![]() Construction of the fifteenth ship, which would have been the Norfolk, was stopped at the end of the war after eight months of work had already been done, and the half-completed hull was scrapped. ![]() Between 19, 14 ships of the Baltimore class entered service. The final nine ships ordered were converted to the second, modified design. The new, modified design was itself delayed, so that construction had begun on a further seven ships-for a total of 15-using the original design before the revisions were completed. With the construction of the first eight Baltimore class ships moving slowly, the US Navy used the time to review the initial plans and improve them. The completion of the ships was delayed, because the Navy gave priority to the construction of the lighter Cleveland-class ships, as more of the lighter ships could be completed more quickly for deployment in carrier groups. A second order, which consisted of 16 more ships, was approved on August 7, 1942. The construction of the first four ships of the Baltimore class was launched on Jand four more were ordered before the year was out. In profile the Baltimores looked very much like the Cleveland-class light cruisers, the obvious difference being that the larger Baltimores carried nine 8-inch (200 mm) guns in three triple turrets, compared to the 12 6-inch (150 mm) guns in four triple turrets of the Clevelands. It was also based partly on the Cleveland class, a light cruiser that was then being built. The Baltimore class was based partly on the USS Wichita, a heavy cruiser from 1937, which represented the transition from inter-war to Second-World-War designs. With the start of the war, the limitations instituted by the Second London Naval Treaty, which had completely banned the construction of heavy cruisers, became obsolete. Immediately after the outbreak of World War II in September 1939, the US Navy initiated studies regarding a new class of heavy cruiser, which eventually led to the construction of the Baltimore class. No example of the Baltimore class still exists. The last of these was decommissioned in 1980. However, four Baltimore class cruisers were refitted and converted into some of the first guided missile cruisers in the world, becoming Albany-class and Boston-class cruisers. By 1971, all ships based on the original design were decommissioned. After the war, the ships were, for the most part, moved to the reserve fleet but then reactivated for the Korean War. Additionally, their 8-inch main guns and smaller medium guns were regularly used to bombard land targets in support of amphibious landings. With their strong anti-aircraft armament, Baltimores could contribute especially in air defenses of these battle groups. Fast and heavily armed, ships like the Baltimore cruisers were mainly used by the Navy in World War II to protect the fast aircraft carriers in carrier battle groups. The Baltimore class cruiser was a type of heavy cruiser in the United States Navy from the last years of the Second World War. ![]() Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. This article does not cite any references or sources.
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