Light Cruisers: Cleveland Class

Add your posts about the US Navy in this section
Brian James
Posts: 8764
Joined: Sun Aug 12, 2018 6:58 am

Light Cruisers: Cleveland Class

Unread post by Brian James »

Cleveland Class Light Cruiser USS Little Rock.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
User avatar
ivorthediver
Posts: 3659
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 8:42 pm
Location: Cambridge Shore Battery

Re: Light Cruisers: Cleveland Class

Unread post by ivorthediver »

That cartwheel antenna on the bow always makes me chuckle thou I'm sure it served a vital function , and handy for Christmas to I would think . ;)
"What Ever Floats your Boat"
User avatar
DonBoyer
Posts: 217
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 4:39 pm
Location: Haleiwa, Hawaii

Re: Light Cruisers: Cleveland Class

Unread post by DonBoyer »

The Cleveland class light cruisers were the largest class of cruisers ever constructed. 20 were completed as cruisers, 13 were cancelled before construction and one was cancelled and scrapped on the ways at the end of the war. Nine more of these hulls were completed as the Independence class light carriers. The first eight of the class were involved in the Guadalcanal campaign, where they did sterling service against the Japanese navy and the class spent the rest of the war escorting the carriers and engaging in shore bombardments. The last two of the class, Fargo and Huntington, were completed to a modified design that "cleaned up" the superstructure to reduce weight and clear arcs of fire for the anti-aircraft battery. They also had a single large stack instead of two. Modifications to the Clevelands, other than adding the usual AA mounts involved squaring off the bridge and modifying the arrangements of the fire control directors and their associated radars. Apparently there were interference problems between them. The Clevelands were ideal for conversion to missile ships post war and six were converted, with three carrying the Talos missile and three the Terrier missile. The class served well in World War II, but with the wartime additions of AA and fire control, etc., were really pushing the stability envelope, which is why so few were retained in service post war. With 17 far more stable Baltimore class heavy cruisers available, there was hardly a need for the Clevelands after the war. Photos are a wartime shot of Montpelier and an early post-war shot of the modified Fargo. The photo of Amsterdam shows the modified bridge and the ultimate solution to the radar interference problem which involved switching the positions of the 6" and 5" directors and radars.
USS MONTPELIER.CL-57 (2).jpg
USS FARGO (2).jpg
USS AMSTERDAM.CL-101.jpg
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Don G. Boyer

"For a successful technology, reality has to take precedence over public relations, because nature cannot be fooled."(Richard Feynman)
User avatar
ivorthediver
Posts: 3659
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 8:42 pm
Location: Cambridge Shore Battery

Re: Light Cruisers: Cleveland Class

Unread post by ivorthediver »

Thank you Don,... Cracking shots again , thank you , and I see the same caged structure on her as well , level with the aft turret on the "Cleveland" just above water level , so clearly a designed need for them existed here as well , but what were they for please :o

One comment I would make about both you.... and Dennis's post's ... is the accompanying explanation and highlighting specifics about that class of vessel portrayed , so helpful to idiots like me,...... and in some cases the origin of the conversion, to that class .

I know we are not all experts like you two clearly are , but without these details the differing classes are in danger of merging into one and appear as repetition of design for no obvious reason , so again my sincere thanks for helping me and I'm sure many other members . :D
"What Ever Floats your Boat"
Brian James
Posts: 8764
Joined: Sun Aug 12, 2018 6:58 am

Re: Light Cruisers: Cleveland Class

Unread post by Brian James »

USS Galveston pictured in 1963.
She was originally a Cleveland-Class Light Cruiser that was later converted to a Galveston-Class Guided Missile Cruiser in 1958.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
timlewin
Posts: 916
Joined: Tue Jul 31, 2018 12:18 pm

Re: Light Cruisers: Cleveland Class

Unread post by timlewin »

that's a lot of iron-mongery adding to her top weight, must have rolled prodigiously!
designeraccd
Posts: 2905
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 7:08 pm

Re: Light Cruisers: Cleveland Class

Unread post by designeraccd »

The Cleveland's had stability and top wt. problems during WW2! Massive use of aluminum in these conversions helped. There were 2 types: Talos and Terrier conversions. The LITTLE ROCK survives as a museum ship.

Six units of the class were converted to CLGs. Four also became flagships (SCB 140A/146A): LITTLE ROCK, OKLAHOMA CITY were Talos units, PROVIDENCE and SPRINGFIELD were Terrier ships. These 4 were easy to spot as they had a new bridge house plus only 1 twin 5"38 and 1 triple 6" 47 forward. The Talos ships had a much larger raised deck house and guidance radars aft than the Terrier units. Forty six Talos or 140 Terriers were carried, depending on the ship. ;)

One of the flagship units nosed into Da Nang Bay one afternoon and let loose with all 5 of her rifles as a NGFS mission in '66. I watched from Monkey Mountain and cheered the swabbies on!!! I was the only Marine up there who knew what I was looking at, to the others: a big boat going bang bang BANG! DFO
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
timlewin
Posts: 916
Joined: Tue Jul 31, 2018 12:18 pm

Re: Light Cruisers: Cleveland Class

Unread post by timlewin »

I don't care what people say about nostalgia, its what reminds us of who we are and where we have come from. At risk of foolishness, guns speak louder than missiles, to see a man of war using her guns has a historical significance way beyond the limited damage they can do compared with more modern methods of destruction. Next month, Dec 18th, we will salute the cooperation between the Royal Canadian Navy and the RN onboard HMS Belfast, she shares each one of her 4 battle honours with the RCN, we will fire the main battery (frrd) using realistic SFX but beyond the satisfying fireworks, these are the same guns, dates on breech mechanisms, that served us during WW2, the same guns that fired at Scharnhorst, the same guns that shelled the Normandy beaches as the British and Canadians stormed ashore, and the same guns that fought with the RCN in Korea. London wouldlt let me fire a rocket, but there is something in the sound of guns that still stirs our torpid blood (Brexit notwithstanding)!

Vn. When I got married in 1972 I had as guests a young couple from America, she was a sweetie, he was a carrier medic in that ill-starred conflict. Vn is part of my generations DNA even if we did not join the USA with Australia. I salute you for being there, and again for being a Marine.
Tim
designeraccd
Posts: 2905
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 7:08 pm

Re: Light Cruisers: Cleveland Class

Unread post by designeraccd »

Thanks Tim; I did get to be a durn GOOD rocket n mortar duckurr!!!! One of the best in I Corps, III MAF!!! ;) Compared to any Marine 0300 (grunt-infantry) I had it "good", especially during Tet '68. Finally rotated home on a "Freedom Bird", via Okinawa and then to CONUS!! :D :D :D

Good luck with your BELFAST "salute"; that I'd like to see. I saw her once upon landing at London, Heathrow on a business trip years later...handsome old girl. She was also one of my very first scratch builds altho later was dumped and replaced by a much better model, which I still have. DFO
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Brian James
Posts: 8764
Joined: Sun Aug 12, 2018 6:58 am

Re: Light Cruisers: Cleveland Class

Unread post by Brian James »

Cleveland Class Light Cruiser USS Portsmouth pictured on launch day at Newport News Shipbuilding Yards on September 20th, 1944.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Post Reply Previous topicNext topic

Return to “United States Navy”