View source for Northampton-class cruiser

{{Short description|US Navy heavy cruiser class}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}
{{more citations needed|date=December 2007}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=USS Northampton (CA-26) at Brisbane on 5 August 1941 (NH 94596).jpg
|Ship caption=USS ''Northampton'' (CA-26)
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
|Name=''Northampton'' class
|Builders=*[[Fore River Shipyard|Bethlehem Fore River]], MA (1)
*[[New York Shipbuilding Corporation|New York Shipbuilding]], NJ (1)
*[[Puget Sound Navy Yard]], WA (1)
*[[Mare Island Naval Shipyard|Mare Island Navy Yard]], CA (1)
*[[Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company|Newport News Shipbuilding]], VA (2)
|Operators=[[File:US flag 48 stars.svg|20px]] [[United States Navy]]
|Class before={{sclass|Pensacola|cruiser|4}}
|Class after={{sclass|Portland|cruiser|4}}
|Subclasses=
|Built range=1928-1931
|In commission range=1930-1946
|Total ships building=
|Total ships planned=
|Total ships completed=6
|Total ships cancelled=
|Total ships active=
|Total ships laid up=
|Total ships lost=3
|Total ships retired=3
|Total ships preserved=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship type=[[Heavy cruiser]]
|Ship displacement={{convert|9050|long ton|t|abbr=on|lk=in}}
|Ship length=*{{convert|582|ft|abbr=on}} [[Waterline|wl]]
*{{convert|600|ft|m|abbr=on}} [[Length overall|oa]]
|Ship beam={{convert|66|ft|1|in|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship draught=
|Ship draft={{convert|16|ft|4|in|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship propulsion=*4 × Parsons turbines
*8 × White-Forster [[boiler]]s
*4 × screws
*{{convert|107000|HP|kW|abbr=on}}
|Ship speed={{convert|32.5|kn}}
|Ship range=
|Ship complement=*1,100
*Officers: 105
*Enlisted: 995<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite book|last=Silverstone|first=Paul H|year=1965|title=US Warships of World War II|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|isbn=0-87021-773-9}}</ref>
|Ship sensors=
|Ship EW=
|Ship armament=
* (1945)
* 9 × [[8"/55 caliber gun|8 in/55 caliber guns]] (3×triple [[gun turret|turret]]s)
* 8 × [[5-inch/25-caliber gun|5 in/25 caliber guns]]<ref name=autogenerated1 />
* 2 × [[QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss#US service|3-pounder {{convert|47|mm|in|abbr=on}}]] [[Saluting guns#Heavy arms: gun salutes|saluting guns]]
* 24 × [[Bofors 40 mm Automatic Gun L/60|40 mm Bofors guns]] (4×quadruple turrets)<ref>Note1&nbsp;– the ''Nothampton''s were originally fitted with four [[1.1-inch/75-caliber gun|1.1 in auto cannons]] in quad mounts at the start of the war in the Pacific and for the first year of that war and then replaced with Bofors.  "Waiting for the Main Attack", ''Fighting For MacArthur'', John Gordon, Naval Institute Press, 2011, {{ISBN|978-1-61251-057-6}}, p. 67</ref>
* 28 × [[Oerlikon 20 mm cannon|20 mm Oerlikon cannons]]<ref>Note2 In addition they had special water cooled [[M2 Browning|.50 caliber machine guns]] instead of Oerlikon 20mm guns which were fitted later in the war.</ref>
|Ship armour=
|Ship armor=*[[Belt armor|Belt]] {{convert|3.75|-|1|in|mm|abbr=on}}
*[[Barbette]]s {{convert|1.5|in|mm|abbr=on}}
*[[Gunhouse]]s {{convert|2.5|-|0.75|in|mm|abbr=on}}
*[[Conning tower]]: {{convert|1+1/4|in|mm|abbr=on}}
|Ship aircraft= 4 × Seaplanes	
|Ship aircraft facilities= 2 × Amidship [[Aircraft catapult#Interwar and World War II|catapult]]s and Seaplane hangar 
|Ship notes=
}}
|}
The '''''Northampton''-class cruisers''' were a group of six [[heavy cruiser]]s built for the [[United States Navy]], and commissioned between 1928 and 1931.

The ''Northampton''s saw much action in [[World War II]]. Three (''Northampton'', ''Chicago'', and ''Houston'') were lost during the war.  The other three were decommissioned soon after the end of the war, and scrapped in 1959–1961.

==Design==
The design of the ships was heavily influenced by the [[Washington Naval Treaty]], which limited cruisers to a maximum of 10,000 tons displacement and a maximum main battery caliber of {{convert|8|in|mm|sigfig=3}}. The ''Northampton''s were a reaction to the weight and cost of the immediately preceding {{sclass|Pensacola|cruiser|4}}, differing in several ways. The ''Pensacola''s mounted a main battery of 10 {{convert|8|in|mm|0|adj=on|sigfig=3}} guns in four turrets, a twin and superfiring triple fore and aft. In contrast, the ''Northampton''s mounted 9 {{convert|8|in|mm|0|adj=on|sigfig=3}} guns in three triple turrets, two forward and one aft, the layout followed in all subsequent U.S. heavy cruisers.

Although armor was increased, the ''Northampton''s turned out to be lighter than the ''Pensacola''s, and nearly 1,000 tons below the treaty limitations. [[Freeboard (nautical)|Freeboard]] was increased in the ''Northampton''s by adopting a high forecastle, which was extended aft in the last three for use as flagships. These ships were also the first U.S. ships to adopt a hangar for aircraft, and bunks instead of hammocks. Their lighter-than-expected weight caused them to roll excessively, which necessitated the fitting of deep [[bilge keel]]s. The immediately-following {{sclass|Portland|cruiser|4}} was essentially a modified ''Northampton''.

==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|Northampton|CA-26|2}}
|CA-26
|[[Bethlehem Steel Corporation]], [[Fore River Shipyard]], [[Quincy, Massachusetts]]
|12 April 1928
|5 September 1929
|17 May 1930
|{{n/a}}
|Sunk in the [[Battle of Tassafaronga]], 30 November 1942
|-
! scope="row" |{{USS|Chester|CA-27|2}}
|CA-27
|[[New York Shipbuilding Corporation]], [[Camden, New Jersey]]
|6 March 1928
|3 July 1929
|24 June 1930
|10 June 1946
|Struck 1 March 1959; Sold for scrap, 11 August 1959
|-
! scope="row" |{{USS|Louisville|CA-28|2}}
|CA-28
|[[Puget Sound Navy Yard]]
|4 July 1928
|1 September 1930
|15 January 1931
|17 June 1946
|Struck 1 March 1959; Sold for scrap, 14 September 1959
|-
! scope="row" |{{USS|Chicago|CA-29|2}}
|CA-29
|[[Mare Island Naval Shipyard]]
|10 September 1928
|10 April 1930
|9 March 1931
|rowspan=2 {{n/a}}
|Sunk during the [[Battle of Rennell Island]], 30 January 1943
|-
! scope="row" |{{USS|Houston|CA-30|2}}
|CA-30
|rowspan=2|[[Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company]]
|1 May 1928
|7 September 1929
|17 June 1930
|Sunk in the [[Battle of Sunda Strait]], 1 March 1942
|-
! scope="row" |{{USS|Augusta|CA-31|2}}
|CA-31
|2 July 1928
|1 February 1930
|30 January 1931
|16 July 1946
|Struck 1 March 1959; Sold for scrap, 9 November 1959
|}

==See also==
* [[List of cruisers of the United States Navy]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DANFS}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Northampton class cruiser}}
*[https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/ca-26.htm Global Security.org&nbsp;– Northampton class cruiser]
*[https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/ca-26-specs.htm Global Security.org&nbsp;– Northampton class cruiser specifications]

{{Northampton_class cruiser}}
{{WWII US ships}}{{Treaty Cruisers}}
[[Category:Cruiser classes]]
[[Category:Northampton-class cruisers| ]]
[[Category:World War II cruisers of the United States| ]]