USS Wichita
Cleveland-class
Baltimore-class
Oregon City-class
Laid down by Bethlehem Steel Corporation, Fore Shipyard, Quincy Massachusetts, USA on 30 June 1941, launched by Mrs. Helen Noonan on 26 August 1942, commissioned on 30 June 1943, decommissioned on 29 October 1946, reclassified CAG-1 on 4 January 1952, converted into a guided missile cruiser by New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Camden, New Jersey between February 1952-1955, recommissioned on 1 November 1955, reclassified CA-69 on 1 May 1968, decommissioned on 5 May 1970, stricken on 4 January 1974 and sold to be broken up on 28 March 1975. Call sign NAWP.
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, 12x4-4cm Bofors guns and 24x1-2cm Oerlikon cannons. Fitted out with 2 catapults for launching the planes, the first 4 ships had 2 cranes, the others just 1 crane on board. After 1955 2x3-20cm/8” 55 cal guns, 5x2-12,7cm/5” 38 cal anti aircraft guns, 6x2-7,6cm/3” 50 cal anti aircraft guns and 2x2-rail Terrier SAM launchers for which 144 missiles were carried. The 4 floatplanes and 2 stern catapults were then removed.
