Fargo class cruiser (1945)

The Fargo class cruiser were a sub-class of the famous Clevelands of WW2 fame, completed on a completely reworked design. USS Fargo and Huntington were the only one not cancelled in this 13 cruiser programme, despite being designed in 1942 to improve notably the anti-aircraft arc of fire and cure serious stability issues. They sported a single funnel and a completely revised superstructure, as well as many other modifications. They were completed too late to see wartime action. The two completed Fargo class mostly were active with the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean in the early Cold War before being stricken 1962-70. The remainder were cancelled on 5 October 1944 and 12 August 1945.

Development

Class: Fargo, Huntington, Newark, New Haven, Buffalo, Wilmington, Vallejo, Helena, Roanoke, unnamed, Tallahassee, Cheyenne, Chattanooga (CL-106 – CL-118)
USS Fargo (CL-106) was the lead ship of a sub-class of light cruisers evolved from the Cleveland series, but most of this class was cancelled due to the end of the war. The Fargo-class cruisers were a modified version designed by BuShips in 1943-44 to solve several issues with the design, notably stability, by reducing top weight, and granting a better arc of fire and more Bofors 40 mm AA positions. This was achieved by a far more compact pyramidal superstructure, and single truncated funnel.

Well-centred, this island free most of the allocated superstructure surface for more AA while still keeping the overall displacement in check, and the metacentric height at an acceptable level. The main battery turrets were placed just a foot lower, the wing 5 inch twin gunhouses were also lowered to the main deck. The 40 mm AA mounts were lowered when possible, helped by the new compact superstructure.

USS Huntington is launched on the Delaware from New York Shipbuilding Corp Camden shipyards, New Jersey, 8 April 1945.

Due to the design time, and approval, it was not ported on an existing ship, USS Fargo, before the latter was launched 25 February 1945, at New York Shipbuilding Corp. New Jersey. The new cruiser, pennant CL-106, was sponsored by Mrs. F. O. Olsen. She was commissioned on 9 December 1945 with Captain Wyatt Craig in command, but of course at that point, the war was over and her main purpose, intended to deal with kamikaze, no longer relevant. Many of her design peculiarities however went to the next Worcester class. In all, 13 ships were planned.

The war ended when all these were laid down and in construction, the last being USS Wilmington (CL-111, on 5 March 1945). Only Fargo and Huntington were ever completed, the rest being cancelled, even before the end of the war, in what was called de-escalation. USS Newark was in fact the last launched, on 14 December 1945, but not commissioned. Construction was indeed cancelled on 12 August 1945, 67.8% completed. She was repurposed to be used in underwater explosion tests. After those were performed, she was mothballed, then sold on 2 April 1949 for scrapping.

USS Fargo herself commissioned on 9 December 1945, four months after the war ended found limited use, and even more Huntington, commissioned early in 1946. They were perhaps the shortest-lived cruisers in USN service, as both cruisers were decommissioned in 1949–1950, after some training and gunnery exercises to evaluate their concept. But after being mothballed and placed in reserve, they were never reactivated. For USS New Haven (CL-109), launched on 28 February 1944, USS Buffalo (CL-110) on 2 April 1944, and USS Wilmington on 5 March 1945 (CL-111), construction was cancelled on 12 August 1945, at various degrees of completion (from 20 to 50%) and they were all scrapped on slip. This situation was also applied to USS Vallejo, Helena, Roanoke and an unnamed fourth vessel, all ordered, but not laid down, and cancelled 5 October 1944. The last of the Cleveland series, USS Tallahassee (CL-116), laid down 31 Jan. 1944, USS Cheyenne (CL-117) on 29 May 1944, plus USS Chattanooga (ex-Norfolk) on 9 October 1944, Construction was cancelled on 12 August 1945, and they were scrapped on slip as well.

The same type of modification was applied to heavy cruiser as well, between the Baltimore and Oregon City sub-class. It was also applied, but to a lesser degree, to the Atlanta class, leading to the Juneau class AA cruisers. But changes to reduce instability were particularly urgent and important for the Cleveland-class, notably to deal with dangerous roll.

Design of the class

Profile and elevation, 2 views (unknown origin) showing the efforts made to concentrate the superstructure amidships, giving them almost a battleship aspect, of not for the small turrets which stayed in place. The six quad 40 mm Bofors amidships were those that benefited the most from these changes.

Hull and general design

Albeit the hull, power plant and main artillery were the same, changes in design for the Fargo class mostly concerned the superstructures, both to open the fire arc and reduced the superstructure weight, hence improving stability, a more concerning issue with the Cleveland as they have shown their tendency to roll dangerously. The hull was a bit shorter at 608 ft 0.25 in (185.30 m) versus 608 ft 4 in (185.42 m) for the same beam at 66 ft 4 in (20.2 m), and a comparable draft at 22 ft (6.7 m) versus 25 ft 6 in (7.77 m) mean and 25 ft (7.6 m) max for the Clevelands.

The biggest changes concerned the superstructure. Albeit tall, with the fire control towers on top of the bridge fore and aft and two funnels, creating a two islands outlook, the Fargo class completely changed this by having a larger, single funnel amidships, and the fire control towers relocated a deck lower. In fact in that case, in front of the bridge, which was a bit taller, gaining an extra deck, but much closer to the funnel, whereas the “rear island” disappeared to a low structure close to the funnel. The two mainmasts were still there, but there were much closer together, either side of the funnel. In short, the whole superstructure was compacted amidship, leaving wide free spaces forward and aft.

This enabled notably the axial 5-in/38 turrets to traverse to an opposite angle almost uncluttered. The main battery turrets sat about a foot lower. The wing gunhouses twin 5-inch gun mounts on the corners fore and aft were lowered to the main deck. The 40 mm anti-aircraft mounts were also lowered and for good measure, these three amidship quad Bofors mounts were placed at better placed staggered levels, with the ones close to the funnel raised two deck high. All fire angles had been meticulously calculated for maximum effect of all barrels. This, plus the considerable weight spared in the superstructures allowed to add extra AA guns, from sixteen 40mm (4×2), and thirteen single 20mm to six quad and six twin 40 mm (thirty-six), plus twenty 20mm AA (si double) mostly in twin mounts (see below). They were very much the ultimate “kamikaze-killers” to protect the carrier battle groups.

Powerplant

This chapter should be short as there was no recorded change whatsoever in the Fargo class powerplant. It simplified development, but overall this machinery was proven and powerful. The Fargo class had four shafts for redundancy and extra agility, drive by four General Electric geared steam turbines, fed in turn by four Babcock & Wilcox, 634 psi boilers for a total of 100,000 shp (75,000 kW). Top speed was still 32.5 knots like the original Clevelands (60.2 km/h; 37.4 mph). They carried 2100 tonnes fuel oil thanks to various optimizations for a range of 11,000 nautical miles (20000 km) at 15 knots.
Later on missiles conversions, range dropped to 8,000 nautical miles at 15 knots, while based on a superior oil storage of 2,661 tonnes versus 1,507-2,100 tonnes on regular Clevelands. There are discrepancies among sources on this.

Protection

No massive changes here, apart the complete deletion of the conning tower, seen as an unnecessary and obsolete feature, but required also by the new compact bridge. In addition, the new command centre buried deep into the hull was found much more convenient.
belt: 127mm (5-in) down to 89mm (3.5 in) past the casemate
Transverse Bulkheads: 127mm (5-in) down to 51mm (2 in) (below decks)
Main Armour Deck: 51 mm (2 in) protecting the machinery spaces and ammunition magazines.
Main gun turret Barbettes: 152mm (6-in) down to the armoured deck.
Main gun turrets: 165mm (6.4 in) face and sides, 32mm rear and roof (1.25 in).
Secondary gun turrets 5-in: 32mm (1.25 in) faces and sides, 25mm (1 in) back and roof.

Armament

6-in/47 Mk 16

Like the Clevelands, the Fargo kept their 152 mm, 47 caliber Mk 16 gun turrets at the same location fore and aft, four triple, twelve barrels total. They were an excellent, rapid-fire, radar-guided, dual-purpose calibres with semi-automated loading. See the Cleveland class for details.

5-in/38 Mk 32 DP

Another icon of US naval artillery, the main guns were completed by twelve secondary 127mm/38 dual-purpose guns, located in two triangular positions, one axial, two wings forward and aft. They were assisted by the Mark 25 fire control radars and fired proximity fuses. See the Cleveland class for details.

40mm/60 Bofors Mk 2 & Mk 1 AA

The light AA battery was well-developed, with six quad 40 mm Mark 2 mounts located amidships in stagerred positions, one deck above the 5-in/38 turrets. This was completed by two twin 40 mm Mark 1 mounts located at the poop. However, this was raised to six dual Bofors and two quad Bofors were removed. See the Cleveland class for details.

20/70 Mk 4 Oerlikon AA

In all, fourteen twin mounts, albeit initially they were planned with twenty, with a mix of single Mark 10 and twin Mark 4. See the Cleveland class for details.
In 1946, USS Fargo had her six quad Bofors, two twin Mark 1, fourteen twin Oerlikons.
By 1955 however they were removed from both Fargo and Huntingon. They kept their Bofors, perhaps with a swap of two quad for two twin mounts until the end of their career.

Sensors

SG radar:

Ship-borne surface-search radar deployed in 1942, S-band microwave with plan position indicator (PPI) display.

SK-2 radar:

Long-range air-search radar using VHF (around 200 MHz, ~1.5 m wavelength). It had a Large parabolic dish inside a protective “bedspring” style open frame (looked like a big circular cage on masts).
Range: Up to 100 miles (160 km) for aircraft, though effectiveness varied with altitude and conditions
Display: Provided input to plan position indicators (PPI) and A-scopes, giving operators bearing and range of aircraft
Introduced: Around 1944 to replace the SK and SK-1, mounted on cruisers for early warning of incoming air raids with better accuracy and resolution compared to the flat “bedspring” antennas of earlier sets.

Mk 13 Fire control radars:

Designed to provide fire-control solutions for naval guns, particularly secondary and anti-aircraft batteries. Operated in the S-band (around 3 GHz, ~10 cm wavelength), offering much higher resolution than earlier VHF sets. Typically paired with the Mk 37 Gun Fire Control System (GFCS), which directed 5-inch/38 calibre dual-purpose guns.
It had a compact parabolic dish mounted on the Mk 37 director, usually enclosed in a protective radome (“sugar scoop” housing).
Replaced the Mk 4 which had issues with clutter and resolution. Used shorter wavelengths, which meant better accuracy and smaller antennas.
Reliability issues early on, and later sets (like Mk 25) improved upon its performance. Coupled with the Mk 37 director.

Mk 25 Fire control radars:

Replaced the Mark 13 at completion to guide the 5-inch/38 calibre dual-purpose guns. S-band (3 GHz) with improved electronics for greater accuracy and reliability.
Mounted on the Mk 37 Gun Fire Control System (GFCS) directors with a protective radome. It had Higher reliability, better target tracking and range precision, especially against fast aircraft, reduced maintenance issues and improved operator interface.

Air Group

As completed they still operated a Curtiss SC single seat reconnaissance and spotter, with a catapult aft and a hangar in which the two seaplanes could be lowered down and maintained properly. It seems like on other ships in the Navy, the Curtiss may be an excellent model but largely forgotten, retired in 1948. It was never enough to redeem the reputation of Curtiss after the PR disaster of the Curtiss Helldiver and mediocre seamew. Modern radars made these obsolete.

⚙ specifications
Displacement	11,500 t. standard -14 460 t. Full Load
Dimensions	607 x 66 x 22 ft (185.3 x 20.22 x 6.60 m)
Propulsion	4 shafts GE turbines, 4 Babcock & Wilcox boilers, 100,000 hp.
Speed	32.5 knots (60.2 km/h; 37.4 mph)
Range	10,000 nmi (19,000 km; 12,000 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Armament	5×3 6-in/47, 6×2 5-in/38, 4×4 + 6×2 40 mm, 20x 20mm AA
Protection	Turrets 5-in, bulkheads 5-in.
Sensors	SK-2, SR-3 air-search radars, SG-6 surface-search radar, SP fighter-direction radar
Air Group	Curtiss SC, Helicopters tested 1950s
Crew	1,100

Career of the Fargo class cruiser

USS Fargo on 8 May 1946 for V-Day E anniversary
Fargo departed Philadelphia, where she was completed, on 15 April 1946 under orders of Vice Admiral Bernard H. Bieri, on board for a goodwill cruise to Bermuda, Trinidad, Recife, Rio de Janeiro and Montevideo. On 31 May 1946, tshe sailed for the Mediterranean, visiting Turkey, Lebanon, Greece, Italy, France, North Africa. She was stationed as an American representative at Trieste during the crisis between Italy and Yugoslavia.

She was back to New York City on 2 March 1947 but mad another cruise in the Mediterranean on 20 May 1947 being during one month, flagship for the Commander of Med. Naval Forces. She was back to Newport on 13 September but the crew and the ship were prepared for extensive Atlantic Fleet exercises. They started in October and were completed in November 1947, from Bermuda to Newfoundland.

She hosted Vice Admiral Arthur W. Radford (2nd Task Fleet Commander). In 1948, she made another tour of the Mediterranean and another large scale exercises in the Caribbean. The routine went on in 1949 as well. After these active years were her machinery was well tested, she was eventually decommissioned, placed in extensive reserve.
She was affected to the Bayonne (New Jersey) long-term berth on 14 February 1950. During the Korean and Vietnam she stayed in reserve, until she was stricken from the Naval Register on 1 March 1970 and sold for BU, on 18 August 1971. She was broken up by the Union Minerals and Alloys Corporation in Kearney (New Jersey).

USS Huntington underway on 12 April 1948
USS Huntingon was commissioned on 23 February 1946 under command of Captain Donald Rex Tallman. She made her sea trials, followed by a shakedown cruise off Guantánamo Bay (Cuba) until back to Philadelphia for post-trials fixes. On 23 July 1946 she sailed for her first mission, joining the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean. Like her sister ships, she visited many ports like Naples, Malta, Villefranche, and Alexandria. Her presence was needed amidst regional tensions duen to communism insurgency in Greece, troubles in Turkey and in the Balkans or in palestine. In this volatile situation she reassured the US allied. She departed Gibraltar on 8 February 1947, to join exercises off Guantánamo Bay. She was back in Norfolk and later Newport and Rhode Island, departing on 20 May 1947 for another tour in the Mediterranean.

Back on 13 September 1947, Huntington departed Philadelphia on 24 October, carrying the Naval Reserve for exercises off Bermuda, and up to Newfoundland. This was over on 14 November 1947. She was refitted extensively afterwards in Philadelphia, her overhaul lasting until 12 April 1948.

Captain Arleigh Burke (yes, that one), assumed command in between December 1947 and December 1948. She departed Norfolk in April from a refresher training cruise, stopped in Newport and made another tour in the Mediterranean, starting on 1st June 1948. She visited mny ports until August 1948 and crossed the Suez Canal on 22 September 1948 for another good will tour of East Africa, then west Africa via the Cape of good hope, and South America. She visited Buenos Aires in November, greetng her guest President Juan Perón. She sailed to Uruguay and received there another visit from President Luis Berres, on 10 November. She stopped again at Rio de Janeiro and Trinidad, then headed home, arriving on 8 December 1948.

In January she made another cruise from Philadelphia to the Caribbean and back to Newport. From 22 January she stayed idle, until decommissioned on 15 June 1949. She was placed in extensive reserve, she lasted until she was struck from the List on 1 September 1961. She was sold for BU at Boston Metals (Baltimore) on 16 May 1962.

USS Newark was ordered in 1942 and laid down in 17 January 1944 at New York SB Camden naval yard, launched on 14 December 1945 to free the slipway as ahs had been cancelled on 18 August 1945. He hull was broken up at the same yard in 1949 after no decision was taken by the naval staff about a possible conversion.

CL109 New Haven was ordered in 1942 as N°457 at New York SB, Camden and laid down on 28 February 1944. Construction was suspended and she was cancelled on 12 August 1945, BU on slip.

USS Buffalo was ordered in 1942 as N°458 at New York SB, Camden and laid down on 3 April 1944. Construction was suspended and she was cancelled on 12 August 1945, BU on slip.

USS Wilmington was ordered in 1942 as N°459 at Cramp, Philadelphia, and laid down on 5 March 1945. Construction was suspended and she was cancelled on 12 August 1945, BU on slip.

USS Vallejo was ordered in 1942 as N°460 at Cramp, Philadelphia, but never laid down. Construction was suspended and she was cancelled on 5 October 1944, BU on slip.

USS Helena was ordered in 1942 as N°461 at New York SB, Camden and laid down on 5 March 1945. Construction was suspended and she was cancelled on 5 October 1944, BU on slip.

Ordered in 1942 as N°463 at New York SB, Camden, never laid down, cancelled on 5 October 1944. Broken up (BU) on slip.

Roanoke was ordered as N°462 at New York SB, Camden, never laid down, cancelled on 5 October 1944. Broken up (BU) on slip.

Tallahassee was ordered as N°443 at Newport News shipyard, laid down on 31 January 1944 but construction was suspended, never launched, cancelled on 12 August 1945. Broken up (BU) on slip.

Cheyenne was ordered as N°444 at Newport News and laid down on 29 May 1944. Construction was suspended and she was cancelled on 12 August 1945. BU on slip.

Chattanooga was ordered as N°445 at Newport News, maid down on 9 October 1944. Construction suspended, cancelled on 12 August 1945, BU on slip.

Gallery

Before last: USS Fargo (CL-106) at Trieste, 29 June 1946, during the crisis between Italy and Yugoslavia over the ownership of the port. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.
Last photo: The U.S. Navy light cruiser USS Fargo (CL-106) firing salutes on 15 June 1946, upon her arrival at Gibraltar for a tour of duty in the Mediterranean Sea. Photographed from USS Providence (CL-82). Note floater nets stowed on top of Providence’s Number Two 6/47 gun turret. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

Read More/Src

USS Huntington off Naples in August 1948

Books

Norman Friedman, U.S. Cruisers, An Illustrated Design History 1984
James J. Fahey, “Pacific War Diary, 1942-1945: The Secret Diary of an American Sailor” 1972
“USS Fargo Class – US warships of WW2”. M. J. Whitley, Cruisers Of World War Two, An International Encyclopedia 1995
Terzibashitsch, Stefan (1988). Cruisers of the US Navy 1922-1962. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press.

Links

web.archive.org/ navypedia.org/
en.wikipedia.org Fargo-class_cruiser
historyofwar.org/ fargo_class_cruisers.html
web.archive.org hazegray.org/
globalsecurity.org cl-106.htm
reddit.com/r/ fargo_class_and_oregon_city_class

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