Classification of naval ships

[Perro Del Diablo]

I did not know until a couple years ago how they got classified. A friend who has sinced passed was retired navy. So I asked him one day. The class is determined by first named and christened of the series. All the years I've spent hearing them referred to by class not knowing I found this fascinating. 

[Chili Pepper Kid, SASS #60463]

I served on the USS Raleigh LPD-1. The Raleigh class of LPD’s of which there were 3. Raleigh, Vancouver and La Salle. 

[Pat Riot]

I served on the USS Virginia CGN-38. 
In the Virginia class of League Destroyers - designation changed to “Cruiser” while Virginia was being built. 
 

There were 4 Virginia class cruisers:

Virginia CGN - 38

Texas CGN - 39

Mississippi CGN - 40

Arkansas CGN - 41

 

Wikipedia calls them Destroyer Leaders. That is incorrect. League Destroyers was the correct term. 
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia-class_cruiser

 

President Jimmy Carter changed the designations of a few ships when it was found that the USSR had more Cruisers than the U.S. did. 
Personally, I thought the designation of League Destroyer was pretty freakin’ cool. 
 

USS Virginia DLGN - 38

https://www.navysite.de/cg/cgn38.htm

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

8 hours ago, Pat Riot said:

I served on the USS Virginia CGN-38. 
In the Virginia class of League Destroyers - designation changed to “Cruiser” while Virginia was being built. 
 

There were 4 Virginia class cruisers:

Virginia CGN - 38

Texas CGN - 39

Mississippi CGN - 40

Arkansas CGN - 41

 

Wikipedia calls them Destroyer Leaders. That is incorrect. League Destroyers was the correct term. 
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia-class_cruiser

 

President Jimmy Carter changed the designations of a few ships when it was found that the USSR had more Cruisers than the U.S. did. 
Personally, I thought the designation of League Destroyer was pretty freakin’ cool. 
 

USS Virginia DLGN - 38

https://www.navysite.de/cg/cgn38.htm

Typically childish......from a former Naval Officer who worked on nuclear subs and pronounced nuclear "nookyooler".