Atlanta class cruiser

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USS Atlanta (CL-51)
Class overview
Name: Atlanta class cruiser
Operators: United States Navy
Preceded by: St. Louis class cruiser
Succeeded by: Cleveland class cruiser
Completed: 11
Lost: 2
Retired: 9
Preserved: 0
General characteristics
Class and type: Light Cruiser
Displacement: 6,000 tons
Length: 541 ft 0 in (164.9 m)
Beam:   52 ft 10 in (16.1 m)
Draft:   20 ft 6 in (6.2 m)
Propulsion: 4 x 665psi boilers
2 geared steam turbines
75000 Horsepower
Speed: 33.6 knots (62 km/h)
Complement: 673
Officer: 61
Enlisted: 612
Armament: 16 × 5 in
9 × 1.1 in guns
8 × 21 in torpedo tubes
Armor: 1.1-3.75 in belt
1.25 in deck
1.25 in turrets
Aircraft carried: 3 - SC-1 seaplanes

The Atlanta class cruisers were United States Navy light cruisers designed originally as flotilla leaders but which ended up gaining recognition as effective anti-aircraft cruisers during World War II. With eight dual 5" gun mounts (six centerline), the first run of Atlanta class cruisers had by far the heaviest anti-aircraft broadside of any warship of World War II, at over 17,600 pounds (10,560 kg) per minute of highly-accurate, radar-fuzed VT ordnance. The later ships omitted the two wing mounts, reducing the overall broadside but improving firing arcs.

The lead ship, USS Atlanta (CL-51) was laid down on 22 April 1940, launched on 6 September 1941, and commissioned at the New York Navy Yard on 24 December 1941.

[edit] External links

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Atlanta-class cruiser
List of cruisers of the United States Navy
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