Helena (CA 75) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 15 text:

The second American warship to bear the name of Helena, was a light cruiser (CL-50), built at the New York Navy Yard and launched in August, 1938. A near dup- licate of the Brooklyn class, a sister ship, the Saint Louis was built at the same time in Newport News, Virginia. This Helena was 614 feet in length overall, 61 feet 6 inches in breadth, driven by geared turbines of 100,000 shaft horsepower total, on four shafts, and could rate a speed of about 32.5 knots. She was originally armed with fifteen six-inch and eight five-inch guns. One of the many ships damaged in the attack on Pearl Harbor, she completed re- pairs and played an important part in the Naval Warfare of the Pacific in the Second World War. Outstanding engagements in which she distinguished herself included the Battle of Cape Esperance of October 1942, and the Battle of Guadalcanal of November 1942. Assisting the occupation in the Sol- omon Island Campaign, she was torpedoed and sunk during the first battle of Kula Gulf off New Georgia Island in the early morning of July 6, 1943. She was later awarded the Navy Unit Citation posthumously, for gallantry in action during the Solomon Island Campaign. A LIGHT CRUISER. ..1938 ii

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1896.. .A GUNBOAT The tir-t ! the-e war-hip- wa- a gunboat launched at Newport News, Virginia in January. 18 u (i. he wa- about 252 feet in length, 10 Keel m breadth; displaced about I 100 t. ii- mi a normal draft of ° feet: had two triple-e |iaii«ii«n engine- drhring twin -crew-: developed 2. (MM) hor-epower; and. could make ■ -peed of approximate!) 15.5 kin t-. She WBB armed with eight four-inch guni and lour three-pounder-. Il r appearance wa- military for that and the mod prominent feature was the titt foot -moke-tack that towered above her deck. She had a -in-.de ma-t. a moderate ram how. and a -lender rui-er -tern. She saw battle in the- paui-h- mcrican ar both in the ( iarihhean rea in the -uiii- nier of 18%. and later in the Philippine! Campaign. in 18 OQ . Her operation- in the Philippines included area- that were later familiar to the two e-«el- that -uh e- cjuentlv bore her -ame name, tter the elo-e of the )X ar, she remained on Philippine and Asiatic duty until Ma l u 32. when she was retired from the active fleet.

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1945. ..THE HEAVY CRUISER Prompted bj the iak ••• War Boodi throughout the State i Montana bj the , hi , n- ..i Helena, tl - Navj Department aamed the beai j cnrieet ' » -7.V the I .S S Helena. She was launched n n 2H. 1945 .in.) i-(iiiiini--Miiii l ii September I. 1945. Said i be one of the moal powerful cruiaen afloat, ihe baa i displacement ofoi er 13,000 ' Inn-, i- 674 feel long and baa i beam of ,,wr 69 feet, [he Helena i- armed with nine eight-inch guns, twelve five-inch un-. »itli .in additional batter] «•( thirteen WMM tnti-aircraft mount-. She can develop 120,000 shaft ht r-i| i N fr. tarn.- tour boilers, and ii capable l m-Aing $3 kimt-. She wai ■ participant in the Victor) P r esi dential Naval Review at New t.rk t ii on October 27, 1945. titer undergoing a ri iil training program in I arilih.an waters, she returned i the lt -i n Navj Yard ami prepared l r ■ round-the-world cruise. The good-will tt.ur included various ports in England, Scotland, France, Italy, Greece, Egypt, Ceylon and China. Inter ■persed with i-it- 1 Tsingtao, llt.ni: K..n-. Shanghai and maneuvers at sea, the China waters tmir laated until March 1947. homeward bound pennanl «»t almosl Mmmi feel heralded her return tt. the I nited States. li.r undergoing a complete overhaul, followed bj weeks of intensive training, the Helena was designated, in Januarj 1948, as Bagship of Cruiser Division Three. In |»ril 1948, the Helena again operated in I ai I astern waters, berthing in Shanghai Dur- ing tagustof 1948 ahe won the Nav) Battle I tli. i. in tward and i ! •- Marjoric Sterrett