The ''Fargo''-class cruisers were a modified version of the design; the main difference was a more compact pyramidal
superstructure
A superstructure is an upward extension of an existing structure above a baseline. This term is applied to various kinds of physical structures such as buildings, bridges, or ships.
Aboard ships and large boats
On water craft, the superstruct ...
with single trunked funnel, intended to improve the arcs of fire of the anti-aircraft (AA) guns. The same type of modification differentiated the and es of
heavy cruiser
A heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range and high speed, armed generally with naval guns of roughly 203 mm (8 inches) in calibre, whose design parameters were dictated by the Washington Naval Treat ...
s, and to a lesser degree the and es of
light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck. Prior to thi ...
s. Changes were made in order to reduce the instability of the Cleveland-class light cruisers, especially their tendency to roll dangerously. The main battery turrets sat about a foot lower and the wing gunhouses (the 5-inch, twin gun mounts on the sides of the ship) were lowered to the main deck. The medium (40 mm) anti-aircraft mounts were also lowered.
In all, 13 ships of the class were planned but only and were ever completed, the rest being cancelled at varying states of completion with the de-escalation and eventual end of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
.
[ M. J. Whitley, ''Cruisers Of World War Two, An International Encyclopedia'' 1995 ]
''Fargo'', the lead ship of the class, was launched on 25 February 1945, but was not commissioned until 9 December 1945, four months
after the war ended. ''Huntington'' was commissioned early in 1946. The two ships were decommissioned in 1949–1950, and never reactivated.
Ships in class
See also
*
List of cruisers of the United States Navy
This list of cruisers of the United States Navy includes all ships that were ever called "cruiser", either publicly or in internal documentation.
The Navy has 9 cruisers in active service, as of 10 October 2024, with the last tentatively sche ...
References
Bibliography
*
External links
Global Security.org - Fargo-class cruiser
* ttp://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_fargo_class_cruisers.html Fargo Class Light Cruisers
Cruiser classes
{{ship-type-stub