USS Wilkes-Barre (CL-103)

History of USS Wilkes-Barre (CL-103)

One of the major players of the United States Navy (USN) in the Pacific theater during World War II (1939-1945) was the Cleveland-class light cruiser. About fifty-two of this type were originally planned, although due to the end of the war, only twenty-seven were actually completed.

Thirteen were reordered as Fargo-class light cruisers, nine were converted into aircraft carriers, and three were eventually cancelled.

CL-90 was originally intended to be called USS Wilkes-Barre, but that name eventually fell to CL-103 (CL-90 was named USS Astoria (CA-34)). The New York Shipbuilding Company of Camden, NJ was commissioned to build and the keel was laid on December 14, 1942.

The ship was launched on December 24, 1943, and officially commissioned on July 1, 1944.

The light cruisers of that era (also known as "light armored cruisers") were relatively compact surface fighters, while retaining the armor protection of their full-fledged armored cruiser counterparts. For World War II combat, these ships could be called to operate independently or as part of a main battle fleet, usually in a scout or naval support role.

When completed, the USS Wilkes-Barre will displace 12,000 tons under standard load and a whopping 14,360 tons under full load. Dimensions include a barrel length of 610 feet, a beam of 66.3 feet and a draft of 25.5 feet. Power comes from 4 x boiler units giving 100,000 hp to 4 x geared steam turbines to 4 x shafts under the stern.

This gives the vessel a maximum sea speed of nearly 32.5 knots and a range of up to 11,000 nautical miles.

There were 1,255 officers and men on board. Four salvageable seaplanes were carried to provide much-needed over-the-horizon (OtH) capability for locating enemy surface ships and submarines, as well as supporting ship-based artillery.

The plane was launched via two catapults in the stern and recovered using a crane.

Armor belts have armor protection up to 5 inches, decks are protected by 2 inches of plate armor, turrets are 6 inches thick, and conning towers are up to 5 inches thick.

The armament is concentrated on a 12 x 6 in (150 mm)/47 caliber Mark 16 main gun mounted in four three-armed turrets, two forward and two rear. This was followed by six 12 x 5 in (130 mm)/38 caliber twin-gun turrets as a measure of long-range firepower. The 16 x 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns (AA) were distributed in four quadruple gun emplacements and were connected by 12 x 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns in six twin gun emplacements around the hull superstructure.

Finally, additional air defense support is provided by 10 x 20 mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft guns on a single mount.

After commissioning, the Wilkes-Barre crossed the Panama Canal to the Pacific Theater, ready for service. They were welcomed to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on November 17, 1944, and drills followed.

As part of Task Force 38 (TF38), it supported operations against the Japanese in Formosa, Ryukyu, and Luzon until early 1945. During the Iwo Jima invasion, warships and others acted as decoys. On February 21, as U.S. Marines waded ashore, they angrily fired guns at Japanese positions on the island.

On March 19, her crew claimed their first enemy aircraft, a single-seat Yokosuka D4Y monoplane. Wilkes-Barre then supported the Okinawa landings - three Zeros and an Aichi D3A were shot down in an attempted kamikaze attack.

Later, she became part of the rescue ship that rescued the stricken aircraft carrier USS Bunker Hill.

With the end of the August/September 1945 war, Wilkes-Barre won in Tokyo Bay. Due to her utility, the warship was decommissioned on October 9, 1947, and remained in Philadelphia waters. Her name was removed from the Naval Register on January 15, 1971, making her the last to serve in the U.S. Navy.

She was then used for extensive underwater blast testing until her hull snapped in half on May 12, 1972. The wreck of the old ship sank the next day.

During the war, the USS Wilkes-Barre received four battle stars.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Weight

Performance

Performance

Armor

Wing