Fargo-class cruiser

{{Short description|Ship class}}

{{Use American English|date=October 2024}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}

{{Infobox ship begin}}

{{Infobox ship image

| Ship image = File:USS Huntington (CL-107) at Naples, Italy, circa in August 1948 (NH 93200).jpg

| Ship caption = USS Huntington in August 1948

}}

{{Infobox ship class overview

| Name = Fargo-class

| Builders =

| Operators = {{navy|United States|1912}}

| Class before = {{sclass|Cleveland|cruiser|4}}

| Class after = {{sclass|Worcester|cruiser|4}}

| Subclasses =

| Built range = 1943–1946

| In commission range = 1945–1950

| Total ships building =

| Total ships planned = 13

| Total ships completed = 2

| Total ships cancelled = 11

| Total ships active =

| Total ships laid up =

| Total ships lost =

| Total ships retired = 2

| Total ships scrapped = 2

| Total ships preserved =

}}

{{Infobox ship characteristics

| Hide header =

| Header caption =

| Ship type = Light cruiser

| Ship displacement = *{{convert|11,744|LT|t|0|abbr=on}} (standard)

  • {{convert|14,464|LT|t|0|abbr=on}} (full)

| Ship length = {{convert|608|ft|.25|in|abbr=on|1}}

| Ship beam = {{convert|66|ft|4|in|abbr=on|1}}

| Ship draught =

| Ship draft = {{convert|22|ft|abbr=on}}

| Ship power = *4 × Babcock & Wilcox, 634 psi boilers

  • {{convert|100,000|shp|kW|abbr=on}}

| Ship propulsion = *4 × General Electric geared steam turbines

| Ship speed = {{convert|32.5|kn}}

| Ship range = 20000km at 15kn

| Ship complement = 1,100 officers and enlisted

| Ship sensors = *SK-2 air-search radar

| Ship EW =

| Ship armament = * 4 × triple 6"/47 caliber Mark 16 guns

| Ship armor = *Belt: {{convert|1.5

5|in|mm|abbr=on|0}}

3|in|mm|abbr=on|0}}
  • Bulkheads: {{convert|5|in|mm|abbr=on|0}}
  • Turrets: {{convert|3
  • 5|in|mm|abbr=on|0}}
  • Barbettes: {{convert|6|in|mm|abbr=on|0}}
  • Conning tower: {{convert|2.25
  • 5|in|mm|abbr=on|0}}

    | Ship aircraft = 4 × floatplanes{{sfn|Terzibashitsch|1988|p=311}}

    | Ship aircraft facilities = 2 × stern catapults

    | Ship boats = 2 × lifeboats

    | Ship notes =

    }}

    The Fargo-class cruisers were a modified version of the {{sclass|Cleveland|cruiser}} design; the main difference was a more compact pyramidal superstructure with single trunked funnel, intended to improve the arcs of fire of the anti-aircraft (AA) guns. The same type of modification differentiated the {{sclass|Baltimore|cruiser|5}} and {{sclass|Oregon City|cruiser|4}}es of heavy cruisers, and to a lesser degree the {{sclass|Atlanta|cruiser|5}} and {{sclass|Juneau|cruiser|4}}es of light cruisers.Norman Friedman, U.S. Cruisers, An Illustrated Design History 1984 {{ISBN|978-0-87021-718-0}} Changes were made in order to reduce the instability of the Cleveland-class light cruisers, especially their tendency to roll dangerously.James J. Fahey, "Pacific War Diary, 1942-1945: The Secret Diary of an American Sailor" 1972 {{ISBN|978-0395640227}} The main battery turrets sat about a foot lower and the wing gunhouses (the 5-inch, twin gun mounts on the sides of the ship) were lowered to the main deck. The medium (40 mm) anti-aircraft mounts were also lowered.{{Cite web|url=http://www.world-war.co.uk/US/fargo_class.php3|title = USS Fargo Class - US warships of WW2}}

    In all, 13 ships of the class were planned but only {{USS|Fargo|CL-106|2}} and {{USS|Huntington|CL-107|2}} were ever completed, the rest being cancelled at varying states of completion with the de-escalation and eventual end of World War II.M. J. Whitley, Cruisers Of World War Two, An International Encyclopedia 1995 {{ISBN|978-1-86019-874-8}}

    Fargo, the lead ship of the class, was launched on 25 February 1945, but was not commissioned until 9 December 1945, four months after the war ended. Huntington was commissioned early in 1946. The two ships were decommissioned in 1949–1950, and never reactivated.{{fact|date=October 2024}}

    Ships in class

    class="sortable wikitable plainrowheaders"

    |+ Construction data

    scope="col" | Ship name

    ! scope="col" | {{abbr|Hull no.|hull number}}

    ! scope="col" | Builder

    ! scope="col" | Laid down

    ! scope="col" | Launched

    ! scope="col" | Commissioned

    ! scope="col" | Decommissioned

    ! scope="col" | Fate

    scope="row" | {{USS|Fargo|CL-106|2}}

    ! scope="row" style="white-space: nowrap;" | CL-106

    |rowspan=5|New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Camden, New Jersey

    |23 August 1943

    |25 February 1945

    |9 December 1945

    |14 February 1950

    |Struck 1 March 1970; Sold for scrap, 18 August 1971

    scope="row" | {{USS|Huntington|CL-107|2}}

    ! scope="row" | CL-107

    |4 October 1943

    |8 April 1945

    |23 February 1946

    |15 June 1949

    |Struck 1 September 1961; Sold for scrap, on 16 May 1962

    scope="row" | Newark

    ! scope="row" | CL-108

    |17 January 1944

    |14 December 1945

    | {{n/a}}

    | {{n/a}}

    |Construction canceled 12 August 1945 when 67.8% completed, launched on 14 December 1945, for use in underwater explosion tests, sold on 2 April 1949 for scrapping

    scope="row" | New Haven

    ! scope="row" | CL-109

    |28 February 1944

    |rowspan=3 {{n/a}}

    |rowspan=3 {{n/a}}

    |rowspan=3 {{n/a}}

    |rowspan=3|Construction cancelled 12 August 1945 and scrapped on slip

    scope="row" | Buffalo

    ! scope="row" | CL-110

    |2 April 1944

    scope="row" | Wilmington

    ! scope="row" | CL-111

    |William Cramp & Sons Shipbuilding Company, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

    |5 March 1945

    scope="row" | Vallejo

    ! scope="row" | CL-112

    |rowspan=4|New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Camden, New Jersey

    |rowspan=4 {{n/a}}

    |rowspan=4 {{n/a}}

    |rowspan=4 {{n/a}}

    |rowspan=4 {{n/a}}

    |rowspan=4|Construction cancelled 5 October 1944

    scope="row" | Helena

    ! scope="row" | CL-113

    scope="row" | Roanoke

    ! scope="row" | CL-114

    scope="row" {{n/a}}

    ! scope="row" | CL-115

    scope="row" | Tallahassee

    ! scope="row" | CL-116

    |rowspan=3|Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, Newport News, Virginia

    |31 January 1944

    |rowspan=3 {{n/a}}

    |rowspan=3 {{n/a}}

    |rowspan=3 {{n/a}}

    |rowspan=3|Construction cancelled 12 August 1945 and scrapped on slip

    scope="row" | Cheyenne

    ! scope="row" | CL-117

    |29 May 1944

    scope="row" | Chattanooga (ex-Norfolk)

    ! scope="row" | CL-118

    |9 October 1944

    See also

    References

    {{Reflist}}

    Bibliography

    • {{cite book

    | last=Terzibashitsch

    | first=Stefan

    | title=Cruisers of the US Navy 1922-1962

    | publisher=Naval Institute Press

    | location=Annapolis, Maryland

    | year=1988

    | isbn=0-87021-974-X

    }}