Juneau (CLAA 119) - Naval Cruise Book

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at 15267 The U. S. S. JUNEAU QCLAA-1195 was commissioned on T5 February T946 at the Navy Yard, New York. The present JUNEAU is the second U.S. warship named after Alaska's capital city. T The first JUNEAU QCL-521 was a light cruiser of the Atlanta anti-aircraft type. Com- missioned in early T942, she played an importantrole in the early Naval engagements in the Solomon Islands before being sunk by repeated torpedo attacks in November, T942. Among the crew of the JUNEAU lost in that action were the five Sullivan brothers, after whom a destroyer was later named. X After a shakedown cruise in the West Indies, the present JUNEAU enjoyed two tours of duty in the Mediterranean visiting a variety of maior ports from Gibraltar to Istanbul. Be- tween T946 and T948, she also participated in Atlantic Fleet maneauvers as the Flagship of Commander Destroyer Flotilla Two and as part of the Second Task Fleet during war games off the coast of Labrador. Transferred to the Pacific Fleet in November T949, the JUNEAU underwent overhaul in Puget Sound Naval Shipyard before proceeding to the west Pacific where she remained for over a year. On hand at the outbreak of hostilities in Korea, she was the first U.S. Naval Vessel to fire as hot in the Korean conflict. The JUNEAU was instrumental in destroying the North Korean Navy and made numerous strikes at enemy installations along the coast, acquiring the nickname, The Galloping Ghost of the Korean Coast. At one point, a landing party from the JUNEAU blew up a tunnel in North Korea, trapped an enemy train and returned safely to the ship. The ship also established the Formosa Straits Patrol and served as a unit of Task Force 77 before re- turning to the United States in May, T95T . Pearl Harbor was headquarters for the ship's operations during the summer of T95T , before' returning to Mare lsland Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, California, for overhaul and armament modification. Following the yard period and refresher training at Long Beach Naval Ship? yard, the JUNEAU left LBNS on 27 March T952 for her second tour of Korean duty. During this tour JUNEAU's guns wreaked havoc with enemy positions for several months and in the course of firing over T7,000 rounds into enemy strongholds she received numerous commenda- tions from Army shore personnel for her consistently accurate firing. Having completed her second tour of duty during the Korean war the JUNEAU returned to Long Beach in Novem- ber T952 to take a rest from battle. In March T953, she left Long Beach for the Atlantic Fleet reporting to Norfolk on 7 April. The JUNEAU has always been a proud ship, endowed with heroic heritage and possessed of a reputation asa smart efficient vessel. Her commanding officers, her officers, and her crew have always treasured and maintained that prestige.

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Qfbllt 1556 dlhzz comm NDING- OFFICER Captain Halle C. Allan's 26 years of naval service have been varied and colorful. Since his graduation from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1927 he has followed a career that has taken him over a vast portion of the globe. His initialassignment on the battleship MISSISSIPPI was followed, in years to come, with duty in both sea andshore based Naval Com- mands. He has served on several destroyers as well as the heavy cruiser AUGUSTA, and the air-craft carrier ENTERPRISE. During World War ll he commanded the destroyer HARDEN which participated in numerous Central and Western Pacific campaigns. In 1946 he was made Chief of Staff COMSERVRGN 10, operating in Japan, Korea, and China and was later assigned as Personnel Gfficer COMSEVENTHFLT Staff, COMNAVWESPAC in Shanghai and Tsingtao, China. Assuming command of DESRON 9 and DESDIV 91 in 'December 1949, Captain Allan and his command were the first naval units as- signed a mission in the Korean campaign. Under his leadership the Destroyer Division 91 received the Navy Unit Commendation for theiraction as sitting ducks in the invasion of lnchon in Septem- ber, 1950. In March, 1953, after serving two years with the General Plan- ning Group, under the Chief of Naval Operations, Captain ALLAN was ordered to take command of the JUNEAU.