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USS Duluth (CL 87)

- decommissioned -

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USS DULUTH was one of the CLEVELAND - class light cruisers and the first ship in the Navy named after the city in Minnesota. Decommissioned in June 1949, the DULUTH spent the following ten years in the Reserve Fleet. She was stricken from the Navy list in January 1960 and sold for scrapping in September of that year.

General Characteristics:Awarded: 1940
Keel laid: November 9, 1942
Launched: January 13, 1944
Commissioned: September 18, 1944
Decommissioned: June 25, 1949
Builder: Newport News Shipbuilding, Newport News, Va.
Propulsion system: geared turbines, 100,000 shp
Propellers: four
Length: 610.2 feet (186 meters)
Beam: 66.3 feet (20.2 meters)
Draft: 24.6 feet (7.5 meters)
Displacement: approx. 14,130 tons fully loaded
Speed: 32.5 knots
Aircraft: four
Armament: twelve 15.2cm 6-inch/47 caliber guns in four triple mounts, twelve 12.7cm 5-inch/38 caliber guns in six twin mounts, 28 40mm guns, 10 20mm guns
Crew: 70 officers and 1285 enlisted


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Crew List:

This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USS DULUTH. It is no official listing but contains the names of sailors who submitted their information.


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USS DULUTH Cruise Books:


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USS DULUTH History:

USS DULUTH was launched 13 January 1944 by Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Newport News, Va.; sponsored by Mrs. E. H. Hatch, wife of the Mayor of Duluth, Minn.; and commissioned 18 September 1944, Captain D. R. Osborn, Jr., in command.

From 14 December 1944 to 2 March 1945 DULUTH served as a training cruiser at Newport, R. I. After brief overhaul at Norfolk, she sailed 7 April for the Pacific, arriving at Pearl Harbor 29 April. On 8 May she got underway to join the 5th Fleet and rendezvoused with the fast carriers on 27 May. Severe structural damage to her bow suffered in a typhoon 5 June forced her to return to Guam for repairs, but she rejoined TF 38 on 21 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 entered Tokyo Bay 16 September, DULUTH operated with TF 38 which was providing radar picket and combat air patrol for transport aircraft flying occupation forces into Japan. On 1 October DULUTH sailed for the United States, arriving at Seattle 19 October for Navy Day celebrations.

Based at San Pedro, Calif., DULUTH served a tour of duty in the Far East between 3 January 1946 and 27 September, and on 24 February 1947 sailed for an extended visit at Pearl Harbor. Between May and July, she visited Melbourne and Sydney, Australia; Truk; Guam; and Manila. She served again in the Far East, patrolling the China coast, between 22 September 1947 and 19 May 1948, when she returned to her new homeport, Long Beach. She carried NROTC midshipmen on a training cruise to British Columbia in the summer of 1948, and in February 1949 joined in cold-weather operations off Kodiak, Alaska. She was placed out of commission in reserve 25 June 1949, and sold on 14 November 1960.

DULUTH received two battle stars for World War II service.


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