St. Louis-class cruiser

USS St. Louis (C-20)
Class overview
Name	St. Louis class cruiser
Operators	United States Navy
Preceded by	Denver-class cruiser
Succeeded by	Pensacola-class cruiser
Completed	3
Lost	1
Retired	2
Preserved	0
General characteristics
Type	Protected Cruiser (Heavy Cruiser)
Displacement	9,700 tons
Length	426,6 ft
Beam	66 ft
Draft	24,10 ft
Speed	22 k
Complement	673 officers and enlisted
Armament	14x6" 18x3" 12x3 pdrs. 8x1 pdrs. 4x30 cal. machine guns

The St. Louis class cruiser were a group of three protected cruisers used by the United States Navy at the beginning of the 20th century.

Class history

Authorized in 1900, the St. Louis class cruiser initially began as an improved Columbia class cruiser. However, during the design phase, decisions were made to increase the size of the vessel from 6,000 tons to 9,700 tons. Other decisions were made to try to increase speed, such as using smaller 6 inch guns instead of 8 inch guns. Also, armor was increased which led to the need for a larger powerplant for the ship. The completed ship at 9,700 tons was the same displacement as a full armored cruiser without the same armor or armament.

St. Louis class ships

• USS St. Louis (C-20)
• USS Milwaukee (C-21)
• USS Charleston (C-22)

See also

Media related to St. Louis class cruisers (1905) at Wikimedia Commons

External links

• Global Security.org - St. Louis class cruiser
• Global Security.org - St. Louis class cruiser specifications