Why the Atlanta class offered more than a Somers destroyer

Why build Atlanta-class cruisers when a Somers-class destroyer offered substantial armament on much less displacement?

Atlanta brought cruiser-level seakeeping, ammunition capacity, logistics, turret depth, and battle-damage resilience that a destroyer could not match.

The Somers class was a capable fleet destroyer, while the Atlanta class was a capable cruiser. A later follow-up identifies fleet-destroyer work as the Somers class's effective wartime role. Displacement comparisons alone miss the larger ship's seakeeping, ammunition stowage, turret arrangement, logistics, and ability to absorb damage. Those qualities affect how long a ship can remain effective after weather, combat, and repeated engagements. Atlanta's value therefore cannot be measured simply by asking how many destroyers could be built for the same tonnage.