USS Salem CA-139 Specifications

Ordered: 14 June 1943	Length Overall: 716' 6"
Built by: Bethlehem Steel Fore River, Quincy MA	Maximum Beam: 76' 4 1/2"
Laid Down: 4 July 1945	Standard Displacement: 17,000 tons
Commissioned: 14 May, 1949	Full Load Displacement: 21,500 tons
Decommissioned: 30 January, 1959	Compliment: 109 Officers, 1,690 enlisted
Rated Speed: 33.5 knots (achieved 32.58 during trails)	Range: 10,500 n. miles at 15 knots
Fuel Capacity: 2,675 tons plus 175 tons diesel oil and 17 tons gasoline

Four General Electric geared turbines.
Four Babcock & Wilcox boilers, 615psi/850f.
Rated 120000 shp (120064 as measured during trials)
Four screws.
Stream jet air conditioning plant.
SSTG: 4- 1500kw
Diesel Generators: 2- 850kw

Main Battery:
Guns: 8 inch/55 caliber in three triple turrets
Gun Barrel: Mk 16 Mod 0
Muzzle Velocity: 2,800 ft/sec
Crew: 45 (turret)
Weight: 451 tons (turret)
Rate of fire: 10 rpgpm (rounds per gun per minute)
Projectiles: High capacity (shore bombardment): 260 pounds, Armor Piercing: 335 pounds
Range: 30,100 yards (AP) at 41 degrees 31,350 yards (HC) at 45 degrees
Notes: These guns were the first 8" guns to use cased (semi-fixed) ammunition instead of bag/shell loading. They were also the world's first automatic 8" gun. These guns could be loaded at any elevation from -5 to +41 degrees. They were dual purpose guns (AA and ASuW). The gun houses on all three turrets are quite spacious due to the fact they were designed with room for the installation of optical rangefinders, which were omitted from final plans.

Secondary Battery:
Guns: 5 inch/38 caliber in six dual mounts, Mk 32
Gun Barrel: Mk 12 Mod 1
Muzzle Velocity: 2,500 ft/sec
Crew: 12 (mount)
Weight: approx. 33,00 lbs (mount)
Rate of fire: 12 rpgpm
Projectiles: AA, 7 pounds
Range: 14,041 yards at 45 degrees, 29,367 ft at 85 degrees
Notes: These guns were dual purpose weapons (AA and ASuW)

Light Anti-Aircraft Battery
Guns: 3 inch/50 cal in 11 (originally 12) twin mounts. Both mar 27 and 33 mounts fitted.
Gun barrel: Mk 22
Muzzle velocity: 2,650 ft/sec
Crew: 12 (mount)
Weight: approx. 33,00 lbs (mount)
Rate of fire: 50 rpgpm
Approx. Life: 4,300 shells
Range 14,600 yards at 43 degrees, 29,800 ft at 80 degrees

Notes: Mount 31 was removed from all 3 ships of the class in 1955 due to excessive damage to the mounts, and loss of the mounts, in heavy seas. these ships were originally built with 6 dual 20mm gun mounts, which were removed at the time the ships were commissioned. The two gun directors for the 20mm guns (type unknown) were located on pedestals abeam the forward Mark 54 director.

Notes: The 3in/50cal automatic gun was developed in response from kamikaze attacks on Allied warships during the later part of World War II. A kamikaze pilot, basically turned the aircraft into a guided missile packed with explosives. It was vital that the aircraft be destroyed as far away from its target as possible. Developed from previous 3in/50 into an automatic loading weapon, which was able to fire at a rate four times faster than previously.

Main Battery: 2 Mark 54 with Mark 13 radar.
Secondary Battery: 4 Mark 37 GFCS with Mark 25 radar.
Anti-Aircraft Battery: 4 Mark 56 GFCS with Mark 35 Radar and 2 Nark 63 GFCS with Mark 34 radar (Mark 63 for mounts 311 and 312 only).

SG-6 air search
SPS-8A height finding
SPS-12 air search
Turrets 2 and 3 were originally equipped with dual Mark 27 ranging radars, which were ultimately removed.

No sonar equipment.
No ASW weapons systems.
Originally designed for 4 floatplanes, two catapults aft with hanger in hold, accessed by elevator. The aircraft were obsolete by the time the ships were completed. Salem was never fitted with catapults. In service, she carried one utility helicopter.