USS Boston (CA-69)
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| Career | Missing image USN-Jack.png USN Jack |
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| Ordered: | |
| Laid down: | |
| Launched: | 26 August 1942 |
| Commissioned: | 30 June 1943 |
| Decommissioned: | May 1970 |
| Struck: | 1 November 1973 |
| Fate: | Scrapped in 1975 |
| General Characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 13,600 tons |
| Length: | 673 ft 3 in (205.2 m) |
| Beam: | 71 ft 10 in (21.9 m) |
| Draught: | 26 ft 10 in (8.2 m) |
| Propulsion: | |
| Speed: | 33 knots (60 km/h) |
| Range: | |
| Complement: | 1,142 officers and enlisted |
| Armament: (CA-69) | 9 × 8"/55 guns (203 m), 12 × 5"/38 guns (127 m) |
| Armament: (CAG-1) | 6 × 8"/55 guns, 10 × 5"/38 guns, 12 × 3"/50 guns (76 m), 2 × twin-rail Terrier SAM launcher) |
| Aircraft: | |
| Motto: | |
USS Boston (CA-69/CAG-1), a Baltimore-class heavy cruiser, was the sixth ship of the United States Navy to be named for the city of Boston, Massachusetts.
Boston was launched 26 August 1942 by Bethlehem Steel Company's, Fore River Shipyard, Quincy, Mass.; sponsored by Mrs. Maurice J. Tobin, wife of the Mayor of Boston; and commissioned 30 June 1943, Captain J. H. Carson in command.
Boston reported to the Pacific Fleet, arriving at Pearl Harbor 6 December 1943. She joined Task Force 58 (TF 58) in January and took part in the raids on the Marshall Islands in support of the invasions of Kwajalein, Majuro, and of Eniwetok (31 January – 28 February 1944); Palaus and Western Carolines (30 March – 1 April); Hollandia and Western New Guinea (21–24 April); the attack on Truk, including Satawan Island, bombardment (29 April – 1 May); invasion of Saipan (11–24 June); 1st Bonins raid (15–16 June); Battle of the Philippine Sea (19–20 June); 2nd Bonins raid (24–26 June); 3rd Bonins raid (3–4 July); invasion of Guam (12 July – 15 August); Palau-Yap-Ulithi raid (25–27 July); Morotai landings (15 September); seizure of the southern Palaus (6 September – 14 October); and Philippine Islands raids (9–24 September).
She served with TF 38 during the Okinawa raid (10 October); northern Luzon and Formosa raid (11–14 October); Luzon raids (15 and 24–26 October, 13–14 and 19–20 November, and 14–16 December); Battle of Leyte Gulf (24–26 October); Formosa raids (3–4, 9, 15, and 21 January 1945); Luzon raids (6–7 January); China coast raids (12 and 16 January); Nansei Shoto raid (22 January); Honshu and Nansei Shoto raids (15–16 February and 1 March), in which she bombarded Japan itself.
Boston then returned to the United States for overhaul, arriving at Long Beach, California, 25 March 1945. Returning to the Western Pacific, via Pearl Harbor and Eniwetok, she joined TF 38 for the raids on the Japanese home islands (20 July – 15 August), including the bombardment of Kamaishi, Honshu (9 August). Following the Japanese surrender Boston remained in the Far East on occupation duty until 28 February 1946. She then returned to the United States and was placed out of commission in reserve at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard 12 March 1946.
Patch of the USS Boston
Public domain photo from the
Naval Historical Center (http://www.history.navy.mil/)
Boston was reclassified CAG-1 on 4 January 1952. In February 1952 she was towed from Bremerton, Washington, to Philadelphia for conversion to a guided missile heavy cruiser by New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Camden, New Jersey. During conversion her aft 8-inch turret was replaced with anti-aircraft missile launchers and she was otherwise modernized. Boston was recommissioned 1 November 1955 and operated along the east coast and in the Caribbean conducting missile evaluations and participating in fleet exercises until departing for the Mediterranean 23 November 1956. She returned in May 1957.
- [1957-1970]
Boston was decommissioned 5 May 1970, stricken 1 April 1974, and sold for scrapping 28 March 1975.
Boston received ten battle stars for her World War II service.
See USS Boston for other ships of the same name.
References
This article includes text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.
External links
- navsource.org: USS Boston (http://www.navsource.org/archives/04/04069.htm)
- hazegray.org: USS Boston (http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/cruisers/ca69.txt)
| Baltimore-class cruiser |
| Baltimore | Boston | Canberra | Quincy | Pittsburgh | St. Paul | Columbus | Helena | Oregon City | Albany | Rochester | Bremerton | Fall River | Macon | Toledo | Los Angeles | Chicago |
| List of cruisers of the United States Navy |