USS Biloxi CL-80

Posted on February 24, 2012 by laststandonzombieisland One comment

The Cleveland-class light cruiser USS Biloxi served 20 years in the US Navy, winning nine battlestars.

The US Navy entered World War 2 in the Pacific significantly outgunned by larger Japanese cruisers. Less than six-months before the Attack at Pearl Harbor sent half the US battle line to the bottom, the USS Biloxi was laid down at Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia.
Design of the USS Biloxi

As part of the battle fleet, her job was to screen the fleet and act as the eyes and ears, probing out over the horizon looking for targets. In action, the light cruiser in World War 2 served to protect the more valuable ships of their assigned task force, namely troop carrying transports and aircraft laden carriers from enemy air attack.

The Busy Bee, as her 1255-member crew knew her, was designed to displace 10,000-tons inside her 610-foot hull. This placed her in size almost twice as large as comparable light cruisers in the world. She could steam at 32-knots and travel over 14,000 miles before needed to be refueled. Her armament consisted of a dozen Mk 16 six-inch (155mm) guns, another 12 five-inch (127mm) guns, and nearly 40 Bofors and Oerlikon antiaircraft cannons. The five and six inch guns were rapid-fire weapons designed to be used against either shore targets and other ships or high-flying aircraft. The Cleveland-class cruisers, of which the USS Biloxi were seen as having better fire control equipment and armament than previous US light cruisers.

Commissioned in late 1943, the USS Biloxi was with the main fleet assigned to Task Group 58 and screened aircraft carriers including the famous USS Enterprise, Hornet, and Yorktown. The Biloxi was a favorite naval gunfire platform of the Task Force and her shore bombardment capabilities from as far as 14-miles offshore were used in the Marshal and Marianas Islands in 1944. After shooting down several Japanese bombers in the Battle of the Philippine Sea, she went on to bombard the Volcano and Ryukyu Islands. Her four seaplanes rescued many downed US pilots.

While aiding in the US invasion of the Philippines the Biloxi was involved in a naval battle with the Japanese destroyer Nowaki, and helped sink that ship. She then sailed to support US landings in Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Again, a favorite platform to help marines ashore, the Busy Bee came to within 3,000 yards of the beaches, point blank range, and delivered accurate naval gunfire. This was particularly risky as the ship was in water so shallow that it could have been wrecked.

Off Okinawa in March 1945, she was hit by a kamikaze but remained in action. After quick repairs, she returned to the fleet just as the end of the war was announced. She visited post-atomic Nagasaki as part of occupation duties and helped carry home former allied prisoners of war.
End of the cruiser Biloxi.

With the end of World War 2, the wartime fleet was greatly reduced. Only being a few years old, and a renowned naval gunfire slugger, the Biloxi was placed in reserve in 1946. She was kept in mothballs waiting to be recalled to service. Sadly, for her the call never came and on December 1, 1961, the USS Biloxi was stricken from the Naval List. Her machinery was cannibalized to keep other ships of her class alive a few more years and the hulk was scrapped the following year.

Her main mast and ship’s bell were donated to her namesake city, Biloxi Mississippi. They are on public display there to this day and are lovingly maintained, as she was the only US warship named so far for that city.
Sources

DANFS; Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.
Friedman, Norman. U.S. Cruisers, An Illustrated Design History, 1984.
Whitley, M.J. Cruisers Of World War Two, An International Encyclopedia, 1995.