Hawaii Cruiser Cluster, 80 Years Ago
Eight cruisers, including some of the most decorated and famous of the Pacific War, just taking a break before getting back to the push to Tokyo.
“A cluster of cruisers moored in Pearl Harbor, on 12 December 1943, after returning from the Tarawa invasion. The berths shown, near to far, are C-3, C-4, C-5, and C-6 for the cruisers, plus X-6, X-7, X-8, and X-9 in the background.
Photo from the Admiral Furlong Collection in the Hawaiʻi State Archives
At berth C-3 are a trio of New Orleans-class cruisers, with USS Minneapolis (CA-36) nearest, New Orleans (CA-32) in the middle, and San Francisco (CA-38) outboard in the distance. Berth C-4 serves USS Indianapolis (CA-35) with Baltimore (CA-68) along her port side. Santa Fe (CL-60) and Mobile (CL-63), the original “Mighty Mo,” are at C-5. The Atlanta-class cruiser Oakland (CL-95) has C-6 entirely to herself.
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USS Phelps (DD-360) is at berth X-6, with the destroyer tender Prairie (AD-15) next at X-7. Though not readily visible, the destroyers MacDonough (DD-351), Maury (DD-401), and Mullany (DD-528) are nested alongside. Morris (DD-417) and Bache (DD-407) populate berth X-8. The assault transport Gemini (APA-75) rounds out the photo at the upper left, sitting at berth X-9.
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It’s interesting to note the anti-torpedo protection in this section of the anchorage. Nets surround berths C-3, C-4, C-5, and X-7 – basically any cruiser berth with multiple ships, and the destroyer tender nest. By the lack of netting at C-6, Oakland was apparently not deemed to be as inviting of a target as the more versatile heavy and light cruisers to starboard.”
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