Task Force AC Treaty (Heavy) Cruisers

I have always like the US Treaty Cruisers a class of ships built after World War One in the 1920s.  Maybe its the romantic image of a simpler time, images like FDR fishing off the fantail of the USS Huston. 

Taken from: http://fooleryland.com/foolery/2008/05/memorial-day-part-2----the-uss-houston.html (sadly the original link they borrowed it from does not work)

Maybe its the fact that so many of them were lost in desperate battles against Japanese Imperial Navy in the First year of World War Two. Like most Americans I love an underdog especially an American underdog.

These two are New Orleans Class the last and arguably best of the US Treaty Cruisers. They pack a reasonably good punch but they are a bit fragile. 

The first of these is the USS Minneapolis I pick that name because I have friends in that city and because this ship was in a number of the biggest battles of the Pacific War.

Also you have to respect ship that takes a hit like that and comes back to fight again.

The Second ship is the USS Quincy because I once lived in that city and actually saw the bell that was retrieved from this ship after it was sunk at Salvo Island.

The USS Portland from the class of the same name Fought at Coral Sea, Midway and was  baddy damaged at the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal then came back to fight through the rest of the war.

The Portland was built as a flag ship and may fulfill that roll for my cruiser squadron.

The Last of the treaty Cruisers is also the oldest class the Northampton.  The USS Huston mentioned earlier was of this class and sunk at the Java sea, the Northampton her self escorted the big carriers until detached for Ethe Battle of Tassafaronga. 

I personally will think of this ship as the semi-fictional USS Northampton from Herman Wouk's War and Remembrance with Robert Mitchum in command as Captain "Pug" Henry.