MIGHTY NINETY
Armament
Armament
Main Battery
12x 6-inch / 47 caliber Mark 16 guns
The 6-inch main battery was configured into four 3-gun turrets, two forward and two aft. In one of several efforts to offset the increasing topweight issues from added antiaircraft guns and radar equipment, the rangefinder was left off of turret 4 (the aft-most guns).
ASTORIA CL-90's forward 6-inch guns are illustrated in high contrast in this image from October 1944 (the rest of the photo has been darkened.) Note the large rangefinder hoods on both turrets and the floater nets and life rafts stored on the tops and sides of the gunhouses.
-Manipulation from USN photo in NARA collection courtesy of Larry Cote
Fore and aft Mark 34 gun directors / Mark 8 modification 1 radars
ASTORIA CL-90's Mk34 directors and radars illustrated in a high contrast image.
-Manipulation from USN photo in NARA collection courtesy of Larry Cote
CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE
The above port view of ASTORIA CL-90 highlights the locations for the ship's 6-inch gun turrets (red arrows) and main battery surface fire directors (yellow arrows.)
-Manipulation from USN photo in NARA collection courtesy of Tracy White
CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE
ASTORIA CL-90's aft 6-inch guns fire during exercises following Iwo Jima operations, 3 March 1945.
-photo taken by and courtesy of USS ASTORIA ship's photographer Herman Schnipper
SECONDARY BATTERY
12x 5-inch / 38 caliber dual-purpose guns
The 5-inch secondary battery was configured into six 2-gun Mk32 mounts, three forward and three aft. "Dual-purpose" refers to their ability to be used against both surface and aerial targets.
ASTORIA CL-90's forward 5-inch dual-purpose guns are illustrated in high contrast in this image from May 1945. Note the open rangefinder hoods visible on both mounts.
-Manipulation from photo taken by and courtesy of Herman Schnipper
Fore and aft Mark 37 gun directors / Mark 12/22 radars
Used for directing fire of the 5-inch battery against surface targets.
ASTORIA CL-90's fore and aft Mk37 directors and radars illustrated in a high contrast image.
-Manipulation from USN photo in NARA collection courtesy of Larry Cote
Individual Mark 51 gun directors / Mark 12/22 radars
Used for directing fire of the 5-inch battery against aerial targets. Unlike surface directors, aerial gunfire directors were specific to individual mounts. The Mark 51 director was utilized for both 5-inch and 40mm weapons in an antiaircraft capacity.
Three of ASTORIA CL-90's sixteen Mk51 individual gunfire directors. Unlike surface directors, Mk51 directors were associated with individual mounts. In this image of the aft directors, one guides a twin 40mm mount and the other two control aft 5-inch guns.
-Manipulation from USN photo in NARA collection courtesy of Larry Cote
CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE
This port view of ASTORIA CL-90 highlights the locations for the ship's 5-inch gun turrets (red arrows) and fire directors (yellow arrows.)
-Manipulation from USN photo in NARA collection courtesy of Tracy White
CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE
USS ASTORIA's starboard aft 5-inch mount fires during exercises returning from Okinawa, May 1945.
-photo taken by and courtesy of USS ASTORIA ship's photographer Herman Schnipper
28x Bofors 40mm cannon (twin and quad mount)
During combat operations in the Pacific, the ship's 40mm antiaircaft mounts were configured into five emplacements on each side, three twin mounts interspersed with two quad mounts.
ASTORIA CL-90's starboard amidships twin Bofors 40mm cannon in February 1945. Note the clips of ammunition ringing the interior of the splinter shield and covers protecting them from the elements.
-Manipulation from photo taken by and courtesy of Herman Schnipper
ASTORIA CL-90's starboard forward quad Bofors 40mm cannon in January 1945. Note the weather-proof ammunition covers have been rolled up onto the exterior of the splinter shield.
-Manipulation from photo taken by and courtesy of Herman Schnipper
CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE
This port view of ASTORIA CL-90 highlights the locations for the ship's 40mm mounts (red arrows) and fire directors (yellow arrows.)
-Manipulation from USN photo in NARA collection courtesy of Tracy White
CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE
ASTORIA CL-90 gun crew from a twin 40mm mount at air emergency stations, 7 May 1945.
-photo taken by and courtesy of USS ASTORIA ship's photographer Herman Schnipper
10x Oerlikon 20mm cannon (single mount)
During combat operations in the Pacific, the ship's 20mm antiaircaft mounts were configured into five single mounts on each side. These mounts were crewed by the ship's USMC detachment.
Single 20mm mounts on the forecastle of ASTORIA CL-90 in October 1944. These guns were sighted on their targets locally by the gunner and did not use a fire director. They were crew-served weapons only in the sense of ammunition resupply.
-Manipulation from USN photo in NARA collection courtesy of Larry Cote
CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE
This port view of ASTORIA CL-90 highlights the locations for the ship's 20mm mounts (red arrows.)
-Manipulation from USN photo in NARA collection courtesy of Tracy White
CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE
USMC personnel from ASTORIA's Marine Division crewing a 20mm anti-aircraft mount on 8 July 1945.
-USN PR photo courtesy of USS ASTORIA ship's photographer Herman Schnipper
The precise number of 40mm and 20mm guns aboard ASTORIA CL-90 is misreported in many sources including the Navy's Dictionary of American Navy Fighting Ships. This is likely due to two reasons:
1) the different configurations employed across the CLEVELAND-class; as the aerial threat increased the U.S. Navy responded with heavier antiaircraft weaponry.
2) ASTORIA was refit following her shakedown cruise, with ten single 20mm mounts replaced by four twin 40mm mounts.
ASTORIA CL-90 anti-aircraft configuration May-September 1944
-18x 20mm Oerlikon guns
-20x 40mm Bofors cannon
ASTORIA CL-90 anti-aircraft configuration September 1944-January 1946
-10x 20mm Oerlikon guns
-28x 40mm Bofors cannon
This latter configuration was utilized by all CLEVELANDs commissioned after ASTORIA with the exception of ships that came from Bethlehem Steel in Quincy, MA.
This photo taken on 14 July 1944 during ASTORIA's shakedown cruise depicts three starboard aft single 20mm Oerlikon mounts that were among the ten removed when the ship returned to Philadelphia Navy Yard. Men crowd around a mount that was damaged by overhead 6-inch main battery fire during drills; this is one likely reason the mount was removed.
-photo taken by USS ASTORIA ship's photographer Herman Schnipper
Main Battery
12x 6-inch / 47 caliber Mark 16 guns
The 6-inch main battery was configured into four 3-gun turrets, two forward and two aft. In one of several efforts to offset the increasing topweight issues from added antiaircraft guns and radar equipment, the rangefinder was left off of turret 4 (the aft-most guns).
ASTORIA CL-90's forward 6-inch guns are illustrated in high contrast in this image from October 1944 (the rest of the photo has been darkened.) Note the large rangefinder hoods on both turrets and the floater nets and life rafts stored on the tops and sides of the gunhouses.
-Manipulation from USN photo in NARA collection courtesy of Larry Cote
Fore and aft Mark 34 gun directors / Mark 8 modification 1 radars
ASTORIA CL-90's Mk34 directors and radars illustrated in a high contrast image.
-Manipulation from USN photo in NARA collection courtesy of Larry Cote
CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE
The above port view of ASTORIA CL-90 highlights the locations for the ship's 6-inch gun turrets (red arrows) and main battery surface fire directors (yellow arrows.)
-Manipulation from USN photo in NARA collection courtesy of Tracy White
CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE
ASTORIA CL-90's aft 6-inch guns fire during exercises following Iwo Jima operations, 3 March 1945.
-photo taken by and courtesy of USS ASTORIA ship's photographer Herman Schnipper
SECONDARY BATTERY
12x 5-inch / 38 caliber dual-purpose guns
The 5-inch secondary battery was configured into six 2-gun Mk32 mounts, three forward and three aft. "Dual-purpose" refers to their ability to be used against both surface and aerial targets.
ASTORIA CL-90's forward 5-inch dual-purpose guns are illustrated in high contrast in this image from May 1945. Note the open rangefinder hoods visible on both mounts.
-Manipulation from photo taken by and courtesy of Herman Schnipper
Fore and aft Mark 37 gun directors / Mark 12/22 radars
Used for directing fire of the 5-inch battery against surface targets.
ASTORIA CL-90's fore and aft Mk37 directors and radars illustrated in a high contrast image.
-Manipulation from USN photo in NARA collection courtesy of Larry Cote
Individual Mark 51 gun directors / Mark 12/22 radars
Used for directing fire of the 5-inch battery against aerial targets. Unlike surface directors, aerial gunfire directors were specific to individual mounts. The Mark 51 director was utilized for both 5-inch and 40mm weapons in an antiaircraft capacity.
Three of ASTORIA CL-90's sixteen Mk51 individual gunfire directors. Unlike surface directors, Mk51 directors were associated with individual mounts. In this image of the aft directors, one guides a twin 40mm mount and the other two control aft 5-inch guns.
-Manipulation from USN photo in NARA collection courtesy of Larry Cote
CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE
This port view of ASTORIA CL-90 highlights the locations for the ship's 5-inch gun turrets (red arrows) and fire directors (yellow arrows.)
-Manipulation from USN photo in NARA collection courtesy of Tracy White
CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE
USS ASTORIA's starboard aft 5-inch mount fires during exercises returning from Okinawa, May 1945.
-photo taken by and courtesy of USS ASTORIA ship's photographer Herman Schnipper
28x Bofors 40mm cannon (twin and quad mount)
During combat operations in the Pacific, the ship's 40mm antiaircaft mounts were configured into five emplacements on each side, three twin mounts interspersed with two quad mounts.
ASTORIA CL-90's starboard amidships twin Bofors 40mm cannon in February 1945. Note the clips of ammunition ringing the interior of the splinter shield and covers protecting them from the elements.
-Manipulation from photo taken by and courtesy of Herman Schnipper
ASTORIA CL-90's starboard forward quad Bofors 40mm cannon in January 1945. Note the weather-proof ammunition covers have been rolled up onto the exterior of the splinter shield.
-Manipulation from photo taken by and courtesy of Herman Schnipper
CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE
This port view of ASTORIA CL-90 highlights the locations for the ship's 40mm mounts (red arrows) and fire directors (yellow arrows.)
-Manipulation from USN photo in NARA collection courtesy of Tracy White
CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE
ASTORIA CL-90 gun crew from a twin 40mm mount at air emergency stations, 7 May 1945.
-photo taken by and courtesy of USS ASTORIA ship's photographer Herman Schnipper
10x Oerlikon 20mm cannon (single mount)
During combat operations in the Pacific, the ship's 20mm antiaircaft mounts were configured into five single mounts on each side. These mounts were crewed by the ship's USMC detachment.
Single 20mm mounts on the forecastle of ASTORIA CL-90 in October 1944. These guns were sighted on their targets locally by the gunner and did not use a fire director. They were crew-served weapons only in the sense of ammunition resupply.
-Manipulation from USN photo in NARA collection courtesy of Larry Cote
CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE
This port view of ASTORIA CL-90 highlights the locations for the ship's 20mm mounts (red arrows.)
-Manipulation from USN photo in NARA collection courtesy of Tracy White
CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE
USMC personnel from ASTORIA's Marine Division crewing a 20mm anti-aircraft mount on 8 July 1945.
-USN PR photo courtesy of USS ASTORIA ship's photographer Herman Schnipper
The precise number of 40mm and 20mm guns aboard ASTORIA CL-90 is misreported in many sources including the Navy's Dictionary of American Navy Fighting Ships. This is likely due to two reasons:
1) the different configurations employed across the CLEVELAND-class; as the aerial threat increased the U.S. Navy responded with heavier antiaircraft weaponry.
2) ASTORIA was refit following her shakedown cruise, with ten single 20mm mounts replaced by four twin 40mm mounts.
ASTORIA CL-90 anti-aircraft configuration May-September 1944
-18x 20mm Oerlikon guns
-20x 40mm Bofors cannon
ASTORIA CL-90 anti-aircraft configuration September 1944-January 1946
-10x 20mm Oerlikon guns
-28x 40mm Bofors cannon
This latter configuration was utilized by all CLEVELANDs commissioned after ASTORIA with the exception of ships that came from Bethlehem Steel in Quincy, MA.
This photo taken on 14 July 1944 during ASTORIA's shakedown cruise depicts three starboard aft single 20mm Oerlikon mounts that were among the ten removed when the ship returned to Philadelphia Navy Yard. Men crowd around a mount that was damaged by overhead 6-inch main battery fire during drills; this is one likely reason the mount was removed.
-photo taken by USS ASTORIA ship's photographer Herman Schnipper
Armor & Radar--coming soon
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