The main battery layout was distinctive, with twin rather than triple turrets, unlike the previous Cleveland-class, St. Louis-class, and Brooklyn-class light cruisers. Aside from the Worcesters' main battery consisting of 6 in (152 mm) rather than 5 in (127 mm) guns, the layout was identical to the much smaller Juneau-class light cruisers, carrying 12 guns in six turrets, three forward and three aft, with only turrets 3 and 4 superfiring. The 6-inch/47-caliber gun was an autoloading, high-angle dual-purpose gun with a high rate of fire, and the Worcesters were thus designed to serve as AA cruisers like the Juneaus but with much more potent guns, as well as conventional light cruisers.
Both ships were decommissioned in 1958, the last conventional light cruisers to serve in the fleet, and scrapped in the early 1970s.
The Worcester class was designed as a departure from the Cleveland-class and Fargo-class cruisers, and an expansion of the Atlanta and Juneau classes.[dubious – discuss] They carried six twin dual-purpose6-inch/47-caliber gun turrets on the center-line, of which turrets three and four were superimposed. They carried 24 3"/50 cal AA in eleven twin mounts and two single mounts. Fire-control equipment included four high-angle/low-angle director control towers (DCTs) and two low-angle DCTs, which were arranged in a diamond-shaped pattern. Their armor was a 3–6" belt, a 3" main deck, a 2" lower deck, 3–4" bulkheads, 4" turrets and barbettes, and a 6.5" conning tower. Four Babcock & Wilcox boilers with four shafts and General Electric geared turbines provided 120,000 S.H.P., which could propel these ships at 32.75 knots.[1]
^Lenton, H. (1968). American Battleships, Carriers, and Cruisers. Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Company INC. pp. 94–95.
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April 15, 2024
worcester, class, cruiser, worcester, class, class, light, cruisers, used, united, states, navy, laid, down, 1945, commissioned, 1948, they, their, contemporaries, moines, class, heavy, cruisers, were, last, cruisers, built, navy, ships, were, planned, this, c. The Worcester class was a class of light cruisers used by the United States Navy laid down in 1945 and commissioned in 1948 49 They and their contemporaries the Des Moines class heavy cruisers were the last all gun cruisers built for the U S Navy Ten ships were planned for this class but only two USS Worcester CL 144 and USS Roanoke CL 145 were completed USS Roanoke in 1950sClass overviewNameWorcester classBuildersNew York Shipbuilding CorporationOperators United States NavyPreceded byFargo classSucceeded byNoneSubclassesNoneBuilt1945 1947In commission1948 58Planned10Completed2Cancelled8Retired2Preserved0General characteristicsTypeLight cruiserDisplacement14 700 long tons 14 936 t standard 17 997 long tons 18 286 t full Length664 ft 202 m wl 679 ft 6 in 207 11 m oaBeam70 ft 5 in 21 3 m Draft25 ft 7 6 m Propulsion4 Westinghouse 620 psi boilers 4 geared steam turbines 4 screws 125 000 HorsepowerSpeed33 knotsBoats amp landing craft carried2 4 lifeboatsComplement1 560 officers and enlistedSensors and processing systemsAN SPS 10 surface search radar AN SPS 6 air search radar AN SPS 8A height finding radar AN URD 4 radio direction finder AN URN 3 TACAN AN SLR 2 ECM Receiver Mark 56 fire control systemArmament6 dual 6 inch 47 caliber guns 11 dual 3 inch 50 caliber guns 2 single 3 50 caliber Mark 34 gunsArmorbelt 3 5 in 76 127 mm deck 3 5 in 89 mm max turrets 2 6 5 in 51 165 mm barbettes 5 in 127 mm conning tower 4 5 in 114 mm Aviation facilities2 aircraft catapultsThe main battery layout was distinctive with twin rather than triple turrets unlike the previous Cleveland class St Louis class and Brooklyn class light cruisers Aside from the Worcesters main battery consisting of 6 in 152 mm rather than 5 in 127 mm guns the layout was identical to the much smaller Juneau class light cruisers carrying 12 guns in six turrets three forward and three aft with only turrets 3 and 4 superfiring The 6 inch 47 caliber gun was an autoloading high angle dual purpose gun with a high rate of fire and the Worcesters were thus designed to serve as AA cruisers like the Juneaus but with much more potent guns as well as conventional light cruisers Both ships were decommissioned in 1958 the last conventional light cruisers to serve in the fleet and scrapped in the early 1970s Contents 1 Design 2 Ships in class 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksDesign editThe Worcester class was designed as a departure from the Cleveland class and Fargo class cruisers and an expansion of the Atlanta and Juneau classes dubious discuss They carried six twin dual purpose 6 inch 47 caliber gun turrets on the center line of which turrets three and four were superimposed They carried 24 3 50 cal AA in eleven twin mounts and two single mounts Fire control equipment included four high angle low angle director control towers DCTs and two low angle DCTs which were arranged in a diamond shaped pattern Their armor was a 3 6 belt a 3 main deck a 2 lower deck 3 4 bulkheads 4 turrets and barbettes and a 6 5 conning tower Four Babcock amp Wilcox boilers with four shafts and General Electric geared turbines provided 120 000 S H P which could propel these ships at 32 75 knots 1 Ships in class editShip Name Hull No Builder Laid Down Launched Commissioned Decommissioned FateWorcester CL 144 New York Shipbuilding Corporation Camden New Jersey 29 January 1945 4 February 1947 26 June 1948 19 December 1958 Struck 1 December 1970 Sold to Zidell Explorations Inc of Portland OR on 5 July 1972Roanoke CL 145 15 May 1945 16 June 1947 4 April 1949 31 October 1958 Struck 1 December 1970 Sold to Levin Metals Corporation of San Jose Calif on 22 February 1972Vallejo CL 146 16 July 1945 Construction cancelled 8 December 1945 hull was subsequently scrappedGary CL 147 Cancelled 12 August 1945 prior to the start of constructionSee also editCL 154 class cruiser an abortive contemporary design Minotaur class cruiser 1947 a Royal Navy design similar in concept List of cruisers of the United States NavyReferences edit Lenton H 1968 American Battleships Carriers and Cruisers Garden City New York Doubleday amp Company INC pp 94 95 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Worcester class cruiser Global Security org Worcester class cruiser Global Security org Worcester class cruiser specifications Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Worcester class cruiser amp oldid 1153354624, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
