Cleveland-class cruiser

Cleveland-class cruiser was the largest class of light cruisers ever built, with 27 American ships completed between 1942 and 1945, which fought across the Pacific from Guadalcanal to Okinawa. The Cleveland class was designed as a fast, heavily armed light cruiser, with 12 6-inch guns in four triple turrets, 12 5-inch anti-aircraft guns, and a speed of about 32.5 knots, and it was built in large numbers to replace the cruisers lost in 1942 and to escort the fast carriers. The ships served in every major Pacific campaign, from the Solomons to the Philippines, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa, and they earned a total of 73 battle stars, more than any other class of cruiser. No Cleveland-class ship was lost to enemy action, although several were damaged, and the class served after the war, in the Korean War and in the Cold War, before being decommissioned in the 1950s and 1960s. The Cleveland class is remembered as the workhorse cruiser of the Pacific War, the ship that was everywhere, and that did everything.

1. Key Facts

Class/Type	Cleveland-class light cruiser
Launched	First ship, USS Cleveland (CL-55), launched 1941
Commissioned	1942-1945
Displacement	About 11,744 tons standard; about 14,131 tons full load
Length	185.9 metres
Speed	About 32.5 knots
Complement	About 1,285 officers and men
Armament	12 x 152 mm guns; 12 x 127 mm anti-aircraft guns; 28 x 40 mm and 10 x 20 mm anti-aircraft guns; 4 aircraft
Aircraft	4 floatplanes
Fate	27 completed as cruisers; 9 hulls converted to Independence-class carriers; none lost to enemy action

2. Development

The Need for Light Cruisers

The Cleveland class was designed in the late 1930s, when the American navy needed a light cruiser that could be built quickly, in large numbers, and that could escort carriers, bombard shores, and fight surface actions. The design was based on the earlier Brooklyn class, a light cruiser with 15 6-inch guns, but the Cleveland class was slightly smaller, with 12 6-inch guns, and it was designed to be built in shipyards that could not build heavy cruisers. The first ship, USS Cleveland (CL-55), was laid down in 1940 and commissioned in June 1942, and production continued through the war, with ships built at shipyards in New York, Philadelphia, Newport News, and other ports. The class was originally ordered as 52 ships, but 9 hulls were converted to Independence-class light aircraft carriers, and 16 were cancelled, leaving 27 ships completed as cruisers. The Cleveland class was the largest class of cruisers ever built, and it was the backbone of the American cruiser force in the Pacific.

Construction and the Carrier Conversions

The Cleveland class was built in large numbers, with ships completed in about 18 months, a remarkable achievement for a cruiser of its size. The construction was disrupted by the war, which demanded steel, labour, and equipment for other ships, but the class was a priority, because the navy needed cruisers to escort its carriers and to replace the ships lost in 1942. In 1942, nine Cleveland-class hulls were converted to Independence-class light aircraft carriers, a decision that gave the navy fast carriers when it needed them most, and that showed the flexibility of the Cleveland design. The converted ships, which included Independence, Princeton, and Belleau Wood, served as carriers throughout the war, and Princeton was lost at Leyte Gulf in October 1944, the only Independence-class carrier lost. The remaining 27 ships were completed as cruisers, and they served in the Pacific, in the Atlantic, and after the war, in Korea and in the Cold War.

3. Design

A Fast, Heavily Armed Cruiser

The Cleveland class was 185.9 metres long, 20.2 metres wide, and about 11,744 tons standard displacement, rising to about 14,131 tons at full load. Her four boilers fed four turbine sets, producing about 100,000 shaft horsepower, which gave her a speed of about 32.5 knots, fast enough to keep up with the carriers. Her range was about 11,000 nautical miles at 15 knots, enough to cross the Pacific, although in practice the ships depended on oilers for sustained operations. Her main armament was 12 152 mm (6-inch) guns in four triple turrets, two forward and two aft, with a range of about 23 kilometres, and her secondary armament was 12 127 mm (5-inch) guns in six twin mounts, for use against aircraft and surface targets. Her anti-aircraft armament, which was increased during the war, consisted of 40 mm Bofors guns and 20 mm Oerlikon guns, and her aircraft were four floatplanes, launched from catapults on the stern.

Armour and Stability

The Cleveland class’s armour included a belt of about 127 millimetres over the machinery and magazines, a deck of about 51 millimetres over vital spaces, and turret armour of about 152 millimetres on the faces. The armour was adequate for a light cruiser, although it was thinner than that of a heavy cruiser, and the ships were vulnerable to 8-inch shells and to torpedoes. The ships were top-heavy, because of their heavy anti-aircraft armament and their tall superstructure, and they rolled in heavy weather, although they were stable enough for fleet operations. The ships were also cramped, with a crew of about 1,285 officers and men, living in mess decks that were crowded in wartime, when the crew was often larger. The design was a compromise: it was fast, heavily armed, and built in large numbers, but it was not as well protected as the heavy cruisers, and it was not as comfortable as the earlier Brooklyn class.

4. Technical Specifications

Hull and Machinery

The Cleveland class measured 185.9 metres in length, 20.2 metres in beam, and about 7.5 metres in draught at full load. Her standard displacement was about 11,744 tons, and her full-load displacement was about 14,131 tons, making her one of the largest light cruisers ever built. Her four boilers fed four turbine sets driving four shafts, and her designed speed was about 32.5 knots. Her complement was about 1,285 officers and men, including the captain, officers, petty officers, and ratings. Her armour included a belt of about 127 millimetres, a deck of about 51 millimetres, and turret armour of about 152 millimetres. Her fuel capacity was about 2,100 tons of oil, and her range was about 11,000 nautical miles at 15 knots. The figures vary between the 27 ships, because they were built in different yards and modified during the war, with more anti-aircraft guns and better radar added as the war went on.

Fire Control and Radar

The Cleveland class carried the most advanced fire control and radar of any American cruiser of the war. Her main guns were directed by optical rangefinders and by radar, with a fire control computer that calculated the firing solution from the range and bearing, and her anti-aircraft guns were directed by radar and by the Mark 37 fire control system, which was the standard American anti-aircraft system. The ships carried air search radar, surface search radar, and fire control radar, which let them find and hit targets at night and in bad weather, and which gave them a decisive advantage over the Japanese ships, which had inferior radar. The ships also carried floatplanes, launched from catapults, which were used for scouting and for spotting the fall of shot, although the aircraft were often removed in wartime, to save weight and to make room for more anti-aircraft guns. The Cleveland class’s radar and fire control were key to its success in the Pacific.

5. Armament and Aircraft

Main and Secondary Guns

The Cleveland class’s main armament was 12 152 mm (6-inch) guns in four triple turrets, two forward and two aft. The guns fired a shell of about 47 kilograms, with a range of about 23 kilometres, and they were the main weapon of the ship, intended for use against cruisers, destroyers, and shore targets. The guns were accurate and reliable, with a high rate of fire, about 8 to 10 rounds per minute per gun, and they were used to good effect in surface actions, such as the Battle of Empress Augusta Bay, and in shore bombardments, such as the bombardments of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. The secondary armament was 12 127 mm (5-inch) guns in six twin mounts, which could engage both surface targets and aircraft, and which were the standard American dual-purpose gun, with a high rate of fire and a good anti-aircraft shell. The ships also carried torpedo tubes, although they were removed early in the war, because the navy concluded that a cruiser should not carry torpedoes.

Anti-Aircraft Guns and Floatplanes

For air defence, the Cleveland class carried 28 40 mm Bofors guns in quadruple and twin mounts, and 10 20 mm Oerlikon guns in single mounts, although the numbers varied between ships and increased during the war. The 40 mm Bofors was the standard American light anti-aircraft gun, with a high rate of fire and a good shell, and it was effective against dive bombers and torpedo bombers. The 20 mm Oerlikon was a lighter gun, used against low-flying aircraft, and it was also effective, although it had a shorter range. The ships’ anti-aircraft armament was directed by radar, and it was a major factor in the defence of the carriers, which the Cleveland class escorted throughout the war. The ships carried four floatplanes, the Curtiss SOC Seagull and later the Vought OS2U Kingfisher, launched from catapults on the stern, which were used for scouting and for spotting, although the aircraft were often removed in wartime to save weight.

6. Service History

Guadalcanal and the Solomons

The Cleveland class entered service in 1942, just as the American navy was fighting for Guadalcanal, and the first ships, Cleveland, Columbia, and Montpelier, served in the Solomons, escorting carriers, bombarding shores, and fighting surface actions. The ships took part in the Battle of Empress Augusta Bay, on 2 November 1943, in which a force of four Cleveland-class cruisers, under Rear Admiral Aaron Merrill, defeated a Japanese force of cruisers and destroyers, sinking a Japanese cruiser and a destroyer, and the battle was a major American victory. The ships also took part in the bombardments of the Solomons, the landings on Bougainville, and the operations that isolated Rabaul, the Japanese base in the South Pacific. The Cleveland class’s service in the Solomons showed its versatility: it could fight surface actions, bombard shores, and escort carriers, and it did all three in the same campaign.

The Central Pacific and the Philippines

In 1944, the Cleveland class served in the Central Pacific, escorting the fast carriers in the raids on Truk, the Marianas, and the Philippines, and bombarding the islands that were invaded. The ships took part in the Battle of the Philippine Sea, in June 1944, where they escorted the carriers and shot down Japanese aircraft, and in the Battle of Leyte Gulf, in October 1944, where they escorted the carriers and bombarded the invasion beaches. The ships also took part in the landings on Iwo Jima and Okinawa, in 1945, where they bombarded the islands and provided gunfire support for the troops ashore. The Cleveland class’s service in the Central Pacific and the Philippines was the longest and most sustained of any cruiser class, and the ships earned a total of 73 battle stars, more than any other class of cruiser, a record that reflects the class’s service in every major campaign of the Pacific War.

7. Notable Actions

The Battle of Empress Augusta Bay

The Battle of Empress Augusta Bay, fought on the night of 1-2 November 1943, was the Cleveland class’s most famous surface action. A force of four Cleveland-class cruisers, Cleveland, Columbia, Montpelier, and Denver, under Rear Admiral Aaron Merrill, with eight destroyers, intercepted a Japanese force of two heavy cruisers, two light cruisers, and six destroyers, which was sailing to attack the American landing on Bougainville. The American ships, using radar, found the Japanese in the dark, and the Cleveland-class cruisers, with their 6-inch guns, sank the Japanese light cruiser Sendai and a destroyer, and damaged the other Japanese ships, forcing them to withdraw. The American ships suffered no losses, although Denver was damaged by a torpedo. The battle was a major American victory, and it showed the superiority of American radar fire control and the effectiveness of the Cleveland class as a surface combatant.

The Bombardments of Iwo Jima and Okinawa

The Cleveland class took part in the bombardments of Iwo Jima and Okinawa, in 1945, providing gunfire support for the Marines and soldiers who landed on the islands. The ships fired thousands of 6-inch and 5-inch shells at Japanese positions, destroying pillboxes, gun emplacements, and troop concentrations, and they remained off the islands for weeks, providing continuous fire support. The bombardments were the longest and most sustained of the war, and they showed the Cleveland class’s value as a shore bombardment ship, a role that the navy had not anticipated when the class was designed. The ships also served as radar pickets off Okinawa, warning the fleet of incoming kamikaze attacks, and several Cleveland-class ships were damaged by kamikazes, although none was sunk. The class’s service at Iwo Jima and Okinawa was the culmination of its wartime career, and it earned the ships a reputation as the workhorse cruisers of the Pacific.

8. Fate

No Ship Lost to Enemy Action

No Cleveland-class ship was lost to enemy action, a remarkable record for a class that served in every major Pacific campaign. Several ships were damaged, by torpedoes, bombs, and kamikazes, but all were repaired and returned to service. The class’s survival was due to its speed, its anti-aircraft armament, its radar, and its damage control, and to the fact that the ships were often escorting carriers, where they were protected by the carrier’s fighters. The ships that were converted to Independence-class carriers had a different fate: Princeton was sunk at Leyte Gulf in October 1944, by a Japanese dive bomber, the only Independence-class carrier lost. The 27 Cleveland-class cruisers survived the war, and they were decommissioned in the late 1940s and 1950s, with some serving in the Korean War and in the Cold War. The last ship, USS Manchester, was decommissioned in 1956, and the class was scrapped in the 1960s, with no ship preserved as a museum.

Post-War Service

After the war, the Cleveland-class ships served in the Korean War, where they bombarded North Korean positions and escorted carriers, and in the Cold War, where they served as flagships, training ships, and in the reserve fleet. Several ships were converted to guided missile cruisers, in the Galveston class, with Talos missiles, and they served in the 1960s and 1970s, before being decommissioned. The ships were also used as test ships, for new weapons and equipment, and they were the last American cruisers to be built with 6-inch guns, before the navy moved to guided missiles. The class’s post-war service was long, with some ships serving for more than 20 years, and it showed the durability of the Cleveland design. The ships were scrapped in the 1960s and 1970s, and none was preserved, a loss for naval history, because the class was the largest and most successful cruiser class ever built.

9. Legacy

The Workhorse Cruiser

The Cleveland class is remembered as the workhorse cruiser of the Pacific War, the ship that was everywhere, and that did everything: escorting carriers, fighting surface actions, bombarding shores, and serving as radar pickets. The class’s 73 battle stars, more than any other class of cruiser, reflect its service in every major campaign, from Guadalcanal to Okinawa, and its versatility, which made it the most useful cruiser in the American navy. The class also showed the value of building ships in large numbers: 27 ships, built quickly, in many yards, gave the navy a cruiser force that could be everywhere at once, and that could replace losses quickly. The Cleveland class set the pattern for post-war cruisers, which were built in large numbers, with 6-inch guns, and with radar and anti-aircraft armament, although the post-war cruisers were soon replaced by guided missile ships.

Memory and the 27 Ships

The Cleveland class is remembered in the histories of the Pacific War, in the battle stars earned by its ships, and in the names of the ships, which were named after American cities: Cleveland, Columbia, Montpelier, Denver, Santa Fe, Birmingham, Mobile, and others. The ships’ names are the names of the cities that built them and that supported them, and they are remembered in the cities’ memorials and in the navy’s records. The class is also remembered in the Independence-class carriers, which were converted from Cleveland hulls, and which served as carriers throughout the war. For historians, the Cleveland class stands as an example of a ship that was designed for a specific need, built in large numbers, and used to good effect, a pattern that has repeated in naval warfare, from the Liberty ship to the modern cruiser. The class’s story is the story of the American navy in the Pacific War.

10. Frequently Asked Questions

What was the Cleveland-class cruiser?

The Cleveland class was a class of 27 American light cruisers, built between 1942 and 1945, with 12 6-inch guns and a speed of about 32.5 knots. It was the largest class of light cruisers ever built, and the ships fought across the Pacific from Guadalcanal to Okinawa. The ships were designed as fast, heavily armed light cruisers, with 12 6-inch guns in four triple turrets and 12 5-inch anti-aircraft guns, built to escort the fast carriers. They served in every major Pacific campaign, from the Solomons to the Philippines, Iwo Jima and Okinawa, and they earned a total of 73 battle stars.

How many Cleveland-class cruisers were built?

27 Cleveland-class cruisers were completed, from an original order of 52 ships, and nine additional hulls were converted to Independence-class light aircraft carriers. 16 ships were cancelled, and the class was built in large numbers to replace the cruisers lost in 1942 and to escort the fast carriers. The first ship, USS Cleveland, was launched in 1941, and the ships were commissioned between 1942 and 1945, with a speed of about 32.5 knots. The ships were 185.9 metres long, displaced about 11,744 tons standard, and carried a complement of about 1,285 officers and men.

How many battle stars did the Cleveland class earn?

The Cleveland-class ships earned a total of 73 battle stars, more than any other class of cruiser, reflecting service in every major Pacific campaign. They fought across the Pacific from Guadalcanal to Okinawa, in the Solomons, the Philippines, Iwo Jima and Okinawa, and no ship was lost to enemy action. The class was designed as a fast, heavily armed light cruiser, with 12 6-inch guns, and it was built to replace the cruisers lost in 1942. The ships served after the war, in the Korean War and in the Cold War, before being decommissioned in the 1950s and 1960s.

Was any Cleveland-class ship lost?

No Cleveland-class cruiser was lost to enemy action, although several were damaged by torpedoes, bombs and kamikazes. The converted carrier Princeton, built on a Cleveland-class hull, was lost at Leyte Gulf in 1944, but she was no longer a cruiser. Nine hulls were converted to Independence-class light aircraft carriers, and the class fought in every major Pacific campaign, from Guadalcanal to Okinawa. The ships earned a total of 73 battle stars, more than any other class of cruiser, and they served after the war, in the Korean War and in the Cold War.

What was the Battle of Empress Augusta Bay?

The Battle of Empress Augusta Bay, on 1-2 November 1943, was a night surface action in which four Cleveland-class cruisers defeated a Japanese force. The American cruisers sank the cruiser Sendai and a destroyer, with no American losses, in a victory for the Cleveland class. The Cleveland class was a fast, heavily armed light cruiser, with 12 6-inch guns and a speed of about 32.5 knots, built to escort the fast carriers. The ships fought across the Pacific from Guadalcanal to Okinawa, and they earned a total of 73 battle stars, more than any other class of cruiser.

Where can I see a Cleveland-class cruiser today?

No Cleveland-class cruiser is preserved as a museum ship, and the last ship, USS Manchester, was decommissioned in 1956 and scrapped in the 1960s. The class is remembered in histories and in the Independence-class carriers, nine of which were built on Cleveland-class hulls. 27 Cleveland-class cruisers were completed between 1942 and 1945, and they fought across the Pacific from Guadalcanal to Okinawa. They earned a total of 73 battle stars, more than any other class of cruiser, and no ship was lost to enemy action, although several were damaged.

11. Sources

1. Wikipedia, “Cleveland-class cruiser” — construction, specifications, and service.
2. Norman Friedman, “U.S. Cruisers: An Illustrated Design History” (Naval Institute Press, 1984) — design and development.
3. Robert Gardiner, “Conway’s All the World’s Fighting Ships 1922-1946” (Conway, 1980) — specifications and production data.
4. Samuel Eliot Morison, “History of United States Naval Operations in World War II, Vol. VI: Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier” (Little, Brown, 1950) — Empress Augusta Bay and the Solomons.
5. U.S. Navy, “Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships” — individual ship histories.
6. James C. Fahey, “The Ships and Aircraft of the U.S. Fleet” (Ships and Aircraft, 1945) — specifications and service.