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Description
The Atlanta-class light cruisers were born out of a requirement by the US Navy for a class of scout cruisers that could also be destroyer flotilla leaders. As such, the 8,000 ton displacement limitation by the 1936 London Naval Treaty seemed ideal; what was needed was a small, fast ship armed with light-caliber weapons to fend off enemy destroyers. Although the final configuration was indeed capable of this intended role, by the onset of the Second World War in the Pacific, Atlanta-class cruisers took on a more prominent duty: that of anti-aircraft escorts, as they had the perfect set of tools for the job.

Description
The Atlanta-class light cruisers were born out of a requirement by the US Navy for a class of scout cruisers that could also be destroyer flotilla leaders. As such, the 8,000 ton displacement limitation by the 1936 London Naval Treaty seemed ideal; what was needed was a small, fast ship armed with light-caliber weapons to fend off enemy destroyers. Although the final configuration was indeed capable of this intended role, by the onset of the Second World War in the Pacific, Atlanta-class cruisers took on a more prominent duty: that of anti-aircraft escorts, as they had the perfect set of tools for the job.