MIGHTY NINETY
The Homepage of USS ASTORIA CL-90
Technical Overview
USS ASTORIA CL-90 Technical Overview
NBXG was CL-90's radio call sign and flag hoist, shown here in alphabet flags and dot & dash from the 1943 Bluejackets' Manual.
USS ASTORIA as she was configured during her wartime cruise.
Specifications
SHIP CLASS: CLEVELAND-class light cruiser
ASTORIA was the 12th of 25 CLEVELANDs commissioned during WWII . 27 total ships of the class were built (not including FARGO-Class CLEVELAND modifications).
BUILDER: William Cramp & Sons Shipbuilding Co., Philadelphia, PA
ASTORIA was the 2nd of 5 CLEVELANDs built & launched by Cramp.
DISPLACEMENT: ~10,000 tons as designed, ~11,700 tons standard as built, ~14,400 tons full load
SPEED: 31.6 knots
These numbers are meant to be approximations as they vary from source to source.
LENGTH: 610 ft 1 in
BEAM: 66 ft 4 in
DRAFT: 25 ft 8 in
OFFICER COMPLEMENT: ~70 wartime, ~55 peacetime
ENLISTED COMPLEMENT: ~1200 wartime, ~900 peacetime
These numbers are also meant to be approximations as they vary from source to source.
Armament
MAIN BATTERY: 12x 6in/47 Mk16 guns
The 6-inch main battery was configured into four 3-gun turrets, two forward and two aft. Fire direction was provided by twin fore and aft Mk34 gun directors topped by Mk8 Mod1 radar.
The areas shaded blue in the diagram below illustrate the locations of the 6" turrets and their fire directors. Note that turret 4 (farthest aft) does not have a rangefinder. Topweight was a major factor for CLEVELANDs and this was one measure taken to reduce weight.
SECONDARY BATTERY: 12x 5in/38 dual-purpose guns
The 5-inch secondary battery was configured into six 2-gun Mk32 mounts, three forward and three aft. "Dual-purpose" refers to their ability to be used against both surface and aerial targets. Surface fire direction was provided by twin fore and aft Mk37 directors topped by Mk12/22 radar. Anti-aircraft fire direction was provided by individual Mk51 directors.
The yellow areas below illustrate the locations of the 5" mounts and fire directors. Mk37 surface directors are located at the top of the superstructure while the deck areas highlighted indicate locations of individual Mk51 directors.
ANTI-AIRCRAFT: Bofors 40mm (twin and quad mount), Oerlikon 20mm (single mount)
The precise number of 40mm and 20mm guns aboard ASTORIA is widely misreported in many sources including the Navy's Dictionary of American Navy Fighting Ships. This is likely due to the different configurations employed across the CLEVELAND class as the war progressed. 20mm mounts were phased out by additional 40s with their greater range and stronger punch, and ASTORIA was no exception to this reconfiguration.
ASTORIA's initial anti-aircraft configuration (June-August 1944):
In this picture from ASTORIA's shakedown cruise in June 1944, two single 20mm mounts are visible in a starboard side tub just abaft the forward main battery (note the turret rangefinder hoods at top right.) Aerial views from her shakedown cruise show similar 20mm tubs on all four "corners" of her superstructure.
-photo taken by U.S. Navy Photographer's Mate 3rd Class Herman Schnipper
This photo was taken during gunnery drills off Hawaii in November 1944. The 20mm mounts on the "four corners" have all been replaced by twin Bofors 40mm guns. These changes are visible in photos taken at Mare Island Navy Yard in October, and the timing of her movements to that point suggests that ASTORIA had these modifications made when she returned to Philadelphia following her shakedown cruise.
-photo taken by U.S. Navy Photographer's Mate 3rd Class Herman Schnipper
ASTORIA's war cruise anti-aircraft configuration (September 1944-September 1945):
This configuration was utilized by all CLEVELANDs commissioned after ASTORIA with the exception of ships that came from Bethlehem Steel in Quincy, MA.
NBXG was CL-90's radio call sign and flag hoist, shown here in alphabet flags and dot & dash from the 1943 Bluejackets' Manual.
USS ASTORIA as she was configured during her wartime cruise.
Specifications
SHIP CLASS: CLEVELAND-class light cruiser
ASTORIA was the 12th of 25 CLEVELANDs commissioned during WWII . 27 total ships of the class were built (not including FARGO-Class CLEVELAND modifications).
BUILDER: William Cramp & Sons Shipbuilding Co., Philadelphia, PA
ASTORIA was the 2nd of 5 CLEVELANDs built & launched by Cramp.
DISPLACEMENT: ~10,000 tons as designed, ~11,700 tons standard as built, ~14,400 tons full load
SPEED: 31.6 knots
These numbers are meant to be approximations as they vary from source to source.
LENGTH: 610 ft 1 in
BEAM: 66 ft 4 in
DRAFT: 25 ft 8 in
OFFICER COMPLEMENT: ~70 wartime, ~55 peacetime
ENLISTED COMPLEMENT: ~1200 wartime, ~900 peacetime
These numbers are also meant to be approximations as they vary from source to source.
Armament
MAIN BATTERY: 12x 6in/47 Mk16 guns
The 6-inch main battery was configured into four 3-gun turrets, two forward and two aft. Fire direction was provided by twin fore and aft Mk34 gun directors topped by Mk8 Mod1 radar.
The areas shaded blue in the diagram below illustrate the locations of the 6" turrets and their fire directors. Note that turret 4 (farthest aft) does not have a rangefinder. Topweight was a major factor for CLEVELANDs and this was one measure taken to reduce weight.
SECONDARY BATTERY: 12x 5in/38 dual-purpose guns
The 5-inch secondary battery was configured into six 2-gun Mk32 mounts, three forward and three aft. "Dual-purpose" refers to their ability to be used against both surface and aerial targets. Surface fire direction was provided by twin fore and aft Mk37 directors topped by Mk12/22 radar. Anti-aircraft fire direction was provided by individual Mk51 directors.
The yellow areas below illustrate the locations of the 5" mounts and fire directors. Mk37 surface directors are located at the top of the superstructure while the deck areas highlighted indicate locations of individual Mk51 directors.
ANTI-AIRCRAFT: Bofors 40mm (twin and quad mount), Oerlikon 20mm (single mount)
The precise number of 40mm and 20mm guns aboard ASTORIA is widely misreported in many sources including the Navy's Dictionary of American Navy Fighting Ships. This is likely due to the different configurations employed across the CLEVELAND class as the war progressed. 20mm mounts were phased out by additional 40s with their greater range and stronger punch, and ASTORIA was no exception to this reconfiguration.
ASTORIA's initial anti-aircraft configuration (June-August 1944):
- 18x 20mm (all single mounts)
- 20x 40mm (two twin mounts amidships, four quads surrounding them)
- 40mm anti-aircraft fire direction was provided by individual Mk51 directors.
In this picture from ASTORIA's shakedown cruise in June 1944, two single 20mm mounts are visible in a starboard side tub just abaft the forward main battery (note the turret rangefinder hoods at top right.) Aerial views from her shakedown cruise show similar 20mm tubs on all four "corners" of her superstructure.
-photo taken by U.S. Navy Photographer's Mate 3rd Class Herman Schnipper
This photo was taken during gunnery drills off Hawaii in November 1944. The 20mm mounts on the "four corners" have all been replaced by twin Bofors 40mm guns. These changes are visible in photos taken at Mare Island Navy Yard in October, and the timing of her movements to that point suggests that ASTORIA had these modifications made when she returned to Philadelphia following her shakedown cruise.
-photo taken by U.S. Navy Photographer's Mate 3rd Class Herman Schnipper
ASTORIA's war cruise anti-aircraft configuration (September 1944-September 1945):
This configuration was utilized by all CLEVELANDs commissioned after ASTORIA with the exception of ships that came from Bethlehem Steel in Quincy, MA.
- 10x 20mm (all single mounts)
- 28x 40mm (six twin mounts, four quad)
- 40mm anti-aircraft fire direction was provided by individual Mk51 directors.
The green areas above illustrate the locations of single 20mm mounts. Red areas indicate locations of 40mm mounts, which alternate twin-quad-twin-quad-twin on both sides of the ship. The deck areas highlighted red indicate locations of individual Mk51 directors for 40mm guns.
The superstructure closeup below shows the wartime placement of all armament using the color convention from previous illustrations. Deep red indicates the locations that were converted from 20mm to 40mm following the shakedown cruise. 
The same section is visible in this portside view taken at Mare Island Navy Yard on 21 Oct 1944.
Note: ASTORIA's post-war configuration will be added in a future update.
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