History of USS Portland (CA-33)

If there are superstars in naval battles, the USS Portland (CA-33) is one of them. The pre-World War II cruiser USS Portland leads the two-man Portland class, which includes its more famous sister ship, the ill-fated USS Indianapolis (CA-35).

USS Portland managed about 16 Battle Stars for her service in the war, making it one of the most lavishly decorated ships in U.S. Navy history.

The Portland was ordered pre-war on February 13, 1929 and built under the constraints of the Washington Naval Convention enacted after the end of World War I (1914-1918). On February 17, 1930, the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Company (Front River Shipyard, Quincy, Massachusetts) saw her keel laid, launched on May 21, 1932, and officially commissioned on February 23, 1933.

As USS Portland, she was the first U.S. Navy ship to be named after the city of Portland, Maine. Her original pennant designation was "CL-33", but due to the terms of the London Naval Treaty, she was reclassified as a "heavy cruiser" and was renamed "CA-33".

Two catapults are mounted aft (behind the third main turret) and serve up to four seaplanes (retrievable using an onboard crane). These provide critical sight lines on the horizon, as well as artillery correction and reconnaissance capabilities.

The early riser of the USS Portland proved no different than the interwar warshipsshe was sent on friendship voyages to far-flung corners of the world, but it was her battle in WWII that Time careers apparently ultimately set them apart. Their first action was at the Battle of the Coral Sea (May 4-8, 1942), where combined American-Australian forces met Japanese forces. USS Portland was one of nine Allied cruisers participating in the battle, which ended with a tactical victory for Japan and a strategic victory for the Allies.

The USS Portland was deployed to defend the USS Yorktown and capture survivors from the doomed USS Lexington - the first carrier-to-carrier engagement in Navy history.

USS Portland was again called to defend Yorktown during the Battle of Midway (June 4-7 June 1942) and later at the Battle of Guadalcanal (August 7, 1942) to 9 February 1943) to escort the Enterprise until the end of the year. During the Battle of Guadalcanal (November 12-November 15, 1942), Portland suffered heavy damage from enemy torpedoes, but not before by sending 7,000 of its own troops ashore And use their artillery to strengthen American positions and help repel Japanese bombardment of enemy positions.

Her injuries kept her out of action for the next six months as repairs were carried out in both Sydney and San Diego.

In mid-1943, during the Aleutian, Gilbert, Marshall, Mariana, and New Guinea campaigns, the USS Portland was repaired, refitted, and returned to service while being forced into combat service. In October 1944, she participated in the Naval Battle of Leyte Gulf (23-26 October 1944), which resulted in a decisive Allied victory (again using combined US-Australian forces).

About 24 Allied cruisers participated in one of the largest naval battles in history. From there, she would bomb the coastal positions of Lingayen Bay and Corregidor.

Before her war career ended, USS Portland had her armament modified to include 4 x 40mm Bofors quadruple-armed turrets, 4 x 40mm double-armed turrets and 17 20mm single-gun Erin Kang Cannon - This is what the air threat attacked when facing the Japanese. She kept her primary and secondary batteries, as well as her salute.

Their final war effort supported the Allied landings on Okinawa, which helped end the Pacific War.

The USS Portland was used to accept the Japanese surrender in the Caroline Islands and to bring home veterans of long hard battles during Operation Magic Carpet. Her services were no longer required after the war, so she was officially retired on July 12, 1946, and retired on October 6, 1959.

USS Portland (CA-33) Specification

Basic

Year:
1933

Roles

- Blue Water Operations

- Fleet Support

- Hunter

- direct attack

Dimensions

Length:

610.2 ft (185.99 m)

width/width:

66 feet (20.12 m)

Elevation/Draft:

17 feet (5.18 m)

Weight

Displacement (surface):

10,000 tons

Performance

8 x Yarrow boilers fuel 4 x Parsons geared steam turbines rated at 107,000 hp on 4 x shafts.

Performance

Speed ??(surface):

33 kn (38 mph)

Area:

10,428 nautical miles (12,000 miles; 19,312 km)

Armor

1933:

9 x 8" (200 mm) /55 cal main gun

8 x 5" (127 mm) /25 cal anti-aircraft gun (AA)

2 x 3lb (47mm) salute

8 x .50 cal Heavy Machine Gun (HMG)

1945:

9 x 8" (200 mm) /55 cal main gun

8 x 5" (127 mm) /25 cal anti-aircraft gun (AA)

2 x 3lb (47mm) salute

4 x 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns mounted on quad mounts

4 x 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft gun twin mounts

17 x 20 mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft gun on single mount

Wing

4 x Seaplanes (reusable)

Related stuff

1400 1514 1587 1765 1774 1775 1776 1782 1785 1786 1791 1797 1811 1813 1819 1840 1841 1842 1852 1853 1855 1856 1857 1859 1860 1861 1862 1863 1864 1865 1866 1867 1868 1869 1870 1873 1874 1875 1877 1878 1885 1886 1888 1889 1895 1896 1897 1898 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Contact  |  Privacy Policy