USS Fall River (CA 131)

- decommissioned -

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USS FALL RIVER was a BALTIMORE - class heavy cruiser and the first ship in the Navy to bear the name of the city in Massachusetts. Decommissioned on October 31, 1947, and stricken from the Navy list on February 19, 1971, the FALL RIVER was sold for scrapping on August 28, 1972. A part of her bow is preserved at Battleship Cove in Fall River, Mass.

General Characteristics:	Awarded: July 9, 1942
	Keel laid: April 12, 1943
	Launched: August 13, 1944
	Commissioned: July 1, 1945
	Decommissioned: October 31, 1947
	Builder: New York Shipbuilding Corp., Camden, NJ.
	Propulsion system: geared turbines; 120,000 shaft horsepower
	Length: 673.5 feet (205.3 meters)
	Beam: 70.9 feet (21.6 meters)
	Draft: 24 feet (7.3 meters)
	Displacement: approx. 17,000 tons full load
	Speed: 33 knots
	Aircraft: none
	Armament: nine 8-inch (20.3cm)/55 caliber guns from three triple mounts, twelve 5-inch (12.7cm)/38 caliber guns from six twin mounts, 14 3-inch (7.6 cm)/50 caliber guns
	Crew: 59 officers and 1083 enlisted

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Crew List:

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

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Click here to see which USS FALL RIVER memorabilia are currently for sale on ebay.

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USS FALL RIVER Cruise Books:

Cruise Book 1945

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History of USS FALL RIVER:

FALL RIVER was launched 13 August 1944 by New York Shipbuilding Corp., Camden, N.J.; sponsored by Mrs. Alexander C. Murray, wife of the mayor of Fall River; and commissioned 1 July 1945, Captain D. S. Crawford in command.

On 31 October 1945, FALL RIVER arrived at Norfolk, out of which she sailed in experimental development operations until 31 January 1946. The cruiser was assigned to JTF 1, organized to conduct Operation "Crossroads", atomic weapons tests in the Marshall Islands in the summer of 1946. To prepare for this duty, FALL RIVER sailed to San Pedro, Calif., where from 16 February to 6 March she was altered to provide flagship accommodations. Arriving at Pearl Harbor 17 March, she embarked Rear Admiral F. G. Fahrion, commander of the target vessel's group for the tests, and with him sailed in the Marshalls between 21 May and 14 September.

After west coast training, FALL RIVER served a tour of duty in the Far East as flagship of Cruiser Division 1 from 12 January 1947 to 17 June. She returned to Puget Sound Navy Yard, where she was placed out of commission in reserve 31 October 1947.

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USS FALL RIVER Image Gallery:

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