lol chris, how does the northampton have the advantage in size over the brooklyn?
brooklyn is skinnier, and it is the only reason how you can get in range with the trip 6"s. And of course, hobbit maps made brooklyn much easier to play with.
But if you plan on playing the US CAs well, northampton is a good way to practice, as it has more range than the brooklyn (although not by much), and the guns require better gunners to shoot well.
Personally, I still love using the lvl 30 dual 5"/54 cal Mark 16 Ls on the brooklyn, giving me better range than the trip 6"s as well as more damage (per shell). Yes, it is hard to aim with the high angles and requires decent gunners (bve) to adjust fast, but it is just that much more fun to play.