Baltimore brought together design ideas already visible in Brooklyn and Wichita. The U.S. Navy built fourteen ships of the class, with some hulls later serving in missile-conversion careers that extended the design's life for decades. These cruisers retained reconnaissance ability, but scouting no longer determined their layout or purpose. They were intended to dominate surface opponents short of the enemy's heaviest units, completing the move from scout force to fighting force.
Chapter · 37:03-39:01
Baltimore and the fighting-cruiser culmination
Baltimore completes the transition from a specialized reconnaissance cruiser to a heavy cruiser intended to dominate surface opponents short of major capital ships.