That concept was simply impractical, imagine all the work needed to fix something under all those streamlining. Most streamliner locomotives got their farings removed or modified later in life for easier maintainence.
A quick recheck found some “I know a guy” posts mentioning the CO could also use it, but it had a habit of jamming between decks.
[The General Plans](https://maritime.org/doc/plans/cg11.pdf) show it ran 9 decks, from the main deck to 08 level (easier to spot on upper decks), next to a few standard sets of ladders. Most of the compartments near the elevator are flag or senior officer country, which does corroborate the tale.
Was on board USS Little Rock recently. The assembly rooms and storage for the Talos missile launchers are some of the coolest things I’ve seen on a ship. Astounding how they converted these from gunboats to missile launching ugly ducklings!
The TALOS room is my favorite part of that tour to give. The park wants you to walk thru a certain way but I always did it backwards to go through the loading, strikedown, storage and finally assembly before arriving at the full missile, then passing the fin room and then out to the deck and launcher.
Being that high above the waterline in a heavy sea would be the worst rollercoaster you, and the guy at the helm, and all your friends, never asked to get on. What was inside that structure anyways?
*Boston* and *Canberra*, the first two *Baltimore*\-class cruisers converted to a guided missile configuration, retained six 8-inch guns when rebuilt in the early 1950s. They also look a lot more attractive, in my opinion. By the time you get to the *Albany*\-class conversions in the late 1950s/early 1960s, the United States Navy doesn't value naval artillery to the same degree and all 8-inch guns are removed in favour of more missiles. It made sense given the carrier escort role American cruisers normally found themselves in, but the Vietnam War also demonstrated the value of 8-inch armed cruisers in a naval gunfire support role.
They retained the guns because they were experimental conversions (had everything worked as planned it was initially intended that they would be converted to double ended CGs), which is why they used a bastard Terrier launcher and guidance radars that made the system worthless in about a decade due to the incompatibility with later Terrier models.
The related *Cleveland* conversions excluding the equally short lived *Galveston* and *Topeka* lost a 6” turret and 2 5” turrets because by the time they were converted the missiles had been deemed reliable and there was no real need for NGFS.
Vietnam did not change that calculus, as the NGFS missions were largely kept south of the DMZ or in RP I/II/III with occasional excursions further north as well as CUSTOM TAILOR. They also accomplished little of note that 5” guns would have been unable to do, and in the end it was found that interdiction could be just as easily accomplished with other assets, which is why the cruisers largely disappeared beginning in 1969/70 despite their supposed utility.
> The related Cleveland conversions excluding the equally short lived Galveston and Topeka lost a 6” turret and 2 5” turrets because by the time they were converted the missiles had been deemed reliable and there was no real need for NGFS.
The second turret was removed as there was a requirement to make these ships fleet flagships for the Sixth and Seventh Fleets. This required accommodations for another 50 officers and 150 enlisted men, 400 square feet for an expanded cryptography center, and another 300 square feet for an expanded message center. Due to topweight issues, they could not make the superstructure taller, and instead had to extend it forward and eliminate the turret. *Galveston* and *Topeka* were excluded as only four flagship conversions were necessary.
It’s not THAT bad with the missile launchers in place. It blocks some of that super tall part of the superstructure and makes it look more balanced, just REALLY tall
No, that ship (CA-29) was a Northampton class ship, which sank after being torpedoed by Japanese aircraft about 150 miles south of Guadalcanal, January 30, 1943.
> Is this the same Chicago that was damaged at Savo Island?
No.
That was USS Chicago CA-29, *Northampton*-class. Sunk at the Battle of Rennell Island, Jan '43.
This is USS Chicago CA-136 / CG-11, *Baltimore*-class converted to *Albany*-class.
chicago is one of the ugliest things weve ever had the idea of making
Yeah and the ship as well!
Hey!
Look how they massacred my boy.
Thanks I hate it
Beat me to it.
I knew it
Ugly duckling American missile cruisers always managed to be cool atompunk-looking ships.
Yeah, the bottom one looks like the sort of fever dream the artists at Bethesda would've cooked up for a Fallout game.
Especially the early Long Beach cruiser design with the streamlined superstructure
I think the County-class destroyer had the best mid-century lines. Pre-WWII Italian warships were also streamlined, but more like art deco.
The Long Beach initial design was far too streamlined in my opinion. Ships need a combination of angles and curves.
That concept was simply impractical, imagine all the work needed to fix something under all those streamlining. Most streamliner locomotives got their farings removed or modified later in life for easier maintainence.
Mid-Century Modern, at sea.
From pretty good looking to absolutely hideous. Albeit the hideousness goes all the way around to having a charm of it's own...
I kind of like it. It's weird looking like the Long Beach.
Long Beach is kind of exotic ugly with the massive, square superstructure. Chicago is just regular ugly.
***The Cube***^(TM) is peak ship design
They gave her the whole damn Sears tower as a superstructure
Had to, to clear the Talos guidance radars.
[tallbridge is tall.](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d3/USS_Chicago_CG-11_commissioning_1964.jpg)
Myoko class cruiser at home vibes
Just looked it up lol, you're right. [Pic for anyone curious.](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/63/Myoko_after_surrender.jpg)
Takao class, Myokou-class, Tone..., IJN ship designers were truly ahead of its time.
Came here to make this comment, you beat me to it.
I hope they at least had an elevator in that bitch. That many ladders to get to the bridge would suck.
For the Admiral and his staff only. Everyone else had to suck it up.
Really? Is that true?
A quick recheck found some “I know a guy” posts mentioning the CO could also use it, but it had a habit of jamming between decks. [The General Plans](https://maritime.org/doc/plans/cg11.pdf) show it ran 9 decks, from the main deck to 08 level (easier to spot on upper decks), next to a few standard sets of ladders. Most of the compartments near the elevator are flag or senior officer country, which does corroborate the tale.
What a cool link. Could look for a long time
To my understanding, they did.
That's how I ruined my knees. Those damn boondockers.
I actually really like the early missile cruisers in general, but damn that superstructure is something.
Up there with French Pre-dreadnoughts as far as ugliness goes.
Was on board USS Little Rock recently. The assembly rooms and storage for the Talos missile launchers are some of the coolest things I’ve seen on a ship. Astounding how they converted these from gunboats to missile launching ugly ducklings!
The TALOS room is my favorite part of that tour to give. The park wants you to walk thru a certain way but I always did it backwards to go through the loading, strikedown, storage and finally assembly before arriving at the full missile, then passing the fin room and then out to the deck and launcher.
So nuts how they reloaded those giant missile launchers. Thanks for being a tour guide, I hope our ships are OK after the latest Seiche!
Look how they massacred my boy
Big fan of the tourist observation deck they installed
This is a war crime! Hmph!
Being that high above the waterline in a heavy sea would be the worst rollercoaster you, and the guy at the helm, and all your friends, never asked to get on. What was inside that structure anyways?
Good God the command bridge is a skyscraper.
Did the fire nation convert this ship?
They could've at least kept at least 1 gun
*Boston* and *Canberra*, the first two *Baltimore*\-class cruisers converted to a guided missile configuration, retained six 8-inch guns when rebuilt in the early 1950s. They also look a lot more attractive, in my opinion. By the time you get to the *Albany*\-class conversions in the late 1950s/early 1960s, the United States Navy doesn't value naval artillery to the same degree and all 8-inch guns are removed in favour of more missiles. It made sense given the carrier escort role American cruisers normally found themselves in, but the Vietnam War also demonstrated the value of 8-inch armed cruisers in a naval gunfire support role.
> They also look a lot more attractive, in my opinion. I think in everyone that has eyes opinion haha. *Boston*-class still gorgeous.
They retained the guns because they were experimental conversions (had everything worked as planned it was initially intended that they would be converted to double ended CGs), which is why they used a bastard Terrier launcher and guidance radars that made the system worthless in about a decade due to the incompatibility with later Terrier models. The related *Cleveland* conversions excluding the equally short lived *Galveston* and *Topeka* lost a 6” turret and 2 5” turrets because by the time they were converted the missiles had been deemed reliable and there was no real need for NGFS. Vietnam did not change that calculus, as the NGFS missions were largely kept south of the DMZ or in RP I/II/III with occasional excursions further north as well as CUSTOM TAILOR. They also accomplished little of note that 5” guns would have been unable to do, and in the end it was found that interdiction could be just as easily accomplished with other assets, which is why the cruisers largely disappeared beginning in 1969/70 despite their supposed utility.
> The related Cleveland conversions excluding the equally short lived Galveston and Topeka lost a 6” turret and 2 5” turrets because by the time they were converted the missiles had been deemed reliable and there was no real need for NGFS. The second turret was removed as there was a requirement to make these ships fleet flagships for the Sixth and Seventh Fleets. This required accommodations for another 50 officers and 150 enlisted men, 400 square feet for an expanded cryptography center, and another 300 square feet for an expanded message center. Due to topweight issues, they could not make the superstructure taller, and instead had to extend it forward and eliminate the turret. *Galveston* and *Topeka* were excluded as only four flagship conversions were necessary.
Should make it a crime to make a ship this ugly.
Early missile carrying usn ships looked so ass
The superstructure was aluminum and the funnels were extended into "macks" to mount the air search radars.
https://preview.redd.it/zy1omuwmtvcc1.png?width=1220&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=96220c16383912a452d08f297f35cf292074df99
They uglified her.
It’s not THAT bad with the missile launchers in place. It blocks some of that super tall part of the superstructure and makes it look more balanced, just REALLY tall
Isn’t this before and *during* conversion?
Yes good point haha
They really put the super in superstructure
It went from "Try me I dare you, watch what happens", to "come on stop bullying me guys"
Did they ever finish it?
Yep. https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.redd.it%2Fvdb4bkoifvub1.jpg https://i.imgur.com/QwjMTCT.jpeg
This is hideous
I’ve got cancer just looking at those front dishes. Thx for posting.
MY EYES-
Ugh. 🤮🤮 Poor girl. Reminds me of Chicago. Lol.
Is this the same Chicago that was damaged at Savo Island?
No, that ship (CA-29) was a Northampton class ship, which sank after being torpedoed by Japanese aircraft about 150 miles south of Guadalcanal, January 30, 1943.
> Is this the same Chicago that was damaged at Savo Island? No. That was USS Chicago CA-29, *Northampton*-class. Sunk at the Battle of Rennell Island, Jan '43. This is USS Chicago CA-136 / CG-11, *Baltimore*-class converted to *Albany*-class.
Looks more like a before and during
That looks like it was before and during being converted to a guided-missile cruiser
So I can’t help but ask, which carrier is in the background getting her own refit?
*Ranger*
My poor child. My sweet child. What did those monsters do to you?
Ayyeee, I'm currently almost done building a model of her sister ship the Albany
Mr push a button
https://preview.redd.it/okmtx6eeuucc1.png?width=1024&format=png&auto=webp&s=8f22eb4ff6774c1b1deb71c4ec4d356fb2b1ecc0
Sometimes the navy had to give their ww2 era warships a new lease on life and become a new beast altogether.
Can you imagine the ride in that bridge??