Brooklyn class cruiser
USS Brooklyn (CL-40)
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| Class overview | |
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| Name: | Brooklyn-class cruiser |
| Operators: | |
| Preceded by: | Omaha class |
| Succeeded by: | St. Louis class |
| Built: | 1935−38 |
| In commission: | 1937–82 |
| Completed: | 7 |
| Lost: | 1 under Argentine flag |
| Retired: | 6 |
| Preserved: | 0 |
| General characteristics () | |
| Type: | Light cruiser |
| Displacement: | 9,767 long-tons (standard), 12,207 long-tons (full load) |
| Length: | 606 ft (185 m) overall |
| Beam: | 62 ft (19 m) |
| Draft: | 23 ft (7.0 m) |
| Propulsion: |
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| Speed: | 32.5 knots (60.2 km/h; 37.4 mph) |
| Range: | 10,000 nmi (19,000 km; 12,000 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) |
| Complement: | 868 |
| Armament: |
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| Armor: |
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| Aircraft carried: | 4 floatplanes |
| Aviation facilities: | 2 catapults |
The Brooklyn-class cruisers were seven light cruisers of the United States Navy that served during World War II. Armed with 5 (three forward, two aft) triple turrets mounting 6-inch guns, they and their two near sisters of the St. Louis-class mounted more heavy-caliber guns than any other US cruisers. The Brooklyns were all commissioned during 1937 and 1938 in the time between the start of the war in Asia and before the outbreak of war in Europe. They served extensively in both the Pacific and Atlantic theaters during World War II. Though some were heavily damaged, all survived the war. All were decommissioned shortly after the end of the war, and five were transferred in 1951 to South American navies, where they served for many more years. One of these, the General Belgrano, formerly the USS Phoenix (CL-46), was sunk during the Falklands War in 1982.
The Brooklyn-class ships were a strong influence on US cruiser design. Nearly all subsequent US cruisers, heavy and light, were directly or indirectly based on them. Notable among these are the Cleveland-class light cruiser and Baltimore-class heavy cruiser of World War II.
The Brooklyns arose from the London Naval Treaty of 1930, which limited the construction of heavy cruisers, i.e., ships carrying guns with calibers between 6.1 inches and 8 inches. Great Britain needed trade control cruisers and hoped that the treaty would limit nations to smaller cruisers to a 6,000 to 8,000 ton range that she could afford. The United States needed large cruisers to deal with the extreme ranges that operations in the Pacific Ocean required. Cruisers with 6" guns and 10,000 tons were therefore desired. The US Navy's experience with the Omaha Class Cruiser was not all that could be hoped for. The light hull design caused a stressed hull and was very overweight. Design started in 1930, with the first four of the class ordered in 1933 and an additional three ships in 1934. Basic criteria had been that speed and range should match heavy cruisers and, when the Japanese Mogami-class cruisers carrying fifteen six-inch main guns appeared, the new U.S. ships would match their weaponry. Various combinations of armor and power plants were tried in the efforts to stay below the Treaty 10,000 ton limit.
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