Definition
USS Richmond (CL‑9) was a United States Navy Omaha‑class light cruiser. She was the ninth hull in the CL series and was named for the city of Richmond, Virginia.
Overview
The vessel was laid down on 23 April 1922 at the New York Shipbuilding Corporation in Camden, New Jersey, launched on 23 July 1923, and commissioned on 4 August 1923. During the interwar period, Richmond operated with the Scouting Force of the Atlantic Fleet, taking part in training exercises, fleet maneuvers, and goodwill cruises. After the United States entered World War II, she was assigned to convoy‑escort duties in the Atlantic, protecting merchant vessels against German U‑boat threats. Later in the war she served as a training and target ship for naval aviators. The cruiser was decommissioned shortly after the end of hostilities and sold for scrap in the mid‑1940s.
Etymology/Origin
The ship’s name derives from Richmond, the capital city of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The practice of naming light cruisers after American cities was standard for the United States Navy during the early 20th century.
Characteristics
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Class & Type | Omaha‑class light cruiser |
| Hull number | CL‑9 |
| Displacement | Approx. 7,050 long tons (standard); 9,600 long tons (full load) |
| Length | 550 ft (167.6 m) overall |
| Beam | 55 ft (16.8 m) |
| Draft | 13 ft (4.0 m) |
| Propulsion | Four Parsons geared turbines, eight Yarrow boilers, delivering 90,000 shp to two shafts |
| Speed | Designed for 35 knots; operational speed generally 33–34 knots |
| Armament (as built) | • 12 × 6 in (152 mm)/53 caliber guns in six twin turrets • 2 × 3 in (76 mm)/50 caliber anti‑aircraft guns • 4 × 1 in (25 mm) AA guns (later modifications added more 20 mm and 40 mm AA guns) |
| Armor | Light protective deck armor (up to 3 in); side belt armor limited to 2 in over machinery spaces |
| Complement | Approximately 560 officers and enlisted personnel (varied with wartime alterations) |
Related Topics
- Omaha‑class cruisers – the class of ten light cruisers built for the U.S. Navy in the early 1920s.
- United States Navy cruiser classification – the evolution of the “CL” (light cruiser) designation.
- USS Richmond (1853) – a Civil War‑era steam sloop of war sharing the same name.
- Convoy escort operations in the Atlantic – the broader naval campaign in which Richmond participated during World War II.
- Naval ship scrapping post‑World War II – the process by which many older warships, including Richmond, were disposed of after the conflict.