Originally built as light cruisers (CL) in the United States Navy during World War II, in 1957 three ships were re-designated as Providence-class guided missile light cruisers (CLG) and fitted with the Terrier surface-to-air missile system. During the two year refit under project SCB 146, the aft superstructure was completely replaced and all aft guns were removed to make room for the twin-arm Terrier launcher and a 120 missile storage magazine. Three large masts were also installed in order to hold a variety of radars, missile guidance, and communications systems. Providence and Springfield were simultaneously converted into fleet flagships under SCB 146A, which involved removing two forward dual 5inches and one triple 6inches turrets, and replacing them with a massively rebuilt and expanded forward superstructure. Topeka, in the non-flagship configuration, retained the Cleveland-class's standard forward weapons: three dual 5inches and two triple 6inches turrets.[1]
A similar pattern was followed in converting three other ships (Galveston, Little Rock, and Oklahoma City) to operate the Talos surface-to-air missile system, creating the . Little Rock and Oklahoma City were outfitted as fleet flagships, but Galveston was not.
Like the Galveston class cruisers, the Providence class ships suffered from serious stability problems caused by the topweight of the missile system, requiring the use of ballast to improve stability. The cruisers also suffered from hogging of the hull.
All three Providence-class ships were decommissioned to the reserve fleet between 1969 and 1974. In the 1975 cruiser realignment, Providence and Springfield were reclassified as guided missile cruisers (CG). The ships were stricken from the Naval Vessel Register between 1974 and 1980, and eventually sold for scrap.
| Ship Name | Hull No. | Converted at | Laid down | Launched | Commissioned | Decommissioned | Fate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Providence[2] | CLG-6 | Boston Naval Shipyard | 27 July 1943 | 28 December 1944 | 15 September 1959 | 31 August 1973 | Sold for scrap, 15 July 1980 | |
| Springfield[3] | CLG-7 | Fore River Shipyard | 13 February 1943 | 9 March 1944 | 2 July 1960 | 15 May 1974 | Sold for scrap, 1 March 1980[4] | |
| Topeka[5] | CLG-8 | New York Naval Shipyard | 21 April 1943 | 19 August 1944 | 26 March 1960 | 5 June 1969 | Sold for scrap, 20 March 1975 |