Atlanta Class Light Cruisers

[Brian James]

South Dakota Class Battleship USS Massachusetts with Atlanta Class Light Cruisers USS San Diego and USS San Juan pictured at Bethlehem Steel Co Shipyard Fitting Out Docks,Quincy,Massachusetts,October 8th 1941.

[ivorthediver]

Thanks Brian , I was watching a documentary on the yard last night and how the Bethlehem yards were expanded during the war .....a very good film on Youtube if you get the chance .....well worth it

[DonBoyer]

The Atlanta class light cruisers, optimized for AA defense, bore a family resemblance to the Dido class of the Royal navy. The early members of the class carried 16 5" guns in twin mounts, two in the waist, and also were the only class to carry torpedo mounts in the USN. The need for additional light AA (quad and twin 40 mm) resulted in refits that removed the torpedo mounts and in some cases the waist five inch mounts as well. Like the Cleveland class, the addition of wartime weights presented stability problems, countered by the removal of the guns and torpedoes. Post war members of the class were heavily modified by moving mounts 2,3,4 and five down one deck, lowering the bridge by a deck and replacing the 40 mm with the much better twin 3"/50 cal mounts. Photos are the late-war Tucson, minus the torpedo tubes and waist gun mounts and the post-war Juneau showing the lowered gun mounts.

USS TUCSON.jpg

USS JUNEAU CL119.1950.jpg

[designeraccd]

The ATLANTAS, especially the early round bridge units, were about a fine a looking cruiser as the USN ever built. Of course, for 1940 they were very heavily armed little cruisers with effective guns and fire control.

The one thing they could not do was the 40 knots rumors gave them credit for when new. DFO

[ivorthediver]

Well photo no 2 looks as if she is making a spirited effort to rectify that Dennis ., and yes they are a formidable looking vessel thanks for showing us them