Providence-class cruiser

Short description: Class of American warships (1959–1974)

USS Topeka in 1964

Class overview
Operators:|  United States Navy
Preceded by:|  Galveston class
Succeeded by:|  Long Beach
Subclasses:|  Cleveland class
In commission:|  1959–1974
Completed:|  3
Retired:|  3
Scrapped:|  3
Preserved:|  0
General characteristics
Type:|  Guided missile cruiser
Displacement:|  15,025 tons
Length:|  608 ft (185.3 m)
Beam:|  64 ft (19.5 m)
Draft:|  23 ft 6 in (7.1 m)
Propulsion:|

* 4 634 psi boilers
* steam turbines
* 4 shafts
* 100,000 shp

Speed:|  32.5 knots (60 km/h)
Complement:|  1,120 officers and enlisted
Sensors and
processing systems:|

* Providence and Springfield:
* AN/SPS-8B height-finding radar
* AN/SPS-10 surface-search radar
* AN/SPS-29 early-warning radar
* AN/SPG-49 fire-control radar
* AN/SPS-42 reflector antenna
* AN/SRN-6 TACAN
* AN/URD-4 direction finder antenna
* Topeka:
* AN/SPS-10 surface-search radar
* AN/SPS-30 height-finding radar
* AN/SPS-43 air-search radar
* AN/SPG-49 fire-control radar]
* AN/SPS-42 reflector antenna
* AN/SRN-6 TACAN

Armament:|

* Providence and Springfield:
* 1 × triple 6-inch/47-caliber gun
* 1 × dual 5"/38 caliber guns
* 1 × dual Mark 9 RIM-2 Terrier missile launcher
* Topeka:
* 2 × triple 6"/47 cal guns
* 3 × dual 5"/38 cal guns
* 1 × dual Mark 9 RIM-2 Terrier missile launcher

Aviation facilities:|  Helipad

Originally built as Cleveland-class light cruisers (CL) in the United States Navy during World War II, in 1957 three ships were re-designated as Providence-class guided missile light cruisers (CLG) and fitted with the Terrier surface-to-air missile system. During the two year refit under project SCB 146, the aft superstructure was completely replaced and all aft guns were removed to make room for the twin-arm Terrier launcher and a 120 missile storage magazine. Three large masts were also installed in order to hold a variety of radars, missile guidance, and communications systems. Providence and Springfield were simultaneously converted into fleet flagships under SCB 146A, which involved removing two forward dual 5-inch (127 mm) and one triple 6-inch (152 mm) turrets, and replacing them with a massively rebuilt and expanded forward superstructure. Topeka, in the non-flagship configuration, retained the Cleveland-class's standard forward weapons: three dual 5-inch (127 mm) and two triple 6-inch (152 mm) turrets.[1]

A similar pattern was followed in converting three other Cleveland-class ships (Galveston, Little Rock, and Oklahoma City) to operate the Talos surface-to-air missile system, creating the Galveston class. Little Rock and Oklahoma City were outfitted as fleet flagships, but Galveston was not.

Like the Galveston class cruisers, the Providence class ships suffered from serious stability problems caused by the topweight of the missile system, requiring the use of ballast to improve stability. The cruisers also suffered from hogging of the hull.

All three Providence-class ships were decommissioned to the reserve fleet between 1969 and 1974. In the 1975 cruiser realignment, Providence and Springfield were reclassified as guided missile cruisers (CG). The ships were stricken from the Naval Vessel Register between 1974 and 1980, and eventually sold for scrap.

## Contents

* 1 Ships in class
* 2 See also
* 3 References
* 4 External links

## Ships in class

Ship Name  | Hull No.  | Converted at  | Laid down  | Launched  | Commissioned  | Decommissioned  | Fate

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Providence[2] | CLG-6  | Boston Naval Shipyard  | 27 July 1943  | 28 December 1944  | 15 September 1959  | 31 August 1973  | Sold for scrap, 15 July 1980
Springfield[3] | CLG-7  | Fore River Shipyard  | 13 February 1943  | 9 March 1944  | 2 July 1960  | 15 May 1974  | Sold for scrap, 11 March 1980
Topeka[4] | CLG-8  | New York Naval Shipyard  | 21 April 1943  | 19 August 1944  | 26 March 1960  | 5 June 1969  | Sold for scrap, 20 March 1975

## See also

* List of cruisers of the United States Navy

## References

1. ↑ Friedman, Norman (1984). U.S. Cruisers: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute. pp. 386–393. ISBN 0-87021-739-9.
2. ↑ "CL82". http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/cruisers/cl82.txt.
3. ↑ "CL66". http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/cruisers/cl66.txt.
4. ↑ "CL67". http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/cruisers/cl67.htm.

## External links

* hazegray.org
* US Naval Historical Center

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