"Pensacola" - a type of heavy cruisers of the US Navy . A total of 2 units were built: Pensacola ( Pensacola ) and Salt Lake City ( Salt Lake City ). The first heavy cruisers of the American fleet. They were sunk in 1946 near the Bikini Atoll during the test of the Perekrestok atomic bombs.
| Heavy Pensacola type cruisers | |
|---|---|
 Heavy cruiser "Pensacola" | |
| Project | |
| A country |
|
| Operators |
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| Subsequent type | " Northampton " |
| Years in the ranks | 1929-1947 |
| Built by | 2 |
| Scrapped | 2 |
| Main characteristics | |
| Displacement | Pensacola standard 9100 tons complete - 12,050 tons. Salt Lake City standard 9097 tons total - 11,512 tons |
| Length | 178.5 m |
| Width | 19.8 m |
| Draft | 5.9 m |
| Booking | Belt - 63.5 ... 102 mm; traverses - 63.5 ... 25 mm; deck - 25 ... 45 mm; towers - 63.5 ... 19 mm; barbety - 19 mm; cutting - 32 mm |
| Engines | 4 MAL |
| Power | 107,000 l. with. (78.7 MW ) |
| Mover | 4 screws |
| Travel speed | 32.5 knots (60.2 km / h ) |
| Navigation range | 10,000 nautical miles with a 15 knot junction |
| Crew | 653 people |
| Armament | |
| Artillery | 2 × 3 and 2 × 2 - 203 mm / 55 |
| Flak | 4 × 1 - 127 mm / 25, 8 × 1 - 12.7-mm machine guns |
| Mine-torpedo armament | 2 × 3 533 mm TA |
| Aviation Group | 2 catapults, 4 seaplanes |
Creation History
The Americans believed that their cruisers should be superior to the Hawkins, since the UK was considered a likely opponent. Japan is also a real threat, and therefore they took into account the specifics of the Pacific Theater - this meant a long cruising range. The project was developed in 1926, taking into account the normal displacement limit of not more than 10,000 tons, defined by the Washington Treaty of 1922 for cruisers, in order to effectively counter Japanese cruisers on ocean communications.
Construction
The project was developed in March 1925. It provided for ten 203-mm guns, a speed of 31.2 knots and a booking weight of 773 tons. The calculations showed that the displacement of the ship will be less than the allowed 10 000 dl. tons, and therefore added another 250 tons of booking a ship, which went to strengthen the booking cellars. It turned out that the cruisers are relatively invulnerable for 152 mm shells, but 203-mm shells pierced the belt in the area of cars from a distance of 120 cab, and the deck at distances over 80 cab. Since the development of central targeting systems made such combat distances for 203-mm projectiles quite realistic, this caused some concern. The project turned out to be poorly developed. Design displacement was 9754 dl. tons, but after completion it turned out that the cruisers were heavily underloaded (the standard displacement of the Pensacola was 9100 dl. tons, the Salt Lake City - 9097 dl. tons).
The upper deck of the smooth-deck hull had a significant sheer and a significant rise to the bow. In the nose, the freeboard height at a normal design displacement (11,568 dl. T) was 8.73 m, and aft was 4.88 m. The hull was dialed in a transverse pattern. The hull had a mainly riveted structure, although welding was also used in considerable amounts - all non-responsible structures were welded. Metacentric height on stability tests of the Salt Lake City cruiser was 1.69 m at full load (11 512 dl. T), 1.65 m at loading at 2/3 of the total (10 666 dl. T), which is a quarter meter more project. As a result, the cruisers had excessive stability and were subject to heavy rolling. The zygomatic keels were hastily increased, additional protection of superstructures was installed to reduce the metacentric height, and two fuel tanks were converted into passive pitching dampers, and installation of additional anti-aircraft guns was also planned. As a result of the measures taken by December 1933, the metacentric height decreased (as the MV decreases, the ship becomes more stable at sea, the frequency and amplitude of the roll decrease, which favorably affects the accuracy of the fire), and was 1.20 m at a normal displacement (10,967 dl. t) and 1.29 m with full (11,814 dl. t). In 1943, due to the installation of additional weapons and equipment, the metacentric height at full displacement (12,720 dl. T) decreased to 1.14 m [1] .
Power Plant
The power plant consisted of eight White-Forster water-tube boilers manufactured by Babcock & Wilcox Co. The installation layout is echelon. The boilers produced steam under a working pressure of 21.1 kg / cm² and did not have superheaters to save weight. The steam from the boilers fed four low-speed Parsons turbines with single-stage gearboxes with a total capacity of 107,000 liters. s., which were supposed to provide a course of 32.5 knots at 366 rpm. The turbines rotated four three-bladed propellers with a diameter of 3.66 m. The mass of the power plant was 1765 dl. tons (specific weight - 16.5 kg / l. s.). Normal stock of fuel was 1411 dl. tons, full - 2116 dl. tons of fuel oil [1] (when filling all possible tanks {overload) CA-24 - 3052, CA-25 - 2895 tons of oil). The design range was 10,000 nautical miles with a 15-knot junction. “Salt Lake City” in 1945 on a course of 15 knots could go 7020 miles, at a speed of 20 knots - 5000 miles with a fuel reserve of 2115 dl. tons. The cruisers had two turbogenerators with a power of 250 kW each and two 200 kW each [2] . Emergency lighting was battery operated.
Armament
Main gauge
An unusual feature of the location of weapons was that the three-turret towers were installed above the two-gun. This was done because the large barbet of the three-gun turret did not fit into the sharp contours of the bow. The cruiser was armed with 203/55 mm guns, which at an elevation angle of 41 ° had a firing range of 159 cab. The mass of the projectile - 118 kg. Initial speed - 853 m / s.
Universal caliber
The 127mm / 25th gun was the first large-caliber anti-aircraft gun created for the American fleet in the mid-20s, and at that time it had excellent characteristics, but by the beginning of the war it was no longer a new weapon, inferior in characteristics to foreign counterparts (low reach, insufficient speed guidance, too heavy unitary shot) [3] . The guidance of the 127 mm / 25 Marks 10 in the horizontal and vertical plane was done manually. The maximum rate of fire could be 15 high. / Min. Cruisers initially carried four such guns. Ammunition with a normal displacement of 1,800 shots to the ship, but the cellars were at 2,200 anti-aircraft and 600 lighting cartridges, with the installation of additional tools of the cellar still expanded by 3,000 shots. For training calculations for cruisers, there was a loading simulator Mk 8.
| Anti-aircraft artillery cruisers | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Tool | 5in Mk. ten | 4 "/ 45 QF Mark XVI | 127 mm / 40 Type 89 [4] |
| Caliber, mm | 127 | 102 | 127 |
| Barrel length, calibers | 25 | 45 | 40 |
| Mass of the gun, kg | 1937 | 2039 | 3060 |
| Rate of fire, in / min | 15 | 16 - 20 | 12 - 16 |
| Chuck weight, kg | 36.3 | 28,8 | 34.3 |
| Projectile weight, kg | 24.43 | 15.88 | 23 |
| Initial speed, m / s | 657 | 811 | 720 |
| Maximum range, m | 13,259 | 18 150 | 14,800 |
| Maximum height reach, m | 8352 (6500) | 11,890 | 9400 (7400) |
| Barrel vitality | 3000 | 600 | 1500 |
Light anti-aircraft armament consisted of only eight 12.7-mm Browning machine guns . The ships for salutes received two 47-mm Hotchkiss cannons, which were located on the superstructure at the level of the frame 47.
Aircraft weapons
Aviation armament in the 30s was considered an important part of the combat power of a large surface ship. On the Pensacola type, there were four seaplanes, but the cruiser did not have a hangar. Two powder catapults accelerated the aircraft weighing up to 3.7 tons to a speed of 105 km / h.
- Performance characteristics as of 1941
Displacement: "Pensacola" [5] - standard 9805 dl. tons, full - 12 321 dl. tons.
Salt Lake City - standard 10 051 dl. tons, full - 12 716 dl. tons.
Dimensions - 173.7 / 178.5 × 19.9 × 5.9 meters
Power installation : 4 MAL, 107 000 l. with.
Speed - 32.5 knots.
The cruising range is 10,000 nautical miles with a 15-knot cruise.
Reservations : belt - 63.5 - 102 mm; traverses - 63.5 - 25 mm; deck 25–45 mm; towers - 63.5 - 19 mm; barbety - 19 mm; cutting - 32 mm.
The armament - 2 × 3 and 2 × 2 - 203 mm / 55, 8 × 1 - 127 mm / 25, 2 × 4 - 28 mm / 75 , 2 catapults, 4 seaplanes.
Crew - 1054 people
Upgrades
In the mid-1930s, torpedo tubes were removed from cruisers in accordance with the new tactical concept. In 1936, the cutouts in the area of the board at the place where the torpedo tubes stood were sealed. The fuel tanks, converted into passive pitching stabilizers, were again converted to store fuel. In 1940, an experimental radar model CXAM was installed on the Pensacola. Before the war, the cruisers received four more 127-mm / 25 guns. In November 1941, two quadruple 28-mm machine guns were installed on the cruisers. During the war, both ships received new radar models. By 1942, the ships received eight 20-mm machine guns and two more “Chicago pianos”. In 1942, the four Bofors were installed instead of 28-mm automata. The number of aircraft was reduced to two, the right catapult was removed. Two backup diesel generators were installed, which had a power of 100 kW each.
Service
" Pensacola " - laid down on October 27, 1926, launched on April 25, 1929, entered service on February 6, 1930.
Salt Lake City - laid down on June 9, 1927, launched on January 23, 1929, was put into operation on December 11, 1929.
Project Evaluation
After installing additional weapons and equipment, the initial excess stability turned into a plus - the ships did not need additional ballast.
| Comparative performance characteristics of heavy cruisers of the first generation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main elements | Trento [6] | " Duken " | Kent [7] | Pensacola [8] | " Furutaka " [9] | "Myoko" [10] |
| Displacement, standard / full, t | 10 334/13 334 | 10 160/12 435 | 9750/13 400 | 9243/11 697 | 8100/9433 | 10 980/14 194 |
| Power plant, l. with. | 150,000 | 120,000 | 80,000 | 107,000 | 102,000 | 130,000 |
| Maximum speed, knots | 36 | 34 | 31.5 | 32.5 | 34.5 | 35.5 |
| Range, miles at speed, knots | 4160 (16) | 5500 (15) | 10,400 (14) | 7460 (14) 7020 (15) 6640 (16) | 7900 (14) | 7000 (14) |
| Main caliber artillery | 4 × 2 - 203 mm | 4 × 2 - 203 mm | 4 × 2 - 203 mm | 2 × 3 and 2 × 2 - 203 mm | 6 × 1 - 200 mm | 5 × 2 - 200 mm |
| Universal Artillery | 8 × 2 - 100 mm | 8 × 1 - 75 mm | 4 × 1 - 102 mm | 4 × 1 - 127 mm | 4 × 1 - 76 mm | 6 × 1 - 120 mm |
| Light anti-aircraft artillery | 4 × 1 - 40 mm, 4 × 2 - 13.2 mm | 8 × 1 - 37 mm, 6 × 2 - 13.2 mm | 4 × 1 - 40 mm | not | 4 × 1 - 40 mm | not |
| Torpedo armament | 2 × 3 - 533 mm TA | 2 × 3 - 550 mm TA | 2 × 4 - 533 mm TA | 2 × 3 - 533 mm TA | 6 × 2 - 610 mm TA | 4 × 3 - 610 mm TA |
| Reservations, mm | Board - 70, deck - 50, towers - 80, cabin - 100 | Board - no, deck - no, cellars - 30, towers - 30, felling - 30 | Board - 25, deck - 35, towers - 25, deckhouse - no | Aircraft - 63-102, deck - 45, towers - 63, deckhouse - 32 | Board - 76, deck - 35, towers - 25, deckhouse - no | Aircraft - 102, deck - 32-35, towers - 25, PTP - 58 |
| Crew, pers. | 723 | 605 | 685 | 631 | 625 | 764 |
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 Cruisers, 1984 , p. 472.
- ↑ Cruisers, 1984 , p. 471.
- ↑ 5 "/ 25 (12.7 cm) Marks 10, 11, 13 and 17
- ↑ Campbell J. Naval weapons of World War Two. - P. 192.
- ↑ in July 1939
- Way Conway's All the Worlds Fighting Ships, 1922-1946. - P. 291.
- Way Conway's All the Worlds Fighting Ships, 1922-1946. - P. 26.
- Way Conway's All the Worlds Fighting Ships, 1922-1946. - P. 113.
- Way Conway's All the Worlds Fighting Ships, 1922-1946. - P. 187.
- ↑ Lacroix and Wells, 1997 , p. 808-810.
Literature
- Yu. Yu. Nenakhov. Encyclopedia of Cruisers 1910–2005. - Minsk, Harvest, 2007.
- Patyanin S. V. Dashyan A. V. and others . Cruiser WWII. Hunters and defenders - M .: Collection, Yauza, Eksmo, 2007.
- Conway's All the Worlds Fighting Ships, 1922–1945. Annapolis, Maryland, USA: Naval Institute Press, 1996.
- MJ Whitley. Cruisers of World War Two. An international encyclopedia. - London, Arms & Armor, 1995.
- A. A. Malov. Heavy Pensacola type cruisers. Part 1. Appendix to the magazine "Model-designer". - Issue 4 (163). - Nizhny Novgorod: CJSC “Editorial of the journalist Model Designer”, 2013. - 36 p.
- A. A. Malov. Heavy Pensacola type cruisers. Part 2. Appendix to the magazine "Model-designer". - Issue 6 (165). - Nizhny Novgorod: CJSC “Editorial of the journalist Model Designer”, 2013. - 36 p.
- Baker, AD, Friedman N. US Cruisers: An Illustrated Design History. - Annapolis, Maryland, USA: Naval Institute Press, 1984. - 496 p. - ISBN 0-87021-715-1 .
- Eric Lacroix, Linton Wells II. Japanese cruisers of the Pacific war. - Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1997. - 882 p. - ISBN 1-86176-058-2 .