Worcester

At the beginning of World War II, the U.S. was working on cruisers with an armored deck capable of withstanding aerial bomb attacks. The ship was to have six twin-gun turrets placed at the fore and aft in a super-firing position. It soon became clear that the biggest threat came not from "conventional" bombers but from dive bombers and guided bombs. As a result, the thickness of the armor deck could be reduced. In January 1945, the first ship of the class, USS Worcester, was laid down. Although plans were initially made to construct ten ships, only two of them were actually completed as World War II was drawing to a close.