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The ''Portland''-class of heavy cruisers was a class of ships designed and constructed by the United States Navy in 1930. The two ships of the class, and saw extensive service during the Pacific War in World War II. Designed as a modification over the previous ''Northampton'' class cruiser, the ''Portland''-class displaced nearly and featured heavier armor and armament than previous cruisers. Featuring 8"/55 caliber guns and designed to function as fleet flagships, the ''Portland''-class were intended to fix problems with armament and armor that had been a weakness of preceding U.S. cruisers. These designs were carried over to the following , of which several ''Portland'' cruisers were converted to mid-construction. ''Portland'' served in a large number of engagements including the Battle of Coral Sea, the Battle of Midway and the Guadalcanal Campaign, where she was severely damaged but nonetheless able to return to service. She later fought in the Battle of Leyte Gulf and the Battle of Okinawa. ''Indianapolis'' served as a fleet flagship for much of the war and fought in the Battle of Philippine Sea and the Battle of Iwo Jima. On 30 July 1945, after transporting components for the nuclear weapons Little Boy and Fat Man from the United States, she was torpedoed by the Japanese submarine ''I-58''. Due to a series of errors and miscommunications her loss was not discovered for several days, and only 316 of her 1,116 crew survived. == Background == The ''Portland''-class was the third class of heavy cruiser to be constructed by the United States Navy following the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922. The first "treaty cruisers" were the two of the ''Pensacola''-class ordered in 1926, which emphasized armament and speed at the expense of protection. These ships were followed by the six vessels of the ''Northampton''-class ordered in 1927 which were more heavily armed, and introduced the configuration of three triple turrets which would become standard on U.S. Navy heavy cruisers. The ''Portland''-class was a modification of both the ''Pensacola'' and ''Northampton'' designs. Ordered for the U.S. Navy in fiscal year 1930, the ''Portland''-class was originally designated as a light cruiser, and given the hull classification symbol CL, being re-designated a heavy cruiser with the symbol CA on 1 July 1931, due to their armament, in accordance with the London Naval Treaty. Originally, eight cruisers were envisioned as modified ''Northampton''-class vessels, but eventually two of these became the ''Portland''-class, with the remaining six eventually being further modified into the succeeding ''New Orleans''-class. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Portland-class cruiser」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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