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The Atlanta class cruisers were built for the United States Navy as destroyer leaders, but were redesignated as light cruisers. They are notable for being the smallest cruisers in USN service during World War II, coming in at only around 7,000 tons, as well as being the only cruisers commissioned into the USN during the war with torpedo tubes. They also bristled with armament. The Atlanta class carried sixteen 5" guns in eight twin turrets, while the ultimate evolution of the design, the Juneau class, carried twelve 5" guns in six twin turrets and bristled with thirty-two 40 mm cannons and sixteen 20 mm cannons for air defense. To sum it up, they carried about half the anti-aircraft armament of a battleship or fleet aircraft carrier on a displacement of only 7,000 tons.
So, what if more ships like the Atlanta and Juneau classes had been procured for the Navy during World War II for use as air defense cruisers or even super destroyers? Could they have reduced losses from air attacks without impacting the overall naval construction programs too much?