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DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORY AND HERITAGE COMMAND
805 KIDDER BREESE SE -- WASHINGTON NAVY YARD
WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060
Online Library of Selected Images:
U.S. NAVY SHIPS -- Listed by Hull Number
"ACR" and CA -- Armored Cruisers and (after 1920) larger Protected Cruisers
Armored cruisers were among the earliest new ships built for
the "steel navy" of the later 1880s and the 1890s. In
accordance with contemporary practice, these were grouped serially
in an "Armored Cruiser" number series (informally abbreviated
"ACR") that ultimately encompassed thirteen ships. When
the Navy formally implemented its hull number system in 1920,
the surviving units were given CA series numbers which corresponded
to their original numbers. At the same time, several larger protected
cruisers were also given new numbers in the same series.
The London Naval Treaty of 1930 produced a division of the
existing "Light Cruiser" type into the new categories
of Light Cruisers (CL) and Heavy Cruisers (CA). The U.S. Navy
redesignated eight newly-built CLs as heavy cruisers and gave
them CA series numbers. However these were simply a continuation
of the same ships' previous light cruiser numbers and were not
part of the earlier "ACR"/CA series, which became extinct
with the scuttling of the old USS Rochester (CA-2) on Christmas
Eve 1941, soon after the outbreak of the Pacific War.
This page provides the numbers of U.S. Navy armored cruisers, and of larger protected cruisers retained after 1920.
See the list below to locate photographs of individual armored
cruisers numbered in the original "ACR" and CA series.
If the armored cruiser you want does not have an active link on this page, contact the Photographic
Section concerning other research options.
Armored cruisers numbered in the pre-1920 "Armored Cruiser" number series:
- Armored Cruiser # 1: Maine
(1895-1898). Completed as a Second-Class Battleship
- Armored Cruiser # 2: New
York (1893-1941), later CA-2. Renamed Saratoga
in 1911 and Rochester in 1917
- Armored Cruiser # 3: Brooklyn
(1896-1921), later CA-3
- Armored Cruiser # 4: Pennsylvania (1905-1931),
later CA-4. Renamed Pittsburgh in 1912
- Armored Cruiser # 5: West Virginia (1905-1930),
later CA-5. Renamed Huntington in 1916
- Armored Cruiser # 6: California
(1907-1918). Renamed San Diego in 1914
- Armored Cruiser # 7: Colorado (1905-1931),
later CA-7. Renamed Pueblo in 1916
- Armored Cruiser # 8: Maryland (1905-1930),
later CA-8. Renamed Frederick in 1916
- Armored Cruiser # 9: South Dakota (1908-1930),
later CA-9. Renamed Huron in 1930
- Armored Cruiser # 10: Tennessee (1906-1916).
Renamed Memphis in 1916
- Armored Cruiser # 11: Washington (1906-1946),
later CA-11 & IX-39. Renamed Seattle in 1916
- Armored Cruiser # 12: North Carolina (1908-1930),
later CA-12. Renamed Charlotte in 1920
- Armored Cruiser # 13: Montana (1908-1930),
later CA-13. Renamed Missoula in 1920
- CA-14: Chicago
(1889-1936). Previously an unnumbered protected cruiser,
later IX-5. Renamed Alton in 1928
- CA-15: Olympia
(1895-1957). Previously Cruiser # 6, later CL-15 and IX-40
- CA-16: Columbia
(1894-1922). Previously Cruiser # 12. Renamed Old Columbia
in 1921
- CA-17: Minneapolis
(1894-1921). Previously Cruiser # 13
- CA-18: Saint
Louis (1906-1930). Originally Cruiser # 20
- CA-19: Charleston (1905-1930). Originally Cruiser # 22
- CA-20 through CA-23: numbers not assigned.
- CA-24 and above, see: CL/CA
-- Light Cruisers and Heavy Cruisers
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NOTES:
To the best of our knowledge, the Online Library's pictures
are all in the Public Domain, and can therefore be freely downloaded
and used for any purpose.
Some images linked from this page may bear obsolete credit lines
citing the organization name: "Naval Historical Center".
Effective 1 December 2008 the name should be cited as: "Naval
History and Heritage Command".
Return to Naval History and Heritage Command home page.
Page made 21 August 2002
New ship added 14 June 2009