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U.S. Navy - A Brief History of Cruisers

The Cruisers

A Brief History of U.S. Navy Cruisers
Part II - World War II (1944-1945)

All images below are hyperlinked to larger images for better viewing. All images are official Navy photographs.

Picture, caption follows. Jun 8-9. 1944 - In the Southwest Pacific, a force consisting of the cruiser HMAS Australia, the light cruisers USS Boise (CL 47) and USS Phoenix (CL 46), and 14 destroyers under Rear Adm. Crutchley, VC, DSC, RN, broke up a Japanese attempt to reinforce Biak at Sea.
Picture, caption follows. Oct 26 - Nov 5, 1944 - The cruiser USS Denver (CL 58), several carriers and destroyers were damaged or sunk by Japanese suicide planes off of Leyte.
  Jan 5, 1945 - Cruiser Division 5, Rear Adm. Smith, shelled Japanese positions on Iwo Jima, Chichi Jima, and Haha Jima in the Bonin Islands, while far to the north, a similar force under Rear Adm. McCrea bombarded Paramushiro in the Kuriles.
  Feb 13, 1945 - Supported by the light cruisers of Rear Adm. Berkey's Close Covering Group (Task Force 77.3), minesweepers began to clear Manila Bay.
  Mar 26, 1945 - The pre-invasion bombardment of Okinawa began with Rear Adm. Deyo's Gunfire and Covering Force (Task Force 54) comprised of seven heavy and three light cruisers along w/10 battleships, and 32 destroyers and destroyer escorts.
Picture, caption follows. May 3-4, 1945 - The light cruiser USS Birmingham (CL 62) was badly damaged during kamikaze raids off Okinawa.
Picture, caption follows. July 14, 1945 - Heavy cruisers USS Chicago (CA 136) and USS Quincy (CA 71) assigned to Rear Adm. Shaffoth's Task Unit 34.81, began bombarding the Japan Iron Company plant at Kamaishi, Honshu. The plant was put out of action.
Picture, caption follows. July 29, 1945 - The tragedy of the Indianapolis: Two days after leaving Guam on an unescorted voyage to Leyte Gulf, the heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis (CA 35), Captain Charles B. McVay, III, was sunk by the Japanese submarine I-58, or it had been argued by a kaiten (piloted torpedo) released from the boat. Some 800 to 850 men succeeded in abandoning the ship, but her SOS is unheard, and through a succession of tragic oversights, her loss went unnoticed until August 2, when a group of survivors was accidentally sighted by a patrol plane. Only 316 men are then saved.

Last Update: 22 June 2009