Norfolk, United States Light Heavy Cruiser laid down 1925
Displacement:
9,621 t light; 10,230 t standard; 11,951 t normal; 13,327 t full load
Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
604.27 ft / 600.00 ft x 60.00 ft (Bulges 65.00 ft) x 25.00 ft (normal load)
184.18 m / 182.88 m x 18.29 m (Bulges 19.81 m) x 7.62 m
Armament:
12 - 7.44" / 189 mm guns (4x3 guns), 205.92lbs / 93.40kg shells, 1925 Model
Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
on centreline ends, evenly spread, all raised mounts - superfiring
8 - 5.38" / 137 mm guns in single mounts, 77.86lbs / 35.32kg shells, 1925 Model
Breech loading guns in Coles/Ericsson turrets
on centreline, evenly spread, all raised mounts
6 - 3.00" / 76.2 mm guns in single mounts, 13.50lbs / 6.12kg shells, 1925 Model
Breech loading guns in deck mounts
on centreline, evenly spread, all raised mounts
12 - 0.79" / 20.1 mm guns in single mounts, 0.25lbs / 0.11kg shells, 1925 Model
Breech loading guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
Weight of broadside 3,178 lbs / 1,441 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 200
Armour:
- Belts: Width (max) Length (avg) Height (avg)
Main: 3.50" / 89 mm 320.00 ft / 97.54 m 10.30 ft / 3.14 m
Ends: Unarmoured
Upper: 0.50" / 13 mm 390.00 ft / 118.87 m 8.00 ft / 2.44 m
Main Belt covers 82 % of normal length
Main belt does not fully cover magazines and engineering spaces
- Torpedo Bulkhead and Bulges:
1.00" / 25 mm 390.00 ft / 118.87 m 14.56 ft / 4.44 m
- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 2.00" / 51 mm - 1.50" / 38 mm
2nd: 1.00" / 25 mm - -
- Armour deck: 2.00" / 51 mm, Conning tower: 2.00" / 51 mm
Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Geared drive, 4 shafts, 70,904 shp / 52,895 Kw = 30.00 kts
Range 10,000nm at 16.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 3,098 tons
Complement:
570 - 742
Cost:
£3.249 million / $12.996 million
Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 397 tons, 3.3 %
Armour: 1,967 tons, 16.5 %
- Belts: 559 tons, 4.7 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 210 tons, 1.8 %
- Armament: 340 tons, 2.8 %
- Armour Deck: 836 tons, 7.0 %
- Conning Tower: 23 tons, 0.2 %
Machinery: 2,302 tons, 19.3 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 4,925 tons, 41.2 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 2,329 tons, 19.5 %
Miscellaneous weights: 30 tons, 0.3 %
Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
13,499 lbs / 6,123 Kg = 65.6 x 7.4 " / 189 mm shells or 2.2 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.02
Metacentric height 2.4 ft / 0.7 m
Roll period: 17.5 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 80 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.94
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.23
Hull form characteristics:
Hull has rise aft of midbreak, raised quarterdeck
Block coefficient: 0.429
Length to Beam Ratio: 9.23 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 24.49 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 51 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 65
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 9.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 0.00 ft / 0.00 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 26.94 ft / 8.21 m
- Forecastle (20 %): 20.15 ft / 6.14 m
- Mid (50 %): 17.15 ft / 5.23 m (20.15 ft / 6.14 m aft of break)
- Quarterdeck (15 %): 18.15 ft / 5.53 m (17.15 ft / 5.23 m before break)
- Stern: 18.15 ft / 5.53 m
- Average freeboard: 19.42 ft / 5.92 m
Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 134.7 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 140.8 %
Waterplane Area: 22,590 Square feet or 2,099 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 122 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 125 lbs/sq ft or 611 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.96
- Longitudinal: 1.52
- Overall: 1.00
Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is cramped
Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent
Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform
Good seaboat, rides out heavy weather easily
The USS Norfolk was a testbed for the navy.
In 1925, Congress officially released funds for 2 heavy cruiser designs after the Hobbs report revealed the tragic nature of the Heavy cruisers in the WNT era.
While originally the USN was going to go for a 3 X 8 inch gun design (Northampton Design) for both, Senator Douglas Renton who was a close associate to several gun manufacturers talked to then Admiral Whitby about a 12 X 7/44 inch.
Whitby was interested and set Rear Admiral Morrison to investigate this possibility.
Morrison discovered the characteristics of the new 7" 44 were impressive and the turret design was already drawn up by the design board when they dropped a bombshell.
The designer of the turret had also found a way to auto load shells.
Morrison informed his brother admirals whose shock led quickly to suspicion and they charged him with investigating the design.
Admiral Morrison was on the verge of ordering a autoloader and 7 inch turret for testing on a older vessel when rumors from Japan led to a war scare causing Congress to push the design through untested.
The Norfolk and Northampton were completed within two years with proponents of both ships crowing over every one of their strengths while downplaying weaknesses.
The navy though was not impressed with Northampton but the cheapness of the ship compared to the larger Norfolk and its tested guns and workable turrets.
The Norfolk tested well with her autoloader seeming to work well when her captain, Captain Richard Appleton requested permission to test the guns in various weathers and climes until destruction.
Admiral Whitby accepted this proposal and the Norfolk headed into the Caribbean and Pacific where a terrifying fact became obvious.
The guns autoloaders, while impressive, were not capable to taking heat and humidity without four times the matinence of a conventional gun system which would be proven when gas from the system burst through a pipe and filled the turret nearly killing all the gunners.
Appleton praised the system and its idea but demanded the autoloader be removed from the Norfolk for, in his own words to, "-the well being of every American Sailor in the service."
Senator Renton and his supporters came down on Appleton nearly sinking his career until Admiral Whitby, age 84, demanded the removal immediately and then retired leaving the unblemished Morrison as his successor.
Morrison, to keep the peace and to bring forth ideas he had, asked the company to design a autoloader for a 5" 38 caliber autoloader that could work in all weathers and climes and to continue work on the 7 inch cannon.
This quieted down the controversy, Morrison would then show the Navy he supported them by making the able Captain Appleton his aide and remove the autoloader.
The Norfolk herself would see little service in the Great Pacific War as she was ordered to perform convoy raiding in the Mediterranean after the sinking and capture of Leviathan and the George Washington.
In 1934 she received an improved autoloader variant that shockingly to all involved worked on her 7 inch guns along with her 5 inch guns. Though not as fast as hoped, the fact they worked well in weathers including arctic and summer weather with less matinence needed impressed many. By this time though the newer 8 inch cannon shells and death of Senator Renton had caused any further work to seize.
At Yap she would be part of a cruiser squadron with Northampton and her sisters where her guns proved their magic as they overwhelmed a trio of light cruisers seeking to torpedo the squadron.
Though damaged heavily, the Norfolk survived the battle with 2 battle stars for her service.
However, her fate had been sealed and on August 14th, 1936 the gallant and impressive vessel docked after her last voyage to the scrapyard.
By June 1937, the ship would not exist.
Displacement:
9,621 t light; 10,230 t standard; 11,951 t normal; 13,327 t full load
Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
604.27 ft / 600.00 ft x 60.00 ft (Bulges 65.00 ft) x 25.00 ft (normal load)
184.18 m / 182.88 m x 18.29 m (Bulges 19.81 m) x 7.62 m
Armament:
12 - 7.44" / 189 mm guns (4x3 guns), 205.92lbs / 93.40kg shells, 1925 Model
Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
on centreline ends, evenly spread, all raised mounts - superfiring
8 - 5.38" / 137 mm guns in single mounts, 77.86lbs / 35.32kg shells, 1925 Model
Breech loading guns in Coles/Ericsson turrets
on centreline, evenly spread, all raised mounts
6 - 3.00" / 76.2 mm guns in single mounts, 13.50lbs / 6.12kg shells, 1925 Model
Breech loading guns in deck mounts
on centreline, evenly spread, all raised mounts
12 - 0.79" / 20.1 mm guns in single mounts, 0.25lbs / 0.11kg shells, 1925 Model
Breech loading guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
Weight of broadside 3,178 lbs / 1,441 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 200
Armour:
- Belts: Width (max) Length (avg) Height (avg)
Main: 3.50" / 89 mm 320.00 ft / 97.54 m 10.30 ft / 3.14 m
Ends: Unarmoured
Upper: 0.50" / 13 mm 390.00 ft / 118.87 m 8.00 ft / 2.44 m
Main Belt covers 82 % of normal length
Main belt does not fully cover magazines and engineering spaces
- Torpedo Bulkhead and Bulges:
1.00" / 25 mm 390.00 ft / 118.87 m 14.56 ft / 4.44 m
- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 2.00" / 51 mm - 1.50" / 38 mm
2nd: 1.00" / 25 mm - -
- Armour deck: 2.00" / 51 mm, Conning tower: 2.00" / 51 mm
Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Geared drive, 4 shafts, 70,904 shp / 52,895 Kw = 30.00 kts
Range 10,000nm at 16.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 3,098 tons
Complement:
570 - 742
Cost:
£3.249 million / $12.996 million
Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 397 tons, 3.3 %
Armour: 1,967 tons, 16.5 %
- Belts: 559 tons, 4.7 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 210 tons, 1.8 %
- Armament: 340 tons, 2.8 %
- Armour Deck: 836 tons, 7.0 %
- Conning Tower: 23 tons, 0.2 %
Machinery: 2,302 tons, 19.3 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 4,925 tons, 41.2 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 2,329 tons, 19.5 %
Miscellaneous weights: 30 tons, 0.3 %
Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
13,499 lbs / 6,123 Kg = 65.6 x 7.4 " / 189 mm shells or 2.2 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.02
Metacentric height 2.4 ft / 0.7 m
Roll period: 17.5 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 80 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.94
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.23
Hull form characteristics:
Hull has rise aft of midbreak, raised quarterdeck
Block coefficient: 0.429
Length to Beam Ratio: 9.23 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 24.49 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 51 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 65
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 9.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 0.00 ft / 0.00 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 26.94 ft / 8.21 m
- Forecastle (20 %): 20.15 ft / 6.14 m
- Mid (50 %): 17.15 ft / 5.23 m (20.15 ft / 6.14 m aft of break)
- Quarterdeck (15 %): 18.15 ft / 5.53 m (17.15 ft / 5.23 m before break)
- Stern: 18.15 ft / 5.53 m
- Average freeboard: 19.42 ft / 5.92 m
Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 134.7 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 140.8 %
Waterplane Area: 22,590 Square feet or 2,099 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 122 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 125 lbs/sq ft or 611 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.96
- Longitudinal: 1.52
- Overall: 1.00
Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is cramped
Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent
Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform
Good seaboat, rides out heavy weather easily
The USS Norfolk was a testbed for the navy.
In 1925, Congress officially released funds for 2 heavy cruiser designs after the Hobbs report revealed the tragic nature of the Heavy cruisers in the WNT era.
While originally the USN was going to go for a 3 X 8 inch gun design (Northampton Design) for both, Senator Douglas Renton who was a close associate to several gun manufacturers talked to then Admiral Whitby about a 12 X 7/44 inch.
Whitby was interested and set Rear Admiral Morrison to investigate this possibility.
Morrison discovered the characteristics of the new 7" 44 were impressive and the turret design was already drawn up by the design board when they dropped a bombshell.
The designer of the turret had also found a way to auto load shells.
Morrison informed his brother admirals whose shock led quickly to suspicion and they charged him with investigating the design.
Admiral Morrison was on the verge of ordering a autoloader and 7 inch turret for testing on a older vessel when rumors from Japan led to a war scare causing Congress to push the design through untested.
The Norfolk and Northampton were completed within two years with proponents of both ships crowing over every one of their strengths while downplaying weaknesses.
The navy though was not impressed with Northampton but the cheapness of the ship compared to the larger Norfolk and its tested guns and workable turrets.
The Norfolk tested well with her autoloader seeming to work well when her captain, Captain Richard Appleton requested permission to test the guns in various weathers and climes until destruction.
Admiral Whitby accepted this proposal and the Norfolk headed into the Caribbean and Pacific where a terrifying fact became obvious.
The guns autoloaders, while impressive, were not capable to taking heat and humidity without four times the matinence of a conventional gun system which would be proven when gas from the system burst through a pipe and filled the turret nearly killing all the gunners.
Appleton praised the system and its idea but demanded the autoloader be removed from the Norfolk for, in his own words to, "-the well being of every American Sailor in the service."
Senator Renton and his supporters came down on Appleton nearly sinking his career until Admiral Whitby, age 84, demanded the removal immediately and then retired leaving the unblemished Morrison as his successor.
Morrison, to keep the peace and to bring forth ideas he had, asked the company to design a autoloader for a 5" 38 caliber autoloader that could work in all weathers and climes and to continue work on the 7 inch cannon.
This quieted down the controversy, Morrison would then show the Navy he supported them by making the able Captain Appleton his aide and remove the autoloader.
The Norfolk herself would see little service in the Great Pacific War as she was ordered to perform convoy raiding in the Mediterranean after the sinking and capture of Leviathan and the George Washington.
In 1934 she received an improved autoloader variant that shockingly to all involved worked on her 7 inch guns along with her 5 inch guns. Though not as fast as hoped, the fact they worked well in weathers including arctic and summer weather with less matinence needed impressed many. By this time though the newer 8 inch cannon shells and death of Senator Renton had caused any further work to seize.
At Yap she would be part of a cruiser squadron with Northampton and her sisters where her guns proved their magic as they overwhelmed a trio of light cruisers seeking to torpedo the squadron.
Though damaged heavily, the Norfolk survived the battle with 2 battle stars for her service.
However, her fate had been sealed and on August 14th, 1936 the gallant and impressive vessel docked after her last voyage to the scrapyard.
By June 1937, the ship would not exist.