Chester-class cruiser

The three Chesters were the US Navy's only ships to be commissioned with the "scout cruiser" (hull classification symbol non-standard at the time, CS or SCR are sometimes used) designation, and were characterized by high speed and little armor or armament. They were also the last cruisers of any type built for the US Navy until the first {{sclass|Omaha|cruiser|0}} cruisers were laid down in 1917 (the Navy concentrated on building dreadnought battleships and destroyers in the interim). The first three Omaha-class ships were also designated "scout cruisers" (CS or SCR) when ordered, but before any were launched the Navy revised its classification system and they and the Chesters became "light cruisers" (CL).

The as-built armament included two 5"/50 caliber gun/50 caliber Mark 6 guns,[http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNUS_5-50_mk5.htm DiGiulian, Tony, 5"/50 Mark 5 and Mark 6 USN guns at NavWeaps.com] six 3"/50 caliber gun caliber rapid fire (RF) guns,[http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNUS_3-50_mk2.htm DiGiulian, Tony, early 3"/50 USN guns at NavWeaps.com] and two 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes. The original design featured a uniform gun armament of twelve 3-inch guns, which was supported by the Navy's General Board as simplifying fire control and echoing the uniform main and secondary armaments of dreadnought battleships. However, two 5-inch guns were substituted for six of the 3-inch guns, apparently to enable the scout cruisers to fight foreign light cruisers. Notably, for the first time in US cruiser design smaller caliber weapons (6-pounder and smaller) were not fitted.

The armor of these ships was very light. A {{convert|2|in|mm|abbr=on|0}} belt extended {{convert|9.5|ft|m|abbr=on}} above the waterline in the engine and generator room area, {{convert|6.5|ft|m|abbr=on}} above the waterline in the boiler room area, and {{convert|3.25|ft|m|0|abbr=on}} below the waterline for its entire length. There was no protective deck, only a {{convert|1|in|mm|abbr=on|0}} deck above the steering gear.

The three ships had different propulsion plants so they could be compared: Chester was the first major combatant in the USN to receive steam turbine propulsion of the Parsons type, Salem received Curtis turbines, and Birmingham traditional triple-expansion engines. The design speed was {{convert|24|kn|mph km/h|lk=in|abbr=on|1}} for the triple-expansion ship and up to {{convert|25|kn|mph km/h|abbr=on|1}} for the turbine ships.

Chester had twelve coal-fired Normand boilers and Parsons direct-drive steam turbines totaling {{convert|23,000|shp|kW|lk=in|abbr=on}} on four shafts.{{Failed verification|date=June 2025}} She made {{convert|26.52|kn|mph km/h|lk=in|abbr=on|1}} on trials at an estimated {{convert|16,000|shp|kW|abbr=on}}.

Birmingham had twelve coal-fired Fore River boilers supplying {{convert|275|psi|lk=on|abbr=on}} steam to two four-cylinder vertical triple-expansion engines totaling {{convert|16,000|ihp|kW|lk=on|abbr=on}} (design) on two shafts.{{cite web | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WZ83AQAAMAAJ| title=Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels, 1911 | publisher=US Navy Department | date=1912 | access-date=8 February 2016 | pages=84–91}} She made {{convert|24.33|kn|mph km/h|lk=in|abbr=on|1}} on trials at {{convert|15,670|ihp|kW|lk=on|abbr=on}}.

Salem had twelve coal-fired Fore River boilers and Curtis direct-drive steam turbines totaling {{convert|23,900|shp|kW|lk=on|abbr=on}} (design) on two shafts.{{Failed verification|date=June 2025}} She made {{convert|25.95|kn|mph km/h|lk=in|abbr=on|1}} on trials at {{convert|22,242|shp|kW|lk=on|abbr=on}}.

Normal coal capacity was 475 tons, which could be increased to 1,400 tons.

All three ships were refitted in 1917 to prepare for service in World War I. Salem had her main engines replaced with a {{convert|20,000|shp|kW|lk=on|abbr=on}} General Electric geared steam turbine installation due to high coal consumption. All three received an armament upgrade, with four new 5"/51 caliber gun replacing the 5-inch/50 caliber guns as well as two of the 3-inch/50 caliber ,[http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNUS_5-51_mk7.htm DiGiulian, Tony, 5"/51 USN guns at NavWeaps.com] two 3-inch/50 caliber single-purpose guns (four being removed), and two 3-inch/50 caliber anti-aircraft guns added.[http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNUS_3-50_mk10-22.htm DiGiulian, Tony, later 3"/50 USN guns at NavWeaps.com] The submerged torpedo tubes were retained.{{cite web | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=q2gYAQAAIAAJ| title=Ships' Data, U.S. Naval Vessels | publisher=US Navy Department | date=1 July 1921 | access-date=10 February 2016 | pages=60–67}}

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The three ships of the Chester class were:

On 17 July 1920 these ships were reclassified with the new hull numbers CL-1 through CL-3 (light cruisers). On 10 July 1928 Chester was renamed York to free the name for {{USS|Chester|CA-27}}.

• List of cruisers of the United States Navy

{{reflist|30em}}

• {{DANFS}}

• {{cite book | last = Bauer | first = K. Jack | author-link = K. Jack Bauer | author2=Roberts, Stephen S. | title = Register of Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1775–1990: Major Combatants | publisher = Greenwood Press | year = 1991 | location = Westport, Connecticut | isbn = 0-313-26202-0 }}
• {{cite book |last=Friedman| first=Norman |author-link= Norman Friedman |title=U.S. Cruisers: An Illustrated Design History |publisher=Naval Institute Press | year=1984 | location=Annapolis, Maryland | isbn=0-87021-718-6}}
• {{cite book | last = Gardiner | first = Robert | author2 = Chesneau, Roger | title = Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905 | publisher = Mayflower Books | year = 1979 | location = New York | url = https://archive.org/details/conwaysallworlds0000unse_l2e2 | isbn = 0-8317-0302-4 | url-access = registration }}

{{Commons category|Chester class cruisers}}

• [http://www.navsource.net/archives/04idx.htm Cruiser Photo Gallery Index at NavSource Naval History]

{{Chester class cruiser}}

{{WWI US ships}}

Category:Cruiser classes