List of light cruisers of the United States
Encyclopedia
In the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

, light cruisers have the hull classification symbol
Hull classification symbol
The United States Navy, United States Coast Guard, and United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration use hull classification symbols to identify their ship types and each individual ship within each type...

 CL. Both heavy cruiser
Heavy cruiser
The heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range, high speed and an armament of naval guns roughly 203mm calibre . The heavy cruiser can be seen as a lineage of ship design from 1915 until 1945, although the term 'heavy cruiser' only came into formal use in 1930...

s (CA) and light cruisers were numbered in a single sequence after 1931, hence there are some missing hull numbers.
United States Navy
Hull Number1 Class Years in service
CL-1
USS Chester (CL-1)
USS Chester of the United States Navy was a light cruiser, the first to be so designated.She was launched on 26 June 1907 by Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine, sponsored by Miss D. W. Sproul, and commissioned on 25 April 1908, Commander H. B. Wilson in command...

 to CL-3
Chester
Chester class cruiser
The Chester class of light cruisers were the first United States Navy vessels to be designed and designated as Light Cruisers.-External links:...

1908–1930
CL-4
USS Omaha (CL-4)
USS Omaha was the lead ship of Omaha class of light cruiser of the United States Navy. She was the second US Navy ship named for the city of Omaha, Nebraska....

 to CL-13
Omaha
Omaha class cruiser
The Omaha-class cruisers were a class of light cruisers built for the United States Navy. The oldest class of cruiser still in service with the Navy at the outbreak of World War II, the Omaha class was an immediate post-World War I design....

1923–1949
CL-14 Not Assigned, intended for USS Chicago
USS Chicago
Four United States Navy ships have been named Chicago, after the city of Chicago, Illinois.* The was a protected cruiser launched in 1885 and active in World War I; later converted to a seaplane tender, then a barracks ship, finally being renamed Alton in 1928 and lost at sea, while under tow in...

CL-15 USS Olympia
USS Olympia (C-6)
USS Olympia is a protected cruiser which saw service in the United States Navy from her commissioning in 1895 until 1922. This vessel became famous as the flagship of Commodore George Dewey at the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War in 1898. The ship was decommissioned after...

1895–1957
CL-16
USS Denver (CL-16)
USS Denver was the lead ship of her class of protected cruisers in the United States Navy. She was the first Navy ship named for the city of Denver, the capital of Colorado.-History:...

 to CL-21
Denver
Denver class cruiser
The Denver class cruisers were a group of six protected cruisers used by the United States Navy at the beginning of the 20th century.-Denver class ships:*USS Denver *USS Des Moines *USS Chattanooga *USS Galveston...

1903–1933
CL-22 USS New Orleans
USS New Orleans (CL-22)
USS New Orleans was a United States Navy protected cruiser.She was laid down in 1895 as Amazonas for the Brazilian Navy by Armstrong, Mitchell and Company, Newcastle-on-Tyne, England, launched on 4 December 1896, purchased by the Navy while building on 16 March 1898; and commissioned 18 March 1898...

1898–1930
CL-23 USS Albany
USS Albany (CL-23)
The third USS Albany was a United States Navy protected cruiser. She was originally laid down for the Brazilian Navy as Almirante Abreu, but was purchased by the United States Navy on 16 March 1898 to prevent her being acquired by the Spanish Navy during the Spanish-American War and renamed...

1900–1930
CL-40 to CL-43,
CL-46 to CL-48
Brooklyn
Brooklyn class cruiser
The Brooklyn-class cruisers were seven light cruisers of the United States Navy which served during World War II. Armed with 5 triple turrets mounting 6-inch guns, they and their near sisters of the St. Louis class mounted more heavy-caliber guns than any other US cruisers...

1937–1992
CL-49 and CL-50 St. Louis 1938–1951
CL-51 to CL-54 Atlanta
Atlanta class cruiser
The Atlanta-class cruisers were United States Navy light cruisers originally designed as fast scout cruisers or flotilla leaders, but later proved to be effective anti-aircraft cruisers during World War II. They were also known as the Atlanta-Oakland class. The lead ship Atlanta was sunk in action...

1941–1959
CL-55 to CL-67,
CL-76 to CL-94,
CL-99 to CL-105
Cleveland
Cleveland class cruiser
The United States Navy designed the Cleveland class of light cruisers for World War II with the goal of increased range and AA armament as compared with earlier classes.A total of 52 ships of this class were projected and 3 canceled...


Note: nine Cleveland-class cruisers were converted
to Independence-class
Independence class aircraft carrier
The Independence class aircraft carriers were a class of light carriers built for the United States Navy that served during World War II.This class were a result of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's interest in Navy shipbuilding plans...

 aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...

s
1942–1971
CL-95
USS Oakland (CL-95)
USS Oakland , was a modified Atlanta-class light cruiser, the first of a group of four sometimes referred to as the "Oakland class". She was laid down by Bethlehem Steel Co., San Francisco, California on 15 July 1941; launched on 23 October 1942; sponsored by Dr. Aurelia H. Reinhardt; and...

 to CL-98
Oakland 1943–1966
CL-106
USS Fargo (CL-106)
USS Fargo , named after the city of Fargo, North Dakota, was the lead ship of her class of light cruisers of the United States Navy, most of which were canceled due to the end of World War II....

 to CL-118
Fargo
Fargo class cruiser
The Fargo-class cruisers were a modified version of the previous design; the main difference was a more compact pyramidal superstructure with single trunked funnel, intended to improve the arcs of fire of the anti-aircraft guns...

1945–1970
CL-119
USS Juneau (CL-119)
The second USS Juneau was the lead ship of the United States Navy Juneau-class light cruiser laid down by the Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Kearny, New Jersey on 15 September 1944; launched on 15 July 1945; sponsored by Mrs. B. L. Bartlett; and commissioned 15 February 1946, Captain...

 to CL-121
Juneau
Juneau class cruiser
The Juneau-class cruisers were United States Navy light cruisers which were modified version of the design. The ships had the same main armament as with a much heavier antiaircraft battery, while the anti-submarine depth charge tracks and torpedo tubes were removed along with a redesigned...

1946–1966
CL-144
USS Worcester (CL-144)
The second USS Worcester was laid down on 29 January 1945 at Camden, New Jersey, by the New York Shipbuilding and Drydock Corp.; launched on 4 February 1947; sponsored by Miss Gloria Ann Sullivan, the daughter of Mayor and Mrs. F. G. Sullivan of Worcester, Mass.; and commissioned at the...

 to CL-147
Worcester
Worcester class cruiser
The Worcester class was a class of light cruisers used by the United States Navy, laid down in 1945 and commissioned in 1948-49. They and their contemporaries the heavy cruisers were the last all-gun cruisers built for the US Navy...

1948–1970
CL-154 to CL-159 abortive 1945 antiaircraft cruiser project none built
CLGN-160 (to CGN-160 and then to CGN-9) USS Long Beach
USS Long Beach (CGN-9)
USS Long Beach was a nuclear-powered guided missile cruiser in the United States Navy. She was the only ship of her class....

1961–1995
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