Heavy Cruisers: Baltimore Class

[Brian James]

Baltimore Class Heavy Cruiser USS Los Angeles pictured at Sydney,September 22nd 1957.

[designeraccd]

A well proven WW2 design: balance of hitting power and protection, plus speed. I saw the ST PAUL steam by just off the coast of Da Nang in 1967. Note that by then the twin 5"38 mount behind B turret had been removed.
At that time, along with the 3 DES MOINES class CAs, our heaviest NGFS ships.....which sure beat a single 5" gun. DFO

[ivorthediver]

Nice lines .....and the guts to back it up looks a purposeful vessel

[designeraccd]

The USN's first 2 missile cruisers were also of the BALTIMORE class. The BOSTON and CANBERRA were converted aft with radars and 2 twin Terrier launchers. They lead the way for other USN missile ships, although the old BB MISSISSIPI first took Terriers to sea for experimental purposes. When the USN learned enough the 2 CAs were converted. Note the size of the radar illuminators compared to those on the BURKEs.

After the electronics and missiles became obsolete the equipment was removed in 1969. They then became CAs again with 6-8" forward and a small helo deck that had been added aft. They were retired in 1970. Before being mothballed they had been used in the "Gun line" for NGFS off Viet Nam. Their guns definitely were used! DFO

[ivorthediver]

Interesting shots Dennis , many thanks , nice to see the progression and use of these vessels along with their configuration over the years .

[DonBoyer]

Like the Cleveland class cruisers, the wartime Baltimores also had three of the class completed to a modified design that made the bridge more compact and had a single stack. The Albany, Rochester and Oregon City were all completed post war. Rochester served as a gun cruiser for many years after the war, often as flagship of the 7th fleet in the Pacific, as did Albany before her conversion to the more advanced missile cruiser conversion with Talos and Tartar. (Apparently, something wasn't right with Oregon City, as she was only in commission a few years and then put in mothballs and never used.) I spent some time on Albany in San Diego back in the day teaching classes on handling the Talos missile with the W30 nuclear warhead.

Photos are of Rochester and Albany as converted.

USS ROCHESTER.CA-124.jpg

USS ALBANY (3).jpg

[ivorthediver]

On Rochester , What was the caged structure just above water level on the port aft quarter please in front of the aft companion way Don , some kind of inlet perhaps

[Brian James]

Baltimore Class Heavy Cruiser USS Los Angeles pictured at Mare Island Naval Shipyard in 1954.......IMHO one of the best looking Cruisers built.

[Brian James]

Baltimore Class Heavy Cruiser USS St Paul pictured as she departs San Francisco in September 1951.

[Brian James]

Baltimore Class Heavy Cruiser USS Quincy pictured prior to her deactivation in 1953.Following Quincy’s final deployment, she was again decommissioned on July2nd 1954 at Bremerton. The ship returned to an inactive status with the Bremerton Group until September 13th 1973, when inspectors from the Board of Inspection and Survey determined that she was 'unfit for further Naval service.'The inspectors noted in particular that the ship, along with Bremerton and Rochester, 'had not been modernized.' In order to meet 'the minimum demands of present day operations, extensive repairs and modernization would be required. The costs of such a program are disproportionate to the value of the ships.' Quincy was therefore stricken on October 1st 1973.
The Navy sold ex-Quincy to American Ship Dismantling Co., Portland, Ore., for $1,156,667.66, on September 1st 1974, and on September 12th 1974 released the vessel from naval custody and transferred the ship.