USS Wichita
Cleveland-class
Baltimore-class
Oregon City-class
Building ordered on 1 July 1940, laid down by Bethlehem Steel Corporation, Fore Shipyard, Quincy Massachusetts, USA on 3 September 1941, renamed after the loss of the Australian HMS Canberra before the launching, launched by Alice Lady Dixon on 19 April 1943, commissioned on 14 October 1943, decommissioned on 7 March 1947, reclassified CAG-2 on 4 January 1952, converted by New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Camden, New Jersey into a Boston-class guided missile cruiser 1952-1956, recommissioned on 15 June 1956, reclassified CA-70 on 1 May 1968, decommissioned on 2 February 1970, stricken on 31 July 1979 and sold to National Metal and Steel Corporation, Terminal Island, California, USA be broken up on 31 July 1980.
Part of the Baltimore-class heavy cruisers consisting of the Baltimore, Boston, Canberra, Quincy, Pittsburgh, Saint Paul, Columbus, Helena, Bremerton, Fall River, Macon, Toledo, Los Angles and Chicago, preceded by the USS Wichita and succeeded by the Oregon City-class. The Baltimore-class was in fact a mix between the heavy cruiser USS Wichita and the Cleveland-class light cruisers.
General technical class specifications.
Approximately building costs of each ship was 40 million US dollars. Totally were 14 ships built. With a displacement of 14.733 (standard)-17.273 (full load) tons and as dimensions 205,26 x 21,59 x 8,18 (height mast) metres or 673’5” x 70’10” x 26’10”x 112’10”. The machinery consisted of geared steam turbines and 4 boilers allowing with the 4 screws and a horsepower of around 120.000 hp a speed of 33 knots. There were two engine rooms. With the fuel oil bunker capacity of 2.250 tons and a cruising speed of 15 knots was a range of around 10.000 nautical miles possible. The crew numbered 1.146 men (included 61 officers). The armour consisted of a 10,2cm/4”-15,cm/6” and 1,6cm/0.625” STS plating, a 5,7cm/2.25” thick deck, 15,2cm/6” thick bulkheads with the turrets, barbettes and conning tower protected by respectively 3,8cm/1.5”-20,3cm/8”, 17,8cm/7” and 15,2cm/6”. The armament consisted of 3x3-20,3cm/8” 55cal Mark 15 guns, 6x2-12,7cm/5” 39 cal Mark 12 guns, 12x4-4cm Bofors guns and 24x1-2cm Oerlikon cannons. As a guided missile cruiser 6-20,3c,/8”guns, 10-12,7cm/5” guns, 12-7,6cm/3” guns and 2x2-rail Terrier Sam launchers.
