New Orleans-class cruiser

Last updated

USS New Orleans (CA-32) underway in Puget Sound on 30 July 1943 (NH 94847).jpg
USS New Orleans
Class overview
NameNew Orleans class
Builders
Operators US flag 48 stars.svg United States Navy
Preceded by Portland class
Succeeded by USS Wichita
Built14 March 1931 - 24 February 1937
In commission15 February 1934 – 10 February 1947
Planned7
Completed7
Lost3
Retired4
General characteristics
Type Heavy cruiser
Displacement
  • 9,950 long tons (10,110 t)
  • 12,463 long tons (12,663 t) (loaded)
Length
  • 578 ft (176 m) wl
  • 588 ft 2 in (179.27 m) oa
Beam61 ft 9 in (18.82 m)
Draft19 ft 5 in (5.92 m)
Propulsion
Speed32.7 knots (60.6 km/h; 37.6 mph)
Complement708 officers and enlisted
Sensors and
processing systems
Armament
Armor
  • Belt 3–5 in (76–127 mm)
  • Deck 1.25–2.25 in (32–57 mm)
  • Turrets 1.5–8 in (38–203 mm)
  • Barbettes 5 in (127 mm) (6.5 in (165 mm) in CA-38)
  • Conning tower 5 in (127 mm)

The New Orleans-class cruisers were a class of seven heavy cruisers built for the United States Navy (USN) in the 1930s.

Contents

These ships participated in the heaviest surface battles of the Pacific War. Astoria, Quincy, and Vincennes were all sunk in the Battle of Savo Island, and three others were heavily damaged in subsequent battles in the Guadalcanal campaign. Only Tuscaloosa, which spent most of the war in the Atlantic, got through the war without being damaged. Collectively, ships of the class earned 64 battle stars. The four surviving ships were laid up immediately after the end of the war, and sold for scrap in 1959.

Design

The New Orleans-class design was a test bed for innovations in cruiser design, and there were three distinct designs within the class.

Originally called the Astoria class, the class was renamed after USS Astoria was sunk and the surviving ships of the class underwent substantial reconstruction.

This class was the direct ancestor for all subsequent USN gun cruisers. From them came the Brooklyn, Wichita, Cleveland, and Baltimore-class cruisers. While the Washington Naval Treaty was still being observed, new technology was implemented in the New Orleans class because the USN knew that if and when war came, they would need this knowledge to build ships (which were already in the planning stage) beyond the treaty limits. The USN came to the conclusion that no 10,000-ton cruiser could adequately perform the roles given.

Originally Tuscaloosa was the lead ship of this class, but Astoria, New Orleans and Minneapolis, laid down as Portland-class ships, were reordered to the Tuscaloosa design in 1930; Portland and Indianapolis were being built in civilian rather than Navy yards and were completed as originally designed.

Three ships of the class (Astoria, Quincy, and Vincennes) were lost in the Battle of Savo Island in 1942. Immediately following the Guadalcanal campaign the remaining ships of the class went through major overhauls to lessen top-heaviness caused by new electrical and radar systems and anti-aircraft weaponry which had been added as technology advanced. In doing so, the ships took on a new appearance, most notably in the bridge area, and became known as the New Orleans class. The four survivors were decommissioned shortly after the war ended, and scrapped in 1959–1961.

Armor

1943 ONI identification image for the New Orleans class New Orleans class heavy cruiser ONI identification 1943.jpg
1943 ONI identification image for the New Orleans class

The New Orleans class was the last series of US cruisers completed to the limitations of the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922. As completed, the single-ship Wichita class (and subsequent heavy cruisers) exceeded the 10,000-ton standard.

Design of these ships began in early 1929, based on the three preceding classes: The Pensacola, the Northampton and the Portland classes. All of the cruisers of the New Orleans class were outwardly similar but the displacement among these ships varied by some 600 tons. The Bureau of Construction and Repair authorized a contemporary 8-inch (203 mm) gun cruiser design of smaller size, but one which allocated considerably more tonnage towards protection. The New Orleans class was noteworthy for its protection. The hull was 12 feet (3.7 m) shorter than a Northampton, with a shorter armor belt that protected only the machinery and other internal spaces, allowing its thickness to be increased to 5 inches (130 mm). The machinery bulkheads were given 3.5 inches (89 mm) and the deck armor was strengthened to 2.25 inches (57 mm). For the first time in US cruisers, barbette and turret armor was sufficient to withstand 8-inch shellfire. The turrets were faced with 8 inches of armor, 2.75 inches (70 mm) on the sides and 1 inch (25 mm) on the roof. The barbettes were protected with 5 inches of armor on all ships except San Francisco, whose barbettes were fitted with 6.5 inches (170 mm) of armor.

Magazine protection was increased to 4 inches (100 mm). Magazine protection was further increased by placing them well below the waterline. Otherwise, only an internal splinter belt and the armor deck protected the magazines. While this allowed an exceptional degree of armored protection for the vitals against shellfire, there was little protected hull volume, and the deep magazines were more exposed to underwater damage (New Orleans learned this the hard way at the Battle of Tassafaronga). Protection represented approximately 15% of normal displacement as opposed to only 5.6% in the Pensacolas and 6% in the Northampton and Portland classes. The fuel bunkerage had to be reduced, which resulted in a smaller operational range.

Armament

The main armament on the class centered on nine 8 in/55 caliber Mark 14 guns (Mark 9 guns until replaced in World War II), mounted in triple turrets. New Orleans was fitted with Mark 14 Mod 0 guns, Minneapolis with the Mark 15 Mod 1 guns and the remaining ships of the class received Mark 12 Mod 0 guns. The turret face configurations were also different with the Mark 14 guns being housed in rounded face turrets and the Mark 12 and 15 guns in a flat faced turret. The 8 in guns had a range of 31,860 yards (29,130 m) with a muzzle velocity of 2,800 feet per second (853 m/s). The armor-piercing round weighed 260 pounds (118 kg) and could penetrate five inches of armor plating at 19,500 yards (17,830 m).

Secondary armament for the class consisted of eight 5 in/25 caliber dual purpose guns, which could be used against surface and aerial targets, as well as .50 caliber water-cooled machine guns to augment the 5 in guns. When the US entered the war in December 1941, the New Orleans class and other "Treaty" cruisers were rushed into battle with little modification and lacking in air defense. The Japanese proved at Pearl Harbor and with the sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse off Malaya that this war would be decided with air power. As soon as available, the quadruple 1.1 in guns and the Swiss-designed 20 mm Oerlikon cannon (which would replace the .50 caliber guns) were fitted, as well as early radar units and fire control directors. As the war progressed, developments in radar abilities gave the Allies an increasingly decisive advantage over the enemy. In late 1942, the arrival of the 40 mm Bofors (in twin and quadruple mountings), replaced the quadruple 1.1-inch autocannons, which had proved ineffective.

By late 1945, even after the removal of many non-essential items (half of their spotter planes as well as a crane and a catapult became non-essential due to advances in radar) the ships became dangerously over weight because of new weaponry and electrical and radar equipment. The threat from the air was so intense this condition had to be tolerated.

Appearance and performance

Outwardly, the New Orleans ships had a distinctive appearance and were considered very good-looking vessels, though the 1942–43 refits of the surviving ships changed the appearance substantially. The forward superstructure had the bridge wings cut back, and all of the large size windows were plated in with just a few port holes taking their place. The open bridge above the wheel house was enlarged by 100 percent by extending it forward. In addition several gun tubs were created for the 40 mm Bofors mounts both around the main mast, and aft. The forecastle deck extended back to the second funnel and the main superstructure was constructed without the ungainly tripod mast seen on the previous cruisers. The bow was a raked type, similar to those of British cruisers. The two funnels were situated closer together with a large search light tower in between. Aircraft handling facilities were moved further aft and a larger second conning station erected above the hangar. A single mainmast was erected there, between two huge pedestal cranes which handled both spotter planes and small craft. The main 8-inch turrets, although armored, were actually smaller with a more effective angular faceplate. By enlarging the forecastle deck, the secondary battery of 5-inch guns were mounted closer together, facilitating a more efficient ammunition delivery.

Power was provided by eight Babcock & Wilcox steam boilers that produced 107,000  hp (79,800 kW) for the four Westinghouse gearing steam turbines. The turbines were shafted to four screws, giving this class a rated speed of 32.75 knots (60.7 km/h). The cruisers' range – using 2,195 long tons (2,230 t) of bunker oil – was approximately 9,000 nautical miles (16,670 km) at 10 knots (19 km/h) [3] or 5,280 nautical miles (9,779 km) at 20 knots (37 km/h). [4] Their range could be extended by refueling from an oiler or another ship fitted to transfer oil while underway.

The New Orleans cruisers performed peacetime exercises well with no serious shortcomings being found. While many changes were implemented to improve their performance and especially their protection, the 10,000-ton limit of the Washington Naval Treaty was not exceeded. The new cruisers were considered successful in their own right but could not be considered equal to some foreign contemporaries, which were often considerably larger.

Ships in class

Construction data
Ship nameHull no.BuilderLaid downLaunchedCommissionDecommissionFate
New Orleans CA-32 New York Navy Yard 14 March 193112 April 193315 February 193410 February 1947Struck 1 March 1959; Sold for scrap; 22 September 1959
Astoria CA-34 Puget Sound Naval Shipyard 1 September 193016 December 193328 April 1934Sunk, Battle of Savo Island 9 August 1942
Minneapolis CA-36 Philadelphia Navy Yard 27 June 19316 September 193319 May 193410 February 1947Struck 1 March 1959; Sold for scrap, 14 August 1959
Tuscaloosa CA-37 New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Camden, New Jersey 3 September 193115 November 193317 August 193413 February 1946Struck 1 March 1959; Sold for scrap, 25 June 1959
San Francisco CA-38 Mare Island Navy Yard 9 September 19319 March 193310 February 193410 February 1946Struck 1 March 1959; Sold for scrap, 9 September 1959
Quincy CA-39 Bethlehem Steel Corporation, Fore River Shipyard, Quincy, Massachusetts 15 November 193319 June 19359 June 1936Sunk, Battle of Savo Island 9 August 1942
Vincennes CA-442 January 193421 May 193624 February 1937Sunk, Battle of Savo Island 9 August 1942

World War II

For almost four years, the ships of the New Orleans class were assigned to the most urgent of front line duties, becoming involved in much deadly action. Astoria, Quincy and Vincennes were sunk in the Battle of Savo Island, 8–9 Aug 1942. Although three of their number were lost, the ships proved to be well designed. New Orleans, Minneapolis and San Francisco were also seriously damaged in early war engagements in the Pacific. These engagements included the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, in which San Francisco engaged enemy ships at point blank range, and the Battle of Tassafaronga where Minneapolis and New Orleans took heavy damage and losses from Long Lance torpedoes. Damage control work and skillful seamanship kept these ships afloat to continue to fight through the end of the war.

New Orleans-class cruisers were found at every major naval skirmish of World War II in the Pacific despite the fact there were only four of the seven units remaining after the first year of war. They were some of the most used and hardest fought ships of the US Navy during the war. Three ships of this class were among the most decorated US ships of World War II. San Francisco earned [5] 17 Battle Stars and a Presidential Unit Citation, New Orleans earned [6] 17 Battle Stars, and Minneapolis earned [5] 17 Battle Stars as well. As a class, they earned a total of 64 Battle Stars and a Presidential Unit Citation. [5]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Tennessee</i>-class battleship Dreadnought battleship class of the United States Navy

The Tennessee class consisted of two dreadnought battleships—Tennessee and California—built for the United States Navy in the late 1910s, part of the "standard" series. The class was in most respects a repeat of the preceding New Mexico class, with the primary improvements being a significantly strengthened underwater protection system, and increased elevation of the main battery guns to allow them to fire at much greater ranges. They carried the same main battery of twelve 14-inch (356 mm) guns in four triple turrets, and had the same top speed of 21 knots. Both ships served in the Pacific Fleet for the duration of their careers, which included an extensive training program during the interwar period of the 1920s and 1930s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heavy cruiser</span> Type of medium to large-sized warship

A heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range and high speed, armed generally with naval guns of roughly 203 mm (8 inches) in calibre, whose design parameters were dictated by the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922 and the London Naval Treaty of 1930. Heavy cruisers were generally larger, more heavily-armed and more heavily-armoured than light cruisers while being smaller, faster, and more lightly-armed and armoured than battlecruisers and battleships. Heavy cruisers were assigned a variety of roles ranging from commerce raiding to serving as 'cruiser-killers,' i.e. hunting and destroying similarly-sized ships.

USS <i>New York</i> (ACR-2) Second United States Navy armored cruiser so designated

USS New York (ACR-2/CA-2) was the second United States Navy armored cruiser so designated; the first was the ill-fated Maine, which was soon redesignated a second-class battleship. Due to the unusually protracted construction of Maine, New York was actually the first armored cruiser to enter U.S. Navy service. The fourth Navy ship to be named in honor of the state of New York, she was later renamed Saratoga and then Rochester. With six 8-inch guns, she was the most heavily armed cruiser in the US Navy when commissioned.

USS <i>Quincy</i> (CA-39) New Orleans class heavy cruiser

USS Quincy (CL/CA-39) was a United States Navy New Orleans-class cruiser, sunk at the Battle of Savo Island in 1942.

USS <i>Astoria</i> (CL-90) Light cruiser of the United States Navy

The third USS Astoria was a Cleveland-class light cruiser of the United States Navy, which were built during World War II. The class was designed as a development of the earlier Brooklyn-class cruisers, the size of which had been limited by the First London Naval Treaty. The start of the war led to the dissolution of the treaty system, but the dramatic need for new vessels precluded a new design, so the Clevelands used the same hull as their predecessors, but were significantly heavier. The Clevelands carried a main battery of twelve 6-inch (152 mm) guns in four three-gun turrets, along with a secondary armament of twelve 5 in (127 mm) dual-purpose guns. They had a top speed of 32.5 knots.

<i>Iowa</i>-class battleship Fast battleship class of the United States Navy

The Iowa class was a class of six fast battleships ordered by the United States Navy in 1939 and 1940. They were initially intended to intercept fast capital ships such as the Japanese Kongō class and serve as the "fast wing" of the U.S. battle line. The Iowa class was designed to meet the Second London Naval Treaty's "escalator clause" limit of 45,000-long-ton (45,700 t) standard displacement. Beginning in August 1942, four vessels, Iowa, New Jersey, Missouri, and Wisconsin, were completed; two more, Illinois and Kentucky, were laid down but canceled in 1945 and 1958, respectively, before completion, and both hulls were scrapped in 1958–1959.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">16-inch/50-caliber Mark 7 gun</span> Naval gun

The 16"/50 caliber Mark 7 – United States Naval Gun is the main armament of the Iowa-class battleships and was the planned main armament of the cancelled Montana-class battleship.

<i>North Carolina</i>-class battleship US Navy fast battleship class (1937–1947)

The North Carolina class were a pair of fast battleships, North Carolina and Washington, built for the United States Navy in the late 1930s and early 1940s.

<i>Atlanta</i>-class cruiser Class of light cruisers of the United States Navy

The Atlanta-class cruisers were eight United States Navy light cruisers which were designed as fast scout cruisers or flotilla leaders but which proved to be effective anti-aircraft cruisers during World War II. They were also known as the Atlanta-Oakland class. The Atlanta class originally had 16 x 5-inch (127 mm)/38 caliber guns in eight two-gun turrets, arranged with three superfiring turrets forward, three more superfiring aft and two waist mounts, one port and one starboard, giving the first four Atlanta-class cruisers the heaviest anti-aircraft armament of any cruiser of World War II. The last four ships of the class, starting with Oakland, had a slightly revised armament with a reduced main gun battery - the waist turrets being deleted - as they were further optimized for anti-aircraft fire in light of war experience.

<i>Brooklyn</i>-class cruiser 1937 class of light cruisers of the United States Navy

The Brooklyn-class cruiser was a class of nine light cruisers built for the United States Navy between 1935 and 1938. Armed with five triple 6-inch (152 mm) gun turrets, they mounted more main battery guns than any other standard US cruiser. The Brooklyn-class ships were all commissioned between 1937 and 1939, in the time between the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War and before the invasion of Poland. They served extensively in both the Pacific and Atlantic theaters during World War II.

<i>Portland</i>-class cruiser Class of ships designed and constructed by the United States Navy in 1930

The Portland class of heavy cruisers was a class of ships designed and constructed by the United States Navy in 1930. The two ships of the class, Portland and Indianapolis, saw extensive service during the Pacific War in World War II.

<i>Pennsylvania</i>-class cruiser Class of American naval ships

The Pennsylvania class of six armored cruisers served in the United States Navy from 1905 to 1927. All six were renamed for cities 1912–1920, to make the state names available for the new battleships beginning with the Pennsylvania-class battleships. All of these served during World War I, with California being the only ship of the class to be lost. The remaining five armored cruisers were scrapped between 1930 and 1931 in accordance with the London Naval Treaty.

Japanese cruiser <i>Chōkai</i> Takao-class heavy cruiser

Chōkai (鳥海) was a Takao-class heavy cruiser, armed with ten 20 cm (8 in) guns, four 12 cm (5 in) guns, eight tubes for the Type 93 torpedo, and assorted anti-aircraft guns. Named for Mount Chōkai, Chōkai was designed with the Imperial Japanese Navy strategy of the great "Decisive Battle" in mind, and built in 1932 by Mitsubishi's shipyard in Nagasaki.

<i>Sverdlov</i>-class cruiser 1950s cruiser class of the Soviet Navy

The Sverdlov-class cruisers, Soviet designation Project 68bis, were the last conventional gun cruisers built for the Soviet Navy. They were built in the 1950s and were based on Soviet, German, and Italian designs and concepts developed before the Second World War. They were modified to improve their sea capabilities, allowing them to operate at high speeds in the rough waters of the North Atlantic. The design carried an extensive suite of modern radar equipment and anti-aircraft artillery. The Soviets originally planned to build 40 ships in the class, to be supported by the Stalingrad-class battlecruisers and various aircraft carriers.

<i>South Dakota</i>-class battleship (1939) Fast battleship class of the United States Navy

The South Dakota class was a group of four fast battleships built by the United States Navy. They were the second class of battleships to be named after the 40th state; the first were designed in the 1920s and canceled under the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty. Four ships comprised the class: South Dakota, Indiana, Massachusetts, and Alabama. They were designed to the same treaty standard displacement limit of 35,000 long tons (35,600 t) as the preceding North Carolina class and had the same main battery of nine 16"/45 caliber Mark 6 guns in three-gun turrets, but were more compact and better protected. The ships can be visually distinguished from the earlier vessels by their single funnel, compared to twin funnels in the North Carolinas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All or nothing (armor)</span> Method of naval warship armor

All or nothing is a method of naval warship armor, best known for its employment on dreadnought battleships. The concept involves heavily armoring the areas most important to a ship while the rest of the ship receives no armor. The "all or nothing" concept avoided light or moderate thicknesses of armor: armor was used in the greatest practicable thickness or not at all, thereby providing "either total or negligible protection". Compared to previous armoring systems, "all or nothing" ships had thicker armor covering a smaller proportion of the hull.

<i>Tsukuba</i>-class cruiser Japanese class of cruisers

The Tsukuba-class cruisers were a pair of large armored cruisers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) in the first decade of the 20th century. Construction began during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–05 and their design was influenced by the IJN's experiences during the war. The British development of the battlecruiser the year after Tsukuba was completed made her and her sister ship Ikoma obsolete, as they were slower and more weakly armed than the British, and later German, ships. Despite this, they were reclassified in 1912 as battlecruisers by the IJN.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">5-inch/25-caliber gun</span> 20th-century heavy anti-aircraft gun of the U.S. Navy

The 5"/25 caliber gun entered service as the standard heavy anti-aircraft (AA) gun for United States Washington Naval Treaty cruisers commissioned in the 1920s and 1930s. The goal of the 5"/25 design was to produce a heavy AA gun that was light enough to be rapidly trained manually. The gun was also mounted on pre-World War II battleships and aircraft carriers until replaced by the standard widespread dual-purpose 5"/38 caliber gun, which was derived from the 5"/25. Guns removed from battleships were probably converted for submarine use by late 1943, while a purpose-built variant for submarines was available in mid-1944, and was widely used by them. United States naval gun terminology indicates the gun fired a projectile 5 inches (127 mm) in diameter, and the barrel was 25 calibers long. It is referred to sometimes as a dual-purpose gun and sometimes as an anti-aircraft gun, because of its comparative weakness against surface targets.

<i>St. Louis</i>-class cruiser Class of American naval ships

The St. Louis-class cruisers were a class of three cruisers that served in the United States Navy at the beginning of the 20th century. Authorized in fiscal year 1901 by an Act of Congress of 7 June 1900 as part of the naval buildup touched off by the Spanish–American War, the St. Louis-class cruiser initially began as an improved Olympia. However, during the design phase, decisions were made that increased the size of the vessel from 6,000 long tons (6,100 t) to 9,700 long tons (9,900 t), including adding protection that resulted in the designation "semi-armored cruiser". This led to a larger power plant, and other decisions were made to try to increase speed and range, such as using smaller 6-inch (152 mm) guns instead of 8-inch (203 mm) guns, and adding coal capacity. The completed ship at 9,700 long tons was the same displacement as a full armored cruiser without the same armor. One reference describes the class as "among the earliest well-documented examples of creeping growth in warship design".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">8-inch/55-caliber gun</span> Naval gun

The 8"/55 caliber gun formed the main battery of United States Navy heavy cruisers and two early aircraft carriers. United States naval gun terminology indicates the gun barrel had an internal diameter of 8 inches (203 mm), and the barrel was 55 calibers long.

References

  1. Friedman N. U. S. Cruisers: An Illustrated Design History., 1984, p. 474
  2. Fahey 1941 p. 9
  3. Steve Wiper. USS Minneapolis CA-36. (1997) p. 56
  4. Baker, A. D., Friedman N. U. S. Cruisers: An Illustrated Design History., 1984, p. 474
  5. 1 2 3 Wiper, Steve (2000). New Orleans Class Cruisers. Tucson, Az: Classic Warships Publishing. p. 58.
  6. Brown, Herbert C. (2001). Hell at Tassafaronga. Kearney, NE: Morris Publishing. p. 199.