shipyard, Indianapolis joined the Fast Carrier Force on February 14, 1945. Two days later, American planes attacked Tokyo. Immediately after these attacks, the carrier force headed for Iwo Jima to support the landings. The cruiser remained near the island until March 1, providing fire support to the troops fighting bloody battles. On February 25, the cruiser, as part of Mitscher's formation, took part in a new attack on Japan, when 158 enemy aircraft were destroyed. After this, the cruiser took part in the battles for Okinawa. On March 31, the day before the landing, the cruiser's observers noticed a twin-engine Japanese fighter jumping out of the morning twilight and diving vertically onto the bridge. 20-mm machine guns opened fire, but after 15 seconds the plane was directly above the cruiser. The tracks came into contact with the plane, causing it to yaw. But the Japanese pilot regained control and dropped the bomb from a height of 25 feet, after which it crashed into the stern of the ship on the port side. The plane bounced into the sea, causing minor damage. However, the bomb penetrated the armored deck, the living quarters below it, the fuel tanks, the bottom of the ship and exploded in the water under the keel. The ship received 2 holes in the bottom, 9 people were killed. Although the Indianapolis dipped a little astern and listed to port, the flooding was stopped. The cruiser went to meet with the repair ship: After inspection, it turned out that the shafts were damaged, the fuel tanks were torn, and the desalination plant was destroyed. However, the Indianapolis arrived at the Mare Island shipyard under its own power. After repairs and modernization, the cruiser received orders to proceed at full speed to Tinian to deliver there components of atomic bombs that would be dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Indianapolis left San Francisco on July 16 without testing. On July 1 he arrived at Pearl Harbor, from there he went alone to Tinian, where he arrived on July 26. After this he headed to Leyte. The cruiser left Guam on July 28 unescorted. But on July 30, 1945 at 12.15, three torpedoes from the Japanese submarine 1-58 hit the starboard side of the ship. The cruiser capsized and sank within 12 minutes. When the cruiser did not arrive at Leyte on July 31, no one was alarmed. Only on August 2 at 10.25 a patrol plane noticed a group of surviving sailors floating in the sea in life jackets. The pilot immediately dropped the life raft and radio transmitter. All available ships were sent to the disaster site. Until August 8, an area with a radius of 100 miles was combed, but only 316 people out of 1,199 were saved. After a careful study of the circumstances, all the accused who did not report the loss of the cruiser in time were acquitted. Indianapolis earned 10 battle stars during the war years.

As you know, the war for the United States began on the morning of December 7, 1941. On that day, all the Northamptons, with the exception of the Augusta, were in the Pacific Ocean, while the Augusta was sailing in the Atlantic. Five "Pacific" ships immediately took part in battles with the Japanese aggressors. Three Northamptons were lost in the Pacific Ocean in the battles for the freedom and independence of the United States of America. The Japanese, along with the Australian cruiser Perth, sank the Houston with torpedo salvoes and artillery fire in the battle in the Sunda Strait on the night of February 28 to May 1, 1942. The lead ship of the project, the cruiser Northampton. was sunk in the waters of Lunga Point, near Guadalcanal, during the Battle of Tassafaronga, which took place on November 30, 1942. During this epic battle, the cruisers New Orleans, Minneapolis and Pensacola were hit by Japanese torpedoes, the ships were out of order. Finally, on January 30, 1943, the Chicago was sunk - she was hit by at least six torpedoes dropped from Japanese aircraft during the battle at Renell Island. Solomon islands.

All six Northampton-class heavy cruisers repeatedly distinguished themselves in battle, for which they received the insignia of the US Navy command - battle stars, Battle Stars. Louisville accounted for 13 such stars. This ship began its combat career by escorting the aircraft carrier Yorktown (CV-5) in a raid on the Marshall Islands and Gilbert Island in February 1942. The Chester was awarded 11 stars - all for battles in the Pacific Ocean. Northampton - six. “Augusta” and “Chicago” won only three stars, “Houston” - two, but “Houston” also received gratitude from the President of the United States for the battle in the Sunda Strait.

Despite all their shortcomings, the Northampton-class cruisers honestly did their hard work during the Second World War. Three of the six ships did not return from the war.

The cruiser "Astoria" bombards samurai-Japanese positions on the Gilbert Islands with its main caliber, early 1942. The reconnaissance floatplane Curtis SOC is busy adjusting the artillery fire. During the Battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942, the cruiser Astoria was part of the escort of the aircraft carrier Yorktown. "Astoria" was lost in the battle of Sivo Island on the night of August 8-9, 1942.

"Astoria" at full speed on July 8, 1942. The cruiser is painted according to the Measure 21 NAVY Blue System scheme. The size of the optical rangefinder of the main caliber bow turrets has been increased compared to 1935. On the catapults are seaplanes SOC squadron VCS-6.

Portland-class cruisers

"Minneapolis" in the waters of the Pacific Ocean, the picture was taken shortly before the outbreak of World War II. The cruiser was built by the Philadelphia Navy Yard and upon commissioning became the flagship of the 6th Cruiser Division based at San Pedro, California. One of the sliding doors of the cruiser's aircraft hangar is open.

In 1940, the Minneapolis sailed in a Measure 3 light gray paint job. The light gray paint job disappeared from ships of the American Pacific Fleet after December 7, 1941. At the time of the Japanese carrier-based aircraft strike on Pearl Harbor, the cruiser Minneapolis was out of the harbor and avoided detection by the Japanese. Along with other ships, the Minneapolis tried unsuccessfully to find the Japanese fleet that destroyed the battleships at Pearl Harbor. SOC seaplanes are installed on both catapults of the cruiser.

Total mentions of this article found: 7

"Kirishima"- laid down on March 17, 1912, launched on December 1, 1913, entered service in April 1915. After commissioning, she was part of the Second Fleet. In 1927-30 and 1935-36, it underwent two modernizations similar to the Congo. Was part of the Carrier Strike Force at. In January-February 1942, she was part of the cover for aircraft carriers during operations in the southern seas. In March-April 1942 he took part in a raid in. Since August 1942 he operated in the area of A. In a night battle on November 13, 1942, he damaged American heavy cruisers ( Portland) And ( San Francisco), but he himself was almost unharmed. On the night of November 14, 1942, during the next raid to Guadalcanal, the Kirishima, which was the flagship of the Japanese (covering force for the convoy that delivered large Japanese ground formations to the landing site), entered into an artillery duel with the American battleship South Dakota ( South Dakota), caused damage to him, but was himself seriously damaged by fire from the battleship Washington ( Washington), who approached undetected at close range (3 miles). The Kirishima was hit by 9 406 mm and about 40 127 mm shells, the ship lost control, two main caliber turrets were destroyed, and severe fires began. On the morning of November 15, 1942, the commander ordered the ship to be abandoned, which sank 5 miles from the island. 1,125 people died, about 300 were saved, nevertheless, the cruiser completed its task: the convoy reached its destination without hindrance. After this battle, “South Dakota” was out of action for 14 months, “Washington” - for 1.5 months. "Haruna"- laid down on March 16, 1912, launched on December 14, 1913, commissioned in April 1915.

At the turn of the 1930s, the American Navy received 10 heavy cruisers of the type, and, however, their real combat qualities caused a feeling of disappointment among the admirals. Particular criticism was caused by the weak armor protection, which did not allow the ships to engage in battle with an equivalent enemy. As a result, the Americans called their first heavy cruisers nothing more than “tin cans.” This was all the more intolerable given the fact that these ships turned out to be underloaded, having a displacement on average of 1000 tons less than allowed.

thumb|left|250px|“Duquesne”, diagram. Over the years, the French Naval General Staff experienced another craze for cruisers. According to the plans of this department, the French fleet was to receive 21 heavy cruisers. The first pair of cruisers of the subclass was laid down in 1924-1925. Cruisers of the type (French Duquesne) were assigned the role of long-range reconnaissance officers for the squadron and defenders of communications. The project was developed on the basis of light cruisers of the type and inherited from them extremely weak protection, limited to artillery magazines, which is why it was nicknamed “cardboard”. However, the speed and seaworthiness of cruisers of this type were excellent. On the cruiser "Foch" (French) the side belt was abandoned in favor of internal armor, which was also available on the last cruiser of the "Dupleix" class (French: Dupleix) and turned out to be something in between. Powerful artillery of 10 203 mm guns in a combination of two- and three-gun turrets, high speed were combined with limited armor protection, suitable only for resisting destroyer fire. The battle with the light cruisers was supposed to be fought from safe distances, but the eight-inch shells of the foreign Washington ships penetrated the Pensacola's armor from any distance. and seaworthiness left much to be desired. thumb|250px|left|Heavy cruiser "Northampton" Immediately after the first pair of cruisers, the Americans already laid down 6 ships of the Northampton type. The main changes affected the main caliber, which now consisted of 9 guns in three-gun turrets. The Northamptons now have a forecastle, which improves seaworthiness, but the armor protection has changed slightly and still does not protect against 203 mm shells. At the same time, both the Pensacola and Northampton turned out to be underloaded ships - their displacement was 900 tons below the Washington limit. thumb|250px|Heavy cruiser Portland The weak protection of the first heavy cruisers led American sailors to the idea of radically reworking the projects. The laying down of only slightly improved cruisers of the Portland type was a forced step designed to load the industry in the conditions of the Great Depression. Therefore, instead of the 7 proposed ships, only 2 were built. In principle, differing little from previous types, the Portlands received reinforced armored cellars, which protected against 203-mm shells and more powerful anti-aircraft artillery. Standard displacement reached the treaty limit for the first time. The emphasis was initially placed on the highest possible speed and powerful weapons. For this they sacrificed seaworthiness and cruising range. It was believed that superior speed would allow cruisers to freely choose their battle distance and avoid return fire. During testing, the cruisers showed a speed close to 36, although during daily service they rarely reached more than 31 knots. Despite the priority of speed characteristics, Italian designers were able to equip the cruisers with a full-fledged armor belt and armored deck, which protected them from fire from light cruisers. At the same time, the ships carried completely unsatisfactory main-caliber artillery - unreliable and giving a huge dispersion of displacement, which was present in previous types, gave hope for meeting these requirements within the framework of contractual restrictions. thumb|250px|left|Heavy cruiser "Wichita" The first 5 cruisers of the type (English New Orleans) were laid down, then two more were ordered. Due to the transition from an echelon to a linear arrangement of power plants, it was possible to reduce the length of the hull and also lower the height of the side. The displacement reserve made it possible for the first time to give ships protection of vital centers from the fire of 203 mm guns at the expected combat distances. While maintaining the same composition of the main caliber, the cruisers received a modern model of guns and a new fire control system. The command of the American fleet assessed the New Orleans as the first full-fledged US heavy cruisers.