Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:23:00-2:23:16

Why Newport News and Saint Paul remained together in service

The continued use of two different heavy-cruiser classes is explained by budgets and investment already made in the individual ships.

Baltimore Class Heavy CruisersCold WarDes Moines Class Heavy CruisersFleet EconomicsHeavy CruisersUS Navy
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Question

Why retain Newport News and Saint Paul instead of two Des Moines-class cruisers?

Short answer

Cost, budget limits, and work already completed on the retained ships influenced the choice.

Notes

Keeping Newport News and Saint Paul together left the US Navy with one Des Moines-class and one Baltimore-class heavy cruiser. Cost and budget are the reasons given for choosing that combination over two Des Moines-class ships. Work already carried out on the retained vessels also mattered. The explanation remains qualitative, without comparative operating-cost figures or a detailed refit history.