Written by D-Mitch
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| The impressive USS Long Beach entering Sudic Bay, in 1987. |
The infographic in this article depicts all the twelve (12) classes of guided-missile cruisers of the United States Navy. These 12 classes of 15 sub-types in total include 65 vessels of which nine (9) were nuclear-powered, from 1955 until today. The vessels CG-1 through 8 and CG-10 through 12 were World War II converted cruisers; specifically former Baltimore-class heavy cruisers (CAG-1, CAG-2, CG-11 and CG-12), Cleveland-class light cruisers (CLG-3, CG-4, CG-5, CG-6, CG-7, CLG-8) and Oregon-class heavy cruisers (CG-10). CAG-1 USS Boston and CAG-2 USS Canberra retained most of their original gun armament and were later returned to their gun cruiser designations CA-69 and CA-70. Before 30 June 1975, ships CG-16 USS Leahy through CGN-38 USS Virginia (thus including also the two 11,550-ton Californias) were designated DLG or DLGN (Destroyer Leader, Guided Missile (Nuclear powered)). They were redesignated cruisers in the 1975 ship reclassification.