Baltimore (CA 68) - Naval Cruise Book

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U. S. S. BALTIMORE CA 68 HISTORY Na med for the nation ' s sixth largest city, the present heavy cruiser has probably done more to honor Baltimore than any of her three predecessors in American naval history which bore the Maryland city ' s name. During the Second World War, the Baltimore truly earned her nine battle stars. When she under- took her most important mission, carrying President Roosevelt to his momentous 1944 meeting with General MacArthur and Admiral Nimitz, the late President said to the crew as he disembarked, There are very few ships of the fleet that have had the opportunity that this ship has had for combat against the enemy. The Baltimore saw action at Makin, Kwajalein, Eniwetok, Saipan, New Guinea, Truk, Marcus, Wake, Guam, Iwo Jima, Luzon, Okinawa, Honshu, and the Chinese coast. Despite participation in these flaming actions, the Baltimore emerged from the war unscathed, not a single man lost to enemy action. Decommissioned in 1946, the Baltimore remained in mothballs until November, 1951, when she was reeommissioned at Bremerton, Wash. Her situation was similar to that of many of the reserves who now serve aboard her - ])roud and honorable service in World War II, heeding her country ' s call at time of danger six years later. The majority of her present crew, however, has never known war and sincerely hopes it never will. Nevertheless it has fashioned the reeommissioned Baltimore into a fighting ship again. The Baltimore left Bremerton in January, under the command of GAPT F. L. Tedder, whose World War II record exactly parallels that of the ship he commanded. Earning nine battle stars in both the Atlantic and Pacific theatres, CAPT Tedder never lost a man under any of his commands in enemy action. Steaming through the Panama Canal, the Baltimore joined the Atlantic Fleet in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for six weeks of underway training. After a brief period of yard availability in her new home port, Boston, where she was built, the Baltimore departed for the Mediterranean to join the U. S. Sixth Fleet, just five months after her recommis- sioning. There, the Baltimore proudly took her place on America ' s first line of defense, knowing she would justify the confidence placed in her. Her crew, composed of veterans and boots alike, hopes she never has to face action again. But should their country be threatened, they know they will do the job again, just as well as previous Baltimore crew have done.

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CAPTAIN TEDDER ' -HH , act, . . ' - e, ' » itl ■ i . « ' !=„ t ■ =« J 1 .« ' •»«; --it:--,,. eip xitft. •? ' . .:;-w:. CAPTAIN CASWELL