American cruiser light USS Wilmington (CL-11) 1945

Cleveland-class

Fargo-class

Worcester-class

Part of the Fargo-class consisting of the Fargo, Huntington, Newark, New Haven, Buffalo. Wilmington, Vallejo, Helena, Roanoke, Tallahassee, Cheyenne and Chattanooga, preceded by the Cleveland-class and succeeded by the Worcester-class. In fact a modified Cleveland-design of which just two were built, both too late to serve during the Second World War. Laid down by William Cramp&Sons Shipbuilding Company, Philadelphia, USA on 5 March 1945, building stopped on 12 August 1945 and broken up still on the slip.

General technical class specifications. Displacement 11.932 (standard)-14.696 (full load) tons and as dimensions 185,3 x 20,2 x 6,7 metres or 608.25 x 66.4 x 22 feet. The machinery consisted of 4 General Electric geared steam turbines and 4 Babcock&Wilcox boilers supplying via 4 screws 100.000 shp allowing a speed of 32,5 knots. Crew numbered 1.100 men. The armour consisted of a 3,8cm/1.5”-12,7cm/5” thick belt, a 5,1cm/2”-7,6cm/3” thick deck, 12,7cm/5” thick bulkheads and the turrets, barbettes and conning tower protected by respectively 7,6cm/3”-12,7cm/5”, 15,2cm/6” and 5,7cm/2.25”-12,7cm5”. The armament consisted of 4x3-15,2cm/6” /47 cal guns (2 fore, 2 aft), 6x2-12,7cm5” /38 cal guns, 4x3&6x2-4cm/1.6” Bofors guns and 20-2cm/0.79” Oerlikon guns. For the 4 float planes this class could carry were 2 catapults situated at the stern available.