When the Curtiss SC-1 Seahawks were introduced, they were often too large or too heavy for many of the older ships to carry. The Navy and the Air Force also agreed that leaving them exposed to the weather wasn't the best idea either, so plane handling equipment was often eliminated from the ships without hangar facilities. In a few cases, it provided room for more anti-aircraft armament, as in the case of the Nueces Class light cruisers.
The catapults and the torpedo tubes were removed, but the handling crane was kept because it pulled double-duty for boat handling.