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A light cruiser is a type of small or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck. Prior to this smaller cruisers had been of the protected cruiser model, possessing armored decks only. While lighter and smaller than other contemporary ships they were still true cruisers, retaining the extended radius of action and self-sufficiency to act independently around the world. Cruisers mounting larger guns and heavier armor relative to most light cruisers would come to be known as heavy cruisers, though the designation of 'light' versus 'heavy' cruisers would vary somewhat between navies. Through their history light cruisers served in a variety of roles, primarily on long-range detached patrol work, covering other military operations or global shipping lanes, as scouts and fleet support vessels for battle fleets, as destroyer command ships, fire-support vessels or even as convoy escorts.
The German Empire built a number of light cruisers in the belief that they were good multi-purpose vessels. Unlike the British, who built both long-range cruisers like the Town class for commerce protection and short-range "scout" cruisers for fleet support, the Germans built a single series of light cruisers for both functions. Compared to the British "scout" type the German ships were bigger, slower and less manoeuvrable but, through a successive series of classes, improved consistently in seagoing qualities. However, the Germans were very late in adapting 5.9-inch guns (not doing so until the of 1913); Grand Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz's recalcitrance over the issue overrode the desires of others in the German Navy. For about a three-year period after the British Weymouth class of the Town series, completed with a uniform armament of 6-inch guns, and before the German Pillau class, German light cruisers (such as the and s) were faster but maintained a lighter 104 mm main armament compared to their British Town-class counterparts. With the Pillau and cruisers the Germans followed the British example of heavier guns.
Earlier German light cruisers were in competition with a series of British which had a higher speed of 25 knots, but smaller 3-inch 12 pounder guns or 4-inch guns. The Germans completed the last two of their cruisers in 1906 and 1907 and followed them up with four and two s between 1905 and 1908. These last two classes, larger and faster than the Bremens, were armed the same (ten 4.1-inch guns) and carried less deck armor. Other major powers concentrated on battleship construction and built few cruisers.Conway's, pp. 152–53; Osborne, p. 73-75. The United States, Italy, and Austria-Hungary each built only a handful of scout cruisers while Imperial Japan and Spain added a few examples based on British designs; France built none at all.
During World War I, the Germans continued building larger cruisers with 150 mm guns while the British Arethusa class and early s reverted to an emphasis on superior speed with a more lightly-armed design for fleet support.
The term light cruiser was given a new definition by the London Naval Treaty of 1930. Light cruisers were defined as cruisers having guns of 6.1-inch (155 mm) or smaller, with defined as cruisers having guns of up to 8-inch (203 mm). In both cases, the ships could not be greater than 10,000 tons.
After 1930, most naval powers concentrated on building light cruisers since they had already built up to the maximum limitations for heavy cruisers allowed under the Washington treaty. Japan laid down its four s between 1931 and 1934.Osborne, pp. 112–13. The political climate from 1936 to 1939 gave the renewed building of light cruisers an added urgency. The British built 11 during this period, which culminated in the two ships, armed with 12 guns. The new ships were larger and better armored than other British treaty cruisers, with a belt in the Towns and were capable of 32.5 knots, but for the most part tried to stay within past treaty limitations. The US also attempted to follow treaty limitations as it completed seven of its nine s between 1938 and September 1939. These ships were an answer to Japan's Mogamis and were an indication of rising tensions in the Pacific theater. Japan, now considering itself under no restrictions, began rearming its Mogamis with 10 guns.Osborne, pp. 116–17. They were thus converted into heavy cruisers.
The United States would move into full wartime production of the light cruisers of the Cleveland-class of which 27 would be produced. Not willing to allow changes to slow production, the United States allowed ships of the class to be built seriously overweight. They provided AA screening for the fast carriers, shore bombardment, and anti-destroyer screening for the US fleet. They traded a main gun turret for additional AA, fire control, and radar installations, over the Brooklyn class.US Cruisers: An Illustrated History Friedman, Norman pg 259–265
After World War II, US Navy created several light cruiser sub-variants: the Hunter-Killer cruiser (CLK), the Antiaircraft cruiser (CLAA), the light Command cruiser (CLC), and the light Guided missile cruiser (CLG). All such ships have been retired.
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