USS Saint Paul (CA-73)

USS "Saint Paul" (CA-73), a "Baltimore"-class cruiser, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the capital city of Minnesota.

Her keel was laid down as "Rochester" on 3 February 1943 by the Bethlehem Steel Company in Quincy, Massachusetts. She was launched on 16 September 1944 sponsored by Mrs. John J. McDonough, and commissioned on 17 February 1945 with Captain Ernest H. von Heimburg in command.

World War II

After shakedown in the Caribbean Sea, "Saint Paul" departed Boston, Massachusetts, on 15 May 1945 and headed for the Pacific. From 8 June to 30 June, she underwent training out of Pearl Harbor and sailed on 2 July to join Task Force 38. This fast carrier striking force completed replenishment at sea on 23 July and then proceeded to launching points for strikes against Honshū, Japan's largest island. Between 24 July and 10 August, "Saint Paul" screened the carriers as they delivered heavy air strikes on Kure, Kobe, and the Tokyo area in southern Honshū, then at Maizuru and various airfields in northern Honshū. During this period, "Saint Paul" also bombarded industrial targets: first on textile mills at Hamamatsu during the night of 29 July, and then on 9 August at iron and steel works in Kamaishi, firing the war's last hostile salvo from a major ship. Typhoon warnings canceled air operations on 11 August until 14 August. Then, those launched that morning were recalled, after peace negotiations gave promise of Japan's surrender. On 15 August, all offensive operations against Japan were stopped.

"Saint Paul", with other units of the Third Fleet, retired to the southeast to patrol the coast while awaiting orders. On 27 August, she steamed into Sagami Wan to support United States occupation forces. On 1 September, she entered Tokyo Bay and was there during the formal surrender ceremony the next day.

"Saint Paul" remained in Japanese waters for occupation duty until she was ordered to Shanghai on 5 November to become flagship of TF 73. She navigated the Whangpoo River, anchored off the Shanghai Bund on 10 November, and remained there until early in 1946.

Returning to the Naval Shipyard, Terminal Island, California, on 1 October, she was overhauled to prepare for additional Far East duty. From 1 January to 15 February 1947, she conducted refresher training at San Diego, California.

Following her return to Shanghai in March, "Saint Paul" resumed operations as flagship for CTF 71 until returning to the United States in November. Next, came training operations along the West Coast, including cruises for Naval Reservists during April and May 1948. From August to December of that year, she deployed to the western Pacific, serving in Japanese and Chinese waters. Back in the United States, she was converted from catapult to helicopter configuration before serving again in the Far East from April through October 1949.

Korean War

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USS Wisconsin (BB-64) and USS Saint Paul (CA-73) steam in close formation during operations off the Korean coast, 1952]

When hostilities broke out in the Korean War in June 1950, "Saint Paul" was conducting a midshipman training cruise from San Francisco, California, to Pearl Harbor. She disembarked the future naval officers and proceeded late in July to the western Pacific where she joined Task Group (TG) 77.3 on patrol in the Formosa Strait. "Saint Paul" remained on patrol between Formosa and mainland China from 27 August to 1 November. She then moved north into the Sea of Japan to join carrier TF 77, and commenced combat operations off the northeast coast of Korea on 9 November. On 17 November, she provided gunfire support to the United Nations troops advancing on Chongjin. That day, shrapnel from a near miss by a shell from a Communist shore battery injured six men at gun mount stations. The cruiser destroyed the enemy emplacement with counter-battery fire and continued her support mission.

As the Chinese Communists began massive attacks late in November, United Nations forces commenced a general withdrawal to consolidate and hold south of the 38th parallel. "Saint Paul" provided close support for the Republic of Korea I Corps on their east flank as they withdrew from Hapsu, and along the coast, as they retired from Chongjin. On 2 December, she moved north again, conducted night harassing missions above Chongjin, then moved south to support the withdrawal of the Republic of Korea Capital Division to Kyongsong Man. She entered the harbor at Wonsan on 3 December to provide a curtain of shellfire around that city as United Nations forces and equipment were moved to Hungnam; then followed the forces there, and remained to cover the evacuation of that city and harbor between 10 December and 24 December.

From 21 January to 31 January 1951, "Saint Paul" conducted shore bombardment missions north of Inchon where, on 26 January, she was again fired upon by shore batteries. On 7 April, in special TF 74, with destroyers
"Wallace L. Lind" (DD-703), and
"Massey" (DD-778),landing ship dock "Fort Marion" (LSD-22)and high speed transport "Begor" (APD-127),"Saint Paul" helped to carry out raids on rail lines and tunnels utilizing 250 commandos of the 41st Independent Royal Marines. These highly successful destructive raids slowed down the enemy's resupply efforts, forcing the Communists to attempt to repair or rebuild the rail facilities by night while hiding the work crews and locomotives in tunnels by day.

"Saint Paul" returned to the United States for yard work at San Francisco, California, from June to September, then conducted underway training before sailing on 5 November for Korea. She arrived off Wonsan on 27 November and commenced gun strike missions. During the following weeks, she bombarded strategic points at Hungnam, Songjin, and Chongjin. In December, she served as an antiaircraft escort for TF 77, and, following a holiday trip to Japan, returned to operations off the coast of North Korea. In April 1952, "Saint Paul" participated in combined air-sea attacks against the ports of Wonsan and Chongjin.

On 21 April, while the cruiser was engaged in gun fire support operations, a sudden and serious powder fire broke out in her forward eight-inch (203 mm) turret. Thirty men died. The explosion ocurred in the turret's left gun, which was loaded but had the breech open. The gun captain thought the weapon had fired and told the gun's rammerman to ram another projectile into the gun's breech. The gun blew up, setting off two other powder bags in the powder hoist. [cite book | last = Thompson II | first = Charles C. | coauthors = | year = 1999 | title = A Glimpse of Hell: The Explosion on the USS Iowa and Its Cover-Up | publisher = W. W. Norton | location = | id = ISBN 0393047148, p. 28.]

Before returning to Japan for repairs, however, "St. Paul" carried out gunstrikes on railroad targets near Songjin, during which she captured nine North Koreans from a small boat. Following a brief stay in port and two weeks on the gun line, she headed home and reached Long Beach, California, on 24 June.

On 28 February 1953, "Saint Paul" departed the West Coast for her third Korean tour and was in action again by April. In mid-June, she assisted in the recapture of Anchor Hill. With battleship
"New Jersey" (BB-62),she provided close support to the Republic of Korea Army in a ground assault on this key position south of Kosong. The cruiser was fired upon many times by 75 mm and 105 mm guns, and observed numerous near misses, some only ten yards away. But on 11 July at Wonsan, she received her only direct hit from a shore battery. No one was wounded, and only her three-inch (76 mm) antiaircraft mount was damaged. On 27 July, at 2159, she conducted her last gunstrike and had the distinction of firing the last round shot at sea in the war. The shell, autographed by Rear Admiral Harry Sanders, was fired at an enemy gun emplacement. The truce was effective at 2200. "Saint Paul" then commenced patrol duties along the east coast of Korea.

1954-1970

"Saint Paul" returned to the western Pacific again in May 1954; and, later that year, she was on hand when the Chinese Communists were threatening the Nationalist Chinese islands of the Quemoy Islands group. Between 19 November 1954 and 12 July 1955, she operated with the Seventh Fleet in Japanese and Chinese waters, particularly between Taiwan and the Chinese mainland, playing a major role in protecting United States interests in the Far East. She returned to Long Beach, California, for repairs and overhaul, but was back in the western Pacific from 15 August 1955 to 10 January 1956 serving as flagship for the Seventh Fleet.

"Saint Paul" returned to Long Beach, California, in February and subsequently moved to Bremerton, Washington, for upkeep and overhaul. In September, she became flagship for the First Fleet and entertained the Secretary of the Navy during a fleet review at Long Beach. She departed that port on 6 November; and, after refresher training at San Diego, California, arrived at Yokosuka, Japan, on 29 September to relieve
"Rochester" (CA-124)as flagship of the Seventh Fleet. She spent most of her time in Keelung or Kaohsiung, Taiwan, with periods of training in the Philippines and port calls at Buckner Bay, Hong Kong, Manila, and Sasebo. On 26 April 1957, she headed home.

"Saint Paul" arrived at Long Beach, California, on 21 May and subsequently cruised along the West Coast, as far north as Seattle, Washington, until she sailed once more on 3 February 1958 for the Far East. She made an extensive cruise beginning at Pearl Harbor. Thence she steamed to Wellington, New Zealand; proceeded past Guadalcanal and north through the Solomon Islands to New Georgia; visited the Caroline Islands; and ended at Yokosuka on 9 March. She repeated her past WestPac deployments with duties as flagship, and exercises in the Philippines, before returning to Long Beach on 25 August.

Sailing from Long Beach, California, on 4 May 1959, "Saint Paul" became the first major United States Navy ship to be homeported in the Far East since pre-World War II days. Based at Yokosuka, she did not return to Long Beach until 39 months later. Then, she assumed duties as First Fleet flagship and did not return to WestPac until 1966. From that year, she made five successful deployments with the Seventh Fleet in operations off North and South Vietnam, providing gunfire support to allied troops. Reminiscent of her Korean operations, "Saint Paul" was hit on 2 September by a shell which struck her starboard bow, near the water line. None of her crew was injured; and her engineers repaired the slight damage, enabling her to continue her mission. For her splendid record of service in helping to combat Communist aggression in South Vietnam, "Saint Paul" earned the Navy Unit Commendation and two Meritorious Unit Commendations.

In 1964 "Saint Paul" was involved in the filming of the motion picture "In Harm's Way", starring John Wayne.

At San Diego, California, on 7 December 1970, "Saint Paul" began inactivation procedures. She sailed to Bremerton, Washington, on 1 February 1971 where she was decommissioned on 30 April and was placed in reserve with the Puget Sound Group of the Pacific Reserve Fleet.

"Saint Paul" was the last all-gun "Baltimore"-class cruiser in US Navy service (USS "Chicago" (CG-11, ex-CA-136) and USS "Columbus" (CG-12, ex-CA-74)) soldiered on into the eighties as "Albany"-class guided missile cruisers).

Struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 31 July 1978, "Saint Paul" was sold in January 1980.

Awards

"Saint Paul" earned one battle star for World War II service, eight battle stars for Korean service, and nine battle stars for Vietnam service.

Notes

References