USS LA CA-135 Information

Heavy Cruiser (CA), Baltimore Class
Displacement: 13,600 tons; 17,200 tons full load
Length: 674 ft. 11 in.
Beam: 70 ft. 10 in.
Draft: 20 ft. 6 in; 26 ft. max.
Aircraft: see below
Guns: see below
Armor: 6 in. sides, 3 in. + 2 in. decks
Boilers: 4 Babcock & Wilcox
Main Engines: General Electric geared turbines, 4 shafts,
                       120,000 SHP
Speed: 34 knots
Radius, miles:  9,000 @ 15 knots
Fuel: 2,500 tons
Crew: 1,146 (61 officers + 1,085 men); 1,700 war

The USS LA's call letters were NTMG

The ship carried at least 2 Curtiss SC-1 Seahawk airplanes from 1945 - 1947.  Click on the photo at right for more info.  Also, see more pictures from that time period: Guns & 1945-1947, China Era.

The Navy's first nuclear armed cruise missile Regulus I was installed on the Los Angeles in 1954 & first deployed on patrol in 1955. The Los Angeles (and 3 other cruisers) carried 3 Regulus missiles on operational patrols from 1955 to 1961.

Regulus I was capable of delivering a 3000 pound 40-50 kiloton W5 nuclear, or a 2800 pound 1-2 megaton W27 thermonuclear, warhead within a range of 500 nautical miles.

Regulus missiles with a warhead were painted dark blue.  Practice missiles were painted red.

Power - Allison J33-A-14 turbojet; 4,600 lbs of static thrust at sea level.
Fuel - 310 gallons
JATO - 2 each Jet Assisted Take-Off; 3,300 lbs thrust ea.
Fuselage Length - 386.0" 
Wingspan (Extended) - 252.0"
Wingspan (Folded) - 118.5"
Overall Height - 92.3"
Overall Length - 498.7" 
Gross Weight - 13685 Lbs.

(Much of the Regulus data was excerpted from the Regulus link on the "Links" page.  Visit that site for a complete account of the missile.)