Northampton

"No one got left behind right? Fleet, return to homeport."

- Northampton

USS Northampton (CL/CA-26) was the lead Northampton-class cruiser in service with the United States Navy. She was commissioned in 1930, originally classified a light cruiser because of her thin armor but later reclassified a heavy cruiser because of her 8-inch guns. During World War II she served in the Pacific and was sunk by Japanese torpedoes during the Battle of Tassafaronga on 30 November 1942. She was named after the city of Northampton, Massachusetts, the home of former President Calvin Coolidge.

Trivia

 * She calls herself a "Washington Treaty cruiser" in her self-introduction. This is because the Northhampton-class heavy cruisers were originally built under specifications of the Washington Naval Treaty. However, with the signing of the London Naval Treaty the Northhampton-class became one of the classes of light cruisers that had to be re-designated as heavy cruisers.


 * She mentions regretting not being able to save Hornet. During the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, Hornet was badly damaged and dead in the water. The crew of the Northhampton attempted to tow Hornet to port for repairs. However, she proved too far gone and had to be scuttled in place.


 * Her and her sisters' lack of clothing comes from the fact that they were lightly armored for heavy cruisers. This due to fact that they were suppose to be light cruisers.