Oregon City-class cruiser

The Oregon City-class was a class of heavy cruisers of the United States Navy. Largely based on the preceding Baltimore-class of heavy cruisers, ten Oregon City-class ships were planned, but only four were completed. Of the completed ships, one was the USS Albany, which, in 1962, was converted to be the lead ship of the Albany-sub class of guided missile cruisers. Another vessel of the class, the USS Northampton would be converted to a command ship in 1951. The completed ships were in-commission from 1946 to 1980, with the Albany being the final vessel of the class to serve. All vessels of the class were eventually sold for scrap.

== Design and development == The Oregon City-class cruisers were a modified version of the previous Baltimore-class design; the main difference was a more compact pyramidal superstructure with single trunked funnel, intended to improve the arcs of fire of the anti-aircraft (AA) guns. The same type of modification also differentiated the Cleveland and Fargo classes, and to a lesser degree the Atlanta and Juneau classes of light cruisers.

== History == Ten ships were authorized for the class with three being completed and the fourth suspended during construction. The final six ships were cancelled, five after being laid down. Construction on the incomplete fourth ship was resumed in 1948 and the ship served as a command ship Northampton (CLC-1). All three completed cruisers were commissioned in 1946. Oregon City was decommissioned after only 22 months of service, one of the shortest active careers of any World War II-era cruiser. Albany was later converted into a guided missile ship, becoming the lead ship of the Albany class and served until 1980. A similar conversion was planned for Rochester but was cancelled.

Ships in class

Gallery

== See also == Albany-class cruiser List of cruisers of the United States Navy

Notes

References

== Bibliography == Gardiner, Robert and Stephen Chumbley (editors). Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995. Annapolis, Maryland US: Naval Institute Press, 1995. ISBN 1-55750-132-7. Whitley, M.J. Cruisers of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia. London: Brockhampton Press, 1999. ISBN 1-86019-874-0,

External links

Global Security.org – Oregon City class cruiser DANFS