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DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORY AND HERITAGE COMMAND
805 KIDDER BREESE SE -- WASHINGTON NAVY YARD
WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060

Photo # NH 61245:  Lexington class battle cruiser.  Artwork by F. Muller, circa 1919

Online Library of Selected Images:
U.S. NAVY SHIPS -- Listed by Hull Number

CC -- Battle Cruisers

During the first two decades of the Twentieth Century, battle cruisers were built by Great Britain, Germany and Japan, initially as an expansion of the armored cruiser type and later as a kind of fast battleship. The U.S. Navy had avoided the type until the great "Preparedness" movement of 1916 spawned a program to built six. Much modified as a result of World War I experience, these six large ships were all laid down in 1920-21 as the Lexington class, with hull numbers CC-1 through CC-6. Their construction was cancelled under the terms of the 1922 Washington Naval Limitations Treaty. Four were broken up unlaunched and two others converted to aircraft carriers.

Note: The CC hull number series was resurrected in the early 1960s for assignment to a group of command ships. However, this usage was completely separate from the battle cruiser hull number series and is treated on a separate page.

This page provides the numbers of U.S. Navy battle cruisers.


See the list below to locate photographs of individual battle cruisers numbered in the CC series.

If the battle cruiser you want does not have an active link on this page, the Naval Historical Center does not hold any images of it.


Battle cruisers numbered in the CC series:

  • CC-1: Lexington. Completed as the aircraft carrier Lexington (CV-2)
  • CC-2: Constellation. Construction cancelled in 1923
  • CC-3: Saratoga. Completed as the aircraft carrier Saratoga (CV-3)
  • CC-4: Ranger. Construction cancelled in 1923
  • CC-5: Constitution. Construction cancelled in 1923
  • CC-6: United States. Construction cancelled in 1923


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".


    If you want higher resolution reproductions than the Online Library's digital images, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."


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    Page made 22 August 2002
    Coding updated 23 April 2009