- Yes
- No
- Tech Tree
- Event/Gift
- Premium
- Squadron
- Indifferent
- I don’t want to see it added
As Commissioned
USS Oregon City off of Massachusetts in June, 1946.
The distinctive single funnel sets the Oregon City-class apart from the very similar Baltimore-class.
Background
USS Oregon City was the first ship of her class of heavy cruisers. She was laid down on the 8th of April, 1944, launched on the 9th of June, 1945, and commissioned into the US Navy on the 16th of February, 1946.
The Oregon City-class of cruisers was a follow-on to the Baltimore-class in much the same way that the Fargo-class was a follow on to the Cleveland-class. The Oregon Citys were basically Baltimores but had one large funnel instead of two smaller ones, to allow better arcs of AA fire. Nothing else much was changed, as the ships still used the same powerplant, had the same number of screws, and similar anti-aircraft armament, at least by design.
When commissioned, Oregon City was fitted with similar anti-air armament as the Baltimores that had come before her. She also received the very best wartime radar the USN could develop, and incorporated just about every wartime lesson possible.
Oregon City had the shortest career of any Oregon City-class ship. She was too late for any action in WW2, the war having essentially ended by the time she was launched. She was decommissioned in December, 1947, reduced to reserve, and unlike her sisters, there was no intention of converting her into an Albany-class guided missile cruiser. She was stricken from the Navy List in 1970, and was sold for scrap in 1973.
Service History
Oregon CIty had a very short career. Following her commissioning, she departed Boston in late March on a shakedown cruise out of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and would return in May.
On the 3rd of July, 1946, she became flagship of the 4th Fleet. She made a post-war Reserve Training Cruise to Bermuda in October, and returned to Boston afterwards, where she would remain until the next year. In January, 1947, she was reassigned to the 2nd Fleet, and once again sailed to Guantanamo Bay, this time for exercises. The exercises lasted three weeks, and by the end of April she was back in Boston.
Oregon City towing the USS Saipan (CVL-48) during exercises in the Caribbean.
She made another summer training cruise in June, going to the Canal Zone and the Caribbean, and returned in August. She then sailed to Philadelphia for deactivation, and was decommissioned on the 15th of December, 1947, after less than two years in service.
She would remain in Philadelphia Navy Yard until she was stricken in 1970, and finally sold for scrap in 1973.
Specifications
As Commissioned
| General Information | |
|---|---|
| Displacement | 13,700 tons (standard) |
| Length | 673ft 5in (205.26m) |
| Beam | 70ft 10in (21.59m) |
| Draft | 20ft 7in (6.27m) |
| Speed | 33 knots (61 km/h) |
| Complement | 1142 officers and enlisted |
| Sensors | |
|---|---|
| SK-3 | Air Search |
| SG-2 | Surface Search |
| Mk 34 with Mk 13 Radar | Fire Control (Main Battery |
| Mk 37 with Mk 12 and Mk 22 Radar | Fire Control (Secondary Battery) |
| Mk 51 with Mk 14 Gunsight | Fire Control (Anti-Air Battery) |
| Gun | Turret/Mount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 9 × 8"(203mm)/55 Mk 15 | 3 × Triple | |
| 12 × 5"(127mm)/38 Mk 12 | 6 × Mk 32 Twin | |
| 48 x 40mm/56 Bofors Mk 1/2 | 11 x Quad, 2 x Twin | |
| 20 x 20mm/70 Oerlikon Mk 2 | 20 x Single | May have been as low as 8, in single mounts |
| 4 x SB2C-3 Floatplanes | 2 x Stern Catapult | 2 in Hangar |
| 8" (203mm) Ammunition | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Designation | Mass | Bursting Charge | Muzzle Velocity | Notes | |
| AP Mk 21 | 335lbs (152kg) | 5.03lbs (2.3kg) Exp. D | 2,500f/s (762m/s) | Super-Heavy Shell | |
| AP Mk 19 | 260lbs (118kg) | 3.64lbs (1.7kg) Exp. D | 2,700f/s (823m/s) | ||
| SP Common Mk 17 | 260lbs (118kg) | 10.38lbs (4.7kg) Exp. D | 2,700f/s (823m/s) | ||
| AAC Mk 24 | 260lbs (188kg) | 21.34lbs (9.7kg) Exp. D | 2,700f/s (823m/s) | HC fuses could be loaded with PD (Point Detonating) or MT (Mechanical Time) fuses, and were considered AAC rounds if using MT. What would ordinarily be called HC Mk 24 is designated AAC Mk 24 here, for this reason. | |
| HC Mk 25 | 260lbs (188kg) | 21.37lbs (9.7kg) Exp. D | 2,700f/s (823m/s) | Essentially the same as the preceding AAC Mk 24, but instead using a PD fuse. |
| Armor | |
|---|---|
| Belt | 4-6" (102-152mm) |
| Deck | 2.5" (64mm) |
| Turrets | 1.5-8" (38-203mm) |
| Barbettes | 6.3" (160mm) |
| Conning Tower | 6.5" (165mm) |
| Bulkheads | 6" (152mm) |
| Note: Armor not listed, assumed same as Baltimore-class |
Conclusion
USS Oregon City would essentially be exactly what she was designed to be; a Baltimore with better AA coverage. She is essentially just an incremental improvement over Baltimore, just having better arcs of AA fire, but otherwise the same. She doesn’t get any of the good post-war radars, but a case could be made for getting Curtiss SC Seahawk floatplanes. Regardless, as the lead ship of the first “post-war” cruisers of the USN, I think she deserves a spot in the game.
Sources
Wikipedia - USS Oregon City (CA-122)
Wikipedia - Oregon City-class cruiser
Wikipedia - Baltimore-class cruiser
Naval-Encyclopedia - Baltimore-class heavy cruiser
History.Navy - DANFS, USS Oregon City (CA-122)
NavSource - USS Oregon City (CA-122)
NavWeaps - 8"/55 Mk 15
NavWeaps - 5"/38 Mk 12
Navweaps - 40mm/56 Mk 1/2
Navweaps - 20mm/70 Mk 2
NavWeaps - US Radar WW2