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Minneapolis 1941

Ships

No	Name	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comm	Fate
CA32	New Orleans		New York N Yd, Brooklyn	14.3.1931	12.4.1933	18.4.1934	stricken 3.1959
CA34	Astoria		Puget Sound N Yd, Bremerton	1.9.1930	16.12.1933	1.6.1934	sunk 9.8.1942
CA36	Minneapolis		Philadelphia N Yd	27.6.1931	6.9.1933	20.6.1934	stricken 3.1959
CA37	Tuscaloosa	407	New York SB, Camden	3.9.1931	15.11.1933	17.8.1934	stricken 3.1959
CA38	San Francisco		Mare Island N Yd, Vallejo	9.9.1931	9.3.1933	23.4.1934	stricken 3.1959
CA39	Quincy	1450	Bethlehem, Quincy	15.11.1933	19.6.1935	9.6.1936	sunk 9.8.1942
CA44	Vincennes	1449	Bethlehem, Quincy	2.1.1934	21.5.1936	24.2.1937	sunk 9.8.1942

Technical data

Displacement standard, t	10136
Displacement full, t	12463
Length, m	176.2 wl 179.2 oa
Breadth, m	18.8
Draught, m	6.93 full
No of shafts	4
Machinery	4 sets Westinghouse geared steam turbines, 8 Babcock & Wilcox boilers
Power, h. p.	107000
Max speed, kts	32.7
Fuel, t	oil 1241 - 1861
Endurance, nm(kts)	10000 (15)
Armour, mm	CA32, 34, 36: belt: 127 - 76, bulkheads: 76 - 38, deck: 57, barbettes: 127, turrets: 203 - 38, CT: 127 CA37, 38:  belt: 127 - 76, bulkheads: 76 - 38, deck: 57, barbettes: 152, turrets: 203 - 38, CT: 127 CA39, 44:  belt: 127 - 76, bulkheads: 76 - 38, deck: 57, barbettes: 133, turrets: 203 - 38, CT: 127
Armament	CA32, 34, 36: 3 x 3 - 203/55 Mk 9.11.13/14, 8 x 1 - 127/25 Mk 10.11.13, 8 х 1 - 12.7/90, 2 catapults, 4 seaplanes (OL, O2U, O3U, OJ) CA37 - 39, 44: 3 x 3 - 203/55 Mk 12.15, 8 x 1 - 127/25 Mk 10.11.13, 8 х 1 - 12.7/90, 2 catapults, 4 seaplanes (OL, O2U, O3U, OJ, SOC)
Complement	868

Standard scale images

Graphics

Project history

Beginning designing of successor of Portland class by 1929 program (CA37-41), USN staff decided that protection of first heavy cruisers is insufficient. After a long discussion General Board refused the plans of modified Northampton class in favour of more protected ship. Her creation was possible thanking to that circumstance, that Northampton class cruisers had standard displacement approximately on 1000t less than limit, appointed by the Washington conference, and this reserve could be expend on protection strengthening. Structure (but not an arrangement!) of machinery of new cruisers remained unchanged, but hull was quite new and was notably shorter and narrower in comparison with predecessors. Length reduction was reached at the expense of abandoning from machinery arrangements in en echelon in favour of the linear. Have besides, lengths of everyone machinery room was decreased. It allowed to shrink a length of waterline belt and increase its thickness to 127mm. Differing from predecessors, turrets received protection against 203mm shells. The protection weight made 15% of standard displacement. As result the immune zone under fire of 203mm guns at a relative 60° bearing laid in a band between 60 and 120 cables.

Originally it was planed to build 5 ships (CA37-41) under this design, however they so exceed Northampton class (CA32-36), that it has been solved to build CA32, 34 and 36, the order on which was received by Naval Yards, under the changed project (simultaneously building of CA39-41 was suspended). First three cruisers of New Orleans class (CA32, 34 and 36) were built under the FY1929 programme. They were followed by three ships of the FY1930 programme (СА37-39), a little differing from the former three. СА37 and СА38 had more protected barbettes and new lighter 203mm guns in more compact turrets. On СА39 it have provided possibility of fitting in the future of 28mm AA MGs that has demanded setting off of a reserve of displacement. For this purpose it was necessary to decrease a thickness of barbettes. Last ship of a class, СА44 was built under the FY1931 programme and completely repeated design of СА39.

By the middle of war the stability came nearer to a dangerous limit, and further modernizations were accompanied by additional lead ballast. Besides, ships lost CTs and have rebuilt bridges.

Ship protection (CA32, 34, 36)

Main belt abreast machinery extended to 1.5m below and 2.86m over waterline. It was 127mm thick (76mm at lower edge) on 19mm STS plating. There were narrow belts abreast magazines. Thickness of these belts was 102mm decreasing to 76mm at lower edge. Magazines were protected by 37mm bulkheads fore and aft, machinery and magazines were separated by 76-51mm bulkheads. Armoured deck over main belt was 57mm over the machinery (on 2nd deck level) and magazines (on 1st platform level). Its thickness decreased to 32mm fwd from fore magazines. Barbettes were 127mm thick. Turrets had 203mm faces, 95-38mm sides, 38mm rears and 70mm crowns.

Ship protection (CA37, 38)

Main belt abreast machinery extended to 1.5m below and 2.86m over waterline. It was 127mm thick (76mm at lower edge) on 19mm STS plating. There were narrow belts abreast magazines. Thickness of these belts was 102mm decreasing to 76mm at lower edge. Magazines were protected by 37mm bulkheads fore and aft, machinery and magazines were separated by 76-51mm bulkheads. Armoured deck over main belt was 57mm over the machinery (on 2nd deck level) and magazines (on 1st platform level). Its thickness decreased to 32mm fwd from fore magazines. Barbettes were 152mm thick. Turrets had 203mm faces, 95-38mm sides, 38mm rears and 70mm crowns.

Ship protection (CA39, 44)

Main belt abreast machinery extended to 1.5m below and 2.86m over waterline. It was 127mm thick (76mm at lower edge) on 19mm STS plating. There were narrow belts abreast magazines. Thickness of these belts was 102mm decreasing to 76mm at lower edge. Magazines were protected by 37mm bulkheads fore and aft, machinery and magazines were separated by 76-51mm bulkheads. Armoured deck over main belt was 57mm over the machinery (on 2nd deck level) and magazines (on 1st platform level). Its thickness decreased to 32mm fwd from fore magazines. Barbettes were 133mm thick. Turrets had 203mm faces, 95-38mm sides, 38mm rears and 70mm crowns.

Modernizations

Astoria, 6.1941; New Orleans, Minneapolis, 11.1941; Tuscaloosa, San Francisco, Quincy, Vincennes 12.1941 - 4.1942: + 4 x 4 - 28/75 Mk 1

mid-1942, all: - 8 x 1 - 12.7/90; + 6 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 4, SC, Mk 3 radars

late 1942, all survived: + (6 - 10) x 1 - 20/70 Mk 4

late 1943, all survived: - 4 x 4 - 28/75, 1 catapult, SC radar; + 6 x 4 - 40/56 Mk 1.2, 2x SG, SK, Mk 4 radars. CT was removed.

Minneapolis, 1944: - 3 x 3 - 203/55; + 3 x 3 - 203/55 Mk 12.15, SP radar

1944 - 1945, New Orleans: - (12 - 16) x 1 - 20/70; + 14 x 2 - 20/70 Mk 4

1944 - 1945, Minneapolis: - (12 - 16) x 1 - 20/70; + 8 x 2 - 20/70 Mk 4

1944 - 1945, Tuscaloosa: - (12 - 16) x 1 - 20/70; + 28 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 4

1944 - 1945, San Francisco: - (12 - 16) x 1 - 20/70; + 26 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 4

1/1946, New Orleans: 3 x 3 - 203/55 Mk 14, 8 x 1 - 127/25 Mk 19, 6 x 4 - 40/60 Mk 2, 14 x 2 - 20/70 Mk 24, 1 catapult, 4 seaplanes, 2x SG, SK, Mk 3, Mk 4 radars

1/1946, Minneapolis: 3 x 3 - 203/55 Mk 15, 8 x 1 - 127/25 Mk 19, 6 x 4 - 40/60 Mk 2, 8 x 2 - 20/70 Mk 24, 1 catapult, 4 seaplanes, 2x SG, SK, SP, Mk 3, Mk 4 radars

1/1946, Tuscaloosa: 3 x 3 - 203/55 Mk 12, 8 x 1 - 127/25 Mk 19, 6 x 4 - 40/60 Mk 2, 28 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 10, 1 catapult, 4 seaplanes, 2x SG, SK, Mk 3, Mk 4 radars

1/1946, San Francisco: 3 x 3 - 203/55 Mk 12, 8 x 1 - 127/25 Mk 19, 6 x 4 - 40/60 Mk 2, 26 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 10, 1 catapult, 4 seaplanes, 2x SG, SK, Mk 3, Mk 4 radars

Naval service

Vincennes, Quincy and Astoria were sunk by gunfire and torpedoes of Japanese heavy cruisers 9.8.1942 in battle at Sawo Island (Guadalcanal). New Orleans 30.11.1942 was badly damaged by Japanese torpedo (fore end was torn off to a No2 turret) and returned to service in July, 1943. Minneapolis was damaged 30.11.1942 by two torpedoes from Japanese destroyers. Fore end to a No1 turret was cut off, repair lasted till September, 1943. San Francisco 13.11.1942 was badly damaged by gunfire of Japanese ships (up to 45 shell hits) and was under repair till February, 1943.