A commenter's proposal puts fourteen to eighteen 5-inch/38 guns on an armored Wichita hull. Such a ship could have been formidable against air attack, but it would have been a dedicated anti-aircraft platform rather than a balanced cruiser, a one-trick pony. The large hull and proven weapons could also have made it attractive for postwar missile conversion. Comparisons with Atlanta, Dido, Crown Colony, and Town-class choices keep the proposal tied to real production and force-structure tradeoffs.
Notable Point · 25:27-29:47
Wichita hull anti-air and missile ideas
A speculative Atlanta-on-Wichita idea explores what a larger armored anti-air cruiser might gain and what it would give up.