USS Phoenix (CL-46)

USS "Phoenix" (CL-46), a "Brooklyn"-class light cruiser, was the 3rd "Phoenix" of the United States Navy. After World War II the ship was transferred to Argentina in 1951 and was ultimately renamed the "General Belgrano". "General Belgrano" was sunk during the Falklands War in 1982 by HMS "Conqueror".

Early service

She was laid down 15 April 1935 by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Camden, New Jersey; launched 13 March 1938; sponsored by Mrs. Dorothea Kays Moonan; and commissioned at Philadelphia Navy Yard, 3 October 1938, Capt. John W. Rankin in command.

After shakedown took her to Port of Spain, Trinidad; Santos, Brazil; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Montevideo, Uruguay; and San Juan, Puerto Rico; the new cruiser returned to Philadelphia in January 1939.

World War II

"Phoenix" then operated off the West Coast and was later based at Pearl Harbor where the fateful morning of December 7, 1941 found her anchored southeast of Ford Island near hospital ship "Solace". Observers on board "Phoenix" sighted the rising sun of Japan on strange planes coming in low over Ford Island and a few seconds later the ship's guns took them under fire. "Phoenix" escaped the disaster unharmed and shortly after noon was underway to join light cruisers "St. Louis" and "Detroit" and several destroyers in an impromptu task force searching, unsuccessfully, for the enemy aircraft carriers.

"Phoenix" next escorted the first convoy to the United States from Pearl Harbor after the attack and returned at once with another convoy. After a month of convoy duty between the United States and Hawaii, she departed San Francisco with a force bound for Melbourne, Australia. For some time the cruiser operated in Australian waters escorting troop ships, once steaming as far north as Java. While "Phoenix" was steaming toward Ceylon in February 1942 with a convoy which included seaplane tender "Langley" and HMS "Seawitch", these ships were ordered to leave the convoy and proceed at top speed to Java with precious airplanes needed to stem the Japanese invasion of the Netherlands East Indies. "Langley" was attacked and sunk by Japanese planes 27 February and "Seawitch" escaped the same fate only by being too slow to keep up with the carrier. During the following months, "Phoenix" patrolled in the Indian Ocean, escorted a convoy to Bombay, and was present at the evacuation of Java.

"Phoenix" departed Brisbane for overhaul in the Philadelphia Navy Yard in July 1943 before carrying Secretary of State Cordell Hull to Casablanca. She was then assigned to the 7th Fleet and sailed for the South Pacific.

On 26 December, in company with the light cruiser "Nashville", she bombarded the Cape Gloucester area of New Britain, smashing shore installations in a four-hour shelling. "Phoenix" covered landing forces as they went ashore and furnished support fire against enemy strong points which had not been demolished. On the night of 25 January–26 January 1944, the ship took part in a night raid on Madang and Alexishafen, New Guinea, shelling shore installations.

"Phoenix" then moved to the Admiralty Islands to support the 1st Cavalry Division in a reconnaissance-in-force on Los Negros Island, 29 February. When the troops went ashore after the prelanding bombardment, enemy resistance was so weak that a withdrawal was not necessary and the island was occupied.

On 4 March and 7 March 1944, "Phoenix", "Nashville", and Australian heavy cruiser "Shropshire" bombarded Hauwei Island of the Admiralty Group. Enemy guns on this island had threatened Allied positions in the Admiralties, particularly on Manus; and, although return fire from the beach was heavy, enemy batteries ceased firing when shells from the cruisers burst in their vicinity.

Hollandia (currently known as Jayapura), New Guinea, was next to fall to the mounting amphibious offensive. This largest assault till then undertaken by American forces, was launched by 200 ships. "Phoenix" shelled the shore in the Humboldt Bay--Hollandia area as the troops went ashore 22 April, and supported them as they consolidated their gains and prepared for further attacks along the northwest coast of the big island. "Phoenix" shelled airdromes and plane dispersal areas at Wakde and Sawar on the night of 29 April–30 April to neutralize the danger of air attack on newly-won Allied positions on New Guinea.

General Douglas MacArthur's troops next landed at Arare, 17 May to secure airdromes to support further operations in the Netherlands New Guinea area. This beachhead was later extended to include Wakde Island by a shore to shore movement of troops. "Phoenix" bombarded the Toem area and escorted the troops to the landing beach.

An amphibious assault on Biak Island, Geelvink Bay, followed. There, MacArthur planned to establish a forward base for heavy bombers. With "Nashville" and light cruiser "Boise", "Phoenix" sortied from Humboldt Bay 25 May and two days later supported the landing. Resistance was stubborn. While the task force fired on shore installations, two of the escorting destroyers were hit by shells from shore batteries. "Phoenix" wiped out the gun emplacement with two salvos from her 5 inch (127 mm) batteries.

On 4 June, off the northwest coast of New Guinea, eight Japanese fighter bombers attacked "Phoenix's" task force. Two confined their attention to "Phoenix". Although the ship's gunfire did not hit the planes, it diverted their bomb runs. Both planes dropped bombs, one of which burst in the water close aboard "Phoenix", killing one man and wounding four others with fragments. The ship also suffered some underwater leakage and damage to her propellers. The following night, aircraft again attacked "Phoenix". This time low-flying torpedo planes struck as she proceeded through Japan Strait, between Biak Island and New Guinea, but her gunfire and evasive tactics prevented damage.

"Phoenix" and her task force frustrated an enemy attempt to reinforce their garrisons on the night of 8 June–9 June. When they contacted the American ships, the Japanese destroyers turned and fled at such high speed that only one U.S. destroyer division was able to get within firing range. After a running fight of three hours at long range, "Phoenix" and her sisters broke off action.

With "Boise" and ten destroyers, "Phoenix" sortied from Seeadler Harbor in the Admiralties and bombarded shore defenses before American forces landed on Noemfoor Island 2 July. After the battle, many dead Japanese and wrecked planes were found in the target area assigned to "Phoenix".

"Boise", "Nashville", "Shropshire", "Phoenix" and heavy cruiser HMAS "Australia" joined for the occupation of Morotai in the Molucca Islands, 15 September 1944. The cruisers shelled nearby Halmahera Island to cover the landing and protected the assault forces as they went ashore against continuing light opposition.

The long-awaited re-conquest of the Philippines began with the landing on Leyte. "Phoenix", attached to the Close Covering Group, heavily bombarded the beaches before the highly successful landing 20 October. Her batteries silenced an enemy strong point holding up the advance of a battalion of the 19th Infantry Regiment and continued to furnish effective callfire.

In the battle of Leyte Gulf, "Phoenix" was a unit of Admiral Jesse Oldendorf's group which annihilated the Japanese Southern Force in the battle of Surigao Strait. "Phoenix" fired four spotting salvoes, and when the fourth hit, opened up with all of her 6 inch (152 mm) batteries. The target later proved to be the Japanese battleship "Yamashiro", which sank after 27 minutes of concentrated fire from the American fleet. The Japanese also lost "Fusō" and three destroyers in the battle and American planes sank the damaged cruiser "Mogami" the next day.

"Phoenix" then patrolled the mouth of Leyte Gulf to protect Allied positions ashore. On the morning of 1 November 1944, ten enemy torpedo-bombers attacked her and accompanying ships. At 09:45, "Phoenix" opened fire and five minutes later destroyer "Claxton" was hit by a kamikaze plane. Almost at the same instant, hits from "Phoenix's" 5 inch (127 mm) guns set another plane afire but could not prevent it from diving into the starboard bow of destroyer "Ammen". At 09:57, a plane making a torpedo run on "Phoenix" was shot down by the ship's machine-gun fire, but in a few minutes a bomber hit a third destroyer, "Killen".

After a lull of two and a half hours, more kamikaze planes arrived and, at 13:40, scored a hit on destroyer "Abner Read". Japanese aircraft attacked the other destroyers as they stood by the sinking ship, but "Phoenix" shot down one of the raiders.

"Phoenix" was attacked again by enemy planes on 5 December and was credited with assisting in the destruction of two attackers. Five days later, a suicide plane attempted to crash the ship but was brought down by 40 millimeter fire when only convert|100|yd away.

While proceeding to the assault area off Mindoro 13 December, the ship was constantly under air attack by single suicide planes. That day a lone kamikaze hit nearby cruiser "Nashville". On 15 December, a 5 inch (127 mm) shell from "Phoenix" brought down a circling plane at 8,500 yards (7.8 km). The ship then furnished her usual fire support and covered the landing forces. This gave the Allies a base from which to strike at Japan's shipping lanes through the South China Sea and to soften up Luzon for forthcoming landings.

En route to Lingayen Gulf for the invasion of Luzon, lookouts on board "Phoenix" sighted the conning tower of a diving submarine in the Mindanao Sea off Siquijor. The submarine submerged and fired two torpedoes which "Phoenix" dodged. Destroyer "Taylor" blew the midget sub to the surface and rammed her.

Next came Bataan and Corregidor, taken 13 February to 28 February 1945. "Phoenix" covered minesweeping operations at Balikpapan, Borneo, from 29 June until 7 July 1945. Resistance from coastal guns was unusually heavy. Mines and shellfire sank or damaged 11 minesweepers. "Phoenix" furnished supporting fire and the assault waves landed.

"Phoenix" was en route to Pearl Harbor for overhaul when Japan capitulated. She headed home and, upon reaching the Panama Canal 6 September, joined the Atlantic Fleet. Her status was reduced to in commission, in reserve, at Philadelphia 28 February 1946.

Post-War

She decommissioned on 3 July 1946, and remained at Philadelphia until sold to Argentina, 9 April 1951. She was commissioned in the Argentine Navy as "Diecisiete de Octubre" (C-4) on 17 October 1951, renamed "ARA General Belgrano" in 1956, and sunk during the Falklands War in 1982 by HMS "Conqueror".

"Phoenix" earned nine battle stars for World War II service.

ee also

See ARA "General Belgrano" for the history of the ship after her purchase by Argentina.

External links

* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/p6/phoenix-iii.htm history.navy.mil: USS "Phoenix"]
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-p/cl46.htm Navy photographs of "Phoenix"]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/04/04046.htm navsource.org: USS "Phoenix" (CL-46)]
* [http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/cruisers/cl46.txt hazegray.org: USS "Phoenix"]
* [http://www.sherryfelix.com/Hechler/PearlHarbor_Hechler.html sherryfelix.com: Like Swatting Bees in a Telephone Booth by Commander Ted Hechler, Jr., U. S. Navy (Retired)]

Notes

References

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