- USS Duluth (CL-87)
USS "Duluth" (CL-87) was a
United States Navy "Cleveland"-classlight cruiser .She was launched
13 January 1944 by Newport News Shipbuilding,Portsmouth, Virginia ; sponsored by Mrs. E. H. Hatch, wife of the Mayor ofDuluth, Minnesota ; and commissioned18 September 1944, CaptainD. R. Osborn, Jr. , in command.From
14 December 1944 to2 March 1945 , "Duluth" served as a training cruiser atNewport, Rhode Island . After brief overhaul at Norfolk, she sailed7 April for thePacific , arriving atPearl Harbor 29 April . On8 May , she got underway to join the5th Fleet and rendezvoused with the fast carriers on27 May . Severe structural damage to her bow suffered in a typhoon5 June forced her to return toGuam for repairs, but she rejoinedTF 38 on21 July to screen during the final air strikes on the Japanese homeland which continued until the end of the war.From
24 August 1945 until she enteredTokyo Bay 16 September , "Duluth" operated with TF 38 which was providing radar picket andcombat air patrol for transport aircraft flying occupation forces into Japan. On1 October , "Duluth" sailed for the United States, arriving atSeattle 19 October forNavy Day celebrations.Based at
San Pedro, California , "Duluth" served a tour of duty in the Far East between3 January and27 September 1946 , and on24 February 1947 sailed for an extended visit at Pearl Harbor. Between May and July, she visitedMelbourne andSydney ,Australia ,Truk , Guam, andManila . She served again in the Far East, patrolling theChina coast, between22 September 1947 and19 May 1948 , when she returned to her new home port,Long Beach, California . She carriedNROTC midshipmen on a training cruise toBritish Columbia in the summer of 1948, and in February1949 joined in cold-weather operations offKodiak, Alaska . She was placed out of commission in reserve25 June 1949, and sold on14 November 1960 .Awards
"Duluth" received two
battle star s for World War II service.External links
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-d/cl87.htm Navy photographs of "Duluth" (CL-87)]
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/d6/duluth.htm history.navy.mil: USS "Duluth"]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/04/04087.htm navsource.org: USS "Duluth"]
* [http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/cruisers/cl87.txt hazegray.org: USS "Duluth"]
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