They were originally designed as scout cruisers, designed to use their speed to scout ahead for the fleet. Thus they would not be good examples to base the new cruisers off of.Īn Omaha class cruiser at sea. High-speed ocean scouts, the Omaha class did not have the capabilities the US needed and proved to be too lightly built. These ships, the Omaha class, were designed for a different role. The United States had already built warships that could be considered light cruisers even before the treaty. The same year that the treaty went into effect, the US began the development of their new cruisers armed with 6″ guns. The need to traverse the vastness of the Pacific forced US Navy designers to pursue a larger light cruiser, one that could carry enough fuel to have sufficient range while still having appropriate levels of armor and firepower. While European powers were content with smaller cruisers capable of securing trade routes, the United States had its thoughts directed at operations in the Pacific. The Treaty sent the limitations on cruiser construction, most notably implementing distinctions between heavy and light cruisers. The concept behind the Brooklyn class cruisers originated following the London Naval Treaty. However, the biggest legacy of the Brooklyn class light cruisers is that they provided the template for cruiser design that would influence United States gun-based cruisers until the very last ships. These warships, the Brooklyn class cruisers, would refine US cruiser design during the interwar years, producing a very capable warship. However, what is not as well known is that most of these cruisers can trace their lineage to one class of cruiser. Many of these ships were highly successful designs, providing excellent service during the War years and became well known such as the Baltimore and Cleveland classes. The United States Navy produced a large number of cruisers in the years before and during the Second World War.
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