Editing Baltimore-class cruiser (section)

===Planning and construction===
[[File:USS Bremerton (CA-130) drydocked.jpg|thumb|left|USS ''Bremerton'' in drydock]]
Immediately after the outbreak of World War II in September 1939, the US Navy initiated studies regarding a new class of heavy cruiser that led to construction of the ''Baltimore'' class. With the start of the war, the limitations instituted by the [[Second London Naval Treaty]], which had completely banned the construction of heavy cruisers, became obsolete. The ''Baltimore'' class was based partly on {{USS|Wichita|CA-45|6}}, a heavy cruiser from 1937, which represented the transition from inter-war to World War II designs. It was also based partly on the {{sclass|Cleveland|cruiser|4}}, a [[light cruiser]] that was then being built. In profile, the ''Baltimore''s looked very much like the ''Cleveland''-class light cruisers, the obvious difference being that the larger ''Baltimore''s carried nine {{convert|8|in|mm|0|adj=on}} guns in three triple turrets, compared to the twelve {{convert|6|in|mm|0|adj=on}} guns in four triple turrets of the ''Cleveland''s.

The construction of the first four ships of the ''Baltimore'' class began on 1 July 1940, and four more were ordered before the year was out. A second order, which consisted of 16 more ships, was approved on 7 August 1942. Despite the heavy losses in cruisers during the first 14 months of the Pacific War, the completion of the ships was delayed because the Navy gave priority to the construction of the lighter ''Cleveland''-class ships, as more of the lighter ships could be completed more quickly for deployment in [[carrier group]]s. With the construction of the first eight ''Baltimore''-class ships moving slowly, the US Navy used the time to review the initial plans and improve them. The new, modified design was itself delayed, so that construction had begun on a further six ships—for a total of 14—using the original design before the revisions were completed. The final three ships ordered were converted to the second design, known as the ''Oregon City'' class. Between 1943 and 1947, 17 ships of the ''Baltimore'' and ''Oregon City'' classes entered service. Construction of the eighteenth ship ({{USS|Northampton|CLC-1|2}}) was suspended, to eventually be completed as a flagship/command ship in 1950. Five more were laid down but cancelled and scrapped before launch, and one was never started before being cancelled.

The largest contractor for the construction of the ''Baltimore''-class ships was [[Bethlehem Steel]], which produced eight ships at the [[Fore River Shipyard]] in [[Quincy, Massachusetts]]. [[New York Shipbuilding]] in [[Camden, New Jersey]], built four and the [[Philadelphia Naval Shipyard]] in [[Philadelphia]] completed two. The ships were named after cities in the United States, the only exception being {{USS|Canberra|CA-70|6}}, which was named in honor of {{HMAS|Canberra|D33|6}} (sunk at the [[battle of Savo Island]]), which had been named after [[Canberra]], the [[Australia]]n capital. The classification "CA" originally stood for "armored cruiser" but was later used for heavy cruisers.