Northampton class

Northampton- class

The USS Northampton

Ship data country  United States Ship type Heavy cruiser Construction period 1928 to 1931 Launch of the type ship September 5, 1929 Units built 6th period of service 1930 to 1946

Ship dimensions and crew length 183.0 m ( Lüa ) width 20.1 m Draft Max. 5.9 m displacement Standard : 9,195 t Use: 11,603 t   crew 617 men

Machine system machine 8 boiler 4 Parsons - transmission turbines Machine performance 107,000 PS (78,698 kW) Top speed 32.5 kn (60 km / h) propeller 4th

Armament 9 × Sk 20.3 cm L / 55 4 × Flak 12.7 cm L / 25 6 × torpedo tube ⌀ 53.3 cm 4 × board aircraft Armor Belt: 76 mm Armored deck : 25–51 mm Towers: 38–57 mm Ammunition chambers: 95 mm Command post: 203 mm

The Northampton class was a class of heavy cruiser of the United States Navy . The ships were built between the world wars and used in World War II . The Northampton- class was the second class American cruiser built under the restrictions of the Washington Naval Agreement and was the predecessor of the Portland- class .

draft

The design work for the Northampton class began after the previous Pensacola class had been completed. The main armament was reduced by one gun to nine pieces. Since all the guns were set up in triplet turrets , one turret could be saved. Overall, the changes compared to the Pensacola class resulted in weight savings of over 200 tons. Some of the weight was used to improve the splinter protection. Full-fledged armor protection against 203 mm shells was considered unattainable within the given weight limits. At this point it was not yet clear that the standard displacement of the class was nearly 1,000 tons below the contract ceiling of 10,160 tons.

Technical specifications

The standard displacement of the ships was 9,195 tons. Overall, they were 183 m long, 20.1 m wide and averaged 5.9 m deep. A long foredeck extended to the front of the two chimneys.

The propulsion system consisted of eight boilers and four turbines, which developed 107,000 shaft horsepower over four shafts , which enabled a speed of 32.5  knots . There were two boiler rooms with four boilers each and two turbine rooms with two turbines each. Boiler and turbine rooms were arranged alternately one behind the other (unit principle), which improved survivability in the event of combat damage.

The armor comprised a 76 mm thick, 4 m high belt in the waterline along the engine rooms. The ammunition chambers had side protection 95 mm thick. The deck armor was 25 mm thick over the engine rooms and 51 mm thick over the ammunition chambers. The main artillery turrets had 64 mm armor on the front and 51 mm on the ceiling. The command post had 203 mm of armor. In total, the armor weighed around 1100 tons.

The main armament consisted of nine 8-inch guns in three triple turrets. At the time of completion, the ships only had an Mk 24 fire control device for the main artillery. As flak , the ships carried four 12.7 cm multi-purpose guns in open single mounts behind the aft funnel. There were also three sets of triple torpedo tubes on board.

The ships carried four aircraft and two catapults. The planes could be sheltered from the weather in two hangars that were built around the aft chimney. The catapults stood on high platforms on the sides of the ship in the gap between the end of the front deck and the front edge of the hangar.

Modifications

In 1933 the torpedo tubes were given ashore in exchange for two Mk 19 fire control devices for the heavy flak and four 12.7 mm machine guns ; In 1935, four more 12.7 cm guns were added around the aft funnel. The anti-aircraft armament was to be reinforced by four 2.8 cm quadruplets. Since there was a shortage of these guns, 7.6 cm L / 50 flak were sometimes installed as a temporary solution. In the further course of the war, 2.0 cm Oerlikon and 4.0 cm Bofors guns were added, and the 2.8 cm anti-aircraft guns came off board.

Ships of the class

The Augusta was used in the Atlantic, Mediterranean and northern European waters during the war. The remaining ships were used in the Pacific.

Identifier	Surname	Keel laying	Launch	Commissioning	Decommissioning	Whereabouts
CA-26	Northampton	April 12, 1928	September 5, 1929	May 17, 1930		Sunk on November 30, 1942 in the Battle of Tassafaronga
CA-27	Chester	March 6, 1928	July 3, 1929	June 24, 1930	June 10, 1946	Deleted on March 1, 1959, canceled
CA-28	Louisville	4th July 1928	September 1, 1930	January 15, 1931	June 17, 1946	Deleted on March 1, 1959, canceled
CA-29	Chicago	September 10, 1928	April 10, 1930	March 9, 1931		On January 30, 1943 in the Battle of Rennell Island by torpedo hits Japanese planes sunk
CA-30	Houston	May 1, 1928	September 7, 1929	June 17, 1930		Sunk by the Japanese cruisers Mogami and Mikuma during the Battle of the Sunda Strait on March 1, 1942
CA-31	Augusta	July 2, 1928	February 1, 1930	January 30, 1931	July 16, 1946	Deleted on March 1, 1959, canceled

photos

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  Northampton
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  Chester
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  Louisville
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  Chicago
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  Houston
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  Augusta

literature

• Mike J. Whitley: Cruiser in World War II. Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 1997, ISBN 3-613-01842-X .
• Stefan Terzibaschitsch : US Navy cruisers - From the Omaha class to Long Beach. Licensed edition for Bechtermünz Verlag by Weltbild Verlag, Augsburg 1997, ISBN 3-86047-588-6 .

Web links

Commons : Northampton class  - collection of pictures, videos, and audio files

Footnotes

1. ^ Whitley: Cruisers in World War II. P. 271.
2. ^ Whitley: Cruisers in World War II. P. 271.
3. ^ Whitley: Cruisers in World War II. P. 272; Terzibaschitsch, p. 320, mentions 38–57 mm
4. ↑ Terzibaschitsch: US Navy cruiser. P. 320.
5. ^ Whitley: Cruisers in World War II. P. 272.
6. ↑ Terzibaschitsch: US Navy cruiser. P. 335f.
7. ↑ Terzibaschitsch: US Navy cruiser. P. 335f.
8. ^ Whitley: Cruisers in World War II. P. 272f
9. ^ Whitley: Cruisers in World War II. P. 273.