St. Louis-class cruiser

USS Milwaukee in 1900s
Class overview
Name	St. Louis-class
Operators	United States Navy
Preceded by	Denver class
Succeeded by	Chester class
Built	1902-1906
In commission	1905-1923
Completed	3
Lost	1
Scrapped	2
General characteristics (as built)[1][2]
Type	Protected cruiser (Semi-armored cruiser)
Displacement	9,700 long tons (9,900 t) (normal) 10,839 long tons (11,013 t) (full load)
Length	426.6 ft (130.0 m)
Beam	66 ft (20 m)
Draft	24.10 ft (7.35 m)
Installed power	16 × straight-tube Babcock & Wilcox boilers 2 × vertical triple-expansion engines 21,000 indicated horsepower (16,000 kW) (design)
Propulsion	2 × screws
Speed	22 kn (41 km/h; 25 mph) (design)
Complement	673 officers and enlisted
Armament	14 × 6"/50 caliber Mark 6 guns 14 × 6"/50 caliber Mark 8 guns (Milwaukee) 18 × 3"/50 caliber guns 12 × 3-pounder guns 4 × 1-pounder guns 8 × 1-pounder RF guns 2 × .30 caliber Lewis machine guns
Armor	Belt: 4 in (102 mm) with 4 in upper belt at casemates Deck: 3 in (76 mm) slope, 2 in (51 mm) flat Conning tower: 5 in (127 mm)

The St. Louis-class cruisers were a class of three cruisers that served in the United States Navy at the beginning of the 20th century. Authorized in fiscal year 1901 by an Act of Congress of 7 June 1900 as part of the naval buildup touched off by the Spanish–American War, the St. Louis-class cruiser initially began as an improved Olympia.^[2][3] However, during the design phase, decisions were made that increased the size of the vessel from 6,000 long tons (6,100 t) to 9,700 long tons (9,900 t), including adding protection that resulted in the designation "semi-armored cruiser".^[2] This led to a larger power plant, and other decisions were made to try to increase speed and range, such as using smaller 6-inch (152 mm) guns instead of 8-inch (203 mm) guns, and adding coal capacity.^[2] The completed ship at 9,700 long tons was the same displacement as a full armored cruiser (such as the Royal Navy's Monmouth class, launched four years prior to the St. Louis class) without the same armor.^[4] One reference describes the class as "among the earliest well-documented examples of creeping growth in warship design".^[2]

Milwaukee grounded near Eureka, California, and was lost in January 1917. The other ships of the class patrolled for German commerce raiders and escorted convoys in World War I, were decommissioned in the early 1920s, and were sold for scrap in 1930 in compliance with the London Naval Treaty.^[3]