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USS Quincy (CA 71)

- formerly ST. PAUL -
- decommissioned -


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USS QUINCY was the fourth BALTIMORE - class heavy cruiser and the third ship in the Navy to bear the name. Decommissioned in 1946, the ship was placed in reserve at Bremerton, Wash. After the outbreak of the Korean War, the QUINCY was recommissioned in January 1952. Finally decommissioned on July 2, 1954, the ship was stricken from the Navy list on October 1, 1973, and sold for scrapping in August 1974.

General Characteristics:Awarded: June 17, 1940
Keel laid: October 9, 1941
Launched: June 23, 1943
Commissioned: December 15, 1943
Decommissioned: October 19, 1946
Recommissioned: January 31, 1952
Decommissioned: July 2, 1954
Builder: Bethlehem Steel Corp., Quincy, MA.
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, 48 40mm guns
Crew: 59 officers and 1083 enlisted


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Crew List:

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


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USS QUINCY Cruise Books:


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History of USS QUINCY:

USS QUINCY was authorized 17 June 1940; laid down by Bethlehem Steel Co., Shipbuilding Div., Quincy, Mass. as ST. PAUL 9 October 1941; renamed QUINCY 16 October 1942 to perpetuate that name after destruction of the second QUINCY at the Battle of Savo Island 9 August 1942; launched 23 June 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Henry S. Morgan, a daughter of Charles Francis Adams’, and commissioned at the U.S. Naval Drydock, South Boston Mass. 15 December 1943, Capt. Elliot M. Senn in command.

After shakedown cruise in the Gulf of Paria, between Trinidad and Venezuela, the new cruiser was assigned 27 March 1944 to Task Force 22 and trained in Casco Bay, Maine until she steamed to Belfast, Northern Ireland with TG 27.10, arriving 14 May and reporting to Commander, 12th Fleet for duty. General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Commander, Allied Expeditionary Force, accompanied by Rear Admiral Alan G. Kirk, inspected the ship’s company in Belfast Lough 15 May 1944.

QUINCY stood out of Belfast Lough 20 May for the Clyde and anchored off Greenock, Scotland to begin special training in shore bombardment. She then returned to Belfast Lough and began final preparations for the invasion of Europe. At 0537, 6 June 1944, she engaged shore batteries from her station on the right flank of Utah Beach, Baie de la Seine.

During the period 6 through 17 June, in conjunction with shore fire control parties and aircraft spotters, QUINCY conducted highly accurate pinpoint firing against enemy mobile batteries and concentrations of tanks, trucks, and troops. She also neutralized and destroyed heavy, long range enemy batteries, supported minesweepers operating under enemy fire, engaged enemy batteries that were firing on the crews of CORRY (DD 463) and GLENNON (DD 620) during their efforts to abandon their ships after they had struck mines, and participated in the reduction of the town of Quineville 12 June 1944.

QUINCY steamed to Portland, England 21 June and joined TF 129. She departed Portland 24 June for Cherbourg, France. The bombardment of the batteries surrounding the city commenced in conjunction with the Army’s assault at 1207. Nineteen of the twenty-one primary targets assigned the task force were successfully neutralized or destroyed, thus enabling Army troops to occupy the city that day.

The heavy cruiser sailed for Mers-el-Kebir, North Africa 4 July, arriving there the 10th. She proceeded to Palermo, Sicily 16 July, arriving two days later. QUINCY, based at Palermo through 26 July, conducted shore bombardment practice at Camarota in the Gulf of Policastro. She then steamed to Malta via the Straits of Messina. Between 27 July and 13 August the cruiser participated in training exercises at Malta and Camarota, Italy.

On the afternoon of 13 August, in company with four British cruisers, one French cruiser, and four American destroyers, QUINCY departed Malta for the landings on the southern coast of France, arriving Baie de Cavalaire 15 August. For three days the group provided fire support on the left flank of the 3rd U.S. Army. QUINCY transferred 19 August to TG 86.4, and until the 24th engaged the heavy batteries at Toulon, St. Mandrier, and Cape Sicie. She steamed westward the afternoon of 24 August to support minesweepers clearing the channel to Port de Bone in the Marseilles area.

QUINCY was detached from European duty 1 September and steamed for Boston, arriving one week later. She remained at Boston for the installation of new equipment through 31 October, when she got underway for training in Casco Bay. After fitting out at Boston for a Presidential cruise, QUINCY steamed for Hampton Roads, Va. 16 November.

President Roosevelt and his party embarked in QUINCY 23 January 1945 at Newport News, Va. for passage to Malta, arriving 2 February. After receiving calls by Prime Minister Winston Churchill and other dignitaries, President Roosevelt departed QUINCY and continued on to the Crimea by air.

QUINCY departed Malta 6 February and arrived Great Bitter Lake in the Suez Canal two days later, after calling at Ismalia, Egypt. The President and his party returned 12 February and the next day received Farouk 1, King of Egypt, and Haile Selassie, Emperor of Ethiopia. President Roosevelt received Ibn Saud, King of Saudi Arabia, 14 February. After a call at Alexandria and a final meeting between President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill, QUINCY steamed for Algiers, arriving 18 February. Following a presidential conference with the American ambassadors to Great Britain, France, and Italy, the cruiser steamed for the United States, arriving Newport News, Va. 27 February.

QUINCY stood out of Hampton Roads 5 March 1945, arriving Pearl Harbor the 20th. After training in the Pearl Harbor area, she steamed for Ulithi via Eniwetok, joining the 5th Fleet there 11 April. Two days later she departed Ulithi and joined Rear Admiral Wiltse’s Cruiser Division 10, in Vice Admiral Mitscher’s Fast Carrier Task Force. From 16 April QUINCY supported the carriers in their strikes on Okinawa, Amami Gunto, and Minami Daito Shima. She returned to Ulithi with units of the task force 30 April.

In company with units of TF 58, QUINCY departed Ulithi 9 May for the area east of Kyushu, arriving 12 May for carrier strikes against Amami Gunto and Kyushu. Before dawn on 14 May the cruiser splashed a Japanese plane. Her own aircraft strafed targets in Omonawa on Tokune Shima 19 May. QUINCY continued to support carrier aircraft strikes against Okinawa, Tokuno Shima, Kikai Jima, Amami Gunto, and Asumi Gunto until the force returned to base 13 June. Enroute, QUINCY safely rode out the severe typhoon of 5 June.

During the period of replenishment and upkeep at Leyte, Rear Admiral Wiltse, ComCruDiv 10 transferred to Quincy. The cruiser departed Leyte I July with Task Force 38 to begin a period of strikes at Japan’s home islands which lasted until the termination of hostilities. She supported carriers in strikes in the Tokyo Plains area, Honshu, Hokkaido, and Shikoku.

QUINCY joined the Support Force, 23 August; and four days later, helped occupy Sagami Wan, Japan, and entered Tokyo Bay 1 September.

Rear Admiral Wiltse transferred his flag 17 September to VICKSBURG (CL 86), and 20 September QUINCY joined the 5th Fleet as a unit of the Eastern Japan Force, TF 53, basing in Tokyo Bay.

QUINCY decommissioned 19 October 1946 in the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Wash. She was assigned to the Bremerton Group, Pacific Reserve Fleet until 31 January 1952, when she recommissioned. Following fitting out, QUINCY departed Bremerton for the short trip to Bangor, Wash., for ammunition onload in early May. After stops in Oakland, Calif., and San Diego, Calif., QUINCY passed the Panama Canal in June and continued to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for six weeks of shakedown training. After a port visit in Haiti, the QUINCY proceeded north to her new homeport of Norfolk, Va., where she arrived on 16 July.

QUINCY entered the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Va., for post-shakedown repairs until 26 August. At the same time, Rear Admiral James H. Thach, Jr., Commander Cruiser Division Six, shifted his flag from USS MACON (CA 132) to QUINCY and he and his new flagship steamed out of Norfolk bound for Europe.

After a fourteen day Atlantic crossing, the ship arrived at Greenock, Scotland. Following Operation Mainbrace which started 13 September, QUINCY arrived in Plymouth, England, on 26 September, but soon continued southbound arriving at Gibraltar 3 October. After port visits in Sicily and La Spezia, Italy, QUINCY participated in Operation Longstep in the first half of November, followed by port visits to Izmir, Turkey and Salonika, Greece. On 6 December 1952, a change-of-command ceremony was held aboard while visiting Naples, Italy, during which Captain Taylor relieved Captain Chappell as commanding officer of the QUINCY.

After another set of fleet exercises, QUINCY arrived at Marseille, France on 20 December. The new year saw the ship visiting Cannes, France; Valenica, Spain and Oran, Algeria, before the QUINCY returned to Norfolk.

The stay at home was short and the ship was called to duty to serve in the 7th Fleet in support of United Nations Forces in Korea. QUINCY served in the screen of the Fast Carrier Task groups ranging off the coastline of Korea 25 July 1953 through 1 December 1953. She again decommissioned 2 July 1954; and was subsequently berthed at Bremerton, Wash., in the Pacific Reserve Fleet. USS QUINCY was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register in October 1973 and sold for scrapping in August 1974.

QUINCY received four battle stars for World War II service.


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