USS Guam (CB-2)

USS "Guam" (CB-2) was an "Alaska" class large cruiser which served with the United States Navy during the end of World War II. She was the second and last ship of her class to be completed.

"Guam" was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named after the island of Guam, an American territory in the Pacific.

History

"Guam" was launched 12 November 1943 by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Camden, New Jersey; sponsored by Mrs. George Johnson McMillan, wife of Captain McMillan, former governor of Guam; and commissioned 17 September 1944, Captain Leland P. Lovette in command.

After shakedown off Trinidad "Guam" departed Philadelphia 17 January 1945 and joined the Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor 8 February via the Panama Canal. Shortly thereafter "Guam" was visited by Secretary of the Navy Forrestal. Clearing Pearl Harbor 3 March "Guam" sailed into Ulithi 13 March where she joined forces with her sister ship "Alaska" and other fleet units in Admiral Marc Mitscher's famed Task Force 58 (TF 58).

Sortie was made from Ulithi next day and Rear Admiral Arthur W. Radford's Task Group 58.4 (TG 58.4), one of the most powerful task forces in naval history, proceeded to vicinity of Kyūshū and Shikoku, arriving the morning of 18 March. In her group sailed some of the most gallant ships ever to go in harm's way: carriers "Yorktown", "Intrepid", "Independence", and "Langley"; battleships "Missouri" and "Wisconsin"; cruisers "Alaska", "St. Louis", "San Diego", "Flint"; and 15 destroyers in the screen. "Guam's" battle debut soon came. The fight began with five kamikaze attacks on the carriers. "Guam's" guns were directed at the raiders. During this first battle, the carriers "Enterprise" and "Intrepid", both in "Guam's" force, were damaged but continued to operate. "Enterprise" took a bomb hit near her island structure; a suicide plane crashed onto "Intrepid"'s flight deck aft and glanced off and plunged into the sea. Continued air attacks during the afternoon resulted in the destruction of four enemy planes by "Guam's" group, one of which she splashed. The next afternoon "Guam" was despatched to escort damaged "Franklin" from the combat area. This lasted until 22 March.

After replenishing "Guam" rejoined Task Group 58.4 and departed for combat area in vicinity of Okinawa Gunto, Japan. On the night of 27 March to 28 March 1945 Admiral P. S. Low's Cruiser Division 16 in "Guam" conducted bombardment of the airfield on Minami Daito. Then until 11 May "Guam" supported carrier operations off the Nansei Shoto.

After repairs and replenishment at Ulithi, "Guam" again departed for the waters east of Okinawa, as a unit of Admiral William F. Halsey's 3rd Fleet, so renamed Task Group 38.4. Here she continued to support the carriers launching fighter sweeps over the Kyūshū airfields. On 9 June "Guam", "Alaska", and five destroyers conducted a 90-minute bombardment of Okino Daito. Course was then set for Leyte Gulf, arriving San Pedro Bay 13 June after almost 3 months of continuous operations in support of the Okinawa campaign.

Guam now got a new assignment as flagship of Cruiser Task Force 95, composed of large cruisers "Guam" and "Alaska", four light cruisers, and nine destroyers. This force steamed into the East China and Yellow Seas between 16 July and 7 August 1945 on a shipping raid. Direct results were few, but the fact that a surface sweep of Japan's home waters could be made without harm proved the overwhelming dominance and mobility of American sea power. "Guam"'s group retired to Okinawa 7 August.

A few days later "Guam" became the flagship of Rear Admiral Low's North China Force and circled the Yellow Sea parading American naval might before the major ports of Tsingtao, Port Arthur, and Dairen. She then steamed into Jinsen, Korea, 8 September 1945 to guarantee occupation of that liberated country. "Guam" departed Jinsen 14 November and reached San Francisco 3 December landing a contingent of Army troops for discharge. Clearing San Francisco 5 December 1945, Guam arrived Bayonne, NJ, 17 December. She remained there and decommissioned 17 February 1947; "Guam" berthed with the New York Group, Atlantic Reserve Fleet until 1 June 1960 when her name was struck from the Navy List. She was sold for scrapping 24 May 1961 to the Boston Metals Co., Baltimore, MD.

"Guam" received two battle stars for World War II service.

See also

* List of World War II ships