Atlanta Class Light Cruiser
Product Details
- Atlanta Class Light Cruiser
- CL-ATLANTA-EM-P
-
- Units in Stock: 3
Atlanta Class Light Cruiser Summary
This is a 3D printed sculpt of the Atlanta Class light cruiser by EBard Models.The eight Atlanta-class cruisers were light cruisers designed as fast scout cruisers or flotilla leaders that proved to be effective anti-aircraft cruisers during World War II. They were also known as the Atlanta-Oakland class. The four Oakland and later ships had slightly different armament as they were further optimized for anti-aircraft fire. The Atlanta class had 12 x 5-inch (127 mm)/38 caliber guns, mounted in three superfiring sets of two-gun turrets fore and three more aft. The first four ships of the class also had an additional two twin 5-inch/38 mounts, one port and one starboard, giving these first four Atlanta-class cruisers the heaviest anti-aircraft armament of any cruiser of World War II.
Some reference the class as CLAA (light cruiser, anti-aircaft) instead of CL because of her light armament which is better suited for anti-aircraft fire than direct fire against enemy ships. However, her entire battery of 5-inch (127 mm) guns were dual-purpose (DP) guns, and were capable of being used against both air and surface targets, able to fire anti-aircraft, high-explosive and armor-piercing shells.
The Atlanta-class ships were lightly armored, making them poor surface combatants compared to a typical light cruiser. In terms of armament, the Atlanta class was closer to a destroyer, being armed with 5-inch guns, than a light cruiser, which were generally equipped with 6-inch guns; but at well over 500 feet (152 m) in length, and combined with their large battery of sixteen 5-inch (127 mm) guns (reduced to twelve in number for later ships of the class), they were designated as light cruisers. Typical destroyers of the time only carried five or six 5-inch guns. Despite being under-armored for light cruisers, they had thicker armor than destroyers, which were notoriously underprotected.
The Atlanta class saw heavy action during World War II, collectively earning 54 battle stars. Two ships of the class were sunk in action: Atlanta and Juneau, both at the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. The other six were decommissioned shortly after the war.
Although very formidable as anti-aircraft ships, the Atlanta-class cruisers did not fare well in surface combat. The only two cruisers of the class that engaged in surface combat were sunk: Atlanta and Juneau. The U.S. Navy lost three light cruisers during World War II, two of which were Atlantas. However it was deteremined that their light guns did not contribute to their loss.The Atlanta-class design was also criticized for its shortage of gunfire directors for the main 5-inch gun battery, which reduced its effectiveness. Initially there were not enough intermediate anti-aircraft guns (i.e. 1.1 in guns, Bofors 40 mm and the Oerlikon 20 mm rapid-fire cannons). These problems were somewhat corrected in naval shipyards by the end of 1942, but the Atlanta-class warships were thereafter overloaded with weight, compared to the size of their hulls, and throughout World War II and the postwar years, they had problems with topside weight which was addressed by a redesign of the third repeat order which was called the Juneau-class cruiser.
Ships of Class:
- CL-51 Atlanta - Sunk, Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, November 1942
- CL-52 Juneau - Sunk, Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, November 1942
- CL-53 San Diego - Survived the war
- CL-54 San Juan - Survived the war
- CL-95 Oakland - Survived the war
- CL-96 Reno - Survived the war
- CL-97 Flint - Survived the war
- CL-98 Tucson - Survived the war
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