USS Roanoke (CL 145)

- decommissioned -

USS ROANOKE was the second WORCESTER - class light cruiser and the fourth ship in the Navy named after the city in Virginia. The ROANOKE decommissioned at Mare Island, Calif., in late October 1958, joining the Reserve Fleet there. Stricken from the Navy list in December 1970, she was sold for scrapping in February 1972.

General Characteristics:	Awarded: 1943
	Keel laid: May 15, 1945
	Launched: June 16, 1947
	Commissioned: April 4, 1949
	Decommissioned: October 31, 1958
	Builder: New York Shipbuilding, Camden, NJ
	Propulsion system: geared turbines, 120,000 shp
	Propellers: four
	Length: 679.5 feet (207.1 meters)
	Beam: 70.5 feet (21.5 meters)
	Draft: 24.6 feet (7.5 meters)
	Displacement: approx. 17,997 tons fully loaded
	Speed: 33 knots
	Aircraft: none
	Armament: twelve 15.2cm 6-inch/47 caliber guns in six twin mounts, 22 7.6 cm 3-inch/50 caliber guns
	Crew: 70 officers and 1286 enlisted

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Crew List:

This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USS ROANOKE. 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 ROANOKE memorabilia are currently for sale on ebay.

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USS ROANOKE Cruise Books:

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Ship's History:

USS ROANOKE was laid down 15 May 1945 by the New York Shipbuilding Corp., Camden, N.J.; launched 16 June 1947; sponsored by Miss Julia Ann Henebry; and commissioned at Philadelphia 4 April 1949, Capt. John D. Kelsey in command.

Following shakedown in the Caribbean, ROANOKE undertook maneuvers in the Atlantic as a unit of the Battleship-Cruiser Force and on 6 January 1950 got underway to join the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean for her first extended deployment. Returning to the United States in May, she alternated 6th Fleet deployments with operations in the western Atlantic until the summer of 1952 when she added a midshipman's cruise to Europe and the Caribbean to her schedule. Continuing to operate in the Battleship-Cruiser Force, US Atlantic Fleet until the fall of 1955, ROANOKE completed her sixth Mediterranean deployment in May, then prepared for transfer to the Pacific Fleet.

On 22 September 1955, ROANOKE departed Norfolk, Va., for the Panama Canal. Homeported at Long Beach, she conducted nine Naval Reserve cruises and completed two WestPac cruises, May to December 1956 and September to October 1958, before decommissioning 31 October 1958. She was berthed at Mare Island until sold to the Levin Metals Corporation of San Jose, Calif. on 22 February 1972.

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USS ROANOKE Image Gallery:

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