St. Louis-class cruiser (1938)
_off_San_Pedro,_California_(USA),_on_5_October_1944_(19-N-72219).jpg) USS St. Louis (CL-49)
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | St. Louis-class cruiser |
| Operators | list error: <br /> list (help) United States Navy Brazilian Navy |
| Preceded by | Template:Sclass- |
| Succeeded by | list error: <br /> list (help) Template:Sclass- Template:Sclass- |
| Completed | 2 |
| Lost | 1 |
| Retired | 1 |
| Preserved | 0 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Light cruiser |
| Displacement | list error: <br /> list (help) 10,000 tons (standard) 13,327 tons (Full) |
| Length | 608.3 feet (185 m) |
| Beam | 61.7 ft (18.8 m) |
| Draft | 19.8 ft (6.0 m) |
| Propulsion | list error: <br /> list (help) (4) 618psi Boilers 4 Gear Turbines 4 Screws 100,000 Horsepower |
| Speed | 33 knots |
| Complement | 888 officers and enlisted men |
| Armament |
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| Armor | list error: <br /> list (help) 3-5 in Belt 2 in Deck 1.25-6.5 in Turrets 6 in Barbettes 2.25-5 in CT |
| Aircraft carried | 4 Curtiss SOC-2 Seagulls |
| Aviation facilities | 2 Aft catapults |
The St. Louis class light cruisers were a pair of warships that served in the US Navy during World War II. The class was a slight modification of the seven-ship Brooklyn class that immediately preceded them, incorporating new higher pressure boilers and a new boiler arrangement, with machinery on the "unit system": alternating boiler and engine rooms to prevent a ship from being immobilized by a single unlucky hit. Additionally, AA armament was improved. They were the first US cruisers to be armed with twin five-inch (127 mm) 38-caliber guns. They could be distinguished visually from the Brooklyns by the placement of the after deckhouse, immediately abaft the second funnel, and by the twin 5" mounts.
Both ships were commissioned in 1939, and were active in the Pacific in World War II. Helena was sunk in 1943 during the Battle of Kula Gulf. St. Louis was seriously damaged twice, but survived the war and was transferred to the Brazilian navy in 1951, where she served until 1976.
St. Louis- class ships
| Ship Name | Hull No. | Builder | Commission– Decommission |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis | CL-49 | Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company | 19 May 1939 – 20 June 1946 |
| Helena | CL-50 | Brooklyn Navy Yard | 18 September 1939 – Sunk, Battle of Kula Gulf, 6 July 1943 |
External links
- Global Security.org - St. Louis class cruiser
- Global Security.org - St. Louis class cruiser specifications
| United States Navy | |
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| Brazilian Navy |
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