USS Fargo
Contents
Description
The Fargo-class, USS Fargo (CL-106), 1946 was the lead ship of the Fargo-class light cruisers, a sub class of the Cleveland class. Laid down in 1943, she wouldn't enter service until December 1945, missing action in World War 2. She served in the Mediterranean fleet after the war, notably serving as flagship for one month of her stint. She was placed in reserve in February 1950, with less than 5 years of service to her name.
Introduced in Update "Fire and Ice", Fargo is a slight upgrade to the earlier Cleveland. The main advantage is a rearranged superstructure, which gives better coverage for the secondary and anti-aircraft battery. As she was designed late in the war, her anti-aircraft battery is prodigious, with both 40 mm and 20 mm guns covering all angles of the ship. This stronger secondary and anti-aircraft battery comes at the cost of one fewer main calibre turret compared to the Brooklyn class. With a fire rate of 10 rounds per minute (6 second reload) on her primary cannons, she performs well against cruisers and destroyers.
General info
Survivability and armour
The Fargo class, as a later evolution of the Cleveland-class light cruiser, has a very similar armour layout to the earlier USS Cleveland. USS Fargo is well armoured for a light cruiser, with a 5-inch plate angled at 7° to increase effectiveness. This plate, though thin, covers the area from the waterline to the top of the machinery spaces and is resistant to 6-inch fire at typical engagement ranges, and is almost immune to 5-inch fire from nearly all ranges. Below the waterline this drops to a 3.25-inch plate, with fuel tanks behind to absorb any shells which manage to pierce the armour below the waterline.
USS Fargo has no access to torpedo protection; this leaves her only torpedo protection as internal bulkheads and the fuel tanks lining the sides of the ship. It is recommended to attempt to avoid torpedoes at all costs, though if a hit is inevitable it is preferable to take the hit amidships, where the fuel tanks have the most coverage.
The armoured deck covering the machinery spaces and citadel has a thickness of 2 inches, as well as the sides of the citadel below the waterline. The turrets are well armoured for a light cruiser, with a face of 6.5 inches angled at 27° making it effective against 6-inch and lower calibre guns, with the possibility of deflecting some 8-inch shells at long ranges. The sides and top of the turrets have 3 inches of armour, and the rear only 1.5 inches. It is recommended to keep the rear of the turrets hidden, as even the 40 mm Bofors can penetrate the rear at close ranges. The turret barbettes have 6 inches of armour, and these lead all the way down to the magazines.
The magazines are placed far down in the ship well below the waterline, above fuel tanks in the bow and between them in the stern. These are very unlikely to be hit by enemy shells in these positions, but captains should be vigilant in preventing a torpedo strike in these two areas, as any torpedo hit will easily be fatal to the ship, especially in the bow with no fuel tanks to cushion the blast on either side.
Mobility
The USS Fargo makes a top speed of 32.4 kn once upgraded, the same as the earlier USS Cleveland. As with other American cruisers, this gives Fargo the capability to take objectives and crucial areas of the map that slower cruisers, and of course battleships, may not be capable of. It takes approximately 38 seconds to reach flank speed, and Fargo will halt from flank in roughly 1 minute. The rudder takes about 2 seconds to respond, and as Fargo uses a single rudder design, the turning circle is fairly wide. Captains are advised to avoid terrain where sharp turns are necessary, as USS Fargo may be unable to perform such manoeuvres without running aground. Speed will fall to 23 kn in a sustained turn; this will make Fargo a much easier target and captains are advised to avoid prolonged, aggressive manoeuvres as this will drain vital speed.
| Mobility Characteristics | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Game Mode | Upgrade Status | Maximum Speed (km/h) | |
| Forward | Reverse | ||
| AB | |||
| Upgraded | 70 | 21 | |
| RB/SB | |||
| Upgraded | 60 | 18 | |
Modifications and economy
| Seakeeping | Unsinkability | Firepower | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Armament
Primary armament
USS Fargo has 12 x 6-inch guns as her main battery, split into 4 x triple turrets, mounted 2 fore and 2 aft. The gun mounts have a horizontal targeting speed of 10° per second, which is very quick for a cruiser and better even than some destroyers. This gives Fargo quick reaction times against unexpected threats and allows her to perform well in close quarters engagements. The reload time is excellent at 6 seconds with an aced crew, same as the 6-inch turrets on the USS Cleveland and USS Brooklyn. This fast reload rate allows Fargo to quickly send large quantities of shells downrange from her main battery.
USS Fargo has access to 4 types of shells: the HE round Mk.34 HC, the APCBC round Mk. 35 AP, the HE round Mk.34 HC (base fuse) and the HE-VT round Mk.34 HC-VT. She has no access to SAP unlike other cruisers of her rank.
The HE round Mk.34 HC serves as the stock round for the USS Fargo, and the high filler of 5.88 kg TNTeq will do appreciable damage, especially in the high quantities the fast fire rate and plentiful guns allow. This shell will easily dispatch destroyers and lightly-armoured light cruisers, but begins to have a more difficult time against late war light cruisers with improved armour and of course, heavy cruisers and battleships. Against capital ships the shell will be ineffective, but capable of destroying AA and secondary mounts and setting fire to the superstructure. The HE round Mk.34 HC (base fuse) and the HE-VT round Mk.34 HC-VT are the same shell but with different fuses, hence the names.
The Mk.34 HC (base fuse) has the fuse at the bottom of the shell instead of in the nose, which allows it to penetrate into the armour before exploding. This gives it a small amount of extra penetration with the same filler. The Mk.34 HC-VT has a proximity fuse, allowing it to detonate when close to enemy aircraft and serve as long range AA fire to supplement the AA battery. This is the primary HE round recommended for use, as it functions identically to the normal Mk.34 shell while being able to destroy aircraft, and the slight extra penetration of the base fuse shell is not typically helpful.
The final shell is the APCBC round Mk.35 AP, the primary shell for use against more heavily-armoured targets like the Prinz Eugen which are commonly seen. The shell has good penetration, but is slightly lacking in filler for its calibre. This is made up for with the heavy volumes of fire the quick reload rate allows, and captains can expect quick damage to internal components and crew, oftentimes leaving enemy captains with little or no time to retaliate if caught off guard. It is recommended to aim for magazines if possible due to the low quantities of filler in the shells, though it's not a major concern with the sufficient rate of fire.
| Penetration statistics | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Type of warhead |
Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm) | |||||
| 1,000 m | 2,500 m | 5,000 m | 7,500 m | 10,000 m | 15,000 m | ||
| Mk.34 HC | HE | 49 | 49 | 49 | 49 | 49 | 49 |
| Mk.35 AP | APCBC | 266 | 230 | 182 | 146 | 120 | 96 |
| Mk.34 HC-VT | HE-VT | 49 | 49 | 49 | 49 | 49 | 49 |
| Shell details | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Type of warhead |
Velocity (m/s) |
Projectile mass (kg) |
Fuse delay (s) |
Fuse sensitivity (mm) |
Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g) |
Ricochet | |||||
| 0% | 50% | 100% | ||||||||||
| Mk.34 HC | HE | 812 | 47.6 | 0 | 0.1 | 5,880 | 79° | 80° | 81° | |||
| Mk.35 AP | APCBC | 762 | 58.9 | 0.03 | 7 | 866.32 | 48° | 63° | 71° | |||
| Proximity-fused shell details | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Type of warhead |
Velocity (m/s) |
Projectile mass (kg) |
Fuse delay (m) |
Fuse sensitivity (mm) |
Arming distance (m) |
Trigger radius (m) |
Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g) |
Ricochet | |||
| 0% | 50% | 100% | ||||||||||
| Mk.34 HC-VT | HE-VT | 812 | 47.6 | 0 | 0.1 | 874 | 23 | 5,880 | 79° | 80° | 81° | |
Secondary armament
USS Fargo's secondary battery consists of 12 x 5-inch/38 guns, mounted in 6 twin turrets. These are positioned with one each fore and aft of the superstructure, and 4 more positioned in wing-mounted pairs, port and starboard of the bridge and superstructure. This gives an 8 gun broadside for the secondary battery, with the full 12 being available only for enemy aircraft high above the ship. These guns will already be familiar to captains, as they make up the primary battery of most destroyers in the American bluewater fleet. The guns have excellent rate of fire and high traverse speeds, and as they are designed to be dual purpose, they work well against both air and surface targets.
The AAC Mk.34 serves as the stock shell, a basic HE shell with 3.22 kg TNTe. This will work well against vessels with little or no armour such as early destroyers or PT boats, but for high rank destroyers and cruisers, the SP Common is recommended. The SP Common shell works well against destroyers and light cruisers, being able to penetrate their armour at battle range and the 906.5 g TNTe will do appreciable damage upon penetration. The final shell is the Mk.31 AAVT shell, with the same filler as the HE shell but with a proximity fuse. This is the multipurpose shell of choice, as it is both excellent for destroying aircraft, with a 23 m trigger radius, and performs identically to the HE shell against lightly armoured targets. It is recommended for captains of USS Fargo to run a mixture of AAVT and SP Common shells to allow for rapid response to differing threats.
| Penetration statistics | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Type of warhead |
Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm) | |||||
| 1,000 m | 2,500 m | 5,000 m | 7,500 m | 10,000 m | 15,000 m | ||
| AAC Mk.34 | HE | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 |
| SP Common Mk.46 | SP Common | 150 | 125 | 93 | 71 | 56 | 45 |
| AAVT Mk.31 | HE-VT | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 |
| Shell details | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Type of warhead |
Velocity (m/s) |
Projectile mass (kg) |
Fuse delay (s) |
Fuse sensitivity (mm) |
Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g) |
Ricochet | |||||
| 0% | 50% | 100% | ||||||||||
| AAC Mk.34 | HE | 792 | 25 | 0 | 0.1 | 3,220 | 79° | 80° | 81° | |||
| SP Common Mk.46 | SP Common | 792 | 25 | 0.01 | 6 | 906.5 | 48° | 63° | 71° | |||
| Proximity-fused shell details | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Type of warhead |
Velocity (m/s) |
Projectile mass (kg) |
Fuse delay (s) |
Fuse sensitivity (mm) |
Arming distance (m) |
Trigger radius (m) |
Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g) |
Ricochet | |||
| 0% | 50% | 100% | ||||||||||
| AAVT Mk.31 | HE-VT | 792 | 25 | 0 | 0.1 | 457 | 23 | 3,220 | 79° | 80° | 81° | |
Anti-aircraft armament
An important part of the ship's armament responsible for air defence. Anti-aircraft armament is defined by the weapon chosen with the control Select anti-aircraft weapons. Talk about the ship's anti-air cannons and machine guns, the number of guns and their positions, their effective range, and about their overall effectiveness – including against surface targets. If there are no anti-aircraft armaments, remove this section.
Scout plane
Usage in battles
The USS Fargo is devastating in downtiers. Her rapid-firing 6-inch and 5-inch guns have excellent damage output with their HE shells, which will rip apart destroyers in a few salvos and wear down the crew of cruisers in minutes. Her survivability is also good for a light cruiser, with decent armour, well-placed magazines, and a moderately sized crew, which will allow her to hold her own against same- or lower-tiered ships and last long enough to get behind cover when facing heavy cruisers and battleships. The USS Fargo is no heavy cruiser though, so bringing her into open waters against multiple enemies is dangerous unless there are teammates around to divert enemy fire.
Conversely, the USS Fargo will struggle in uptiers. Her AP shells have relatively poor penetration and low explosive filler, which means that they won't do much damage unless hitting critical components like ammo racks or engine rooms, and they are completely ineffective against top-tier battleships and battlecruisers. In this case, finding cover is even more critical. The USS Fargo should hide among the hills in shallower waters and take out softer targets for the team. She also has radar and HE-VT shells in all guns, so she can protect teammates who lack AA armaments by taking out enemy aircraft from long range.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Excellent firepower against less armored enemies
- Fast firing primary and secondary armament
- Base fuse HE does good damage upon penetration and can still effectively damage the exposed components of better armored ships
- Good survivability for a light cruiser
- Has radar (with lead calculation) and HE-VT shells, very effective against air targets
- Adequate mobility, helps moving in and out of cover quickly
Cons:
- AP shells are mostly ineffective in uptiers
- AP shells have low explosive filler
- Lacks SAP shells, which can be a problem when meeting moderately armored opponents that the HE shells can't penetrate and the AP shells do too little damage
- Armor is non-existent in uptiers
History
Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ship in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the ship and adding a block "/History" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Ship-name)/History) and add a link to it here using the main template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <ref></ref>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <references />. This section may also include the ship's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under === In-game description ===, also if applicable).
Media
- Skins
See also
Links to articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:
- reference to the series of the ship;
- links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.
External links
Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:
- topic on the official game forum;
- other literature.
| New York Shipbuilding Corporation | |
|---|---|
| Gun Destroyers (DD) | |
| Porter-class | USS Porter |
| Cruiser, Light (CL) | |
| Cleveland-class | USS Cleveland |
| Fargo-class | USS Fargo |
| Worcester-class | USS Roanoke |
| Large Cruisers (CB) | |
| Alaska-class | USS Alaska |
| Battleships (BB) | |
| Wyoming-class | USS Arkansas |
| USA light cruisers | |
|---|---|
| Omaha-class | USS Detroit · USS Raleigh · USS Trenton |
| Atlanta-class | USS Atlanta |
| Brooklyn-class | USS Brooklyn · USS Helena |
| Cleveland-class | USS Cleveland |
| Fargo-class | USS Fargo |
| Worcester-class | USS Roanoke |
