The Fargo-class cruisers were a modified version of the previous Cleveland-class light cruiser 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 (AA) guns. The same type of modification differentiated the Baltimore and Oregon City classes of heavy cruisers.
In all, 13 ships of the class were planned but only USS Fargo (CL-106) and USS Huntington (CL-107) were ever completed, the rest being cancelled at varying states of completion with the de-escalation of World War II.
Fargo, the lead ship of the class, was launched on 25 February 1945, but was not commissioned until 9 December 1945, shortly after the war ended. Huntington was commissioned early in 1946. The two ships were decommissioned in 1949-1950, and never reactivated.
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Fargo class cruiser |
| Operators: |  United States Navy |
| Preceded by: | Cleveland-class cruiser |
| Succeeded by: | Worcester-class cruiser |
| Planned: | 13 |
| Completed: | 2 |
| Cancelled: | 11 |
| Retired: | 2 |
| Preserved: | 0 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Light cruiser |
| Length: | 608 ft .25 in (185.3 m) |
| Beam: | 63 ft .5 in (19.2 m) |
| Draft: | 22 ft (6.7 m) |
| Propulsion: | 8 Babcock & Wilcox boilers 4 GE geared steam turbines 4 Screws 100,000 hp (75,000 kW) |
| Speed: | 32.5 knots (60.2 km/h) |
| Complement: | 1,100 officers and enlisted |
| Armament: |
|
| Armor: | 1.5-5 in belt 2-3 in deck 3-5 in turrets 2.25-5 in conn |
| Aircraft carried: | 3 |
