The Boston Class
Home Cruise Book FAQ Internet Links Quarterdeck Log News & Articles Reunions Site Search In Memoriam

Boston Class
Guided Missile Heavy Cruisers
(CAG)

Displacement: 17,685 tons, fully loaded

Dimensions: 673.5 x 70.5 x 32 ft

Propulsion: Steam turbines, 4 615 psi boilers, 4 shafts, 120,000 hp, 30+ knots

Crew: 1625

Armament: 2 twin Terrier (144 missiles total), 2 triple 8/55, 5 dual 5/38, 6 dual 3/50 (Canberra: 4 dual 3/50)

Armor: 4-6 inch belt, 2.5 inch deck, 1.5-8 inch turrets, 6-6.3 inch barbettes, 1.5 inch missile magazines

Guided missile conversions of

Baltimore class heavy cruisers.

Originally laid down as Baltimore class cruisers, this was only a partial conversion, with a full conversion to be carried out if the weapons were successful. The forward 5" and 8" guns were unchanged and the forward superstructure was somewhat modified; the two funnels were trunked to one and the entire aft superstructure was replaced.

Two Terrier launchers fitted aft in place of the original 5" and 8" guns. Two more Terrier launchers would have been added forward, but the missiles were rapidly outdated. Ships were obsolete by 1964; various proposals for limited modernization or complete reconstruction were not carried out. Both ships became CAs in 1968, with the 8" guns considered the main armament.

CA 69/CAG 1/CA 69 Boston

Built by Bethlehem Quincy.
Laid down: 30 June 1941, launched: 26 Aug 1942, commissioned: 30 June 1943. Decommissioned 29 Oct 1946.

Redesignated to CAG: 4 Jan 1952, converted at NY Shipbuilding: 11 April 1952 to 14 Oct 1955.  Recommissioned: 1 Nov 1955.

Two dual 3/50 later removed. Redesignated to CA 1: May 1968. Decommissioned: 5 May 1970, stricken: 4 Jan 1974, sold: 28 March 1975, scrapped.

CA 70/CAG 2/CA 70 Canberra (ex Pittsburgh)
Built by Bethlehem Quincy. Laid down: 3 Sept 1941, launched: 19 April 1943, commissioned: 14 Oct 1943.
Torpedoed 13 Oct 1944.
Decommissioned 7 March 1947.

Redesignated to CAG: 4 Jan 1952, converted at NY Shipbuilding: 30 June 1952 to 1 June 1956, recommissioned: 15 June 1956. Redesignated to CA: 1 May 1968, missiles removed. Decommissioned: 2 Feb 1970, stricken: 31 July 1978, sold: 31 July 1980, scrapped.

Revised: Sunday, May 12, 2002


This site was designed and built by Skip Hagan with contributions from
U.S.S. Canberra shipmates, the U.S.S. Canberra Reunion Association, and others.
Copyright © 2001-2004 by Hagans' Home. All rights reserved.
If you experience a problem with this site, please send e-mail to the Webmaster.