History

Name: Northampton
Namesake: City of Northampton, Massachusetts
Ordered: 18 December 1924
Awarded: 13 June 1927
Builder: Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation's Fore
River Shipyard, Quincy, Massachusetts
Cost: $10,675,000 (limit of cost)
Laid down: 12 April 1928
Launched: 5 September 1929
Sponsored by: Grace Coolidge
Commissioned: 17 May 1930
Reclassified: CA-26, 1 July 1931
Struck: 28 November 1945
Identification: Hull symbol: CL-26
Hull symbol: CA-26
Nickname(s): "Nora"
Honors and awards:
6 × battle stars Silver-service-star Bronze-service-star
Fate: Sunk during the Battle of Tassafaronga
on 1 December 1942.

General characteristics (as built)

Class and type: Northampton-class cruiser
Displacement: 9,050 long tons (9,200 t) (standard)
Length:
600 ft 3 in (182.96 m) oa
569 ft (173 m) pp
Beam: 66 ft 1 in (20.14 m)
Draft: 16 ft 4 in (4.98 m) (mean)
23 ft 2 in (7.06 m) (max)
Installed power: 8 × White-Forster boilers
107,000 shp (80,000 kW)
Propulsion: 4 × Parsons reduction steam turbines
4 × screws
Speed: 32.7 kn (37.6 mph; 60.6 km/h)
Range: 10,000 nmi (12,000 mi; 19,000 km)
at 15 kn (17 mph; 28 km/h)
Capacity: 1,500 short tons (1,400 t) fuel oil
Complement: 90 officers 606 enlisted
Sensors and processing systems: CXAM radar from 1940
Armament: 9 × 8 in (203 mm)/55 caliber guns (3x3)
4 × 5 in (127 mm)/25 caliber anti-aircraft guns
2 × 3-pounder 47 mm (1.9 in) saluting guns
6 × 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes
Armor: Belt: 3–3 3/4 in (76–95 mm)
Deck: 1–2 in (25–51 mm)
Barbettes: 1 1/2 in (38 mm)
Turrets: 3/4–2 1/2 in (19–64 mm)
Conning Tower: 1 1/4 in (32 mm)
Aircraft carried: 4 × floatplanes
Aviation facilities: 2 × Amidship catapults

General characteristics (1941)

Armament: 9 × 8 in (203 mm)/55 caliber guns (3x3)
8 × 5 in (127 mm)/25 caliber anti-aircraft guns
2 × 3-pounder 47 mm (1.9 in) saluting guns
4 × 1.1 in (27.9 mm)/75 anti-aircraft guns