Cleveland firepower expands bombardment choices

The Cleveland combined twelve 6-inch guns with twelve 5-inch weapons, extensive 40 mm and 20 mm anti-aircraft batteries, and floatplanes. It lacked torpedoes but still covered most missions the U.S. Navy expected from a cruiser. For a bombardment, commanders could choose three readily available light cruisers instead of exposing a battleship or searching for two heavy cruisers. The large inventory gave Merrill freedom to select a force suited to the task without wagering a scarce capital asset.