7051 USS MARBLEHEAD CL-12 1942

The USS Marblehead (CL-12) was an American light cruiser laid down in 1920 and launched in October 1923. The total length of the ship at the time of launching was 169.3 m, width 16.9 m, with a standard displacement of about 7,200 tons. The maximum speed was up to 35 knots. The armament of the unit at the time of launching mainly consisted of: 11 152 mm guns, 4 76 mm anti-aircraft guns and 10 533 mm torpedo tubes. The ship could also operate with 2 seaplanes. USS Marblehead (CL-12) was one of ten Omaha-class light cruisers. Units of this class were designed during World War I and it was assumed that they would be the fastest possible ships, intended for operations mainly in the Atlantic. They were also to perform reconnaissance and insurance functions in relation to larger US Navy ships. Interestingly, the overall design was quite similar to that used on the Clemson-class destroyers. The USS Marblehead (CL-12) was constructed at the William Cramp and Sons shipyard in Philadelphia. In the interwar period, it operated mainly in the Far East, with a break in 1928-1933. At the time of US accession to World War II, the ship operated in the Pacific, and at the beginning of 1942 it operated in the region of the Dutch East Indies, where it took part in the struggle with Japanese forces in the course of which it was severely damaged. At the end of February 1942, he managed to reach Ceylon. Soon after, he sailed to South Africa, where he underwent major repairs, and afterwards he was transferred to New York. It was not until the end of 1942 that the USS Marblehead (CL-12) returned to active service - it operated in the South Atlantic until the beginning of 1944. At the very end of World War II, the ship served as a training unit, and in February 1946 was sold for scrap.