Ship designation: (CA-31)
Length: 600' Beam: 64'5" Depth: 36" Displacement: 11,574 tons Complement: 617
Performance: 107,000shp = 32.5kts Bunkerage: 2,108 tons oil fuel
Max. Range: 10,000nm at 15kts.
Protection: 3in main belt (machinery spaces); lin deck; magazines,
3.75in sides, 2in crowns.
Guns: nine 8in (3x3); four 5in (4x1). Torpedoes: six 21in (2x3). Aircraft: four, two catapults.
Keel Laid: 2 July 1928
Built by: Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co.
Launched: 1 December 1930, Newport News, VA
Commissioned: 30 January 1931
Initial Assignment: Atlantic Fleet
Name genesis: Augusta, Georgia
First skipper: Captain J.O. Richardson
Class: Northampton class of heavy cruiser
The design of this class began after the Pensacola class had been finalized, in
February 1926. The initial design changes proposed included a reduction in the
main armament to eight guns, on the grounds that this was the standard for
foreign ships, improved damage survival capability, and better aircraft stowage.
Two alternative sketch designs shipped nine 8in guns in three triple turrets, and
the other eight guns in twin turrets. Both designs featured a raised forecastle, a
lengthened hull and increased freeboard. Internally, the fire rooms were divided
into four spaces, rather than two. The eight-gun ship was considered too cramped,
and the nine-gun design was therefore favored. As design work progressed it
became obvious that there was some weight to spare, totaling some 200 tons
over and above the original preliminary weight margin of 221 tons. This, it was
suggested, could be used to improve protection, and several modifications to the
design were drawn up, some of which appeared to offer defense against 8in shells.
However the requirement for the ships to be fitted as flagships took away some
of this margin, but various schemes for redistribution and improvement of the
protection continued to be considered. In some of these the magazines were
concentrated, with their side protection increased to 7in at the expense of the
gunhouse armor to give immunity to 8in gunfire, while others sought to protect
the magazines against 8in shells but the machinery and gunhouses only against
5in or 6in shells. In the end it was decided that the goal of immunity against 8in
gunfire was impossible, and part of the weight available was used to improve
splinter protection to the ammunition supply systems and the remainder was
added to the reserve, it being recognized that any new designs naturally grew and
needed adequate reserves. Despite all of these measures, the ships still came out
nearly 1,000 tons under the Treaty limit.
Six ships were authorized in FY29, the first three fitted as Divisional Flagships
and the last three as Fleet Flag ships, with forecastle plating extended to the
catapult towers for additional accommodation. The total weight allocated to
protection was 1,057 tons.
The machinery installation, main and secondary armament was the same as the
Pensacola class. The weakest point of the armament was the AA defense, since
the 37mm gun under development by Colt and intended for these ships never
appeared. A torpedo outfit of six tubes in two triple mountings was retained.
Finally, the rearrangement of the aircraft fittings featured in the early design
discussions led to the fitting of a blast-proof hangar around the after funnel, which
allowed servicing of the aircraft out the elements and protected the frail machines
from damage by the ship's own gunfire. Four airplanes could be stowed in the
hangars, plus two on the catapults, but normally only four were embarked.
Alterations made before the war were mainly concerned with improving the AA
defense.
|
