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  USS New Orleans CA-32
USN
New Orleans-class
Heavy Cruiser

9,950 Tons
574' x 61' 9" x 19' 5"
9 x 8" main guns
8 x 5" guns
8 x 50 cal MG
2 x catapults
4 x floatplanes)

Ship History
Built by New York Navy Yard in Brooklyn, New York. Laid down March 14, 1931 as a light cruiser (CL-32) as the lead ship of the New Orleans-class Heavy Cruiser. Launched April 12, 1933 as USS New Orleans (CA-32) named for New Orleans, Louisiana sponsored by Cora S. Jahncke. Commissioned February 15, 1934 in the U.S. Navy with Captain Allen B. Reed in command.

New Orleans made a shakedown cruise to Northern Europe in May and June 1934, returning to New York 28 June. On July 5, U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt embarked, for a cruise through the Panama Canal and an exercise with the United States Airship Macon (ER-5) off California. The cruise ended at Astoria, Oregon, 2 August, and New Orleans sailed at once for Panama and Cuba. New Orleans exercised off New England into 1935, then visited her namesake city while en route to join Cruiser Division 6 in operations in the eastern Pacific for over a year. She returned to New York from 20 August to 7 December 1936 and was once more in the Pacific early in 1937. Aside from winter training in the Caribbean early in 1939, she served out of California ports. On October 12, 1939 joined the Hawaiian Detachment for exercises, training, and patrol duties.

Wartime History
On December 7, 1941 in the morning moored at Pearl Harbor connected to electrical power ashore as her engines were under repair. During the Japanese attack, the electric power went out and the crew attempted to start the engines by raising steam using only flashlights while sailors topside fired on the attacking aircraft with small arms before breaking the locks on ammunition lockers because the keys could not be found to access 5" and anti-aircraft ammunition. Without power, all guns had to be manually aimed with only a few shells available in ready lockers or manually hoisted from below deck. During the attack, a bomb exploded nearby injuring many of the crew from shrapnel. During the Japanese attack, New Orleans suffered only light damage.

Afterwards, New Orleans operation on only three of her four engines to escort troop convoys from Pearl Harbor to Palmyra and Johnston then returned to San Francisco on January 13, 1942 for repairs and installation of search radar and 20mm anti-aircraft guns. On February 12, 192 departed escorting a troop convoy across the Pacific to Brisbane. Next provided a screen for a convoy to Nouméa then returned to Pearl Harbor and joined Task Force 11 (TF-11).

Battle of Coral Sea
On April 15, 1942 TF-11 sortied joining USS Yorktown (CV-5) southwest of the New Hebrides then proceeded westward. On May 7-8, 1942 participated in the Battle of the Coral Sea. During the battle when USS Lexington was severely damaged, New Orleans stood by, her men diving into the sea to rescue survivors while her boat crews rescued 580 the carrier's crew that were later disembarked at Nouméa. Afterwards, New Orleans patrolled the eastern Solomons Islands until returnng to Pearl Harbor to resupply.

Battle of Midway
On May 28, 1942 departed Pearl Harbor screening USS Enterprise (CV-6) bound for Midway Atoll arriving June 2, 1942 for the Battle of Midway then returned to Pearl Harbor for replenishment.

Guadalcanal
On July 7, 1942 departed Pearl Harbor and rendezvous off Fiji to screen USS Saratoga (CV-3) bound for the Solomon Islands. On August 7, 1942 supports the U.S. invasion of Tulagi and Guadalcanal. Between August 24-25, 1942 defends against Japanese air raids then participats in the Battle of the Eastern Solomons. On August 31, 1942 after USS Saratoga (CV-3) was torpedoed and damaged, escorted her back to Pearl Harbor, arriving September 21, 1942. With the repaired carrier, New Orleans escorted to Fiji arriving in early November 1942 then to Espiritu Santo, arriving November 27, 1942 then returned to Guadalcanal.

Battle of Tassafaronga
With four other cruisers and six destroyers, she fought in the Battle of Tassafaronga on the night of 30 November, engaging a Japanese destroyer-transport force. When the flagship USS Minneapolis (CA-36) was hit by two torpedoes. New Orleans, next astern, was forced to sheer away to avoid collision, and ran into the track of a torpedo which ripped off her bow. Bumping down the ship's port side, the severed bow punched several holes in New Orleans' hull. A fifth of her length gone, slowed to 2 knots and blazing forward, the ship fought for survival. Individual acts of heroism and self-sacrifice plus skillful seamanship kept her afloat under her own power she entered Tulagi Harbor on December 1, 1942 at dawn.

Aftwards, emergency repairs were made and a jury-rigged bow was made using coconut logs. On December 12, 1942 departed for Australia arriving 12 days later in Sydney Harbor where more repairs were made and a damaged propeller fixed before departing. On March 7, 1943 departs for Puget Sound Navy Yard, where a new bow was installed and remaining damage fixed.

On August 31, 1943 returns to Pearl Harbor for training, then joined a cruiser-destroyer force. During the night of October 5, 1942 to October 6, 1942 conducts a shore bombardment of Wake Island and repulsed an attack by a B5N Kate then returns to Pearl Harbor.

On November 10, 1943 departs Pearl Harbor for a preinvasion bombardment in the Gilbert Islands ten days later, then to screen carriers striking the eastern Marshalls 4 December. In aerial attacks that day, the new Lexington, namesake of the carrier whose men New Orleans had pulled from the Coral Sea, was torpedoed, and New Orleans guarded her successful retirement to repairs at Pearl Harbor, arriving 9 December.

1944 Actions
On January 29, 1944 New Orleans fired on targets in the Marshalls, hitting air installations and shipping as the Navy took Kwajalein. She fueled at Majuro, then sailed 11 February to join the fast carriers in a raid on Truk, Japanese bastion in the Carolines 17 February–18 February. While air strikes were flown, New Orleans, with other warships circled the atoll to catch escaping ships; the task force's combined gunfire sank a light cruiser, a destroyer, a trawler, and a submarine chaser. The force sailed on to hit the Marianas, then returned to Majuro and Pearl Harbor.

The carriers, with New Orleans in escort, again heaped destruction on targets in the Carolines late in March, then in April, sailed south to support Allied landings at Hollandia (currently known as Jayapura), New Guinea. There, 22 April, a disabled Yorktown plane flew into New Orleans' mainmast, hitting gun mounts as it fell into the sea. The ship was sprayed with gas as the plane exploded on hitting the water, one crewmember was lost, another badly injured, but New Orleans continued in action, patrolling and plane guarding off New Guinea, then joining in further raids on Truk and Satawan, which she bombarded 30 April. She returned to Majuro 4 May.

Preparations were made in the Marshalls for the invasion of the Marianas, for which New Orleans sortied from Kwajalein 10 June. She bombarded Saipan 15 June and 16 June, then joined the screen protecting carriers as they prepared to meet the Japanese Mobile Fleet in the Battle of the Philippine Sea. In this last major carrier combat the Japanese were able to mount, American naval aviators and submariners sank three enemy carriers and destroyed almost every aircraft launched against them, 395 in all. The few enemy planes which penetrated to the American carriers were shot down by New Orleans and other escorts. The Marianas operation continued, and Japanese naval aviation was virtually nonexistent after this great victory of 19 June–20 June.

New Orleans made patrols and bombardments on Saipan and Tinian into August, returned to Eniwetok the 13th, and sailed the 28th for carrier raids on the Bonins, bombardments of Iwo Jima, 1 September–2 September, and direct air support for the invasion of the Palaus. After reprovisioning at Manus, the task force assaulted Okinawa, Formosa, and Northern Luzon, destroying Japanese land-based aviation which otherwise would have threatened the landings on Leyte 20 October. The carriers continued to send raids, aiding troops ashore, as they prepared to meet the Japanese, who were sending almost every surface ship left afloat in one great effort to break up the Philippines operation. New Orleans guarded her carriers as they joined in the great Battle for Leyte Gulf, first attacking the Japanese Southern Force 24 October, then raiding the Center Force in the Sibuyan Sea, and next destroying the Japanese Northern Force of decoy carriers in the Battle off Cape Engano. The carriers then sped south to aid the gallant escort carriers holding off the powerful Japanese battleship-cruiser force in the Battle off Samar. A stunning American victory was followed by strikes against the retreating Japanese remnant.

1945 Actions
After replenishing at Ulithi, New Orleans guarded carriers during raids throughout the Philippines in preparation for the invasion of Mindoro, then late in December sailed for a Mare Island Navy Yard overhaul, followed by training in Hawaii. She returned to Ulithi 18 April 1945, and two days later, departed to give direct gunfire support at Okinawa, arriving 23 April. Here, she dueled with shore batteries and fired directly against the enemy lines. After nearly two months on station, she sailed to replenish and repair in the Philippines, and was at Subic Bay when hostilities ceased.

New Orleans received 17 battle stars for World War II service. Other honors include 5 Navy Crosses, 10 Silver Stars, 1 Bronze Star, 1 Air Medal and 206 Purple Hearts awarded to members of her crew

Post War
New Orleans sailed 28 August with a cruiser-destroyer force to ports of China and Korea. She covered the internment of Japanese ships at Tsingtao, the evacuation of liberated Allied prisoners-of-war, and the landing of troops in Korea and China, until sailing 17 November from the mouth of the Peking River, carrying veterans homeward bound. More returning troops came aboard at the Sasebo U.S. Fleet Activities base, and all were disembarked at San Francisco 8 December. After similar duty took her to Guam in January 1946 she sailed through the Panama Canal for a 10 day visit to her namesake city, then steamed to Philadelphia Navy Yard, arriving 12 March. There, she decommissioned 10 February 1947 and lay in reserve. On March 1, 1959 struck from the Naval Vessel Register.

Fate
On September 22, 1959 sold to Boston Metals Company in Baltimore, Maryland for scrap and broken up.

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Last Updated
November 7, 2023

 

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November 30, 1942
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