NORTHAMPTON CLASS

Name                               Builders                         laid down         launched     completed

Northampton                    Bethlehem, Quincy                        12/04/28                05/09/29                17/05/30

Chester                               New York                                   06/03/28                03/07/29                24/06/30

Lousville                             Puget Sound NY                          04/07/28                01/09/30              15/01/31

Chicago                              Mare Island NY                          10/09/28               10/04/30              09/03/31                  

Houston                              Newport News                            01/05/28                07/09/29               17/06/30

Augusta                               Newport News                            02/07/28                01/02/30               30/01/31

 

   

Specifications

 Displacement: 9,050-9,300 tons standard and 12, 350 tons full load 

Dimensions: length 183.0 m (600 ft 3 in); beam 20. 1 m (66 ft); draught 4.95m(16ft3in)

Propulsion: Parsons geared turbines delivering 107,000 shp (79'190 kW) to four shafts

Speed: 32. 5 kts

Armour: belt 76 mm (3 in); deck 51 mm (2 in); turrets 38-64 mm ( 1.5-2.5 in); barbettes 38 mm ( 1.5 in); conning tower 203 mm (8 in)

Armament: nine 203-mm (8-in), eight 127-mm (5-in) AA, two 3-pdr, and eight 12. 7-mm (0. 5-in) AA guns

Aircraft: four Floatplanes

 Complement: 1, 200

 

NOTES

The USA's first two Washington Treaty cruisers were the two 'Pensacola' class heavy cruisers of 1929. Both had very active lives in World War II, but their design was not particularly successful, being cramped and having an extremely low freeboard. Their 10gun 203-mm (8-in) armament (set, unusually, in mixed twin and triple turrets) was over ambitious to the point where the ships were extremely tender. Even before their completion an improved design, the 'Northampton' class, was well advanced. These not only regrouped the main battery into a homogeneous nine guns set in three triple turrets, but had a hull 4.4 m (14 ft 6 in) greater in length plus a raised forecastle to improve seaworthiness.

Of the class of six ships, the USS Houston was lost in March 1942 in the aftermath of the Java Sea debacle. The USS Chicago survived the shambles of the Savo Island battle in August 1942 with most of her bows removed by a Japanese torpedo. Guadalcanal still claimed her, however, for after repairs she returned shortly afterward to cover a replenishment trip to the island. Near Rennell Island she was sunk by air-dropped torpedoes. The USS Northampton also went down in the area, only a couple of miles from Savo, in the dreadful night action of Tassafaronga. An American force of five cruisers and six destroyers fell foul of the so-called 'Tokyo Express'. The latter were surprised, but acted with great resolution and speed, using their specialized night-fighting training to good advantage. Despite being encumbered with embarked troops and stores, they split into subdivisions and launched a devastating torpedo attack.

Four of the five American cruisers were hit, although only the Northampton was a total loss. The surviving trio of the class, known as the'Chester class, lasted until 1960.