[Classic Warships] [Warship Pictorial 001] USS Indianapolis CA-35

WARSHIP PICTORIAL # 1

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USS Indianapolis CA-35 Portland Class Cruiser Operational history 1929 February 13 - "Cruiscr Bill" became law, authorizing Portland, New Orleans, and Brooklyn Class Cruiscrs. August 15 - Contract signed by New York Shipbuilding Company. to build cruiser #35. December - Navy Department formally named cruiser #35 as USS Indianapol is.

1930

November 9 - Back in Pacific Ocean at Long Beach, California for refit. Eight new 50 cal. machine guns were fitted.

1935 Partici pated in fleet war games in the Paci fico

1936 fullin.g - Active in Fleet Problem 18 off Panama. une 10 - Arrived in New York Navy Yard for scheduled overhaul. November 18 - Carried President F.D.R. on the "Good Neighbor" tour of South

March 31 - Keel laid as light cruiser at Camden, New Jersey by The New York Shipbuilding Co.

1931

America, including the Pan American Conference in Buenos Aires. Returned to Charleston, South Carolina December 15.

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Re-dcsignated as a hcavy cruiser. November 7 - Launched.

1932 November J5 - Commissioned at Philadelphia Navy Yard.

1933 ailed for Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and shakedown cruise. February 23 - jVl...flL1 - In company with USS Babbitt DD-128, undergoes training excrciscs in thc Pacific, returned to Philadelphia Navy Yard for post shakedown yard service. !!lY...l - Cal ried President Franklin D.Roosevelt to US Naval Academy and later, bac"- to Philadelphia. September ti Carried C.A.Swanson, Secretary of the Navy, on inspection tour of Pacific bases. arriving at San Diego, California on October 27. November I Hccame flagship of Scouting Force, US Fleet.

1937 fullin.g - Returned to Long Beach, California and undertook wartime training exercises in the Pacific.

1938 Continued training exercises and in the fall, extcnsive gunnery practice on the firing range off Clemente Island.

1939 November - Entered Mare Island, California Naval Yard after having traveled over 215,000 miles since her commissioning.

1940 April - US Navy moved to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii as a dctcrrcnt to tensions between the United States and Japan.

1941

1934

February 1 - US Fleet reformed into threc fleets: Atlantic, Pacific and Asiatic.

April 9 - After completing a series of naval manoeuvres in the Pacific, steamed for the Atlantic coast. May 31 - In New York for Prcsidential Review of US Fleet with President Roosevelt aboard.

December 7 - On bombarding exercises off Johnson Island, west of Hawaii. After Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, joi ned Task Force 12 ina futi Ie search to find the attacking Japanese carrier force.

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1942

1945

anuary - March - Operated in South Pacific, including Rabaul and Port Moresby and returned to United States in spring for refit. April - May - Underwent extensive refit at Mare Island, California with additional single 20mm. mounts and new quad 1.1 in. mounts installed. une - Escorted convoy to Australia then returned to the North Pacific. ill - Joined Aleutians Fleet Force in defending Aleutians Islands after Japanese invasion. Shelled Kiska Island. September - October - Returned to United States for refit and overhaul. December - Refitted again, with addition of 20mm single mounts and 1.1 in. quad mounts. New secondary gun directors fitted along with fire control radar systems.

anuary 14 - Joined Task Force 58 off Japan and participated in Allied carrier strikes against the Japanese homeland.

1943 - Returned to Aleutian Islands to support Allied landings against Japanese held islands. February 19 - Intercepted Japanese cargo ship Akagane Maru. Enemy ship blew up with massive force after hits from main battery. April - May - Returned to Mare Island, California Naval Yard for refit. Additional 20mm guns fitted. All 1.1 in. quad. mounts were replaced with new twin and quad 40mm. mounts. oyember - December - Bombarded Island of Tarawa prior to Allied landing. Confirmed enemy plane shot down.

1944 anuary 31 - Bombarded Kawajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands. March - April - Participated in raid on Palau Islands. Confirmed second enemy plane splashed. May - Received "crazy quilt" dazzle camouflage paint scheme while undergoing refit at San Francisco, California. une - Became part of bombarding force against Tinian, Saipan and Guam (see page 40). Hit by enemy 120mm shell which failed to explode. une 19 - Participated in Battle of Philippine Sea. Confirmed enemy torpedo bomber downed. une 23 - Returned to Saipan for additional shore bombardment. July 24 - Contributed fire support for the Allied landing on Tinian Island. July 29 - Becomes the first Allied ship to enter Guam since the start of the war. September - Shelled Palau and Admiralty Islands. October - Returned to Mare Island, California for overhaul and additional refitting. The two twin 40mm mounts on her fantail were replaced with quad 40mm mounts and new fire control radar added. Repainted with Measure 22 (false horizon) and returned to Pearl Harbor.

February 20 - Arrived off Iwo Jima to again provide fire support. Rejoined Task Force 58 afterward. February 25 - Stationed south of the Japanese mainland to furnish cover for carrier stri kes agai nst Tokyo. March 14 - Joined fast carrier force to strike at southern Japanese islands of Kyushu and Honshu. March 24 - Took part in seven day pre-invasion bombardment of Okinawa. Confirmed eight enemy planes shot down. March 31 - Hit by Japanese kamikaze plane: aircraft's bomb penetrated ship and exploded under hull, causing severe damage. Nine men killed. Steamed under own power to Mare Island, arrived late April. May - June - Underwent repairs, fitted with the latest radar. 20mm singles replaced by twin 20mm with electronic gun sights. Starboard catapult removed and new Curtiss Seahawks replaced old SOC Seagulls. July 15 - Took on secret cargo and personnel at Hunters Point Navy Yard, San Francisco, California. July 16 - Sailed for Pearl Harbor at average 29 knots in record 74.5 hour trip. After replenishing, sailed for island of Tinian, arrived July 26 to unload secret cargo and personnel. uly 28 - Left Guam unescorted for island of Leyte. July 30 - At 12: 14 AM, takes two torpedo hits from Japanese submarine I-58; one near the bow, the other in machinery spaces. In 12 minutes, sinks by the bow stranding approximately 800 of her 1200 man crew in the ocean. August 2 - Navy PV-I Ventura spotted debris and survivors over a 20 mile area. August 3 - 316 survivors rescued. August 6 - "Secret cargo" dropped by the B-29 "Enola Gay" on Japanese city of Hiroshima, destroying most of five square mile area. September 2 - Japan signed surrender documents on board USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, ending Second World War.

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Vert. surfaces - Navy Gray (a) Steel decks - Ok. Gray (c) Wood decks - natural teak

Indianapolis at time of commissioning November 15,1932

scale 1/700

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Coming along side, the Indianapolis looks gigantic. She was over 600ji. long. Only fifteen or twenty years earlier, bal/leships were 600ft. long! Photograph was taken sorl'letime in the early 1930s

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