Muzzle velocity
"Wichita" was armed with a main battery of nine 8-inch /55 Mark 12 guns mounted in three 3-gun turrets. The guns fired a projectiles at a muzzle velocity of . Maximum elevation of the guns was 41 degrees; this provided a maximum range of . Rate of fire was approximately one salvo every fifteen seconds. The turrets allowed each gun to elevate and fire individually. Her secondary battery consisted of eight 5-inch /38 Mark 12 dual-purpose guns, four in single, enclosed Mark 30 high-angle mounts, and four in open mounts. These guns fired projectiles at a rate of 20 rounds per minute. Muzzle velocity was ; against aerial targets, the guns had a ceiling of at 85 degrees. At 45 degrees, the guns could engage surface targets at a range of . "Wichita" was the first cruiser in the US Navy to be equipped with the new 5-inch /38 gun.