CB-1

[javelina]

By far, my favorite heavy cruiser.  CB-1, USS Alaska.  She was a beast.

[javelina]

[javelina]

[Boo]

I've never actually understood the reason for this class. To all intents and purposes a Battleship sized ship with cruiser levels of armour under the waterline and AA defence. 

Now - I know there must have been a reason so I look forward to being enlightened

[Sea Serpent]

They were ordered in 1940, according to Wikipedia, and I think the concept of winning a sea war with battleships and battlecruisers as a primary weapon was still very much alive.

[javelina]

I believe I read somewhere they were also intended to provide escort for the the faster carriers of the time.  CB-1 was able to hit 33 knots.  So she definitely could keep up with the carriers, vs a large battlewagon.  I don't have a link, but I remember stumbling on a read about it. 

[BlitzPig_EL]

The Navy was growing concerned over the build up of Imperial Japanese naval forces, and their rumored super heavy cruiser class that never was built.  The IJN's newer heavy cruisers were known about however, and the US Navy wanted a "super cruiser" type to deal with the IJN's growing cruiser force.  Hence, the Alaska class.

Her 12 inch guns could fire a "super heavy" armor piercing shell that actually out performed the Navy's 14 inch guns in service on the older Standard battleships.

Of course the aircraft carrier made heavy surface units mostly obsolete, so that was that for large ships carrying tube artillery.