- USS New Orleans (CA-32)
USS "New Orleans" (CA-32) (formerly CL-32) was a
United States Navy heavy cruiser , thelead ship of her class. The "New Orleans"-class represented the last of the "Treaty Cruisers", build to the specifications and standards of the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922. Originally the "USS Astoria (CA-34) " was the lead ship of this class. However, the "Astoria" received a later hull number than the "New Orleans" due to the fact she was launched later despite the fact she was laid down first. The class was renamed because the "Astoria" was sunk at theBattle of Savo Island in 1942. Also, immediately following theGuadalcanal Campaign the remaining ships of the class would go through major overhauls in order to lessen top heaviness of the ships due to new electrical and radar systems as well as more anti-aircraft weaponry which was being added as technology advanced. In doing so the ships took on a new appearance, most notably in the bridge area, and became known as the "New Orleans"-class.Pre-War
She was laid down
14 March 1931 byNew York Navy Yard , launched12 April 1933 , sponsored byCora S. Jahncke , daughter of theAssistant Secretary of the Navy ; and commissioned15 February 1934 , CaptainAllen B. Reed in command."New Orleans" made a shakedown cruise to Northern Europe in May and June 1934, returning to New York
28 June . On5 July , she sailed to rendezvous with "Houston", PresidentFranklin Delano Roosevelt embarked, for a cruise through thePanama Canal and an exercise with the United States AirshipMacon (ER-5) and her brood ofaircraft offCalifornia . The cruise ended atAstoria, Oregon ,2 August , and "New Orleans" sailed at once forPanama andCuba . "New Orleans" exercised offNew England into 1935, then visited her namesake city while en route to joinCruiser Division 6 in operations in the easternPacific for over a year. She returned to New York from20 August to7 December 1936 and was once more in the Pacific early in 1937. Aside from winter training in theCaribbean early in 1939, she served out of California ports until joining theHawaiian Detachment ,12 October 1939 , for exercises, training, and, as war drew close, vigilant patrol.Pearl Harbor, December 7 1941
Moored in
Pearl Harbor 7 December 1941 , "New Orleans" was taking power and light from the dock, her engines under repair. With yard power out during the attack, "New Orleans"' engineers fought to raise steam, working by flashlight, while on deck men fired on the Japanese attackers with rifles and pistols. The crew was force to break the locks on the ammunition ready boxes as the keys couldn't be located and because the ship was taking power from the dock the 5" 25 AA gun had to be aimed and fired manually. The gunners topside were ducking machine gun bullets andshrapnel , training their guns by sheer guts and sweat, they had no ammunition other than the few shells in their ready boxes. The ammunition hoists did not have power making it nearly impossible to get more ammunition topside to the gun crews. The 100lbs shells had to be pulled up the powerless hoists by ropes attached to their metal cases. Every man with no specific job at the moment formed ammunition lines to get the shells to the guns. A number of her crew were injured when afragmentation bomb exploded close aboard. The "New Orleans" suffered no severe damage during the attack.1942
Before having the engine work complete at
Pearl Harbor the cruiser convoyed troops toPalmyra andJohnston Atoll operation on only 3 of her 4 engines; she then returned toSan Francisco 13 January 1942 for engineering repairs and installation of new search radar and 20 mm guns. She sailed12 February , commanding the escort for a troop convoy toBrisbane ; fromAustralia she screened a convoy toNouméa , and returned to Pearl Harbor to join TF 11.Battle of Coral Sea
TF 11
sortie d15 April to join the "Yorktown" task force southwest of theNew Hebrides . It was this joint force, together with a cruiser-destroyer group, which won the greatBattle of the Coral Sea 7 May –8 May , driving back a southward thrust of the Japanese which threatened Australia and New Zealand and their seaborne life lines. This mighty duel of carrier aircraft was not without price, "Lexington" was mortally wounded and "New Orleans" stood by, her men diving overboard to rescue survivors and her boat crews closing the burning carrier, oblivious to the dangers of flying debris and exploding ordnance as they saved 580 of "Lexington's" crew who were landed at Nouméa. "New Orleans" then patrolled the easternSolomons until sailing to replenish at Pearl Harbor.Battle of Midway
"New Orleans" sailed
28 May , screening "Enterprise", to surprise the Japanese in theBattle of Midway . On2 June , she made rendezvous with the "Yorktown" force, and two days later joined battle. Three of the 4 Japanese carriers were sunk by hits scored in thedive bomber attacks, the fourth went down later, but not before her dive bombers had damaged "Yorktown" so badly she had to be abandoned. "New Orleans", veteran of the battle that halted Japanese expansion southward, had now played a significant role protecting her carrier in the great victory that turned back Japan's eastward movement and heavily crippled her naval air arm in a decisive battle.Battle of the Eastern Solomons
Again "New Orleans" replenished at Pearl Harbor, sailing
7 July to rendezvous off Fiji for the invasion of the Solomons during which she screened "Saratoga". Fighting off vicious enemy air attacks24 August –25 August , "New Orleans" aided the Marines holding the precious toehold onGuadalcanal , as a Japanese landing expedition was turned back in theBattle of the Eastern Solomons . At this point "New Orleans" had been in theCoral Sea for two full months, food began to run low. The crew went on half ration and spam became the main course of every meal, and eventually ran out of rice. When "Saratoga" was torpedoed31 August , "New Orleans" guarded her passage to Pearl Harbor, arriving21 September .Battle of Tassafaronga
With the repaired carrier, "New Orleans" sailed to
Fiji early in November, then proceeded toEspiritu Santo , arriving27 November to return to action in the Solomons. With four other cruisers and six destroyers, she fought in theBattle of Tassafaronga on the night of30 November , engaging a Japanese destroyer-transport force. When flagship "Minneapolis" was struck by two torpedoes, "New Orleans", next astern, was forced to sheer away to avoid collision, and ran into the track of a torpedo, detonating the ship's forward munition magazines and gasoline tanks which severed 150ft of her bow just forward of turret #2. The severed bow, including turret #1, swung around the port side and punched several holes in the length of "New Orleans"' hull before sinking at the stern and damaging the port inboard propeller. A fourth of her length gone, slowed to 2 knots (4 km/h), and blazing forward, the ship fought for survival. Individual acts of heroism and self-sacrifice along with skillful seamanship kept her afloat, and under her own power she enteredTulagi Harbor near daybreak1 December . Camouflaging their ship from air attack, the crew jury-rigged a bow of coconut logs, and worked fervorously clearing away wreckage. 11 days later, "New Orleans" sailed to replace a damaged propeller and make other repairs including the installment of a temporary stub bow inSydney , Australia, arriving24 December . On7 March 1943 , she was underway forPuget Sound Navy Yard , where a new bow was fitted, interestingly enough with the use of "Minneapolis"'s #1 Turret and all battle damage repaired as well as a major refit and overhaul. TheBattle of Tassafaronga , although being a tactical victory for the Japanese, it was a strategic victory for the United States as it was the last effort theTokyo Express made to resupply their troops onGuadalcanal .1943
Returning to Pearl Harbor
31 August for combat training, "New Orleans" next joined a cruiser-destroyer force to bombardWake Island ,5 October –6 October , repulsing a Japanese torpedo-plane attack. Her next sortie from Pearl Harbor came10 November when she sailed to fire precision bombardment in theGilberts 20 November , then to screen carriers striking the eastern Marshalls4 December . In aerial attacks that day, the new "Lexington", namesake of the carrier whose men "New Orleans" had pulled from theCoral Sea , was torpedoed, and "New Orleans" guarded her successful retirement to repairs at Pearl Harbor, arriving9 December .1944
From
29 January 1944 , "New Orleans" fired on targets in the Marshalls, hitting air installations and shipping as the Navy tookKwajalein . She fueled atMajuro , then sailed11 February to join the fast carriers in a raid onTruk , Japanese bastion in theCarolines 17 February –18 February . While air strikes were flown, "New Orleans", with other warships circled the atoll to catch escaping ships; the task force's combined gunfire sank a light cruiser, a destroyer, a trawler, and asubmarine chaser . The force sailed on to hit the Marianas, then returned to Majuro and Pearl Harbor.The carriers, with "New Orleans" in escort, again heaped destruction on targets in the Carolines late in March, then in April, sailed south to support Allied landings at Hollandia (currently known as Jayapura),
New Guinea . There,22 April , a disabled "Yorktown" plane flew into "New Orleans"' mainmast, hitting gun mounts as it fell into the sea. The ship was sprayed with gas as the plane exploded on hitting the water, one crew member was lost, another badly injured, but "New Orleans" continued in action, patrolling and plane guarding off New Guinea, then joining in further raids on Truk andSatawan , which she bombarded30 April . She returned to Majuro4 May .Preparations were made in the Marshalls for the invasion of the Marianas, for which "New Orleans" sortied from Kwajalein
10 June . She bombardedSaipan 15 June and16 June , then joined the screen protecting carriers as they prepared to meet theJapanese Mobile Fleet in theBattle of the Philippine Sea . In this last major carrier combat the Japanese were able to mount, American naval aviators and submariners sank three enemy carriers and destroyed almost every aircraft launched against them, 395 in all. The few enemy planes which penetrated to the American carriers were shot down by "New Orleans" and other escorts. The Marianas operation continued, and Japanese naval aviation was virtually nonexistent after this great victory of19 June –20 June ."New Orleans" made patrols and bombardments on Saipan and
Tinian into August, returned toEniwetok the 13th, and sailed the 28th for carrier raids on theBonins , bombardments ofIwo Jima ,1 September –2 September , and direct air support for the invasion of thePalaus . After re-provisioning at Manus, the task force assaultedOkinawa , Formosa, and NorthernLuzon , destroying Japanese land-based aviation which otherwise would have threatened the landings on Leyte20 October . The carriers continued to send raids, aiding troops ashore, as they prepared to meet the Japanese, who were sending almost every surface ship left afloat in one great effort to break up the Philippines operation. "New Orleans" guarded her carriers as they joined in the greatBattle for Leyte Gulf , first attacking theJapanese Southern Force 24 October , then raiding theCenter Force in theSibuyan Sea , and next destroying theJapanese Northern Force of decoy carriers in theBattle off Cape Engano . The carriers then sped south to aid the gallant escort carriers holding off the powerful Japanese battleship-cruiser force in theBattle off Samar . A stunning American victory was followed by strikes against the retreating Japanese remnant.1945
After replenishing at
Ulithi , "New Orleans" guarded carriers during raids throughout the Philippines in preparation for the invasion ofMindoro , then late in December sailed for aMare Island Navy Yard overhaul, followed by training in Hawaii. She returned to Ulithi18 April 1945 , and two days later, departed to give direct gunfire support at Okinawa, arriving23 April . Here, she dueled with shore batteries and fired directly against the enemy lines. After nearly two months on station, she sailed to replenish and repair in the Philippines, and was at Subic Bay when hostilities ceased.Post-war
"New Orleans" sailed
28 August with a cruiser-destroyer force to ports ofChina andKorea . She covered theinternment of Japanese ships at Tsingtao, the evacuation of liberated Alliedprisoners-of-war , and the landing of troops in Korea and China, until sailing17 November from the mouth of thePeking River , carrying veterans homeward bound. More returning troops came aboard at the Sasebo U.S. Fleet Activities base, and all were disembarked at San Francisco8 December . After similar duty took her toGuam in January 1946 she sailed through the Panama Canal for a 10 day visit to her namesake city, then steamed toPhiladelphia Navy Yard , arriving12 March . There, she decommissioned10 February 1947 and lay in reserve until struck from theNaval Vessel Register 1 March 1959 and sold for scrapping22 September 1959 toBoston Metals Company ,Baltimore, Maryland .Awards
*"New Orleans" received 17
battle star s for World War II service, placing her among the highest decorated ships of the second world war.*Other honors include 5
Navy Crosses , 10Silver Stars , 1 Bronze Star, 1Air Medal and 206Purple Heart s awarded to members of her crew.Legacy
*One Destroyer (DD) and four Destroyer Escorts (DE) were named after "USS New Orleans" sailors killed in action at the
Battle of Tassafaronga ."USS Rogers (DD-876) ","USS Hayter (DE-212) ","USS Foreman (DE-633) ","USS Swenning (DE-394) ","USS Haines (DE-792)(APD-84)".*Diosdado Rome, OCC of the "New Orleans" has been additionally honored by the naming of a Mess Hall at the Naval Station Pearl Harbor in his name, the
Diosdado Rome Gallery .*The famous song "Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition" written by Frank Loesser was inspired by those heartened words uttered by Champlain Howell M. Forgy of the "New Orleans" during the attack on Pearl Harbor,
December 7 ,1941 .*When the "New Orleans" was sold for scrap, little was saved. However a few items from the ship are on display at the [http://www.usskidd.com/ "USS Kidd" & Louisiana Veterans Memorial] in
Baton Rouge, Louisiana . In particular are the ship's bell and the builders model of the ship as well as some momentous of the launching ceremony. There are some items at the [http://www.patriotspoint.org/ Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum] inCharleston Harbor ,South Carolina and at theNavy Marine Corps Memorial inAnnapolis, Maryland . A plaque was donated to the [http://www.nimitz-museum.org/ Nimitz Museum] inFredericksburg, Texas by the "New Orleans" Reunion Association. A memorial honoring the "New Orleans" has been installed in theNew Orleans Walk of Fame outside the Hilton Hotel in downtownNew Orleans .ee also
*New Orleans Class Cruiser
*Battle of Tassafaronga Notes
References
*
*Forgy, Chaplain Howell M. (1944). "... And Pass The Ammunition"- First Hand accounts from the Chaplain of the New Orleans from the attack on Pearl Harbor to Bremerton after the Battle of Tassafaronga.
*Harrtzell, Carl T. (1997). "From Bremerton To Philadelphia" - First Hand accounts from Bremerton after the New Orleans received a new bow till the end of hostilities in the Pacific.
*Brown, Herbert C. (2000). "Hell at Tassafaronga" - An intensely personal and gripping memoir, a veteran of the gallant ship tells its history from rollicking peacetime days, on through 17 Pacific battles, to the hauling down of its commission pennant and its finally being broken up for scrap.
*Classic Warship Publishing: Wiper, Steve (2000). "New Orleans Class Cruisers" -Warship Pictorial
*Squadron/Signal Publications: Adcock, Al (2001). "US Heavy Cruisers in Action part 1" -Warship Pictorial
External links
* [http://www.ussneworleans.com USS "New Orleans" (CA-32) Reunion Association]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/04/032/04032.htm navsource.org: photographs of USS "New Orleans" (CL/CA-32)]
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-n/ca32.htm Navy photographs of "New Orleans" (CA-32)]
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/docs/wwii/pearl/ph60.htm USS "New Orleans Pearl Harbor Action Report"]
* [http://www.ibiblio.net/hyperwar/USN/ships/logs/CA/CA32-Coral.html USS "New Orleans Coral Sea Action Report"]
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/n4/new_orleans-ii.htm history.navy.mil: USS "New Orleans"]
* [http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/USN-CN-Tassafaronga/index.html "Battle of Tassafaronga"]
* [http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Tassafaronga "Battle of Tassafaronga Images"]
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