US Heavy Cruisers 1941-45: Pre-war Classes

by Mark Stille, Paul Wright (Illustrator)

Overview

Designed and produced under the regulations of the Washington Naval Treaty, the heavy cruisers of the Pensacola, Northampton, Portland, New Orleans and Wichita classes were exercises in compromise. While they possessed very heavy armament – the Pensacolas, for example, carrying a main battery of ten 8” guns – this came at the cost of protection – armor was the same thickness as a gun cruiser, and incapable of protecting the vessels from enemy 8” fire. As the classes evolved, these flaws began to be corrected, with the main battery being reduced, and increased protection being added to the vital areas of the ship. Despite these drawbacks, the pre-war heavy cruiser classes served with distinction throughout World War II.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781782006312
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	04/20/2014
Series:	New Vanguard , #210
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	48
File size:	7 MB

About the Author

Mark E. Stille (Commander, United States Navy, retired) received his BA in History from the University of Maryland and also holds an MA from the Naval War College. He has worked in the intelligence community for 30 years including tours on the faculty of the Naval War College, on the Joint Staff and on US Navy ships. He is currently a senior analyst working in the Washington DC area. He is the author of numerous Osprey titles, focusing on naval history in the Pacific. He is also the author of several wargames.
Mark Stille is the author of numerous Osprey titles focusing on naval history in the Pacific. He recently concluded a nearly 40-year career in the intelligence community, including tours on the faculty of the Naval War College, on the Joint Staff and on US Navy ships. He received his BA in History from the University of Maryland and also holds an MA from the Naval War College.
Paul Wright has painted ships of all kinds for most of his career, specializing in steel and steam warships from the late 19th century to the present day. Paul's art has illustrated the works of Patrick O'Brian, Dudley Pope and C.S. Forester amongst others, and hangs in many corporate and private collections all over the world. A Member of the Royal Society of Marine Artists, Paul lives and works in Surrey.

Table of Contents

Introduction 4

Naval Strategy and the Role of the Heavy Cruiser 4

USN Heavy Cruiser Design and the Naval Treaties 6

USN Heavy Cruiser Weapons 8

USN Heavy Cruiser Radar 10

Pensacola Class 11

Design and Construction

Armament

Service Modifications

Wartime Service

Northampton Class 17

Design and Construction

Armament

Service Modifications

Wartime Service

Portland Class 25

Design and Construction

Armament

Service Modifications

Wartime Service

New Orleans Class 30

Design and Construction

Armament

Service Modifications

Wartime Service

Wichita Class 42

Design and Construction

Armament

Service Modifications

Wartime Service

Analysis and Conclusion 45

Bibliography 47

Index 48

Editorial Reviews

This is an excellent book presenting American pre-war heavy cruisers for historians, modelers and illustrators with an interest in the subject. The graphic support — photographs, artwork, profiles and tables — alone are worth the price of the book. Highly recommended!” —Frederick Boucher, Model Shipwrights

“Photos, charts, extended captions and selected bibliography supplement author Stille's admirably indexed effort.  Color profiles and action paintings offer plenty of modeling inspiration.  And a helpful 'analysis and conclusion' neatly ties things up.  It's a superb summary of a spellbinding subject.” —David L. Veres, www.cybermodeler.com

From the Publisher