Long Beach class cruiser
Encyclopedia
The Long Beach class cruiser is a single-ship class (sole member, , ex-CGN-160, ex-CLGN-160) of the United States Navy
. The class is noted as the world's first nuclear-powered
surface combatant
, and the last cruiser
built in the US Navy to a cruiser design; all subsequent cruiser classes were built on scaled-up destroyer
hulls, or, in the case of the Albany class, converted from already existent cruisers.
During the design phase, the only ship of the Long Beach class was initially classified
as CLGN-160, then reclassified CGN-160 on 6 December 1956. The keel
of the USS Long Beach was laid by Bethlehem Steel
on 2 December 1957 at the Fore River Shipyard
in Quincy
, Massachusetts
. On 1 July 1958 she received her third and final classification, this time as CGN-9. The ship was launched
on 14 July 1959 and commissioned
on 9 September 1961. The Long Beach class under overhaul from 6 October 1980 until 26 March 1983. She was both decommissioned
and stricken on 1 May 1995.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
. The class is noted as the world's first nuclear-powered
Nuclear marine propulsion
Nuclear marine propulsion is propulsion of a ship by a nuclear reactor. Naval nuclear propulsion is propulsion that specifically refers to naval warships...
surface combatant
Surface combatant
Surface combatants are a subset of Naval Warships which are designed to engage in combat on the surface of the water, with their own weapons. They are generally ships built to fight other ships, submarines or aircraft, and can carry out several other missions including counter-narcotics operations...
, and the last cruiser
Cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...
built in the US Navy to a cruiser design; all subsequent cruiser classes were built on scaled-up destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
hulls, or, in the case of the Albany class, converted from already existent cruisers.
During the design phase, the only ship of the Long Beach class was initially classified
Hull classification symbol
The United States Navy, United States Coast Guard, and United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration use hull classification symbols to identify their ship types and each individual ship within each type...
as CLGN-160, then reclassified CGN-160 on 6 December 1956. The keel
Keel
In boats and ships, keel can refer to either of two parts: a structural element, or a hydrodynamic element. These parts overlap. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in construction of a ship, in British and American shipbuilding traditions the construction is dated from this event...
of the USS Long Beach was laid by Bethlehem Steel
Bethlehem Steel
The Bethlehem Steel Corporation , based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, was once the second-largest steel producer in the United States, after Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based U.S. Steel. After a decline in the U.S...
on 2 December 1957 at the Fore River Shipyard
Fore River Shipyard
The Fore River Shipyard of Quincy, Massachusetts, more formally known as the Fore River Ship and Engine Building Company, was a shipyard in the United States from 1883 until 1986. Located on the Weymouth Fore River, the yard began operations in 1883 in Braintree, Massachusetts before being moved...
in Quincy
Quincy, Massachusetts
Quincy is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Its nicknames are "City of Presidents", "City of Legends", and "Birthplace of the American Dream". As a major part of Metropolitan Boston, Quincy is a member of Boston's Inner Core Committee for the Metropolitan Area Planning Council...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. On 1 July 1958 she received her third and final classification, this time as CGN-9. The ship was launched
Ship naming and launching
The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch:There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely...
on 14 July 1959 and commissioned
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
on 9 September 1961. The Long Beach class under overhaul from 6 October 1980 until 26 March 1983. She was both decommissioned
Ship decommissioning
To decommission a ship is to terminate her career in service in the armed forces of her nation. A somber occasion, it has little of the elaborate ceremony of ship commissioning, but carries significant tradition....
and stricken on 1 May 1995.
Ships in class
| Keel laid | Launched | Commissioned | Decommissioned | |
| 2 December 1957 | 14 July 1959 | 9 September 1961 | 1 May 1995 |