Cleveland-Class Light Cruiser, United States Navy

Believe it or not, the Cleveland-class cruisers were the most produced class of light cruiser ever. Not just with the U.S. Navy, but in general.

In total, 27 ships were built and were a step up from the previous “Brooklyn-cruisers”. Armed with 12 x 6-inch naval rifles as its main battery and peppered with a variety of anti-aircraft weaponry, the Clevelands were the backbone of the U.S. Navy’s cruiser force during World War II. This is made even more impressive when you consider that not a single ship of the class was lost during the war.

Production and Conversion

Initially, the Navy wanted 52 ships in total, but as the war in the Pacific continued, it became clear that the 27 which were already built or under construction were more than enough. Despite this, all but 3 of the remaining hulls were completed, though not as Cleveland-class vessels. Nine hulls were converted into light carriers, while 13 more became the basis for the Fargo-class light cruiser.

After the war, three of the vessels were selected for conversion into some of the first guided missile cruisers used by the United States, resulting in the Galveston-class missile cruisers.