NAVYPEDIA

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  Roanoke 1970

Ships

No	Name	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comm	Fate
CL144	Worcester	465	New York SB, Camden	29.1.1945	4.2.1947	25.6.1948	stricken 1.12.1970
CL145	Roanoke	466	New York SB, Camden	15.5.1945	16.6.1947	4.4.1949	stricken 1.12.1970
CL146	Vallejo	467	New York SB, Camden	16.7.1945	---	---	cancelled 12.8.1945
CL147	Gary	468	New York SB, Camden	---	---	---	cancelled 12.8.1945

Technical data

Displacement standard, t	14700
Displacement full, t	17997
Length, m	202.4 wl 207.1 oa
Breadth, m	21.5
Draught, m	7.54 full load
No of shafts	4
Machinery	4 sets General Electric geared steam turbines, 4 Babcock & Wilcox boilers
Power, h. p.	120000
Max speed, kts	33
Fuel, t	oil 2400
Endurance, nm(kts)	8000 (15)
Armour, mm	belt: 127 - 76, magazines: 127 - 51, deck: 89 + upper deck: 25 - 22, bulkheads: 102, barbettes: 127, turrets: 165 - 51, CT: 127 sides, 57 roof
Armament	6 x 2 - 152/47 RF Mk 16, 11 x 2 - 76/50 Mk 33, 2 x 1 - 76/50 Mk 34, 6 x 2 - 20/70 Mk 24
Electronic equipment	SR-2, SR-6, SG-6, SP-2, 4x Mk 25, 6x Mk 27, 4x Mk 35 radars
Complement	1401

Standard scale images

Graphics

Project history

These very large 'light cruisers' were designed to mount the twin 152/47mm automatic DP gun originally proposed by the Bureau of Ordnance as early as 1937, and intended for the Cleveland class as originally designed, in 1939. The project was revived in 1941, with General Board Characteristics calling for twelve 152mm DP guns, no 127mm secondary battery, protection limited to a very thick deck and a speed of at least 33kt. Later the Board accepted conventional side protection comparable to that of the Clevelands, and by the time of design had been completed early in 1944, the Chief of the Bureau of Ships saw it as an effective replacement for the now seriously overloaded Clevelands. He observed, too, that not even the new 127/54mm DP weapon would suffice against the guided missiles being introduced by the Germans and, presumably, the Japanese; the big 152mm with a proximity fuse might well be not merely useful, but absolutely necessary. However, the success of the 152/47mm design inspired the Bureau of Ordnance to develop an automatic 203/55mm, which was suitable for heavy cruisers not much larger than the Worcesters; the General Board at one point recommended that all seven new light cruisers contemplated (CL143-149) be re-ordered as large heavy cruisers. Ultimately production delays in the 203mm gun and the need to send at least a few 152mm DP weapons to sea modified this decision, so that four ships were ordered as 152/47mm DP light cruisers: CL144-147, of which only two were ultimately completed. Protection was to ensure immunity against the 152mm shell between 46 and 138 cables (90° target angle); against 454kg SAP bombs dropped from any altitude; and against 305mm 454kg AP bombs dropped from below 2300m. Bomb protection included a separate 'bomb deck' above the principal armoured deck, as in battleships and some heavy cruisers. Original design included 12 quadruple 40mm Boforses and 20 20mm MGs; both ships were, however, armed exclusively with the 76/50mm gun as completed. Originally planned 4 seaplanes with two catapults also were never carried.

Ship protection

Main belt abreast machinery was 4.4m high. It was 127mm thick (76mm at lower edge) on 16mm STS plating. There were narrow 51mm underwater belts abreast fore and No4 magazines. Underwater belt protecting aft magazines was 127mm thick. Magazines were protected by 93mm bulkheads fore and aft, machinery and magazines were separated by 127-51mm bulkheads. Main deck over main belt was 89mm. There was 22-25mm upper deck one level higher. Barbettes were 127mm thick. Turrets had 165mm faces, 76-51mm sides, 76-51mm rears and 102mm crowns.

Modernizations

1955, both: - 6 x 2 - 20/70, SG-6, SP-2 radars; + SPS-8 radar

Naval service

No significant events.