Boston-class cruiser

The United States Navy's Boston class were the first guided missile cruisers in the world. Both ships in this experimental class were originally Baltimore-class heavy cruisers that had been decommissioned after World War II, but were redesignated as guided missile heavy cruisers (CAGs) and entered refit in 1952. The lengthy conversion and modernization project (aka SCB 48) involved removing the aft triple 8-inch gun turret and its supporting structure and installation of two twin launchers for Terrier anti-aircraft guided missiles. The forward two 8-inch gun turrets remained unchanged. The forward superstructure was modified to include the Terrier's associated radars and electronics, the aft superstructure was completely replaced, and the Baltimore class's two funnels were trunked to one.[1]

USS Canberra on 9 January 1961
Class overview
Operators	United States Navy
Preceded by	N/A
Succeeded by	Galveston class
Subclasses	Baltimore class
Built	1941-1943
In commission	1955—1970
Completed	2
Retired	2
General characteristics
Type	Guided missile cruiser
Displacement	13,600 tons
Length	673 ft 3 in (205.2 m)
Beam	71 ft 10 in (21.9 m)
Draft	26 ft 10 in (8.2 m)
Propulsion	4 615 psi boilers, steam turbines, 4 shafts
Speed	33 knots (61 km/h; 38 mph)
Complement	1,142 officers and enlisted
Sensors and processing systems	1950s: AN/SPS-6 air-search radar AN/SPS-8A height-finding radar AN/SPS-10 surface-search radar AN/SPS-12 air-search radar AN/SPQ-5 fire-control radar CXRX hemisphere-scan radar 1960s: AN/SPS-13 air-search radar (Canberra) AN/SPS-29 early-warning radar AN/SPQ-5 fire-control radar AN/SPG-35 fire-control radar AN/URN-3 TACAN
Armament	2 × triple 8"/55 caliber guns 5 × dual 5"/38 caliber guns 4 × dual 3"/50 caliber guns 2 × dual Mark 4 RIM-2 Terrier missile launcher
Aviation facilities	Helipad

Owing to the Boston class's experimental nature, the ships were only partially converted, with a full conversion to be carried out if the new weapon systems were successful. Had the ships been fully converted, the forward 8-inch turrets would have been replaced with additional Terrier launchers. [1]

In 1968 both Boston-class guided missile heavy cruisers were reclassified back to heavy cruisers (CAs), in part due to the extensive use of their 8-inch guns for shore bombardment during the Vietnam War. While they had retained their Terrier missiles, the swift advance of technology had made these pioneering weapons obsolete after little more than a dozen years' service, and the ships' main battery were once again their six remaining 8-inch guns in the forward turrets. [2]

Various proposals for limited modernization or complete reconstruction (including SCB 003.68)[2] were considered but ultimately rejected. In 1970 both Boston class ships were decommissioned for the final time, eventually struck from the Naval Vessel Register, and sold for scrap.