Editing Baltimore-class cruiser (section)

===Hull===
[[File:USS Los Angeles (CA-135) underway on 27 April 1959 (NH 97388).jpg|thumb|right|Side view of ''Los Angeles'']]
[[File:USS Columbus (CG-12) underway off San Diego on 19 February 1965 (NH 82722-KN).jpg|thumb|right|Side-view of ''Columbus'', heavily refitted as an ''Albany''-class cruiser]]
''Baltimore''-class cruisers were {{convert|673|ft|7|in|m}} long and {{convert|70|ft|10|in|m}} wide. Since the hull was not altered in either the ''Albany'' or the ''Boston'' class, these numbers were the same for those ships as well, but the alterations differentiated them in all other categories.

Fully loaded, original ''Baltimore''s displaced {{convert|17031|long ton|t|lk=in}} of water. Their draft was {{convert|23|ft|11|in|m}}. At the bow, the top level of the hull lay {{convert|33|ft|m}} above the water; at the stern, {{convert|25|ft|m}}{{Citation needed|date=January 2018}}. The [[funnel (ship)|funnel]]s were {{convert|86|ft|m}} high, and the highest point on the masts was at {{convert|112|ft|m}}. The [[superstructure]] occupied about a third of the ship's length and was divided into two deckhouses. The gap between these housed the two thin funnels. Two masts, one a bit forward and the other a bit aft of the funnels, accommodated the positioning electronics.

The vertical [[belt armor]] was {{convert|6|in|mm|sigfig=3}} thick and the horizontal deck armor was up to {{convert|3|in|mm|sigfig=3}} thick. The turrets were also heavily armored, between {{convert|1.5|-|8|in|abbr=on}} thick, while the conning tower had up to {{convert|6.5|in|mm|sigfig=3}}.

The ''Boston'' class had a draft about {{convert|20|in|mm}} deeper in the water and displaced about {{convert|500|long ton|t}} more water than their former sister ships. Because the ''Boston''s were only partially refitted, the forward third of the ship remained virtually untouched. The first serious change was the combination of what were two funnels on the ''Baltimore''s to just one, thicker funnel, which still stood in the gap between the two deckhouses. Because the missiles required more guiding electronic systems, the forward mast was replaced with a four-legged [[lattice mast]] with an enlarged platform. The most conspicuous change was of course the addition of the missile-launching apparatus and its magazine of missiles, which took up the entire back half of the ship and replaced the guns which had been there.

The three ''Albany''s were completely rebuilt from the deck level up; except for the hull, they bore very little resemblance to their former sister ships. The deckhouse now took up nearly two-thirds of the ship's length and was two decks high for almost the entire length. Above that lay the box-shaped [[bridge (nautical)|bridge]] which was one of the most recognizable markers of the class. The two masts and funnels were combined into the so-called "[[mack (naval architecture)|macks]]", combining "mast" and "stack" (smokestack), where the electronics platforms were attached to the tops of the funnels rather than attached to masts rising all the way from the deck. The highest points on the forward mack were more than {{convert|130|ft|m}} above the water line. Such heights could only be achieved with the use of [[aluminum alloys]], which were used to a great extent in the construction of the superstructures. Despite this, the fully loaded displacement of the ''Albany''s grew to more than {{convert|17500|long ton|t}}.