not prove reliable and were replaced by twin Bofors guns later in the war. At about the same time they also received Oerlikon cannons. World War II service Both and were at Pearl Harbor during the Japanese surprise attack, with Raleigh being torpedoed. Detroit, along with and , were the only large ships to get out of the harbor during the attack. The ships of the Omaha class spent most of the war deployed to secondary theaters and in less vital tasks than those assigned to more recently built cruisers. The Omaha class were sent to places where their significant armament might be useful if called upon, but where their age and limited abilities were less likely to be tested. These secondary destinations included patrols off the east and west coasts of South America, convoy escort in the South Pacific far from the front lines of battle, patrols and shore bombardment along the distant and frigid Aleutians and Kuril Islands chains, and bombardment duty in the invasion of Southern France when naval resistance was expected to be minimal. The most significant action that any of the ships of the class saw during the war was s participation in early war actions around the Dutch East Indies (most notably, the Battle of Makassar Strait), and s engagement in the Battle of the Komandorski Islands. None of the ships were wartime losses. Raleighs torpedo damage at Pearl Harbor and Marbleheads damage at Makassar Strait were the only significant wartime combat damage suffered by the class. The ships of the class were considered obsolete as the war ended, and were decommissioned and scrapped within seven months of the surrender of Japan (with the exception of , which had been loaned to the Soviet Navy, and was scrapped when returned to US Navy control in 1949). Ships in class The following ships of the class were constructed. Omaha alternatives Two other Omaha versions were also designed. The first, intended to function as a monitor, had two 14-inch guns in 2 single turrets, while the other design had four 8-inch guns in two twin turrets. The second design eventually evolved into the . See also List of cruisers of the United States Navy References External links http://www.avalanchepress.com/OmahaAlternatives.php http://www.avalanchepress.com/AmericanCruisers.php Cruiser classes