Equipped with different propulsion systems for comparison, they were armed with two 5" and six 3" guns, and two torpedo tubes. Re-armed in 1917,  both 5" and four of the 3" guns were removed to add instead four 5" guns of a larger caliber and one 3" AA gun. All were originally designated as CS.

 

Omaha Class Scout Cruisers
- commissioned 1923 to 1925 -

Intended as long range, high speed scouts but employed as destroyer leaders after aircraft took on the role of scouting, they were armed with two twin and eight single 6" guns, four twin 3" guns, twelve 28mm AA, eight 20mm AA and 6 torpedo tubes. Two 6" singles were removed in 1928 and 1929. Carried 2 float planes. All previously designated CS
.
 

Denver Class Peace Cruisers
- commissioned 1903 to 1905 -

Third class gunboats that originally had other designations (C/PG/CL) and other hull #s. Main battery was ten 5" guns, which was reduced to eight during WWI. Additional armament was eight 6-pounders, two 1-pounders and four .30 caliber machine guns. One 3" AA gun was added post-war.

Pensacola Class Heavy Cruisers
- commissioned 1929 and 1930 -

These were the US Navy's first Washington Naval Treaty cruisers and the first modern cruisers to mount the 8-inch gun designed to match the firepower of Japanese cruisers. Lightly armored but top heavy when anti-aircraft armament was added later during WWII, they originally had two triple and two twin 8" guns, eight single 5" guns and six 21" torpedo  tubes (removed prior to 1941). Final anti-aircraft set up was sixteen 1.1" (added 1941), six quad 40mm (added 1943), twenty-eight 20mm (added 1943). Carried four float planes (no hangers). Both ships were previously designated CL.
 

Northampton Class Heavy Cruisers
- commissioned 1930 to 1931 -

Improved Pensacola's with new aircraft storage, the six ships were built to add firepower to the US Navy battle fleet which could not build more battleships due to the 1922 Washington Naval Treaty. First 3 ships were equipped as flagships.  Armed with 3 triple 8" guns, four 5", 6 quad 40mm, 28-20mm and 6 torpedo tubes, all were previously designated CL.

 

Portland Class Heavy Cruisers
- commissioned 1932 to 1933 -

Modified Northampton class cruisers with a new superstructure and an improved aircraft storage arrangement, they were armed with 3 triple 8" guns and 4 twin 5" guns. Final anti-aircraft armament on Portland was 16-28mm and 12-20mm. Indianapolis had 24-40mm and 12-20mm. They carried four float planes. Both were previously designated CL.
 

New Orleans Class Heavy Cruisers
- commissioned 1934 to 1937 -

A new design that reduced the "over weight" problem of earlier designs. They were armed with three triple 8" guns, eight single 5" guns and eight .50 caliber AA.. Final anti-aircraft armament was four quad 40mm and twelve 20mm. They carried four float planes. The first 3 ships were designated CL and were re-designated CA.
 

Brooklyn Class Light Cruisers
- commissioned 1937 to 1938 -

A new design that carried five triple 6" guns, eight 5"/25 cal. and eight 5"/38 cal. guns Reconstructions with blisters and secondary weapons were ordered for all ships to be done after severe battle damage. Final AA armament varied: up to 16-40mm Bofors and up to 24-20mm Oerlikons. The ships had hanger room for six aircraft, two aft catapults.
 

Wichita Class Heavy Cruiser
- commissioned 1939 -

 Heavy cruiser version of the Brooklyn class, this ship was the connection between the pre-war cruisers and those built during the war. Armed with 3 triple 8" guns, 4 twin 5" guns and 8-.50 cal, the final anti-aircraft setup was 4 quad and 4 twin 40mm, and twenty single 20mm. Carried 2 scout planes.
 

St. Louis Class Light Cruisers
- commissioned 1939 -

Built under the limitation of the London Naval Treaty of 1930, these two ships were a modified Brooklyn design. They had improved anti-aircraft armament and a new arrangement for the machinery. Armament was five triples of  6" guns, four twin 5" guns and eight .50 cal AA. They carried four aircraft launched from aft catapults.
 

Atlanta Class AA Cruisers
- commissioned 1941 - 1942

Anti-aircraft cruisers that were essentially large Destroyer Leaders intended to replace the aging Omaha Class. They were armed with 8 twin 5" guns, 3 quad 1.1" (replaced by 40mm), 6-20mm (increased to 13), eight 21" torpedo tubes, 2 depth charge racks and 6 "K" gun racks. Carried 3 sea planes. San Diego and San Juan were re-designated CLAA.
 

Cleveland Class Light Cruisers
- commissioned 1942 - 1945

Essentially an improved version of the Brooklyn class design, 39 hulls were ordered of which 27 were completed as cruisers, 9 as Light Fleet Carriers, and 3 hulls were cancelled. Original cruiser design was four triple 6" guns, six twin 5" guns, four twin 40mm (later four quad and six twin 40mm) and ten 20mm's. Carried four seaplanes and had two aft catapults. Most ships were extensively modified. CL-66 and later had steel deckhouses in place of earlier aluminum. Badly overloaded by 1945, six were converted to missile cruisers in the late 1950s.
 

Cleveland Class Hull #s & ship names Hulls converted to carriers excluded CL-55 Cleveland CL-56 Columbia CL-57 Montpelier CL-58 Denver CL-60 Santa Fe CL-62 Birmingham CL-63 Mobile CL-64 Vincennes (ex Flint) CL-65 Pasadena CL-66 Springfield > CLG-7 > CG-7 CL-67 Topeka > CLG-8 CL-80 Biloxi CL-81 Houston (ex Vicksburg) CL-82 Providence > CLG-6 > CG-6 CL-83 Manchester CL-86 Vicksburg CL-87 Duluth CL-89 Miami CL-90 Astoria CL-91 Oklahoma City > CLG-5 > CG-5 CL-92 Little Rock > CLG-4 > CG-4 CL-93 Galveston > CLG-93 > CLG-3 CL-101 Amsterdam CL-102 Portsmouth CL-103 Wilkes-Barre CL-104 Atlanta > IX-304 CL-105 Dayton

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Baltimore Class Heavy Cruisers
- commissioned 1943 - 1946

New heavy cruisers based on the Wichita class design, they were probably the best CA's in WWII. Armament: 3 triple 8" guns, 6 twin 5", 12 quad 40mm and 26-20mm. All ships except Boston, Canberra, Quincy & Chicago had quad 40mm's replaced by twin 3" post-WWII. 4 aircraft, 2 hangers, 2 catapults. Some ships were later converted to missile cruisers.
 

Anti-aircraft cruisers based on the Atlanta design with superstructure modifications, their armament varied: 6 twin 5", three 1.1" (removed 1943) 4-8 twin 40mm (up to 24-40mm), 8-16 20mm; 6-8 21” torpedo tubes (removed from 2 ships) and some ships with 2 depth charge tracks. All were re-designated CLAA.
 

Six large cruisers ordered under the 1940 Two Ocean Navy program, their extra size and larger guns insured against Japan building super cruisers more powerful than US heavy cruisers. As built, they were much closer to cruisers in design than battleships or battlecruisers. Wartime reality ultimately reduced the class to two ships only.
 

Based on the previous Cleveland class design, the superstructure was modified to improve the firing arc of the anti-aircraft battery. Original armament was four triple  6" guns, 6 twin 5" guns, 28-40m and 20-20mm AA. Thirteen ships of this class were authorized but, with the war ending, all but two were cancelled. The ships carried three aircraft.
 

Anti-aircraft cruisers based on the Atlanta and Oakland designs, they had a new superstructure to give better firing arcs for the 6 twin 5" DP guns (anti-aircraft defense to 35,000' altitude), 6 quad and 6 twin 40mm Bofors (defense to 15,000') and 8 twin 20mm Oerlikon guns. All were re-designated CLAA.
 

Eight ships of this class were authorized. but 4 were cancelled at the end of WWII and another was suspended during construction, then completed as a command ship. The first 3 cruisers were commissioned and would decommission the following year.  One was re-designated CG-10. Armament varied considerably between the 4 ships.
 

These ships were the largest cruisers ever built and represent the culmination of wartime cruiser design. They were armed with the new 8" Mk-16 rapid firing gun  - which was the first auto-loading gun deployed by the US Navy. Armament:  3 triple 8", 6 twin 5", 12 twin 3", 6 twin 20mm AA (removed 1947). Carried one utility helicopter.
 

An enlarged Atlanta class designed to carry the new 6" dual purpose gun - the first 6" gun capable of engaging aircraft. Ten ships were assigned but only two were laid down (1945).  The remaining eight ships were cancelled and considered surplus to the war effort. Armament: six twin 6" DP guns, ten twin and two single 3" guns.