This section begins with Long Beach's evolving weapons fit, including later armored-box Tomahawk launchers and Harpoon missiles. Attention then shifts to the 5-inch/38 guns reportedly added after President Kennedy questioned a missile-only ship. Guns provided a dependable fallback when early missiles could not be assumed to work in every circumstance. The choice remains revealing: the 5-inch/38 was proven and reliable, but already venerable for such an advanced cruiser.
Chapter · 14:34-17:50
Five-inch guns as a hedge in a missile-age cruiser
Long Beach's later Tomahawk and Harpoon weapons show continued adaptation, while her 5-inch/38 guns provided a practical backup to immature missile technology.