Heavy cruisers are defined as having a main armament of 8" guns, the maximum set by treaty. Light cruisers had 6" guns, except a few were equipped with many 5" anti-aircraft guns as their primary armament. When the treaty ended, a battle cruiser class was authorized with 12" guns.
The US had 37 cruisers (18 heavy and 19 light) at the start of the war to serve all ocean fronts. Ten cruisers (7 heavy and 3 light) were sunk and 36 new (6 heavy, 22 light, and 8 anti-aircraft) were commissioned in time to participate in the war. Nine light cruiser hulls were used for CVL-light carriers. About fifty more cruisers were building at the end and did not participate. The last conventional gun cruiser was Newport News (CA-148) commissioned 29Jan49.
| ID | Name | Commission | Tons | Guns | 7Dec41 or to Pacific |
Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CL-1, | Chester | 1908 | 3,750 | 2-5",6-3" | VeraCruz, WWI | Decom'21, Scrap'30 |
| CL-2, | Birmingham | 1908 | 3,750 | 2-5",6-3" | FlagTrpFlt, WWI | Decom'23, Scrap'30 |
| CL-3, | Salem | 1908 | 3,750 | 2-5",6-3" | Flag SC | Decom'21, Scrap'30 |
| CL-4 | Omaha | 24Feb1923 | 7,300 | 12 6" | S. Atlantic | 1 |
| CL-5 | Milwaukee | 20June1923 | 7,300 | 12 6" | NY; Feb'42to Mar'42 | Russia Apr'44-Mar'49 |
| CL-6 | Cincinnati | 1 Jan1924 | 7,050 | 10 6" | S. Atlantic | 1 |
| CL-7 | Raleigh | 6Feb1924 | 7,050 | 10 6" | Pearl Harbor | 3 |
| CL-8 | Detroit | 31July1923 | 7,050 | 10 6" | Pearl Harbor | 6 |
| CL-9 | Richmond | 2 July1923 | 7,050 | 10 6" | off Chile | 2 |
| CL-10 | Concord | 3 Nov1923 | 7,300 | 12 6" | San Diego | 1 |
| CL-11 | Trenton | 19Apr1924 | 7,300 | 12 6" | Balboa | 1 |
| CL-12 | Marblehead | 8 Sep1924 | 7,050 | 10 6" | Borneo to Feb'42. | 2 |
| CL-13 | Memphis | 2 Feb1925 | 7,050 | 10 6" | South Atlantic | |
| CA-14 | Chicago (CP) | 17 April 1889 | 4,500 | 4-8”; 8-6” | 1913-23 FlgSub | |
| CA-15 | Olympia (C-6) | 5 Feb 1895 | 5,586 | 4-8”,10-5” | Shrine, Phila | |
| CL-16 | to CL-23 | 1898-1905 | c3,340 | c6 6" | scrapped 1921,1930 | |
| CA-24 | Pensacola | 25April1930 | 9,100 | 10 8" | convoy to Manila | 13 |
| CA-25 | Salt Lake City | 11Dec1929 | 10,826 | 10 8" | return Wake Island | 11 |
| CA-26 | Northampton | 17May1930 | 9,050 | 9 8" | return Wake Island | Tassafaronga
6 |
| CA-27 | Chester | 24June1930 | 9,200 | 9 8" | return Wake Island | 11 |
| CA-28 | Louisville | 15Jan1931 | 9,050 | 9 8" | return Borneo | 13 |
| CA-29 | Chicago | 9 Mar1931 | 9,300 | 9 8" | TF12 from Pearl | Rennell Island
3 |
| CA-30 | Houston | 1 July1931 | 9,050 | 9 8" | Panay Island | Java.
2 |
| CA-31 | Augusta | 30Jan1931 | 9,050 | 9 8" | Newport. | Atlantic. 3 |
| CA-32 | New Orleans | 15Feb1934 | 9,950 | 9 8" | Pearl Harbor | 16 |
| CA-33 | Portland | 23 Feb1933 | 9,950 | 9 8" | TF12 from Pearl | 16 |
| CA-34 | Astoria | 28April1934 | 9,960 | 9 8" | TF12 from Pearl | Savo Island
3 |
| CA-35 | Indianapolis | 15Nov1932 | 9,800 | 9 8" | Johnston Island | Guam|Okinawa |
| CA-36 | Minneapolis | 19May1934 | 9,950 | 9 8" | off Pearl Harbor | 16 |
| CA-37 | Tuscaloosa | 17Aug1934 | 9,950 | 9 8" | Iceland; Jan'45 | 7 |
| CA-38 | SanFrancisco | 10Feb1934 | 9,950 | 9 8" | Pearl Harbor | 17 |
| CA-39 | Quincy | 9 June1936 | 9,375 | 9 8" | S. Atlantic convoy | Savo Island
1 |
| CL-40 | Brooklyn | 30Sep1937 | 9,700 | 15 6" | convoy escort | Atlantic. 4 |
| CL-41 | Philadelphia | 23Sep1937 | 9,700 | 15 6" | Boston overhaul | Atlantic. 5 |
| CL-42 | Savannah | 10Mar1938 | 9,475 | 15 6" | New York | Atlantic 3 |
| CL-43 | Nashville | 6 June1938 | 9,475 | 15 6" | Bermuda; Mar'42 | 10 |
| CA-44 | Vincennes | 27Feb1937 | 9,400 | 9 8" | S. Atlantic; Mar'42 | Savo Island
2 |
| CA-45 |
Wichita | 16Feb1939 | 10,000 | 9 8" | Iceland. Jan'43 | 13 |
| CL-46 | Phoenix | 3 Oct1938 | 10,000 | 15 6" | Pearl Harbor | 9 |
| CL-47 | Boise | 12Aug1938 | 9,700 | 15 6" | Cebu, Philippines | 8 |
| CL-48 | Honolulu | 15June1938 | 9,650 | 15 6" | Pearl Harbor | 11 |
| CL-49 | St. Louis | 19May1939 | 10,000 | 15 6" | Pearl Harbor | 11 |
| CL-50 | Helena | 18Sep1939 | 10,000 | 15 6" | Pearl Harbor | Kula Gulf,J'43. 7 |
| CL-51 | Atlanta | 24Dec1941 | 6,000 | 16 5" | Apr'42 | Guadalcanal
5 |
| CL-52 | Juneau | 14Feb1942 | 6,000 | 16 5" | Aug'42 | Guadalcanal
4 |
| CL-53 | San Diego | 10Jan1942 | 6,000 | 16 5" | May'42 | 15 |
| CL-54 |
San Juan | 28Feb1942 | 6,000 | 16 5" | Jun'42 | 13 |
| CL-55 | Cleveland | 15June1942 | 10,000 | 12 6" | Jan'43 | 13 |
| CL-56 |
Columbia | 29July1942 | 10,000 | 12 6" | Dec'42 | 10 |
| CL-57 |
Montpelier | 9 Sept1942 | 10,000 | 12 6" | Jan'43 | 13 |
CL-58 |
Denver | 15Oct1942 | 10,000 | 12 6" | Feb'43 | 11 |
| CL-59 | CVL-22 Independence | 14Jan1943 | 11,000 | |||
| CL-60 | Santa Fe | 24Nov1942 | 10,000 | 12 6" | Mar'43 | 13 |
| CL-61 | CVL-23 Princeton | 25Feb1943 | 11,000 | |||
| CL-62 | Birmingham | 29Jan1943 | 10,000 | 12 6" | Sep'43 | 9 |
| CL-63 | Mobile | 24Apr1943 | 10,000 | 12 6" | July'43 | 11 |
| CL-64 | Vincennes | 21Jan1944 | 10,000 | 12 6" | May'45 | 6 |
| CL-65 | Pasadena | 8 June1944 | 10,000 | 12 6" | Oct'44 | 5 |
| CL-66 | Springfield | 9 Sep1944 | 10,000 | 12 6" | Feb'45. CLG-7 | 2 |
| CL-67 | Topeka | 23Dec1944 | 10,000 | 12 6" | May'45. CLG-8 | 3 |
| CA-68 | Baltimore | 16Apr1943 | 13,600 | 9 8" | May'43 | 9 |
| CA-69 | Boston | 30June1943 | 13,600 | 9 8" | Dec'43. CAG-1 | 10 |
| CA-70 | Canberra | 14Oct1943 | 13,600 | 9 8" | Feb'44. CAG-2 | 7 |
| CA-71 | Quincy II | 23June1943 | 13,600 | 9 8" | Mar'45 | 4 |
| CA-72 | Pittsburgh | 10Oct1944 | 13,600 | 9 8" | 1945 | 2 |
| CA-73 | St Paul | 17Feb1945 | 13,600 | 9 8" | June'45 | 1 |
| CA-74 | Columbus | 8 June45 | 13,600 | 9 8" | CG-12 | |
| CA-75 | Helena II | 4 Sept45 | 13,600 | 9 8" | 4 Korea | |
| CL-76 | CVL-24 Belleau Wood | 31Mar1943 | 11,000 | |||
| CL-77 | CVL-25 Cowpens | 28May1943 | 11,000 | |||
| CL-78 | CVL-26 Monterey | 17June1943 | 11,000 | |||
| CL-79 | CVL-28 Cabot | 24July43 | 11,000 | |||
| CL-80 | Biloxi | 31Aug1943 | 10,000 | 12 6" | Sep'43 | 9 |
| CL-81 | Houston | 20Dec1943 | 10,000 | 12 6" | May'44 | 3 |
| CL-82 | Providence | 15May45 | 10,000 | 12 6" | CLG-6 | 2 Vietnam |
| CL-83 | Manchester | 9 Oct46 | 10,000 | 12 6" | 9 K | |
| CL-85 | CVL-27 Langley II | 31Aug43 | 11,000 | |||
| CL-86 | Vicksburg | 12June1944 | 10,000 | 12 6" | Jan'45 | 2 |
| CL-87 | Duluth | 18Sep1944 | 10,000 | 12 6" | Apr'45 | 2 |
| CL-89 | Miami | 28Dec1943 | 10,000 | 12 6" | Apr'44 | 6 |
| CL-90 | Astoria | 17May1944 | 10,000 | 12 6" | Oct'44 | 5 |
| CL-91 | Oklahoma City | 22Dec1944 | 10,000 | 12 6" | May'45,CLG-5 | 2 |
| CL-92 | Little Rock | 17June45 | 10,000 | 12 6" | CLG-4 | . |
| CL-93 | Galveston | 28May58 | 14,600 | 6 6" | CLG-3 | . |
| CL-95 | Oakland | 17July1943 | 6,000 | 12 5" | July'43 | 9 |
| CL-96 | Reno | 28Dec1943 | 6,000 | 12 5" | Apr'44 | 3 |
| CL-97 | Flint | 31Aug1944 | 6,000 | 12 5" | Dec'44 | 4 |
| CL-98 | Tucson | 3 Feb1945 | 6,000 | 12 5" | May'45 | 1 |
| CL-99 | CVL-29 Bataan | 17Nov1943 | 11,000 | |||
| CL-100 | CVL-30 San Jacinto | 15Nov1943 | 11,000 | |||
| CL-101 | Amsterdam | 8 Jan1945 | 10,000 | 12 6" | May'45 | 1 |
| CL-102 | Portsmouth | 25June45 | 10,000 | 12 6" | . | |
| CL-103 | Wilkes-Barre | 1 July1944 | 10,000 | 12 6" | Nov'44 | 2 |
| CL-104 | Atlanta | 3 Dec1944 | 11,000 | 12 6" | Apr'45 | 2 |
| CL-105 | Dayton | 7 Jan1945 | 10,000 | 12 6" | May'45 | 1 |
| CL-106 | Fargo | 9 Dec 45 | 10,000 | 12 6" | . | |
| CL-107 | Huntington | 23Feb46 | 10,000 | 12 6" | . | |
| CA-119 | Juneau II | 15Feb46 | 6,000 | 12 5" | 5 Korea | |
| CL-120 | Spokane | 17May46 | 6,000 | 12 5" | . | |
| CL-121 | Fresno | 27Dec46 | 6,000 | 12 5" | . | |
| CA-122 | Oregon City | 12Feb46 | 13,600 | 9 8" | . | |
| CA-123 | Albany | 15June46 | 13,600 | 9 8" | CG-10 | . |
| CA-124 | Rochester | 20Dec46 | 13,600 | 9 8" | 6K | |
| CA-125 | Northampton | 7Mar53 | 12,300 | CLC-1 | . | |
| CA-130 | Bremerton | 29Apr45 | 13,600 | 9 8" | 2K | |
| CA-131 | Fall River | 1 July45 | 13,600 | 9 8" | . | |
| CA-132 | Macon | 26Aug45 | 13,600 | 9 8" | . | |
| CA-133 | Toledo | 27Oct46 | 13,600 | 9 8" | 5K | |
| CA-134 | Des Moines | 16Nov48 | 17,000 | 9 8" | . | |
| CA-135 | Los Angeles | 22July45 | 13,600 | 9 8" | 5K | |
| CA-136 | Chicago II | 10Jan1945 | 13,600 | 9 8" | May'45.CG-11 | 1 |
| CA-139 | Salem | 14May49 | 17,000 | 9 8" | ||
| CL-144 | Worcester | 26June48 | 14,700 | 12 6" | 2K | |
| CL-145 | Roanoke | 4April49 | 14,700 | 12 6" | ||
| CA-148 | Newport News | 29Jan49 | 21,000 | 9 8" | last CA | 1V |
| CB-1 | Alaska | 17June1944 | 27,000 | 9 12" | Dec'44 | 3 |
| CB-2 | Guam | 17Sep1944 | 27,000 | 9 12" | Jan'45 | 2 |
Bold means in Pacific 1942, "the early years".
Gray means completed too late to participate in the Pacific War.
- number of battles participated in WW2,
Korea or Vietnam